The Leander ISD board of trustees held a special workshop meeting Sept. 9 to discuss the district's future budget shortfalls and long-range planning efforts.

The background: LISD officials first presented three potential cost-saving pathways during the May 29 board meeting which included closing and repurposing Cypress, Faubion and Steiner Ranch Elementary schools or updating staffing numbers at underenrolled campuses. Officials say these campuses are slated to reach under 60% utilization in the coming years. 

The projections: Current budget projections show a $22.8 million budget shortfall in 2026-27. 

Managing the impact: Other potential revenue generating streams could include:

• Adopting copper pennies
• Having an open enrollment policy 
• Increasing average daily attendance 
• Selling or leasing land parcels 

West Lake Hills City Council will vote on the city’s proposed budget and tax rate for Fiscal Year 2025-26 on Sept. 16.

The overview: A public hearing on the proposed budget and tax rate was held at a Sept. 10 City Council meeting.

The details: On Sept. 16, City Council will vote on a proposed property tax rate of $0.176783, a slight decrease from 2024-25’s rate of $0.1786, during a special meeting.

Education in science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM, may become more accessible for Texas public school students this school year.

What happened: Officials from national education nonprofit Learning Undefeated and the Texas Education Agency celebrated the opening of eight new mobile STEM labs at a Sept. 10 ribbon-cutting ceremony in Austin. The TEA-funded labs are expected to visit 270 school districts across the state in the 2025-26 school year.

Notable quote: “In an ever-changing world, access to STEM education remains critical to help prepare our students for career pathways and lifelong success,” said Alejando Delgado, TEA deputy commissioner of operations.

The overview: Learning Undefeated built eight new mobile STEM labs after receiving a $3.5 million grant from the TEA, according to Learning Defeated information. The organization opened its first mobile STEM lab in Texas in 2020.

The nine regionally-based labs will now visit elementary and middle school campuses across the state’s 20 educational service center regions. Kindergarten through eighth grade students may participate in a variety of STEM activities to learn engineering design.
 

Here are the top trending Community Impact stories in the Austin metro from Sept. 8-Sept 12.

📰 City of Austin to take unauthorized billboard to court

🚧 Drivers face 8-week closure of US 183 ramp near Loop 360 in North Austin

👷 146-acre industrial development planned for Georgetown

🌊 LCRA to lower Inks Lake starting Oct. 1; Lake Travis to rise by 3 inches

🏠️ Leander City Council clears way for affordable housing development to proceed