Early voting has begun for the Dec. 20 special City Council election in Schertz.

What’s on the ballot: Five candidates are vying for the Place 7 Schertz City Council position, which was left vacant after former council member Tim Brown died Oct. 19.

Running for the position are John Carbon, Dan Swart, Tony Diaz, Robert Sheridan III and Kristy Barger. Carbon ran for the Place 2 position in the Nov. 4 election and received 1,882 votes, or 34.75% against Michelle Watson’s 3,534 votes, or 65.25%. Swart most recently served as a trustee at Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City ISD. Sheridan previously served on the city’s Parks and Recreation Board, according to an email Sheridan sent to Community Impact.

What else? Early voting will be weekdays from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. through Dec. 16 at the Schertz Annex at 1101 Elbel Road and the Guadalupe County Elections Administration Office at 3251 SH 123 N. in Seguin.

The Schertz Annex will be the only election day location, with polls open from 7 a.m.-7 p.m.

A locally owned dance studio has closed its doors in Northeast San Antonio to explore other options.

What residents should know: Hollywood & Vine Dance Studio closed its brick-and-mortar on Nov. 30, Owner Chrissy Linnea said in a Facebook post.

“We are closing our Universal City location as we embark on a significant and exciting project,” Linnea said.

Linnea told Community Impact that she is planning to move out of state to explore other opportunities, and is unsure if a new studio will open there.

Hollywood & Vine was located at 117 E. Wright Blvd. in Universal City. The studio opened on July 1, according to previous reporting from Community Impact.

Zooming in: Linnea said she will still be offering virtual lessons both “nationally and worldwide” as she continues the transition. The studio specialized in tap, jazz and ballet lessons for all ages, from children to adults.

• 117 E. Wright Blvd., Universal City

New Braunfels looking at the future of transportation in the city and holiday events coming to the area are just some of the headlines from Community Impact coverage of the San Antonio metro the week of Dec. 1-5.

• Bentley expands with a showroom near Boerne and Fair Oaks Ranch
• New Braunfels council looks at thoroughfare plan
• Holiday events are on their way to New Braunfels
• A New Braunfels business closes its doors
• New Braunfels council approves downtown parking exemptions

The Texas comptroller’s office has released a set of rules to govern the state’s $1 billion education savings account program, or ESAs. Accepted families will receive thousands of dollars in state funds to send their children to a private school or homeschool them.

The overview: Accredited private schools and education vendors can begin applying to join the program as soon as Dec. 9, and applications will open for interested families Feb. 4.

Most families accepted into the program will receive about $10,300 per student, which can be spent on tuition at accredited private prekindergarten or K-12 schools and related expenses. Homeschooled students will receive up to $2,000 per year, while students with disabilities will be eligible for up to $30,000 annually.

Zooming in: Depending on a family’s income, students with disabilities may receive priority acceptance into the ESA program. Families can submit documentation from a physician or the U.S. Social Security Administration to be prioritized, although a detailed evaluation and individualized education plan are required to receive the additional special education funding.