146-acre industrial development planned for Georgetown
Gateway Business Park, a 146-acre industrial development, will be built along I-35 in Georgetown.
The details: Mac Haik Enterprises owns the land for the project, which will be built-to-suit, according to a news release from Aquila Commercial, the leasing and marketing company for the park.
What else? The development will have six buildings with more than 1.6 million square feet of space available. The business park will be designed for advanced manufacturing, distribution and logistics businesses, and will offer customizable facilities.
An opening timeline for the development is not yet available.
WilCo furthers mental health resources amid suicide prevention month
Williamson County commissioners named September suicide prevention month at a Sept. 9 meeting, highlighting the various county mental health resources available to residents.
The impact: Suicide is the 12th leading cause of death in the U.S. and the second leading cause of death for children ages 10-14, according to the county. For those ages 15-24, it is the third leading cause of death.
Williamson County's behavioral health task force has a goal of working with mental health providers, nonprofits, first responders and the justice system to increase suicide awareness and lifesaving resources.
The county partners with Bluebonnet Trails Community Services, which offers a 24/7 crisis hotline at 1-800-841-1255 to connect residents with care and counseling options. Individuals who call 911 in Williamson County and ask for mental health resources can also be directly connected with Bluebonnet Trails.
Going forward: The county is working on additional mental health projects, including starting a loss team that will help those impacted by suicide.
Patriot Day Ceremony to commemorate 9/11 in Georgetown
Hosted by the Sun City Texas Community Association, the event will honor the 2,977 lives lost during the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Shilo Harris, a retired U.S. Army veteran, is the guest speaker.
Sept. 11, 11 a.m.
Free
2 Texas Drive, Bldg. A, Georgetown
www.sctexas.org/veteransmemorialplaza
latest education news
Alpha School showcases expedited student learning through artificial intelligence alongside state, federal leaders
Austin-based private school Alpha School is aiming to expedite learning for more students using artificial intelligence at new academies opening across the country.
What happened: On Sept. 9, U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon visited Alpha School in Austin alongside Texas Education Agency Commissioner Mike Morath. Alpha School co-founder MacKenzie Price highlighted how the school is using AI to personalize and improve students’ education.
What they're saying:“It's the most exciting thing I've seen in education in a long time,” McMahon said about Alpha School. “I'm incredibly enthusiastic about this.”
How it works: Students complete their academic learning in two hours each day using an AI platform known as 2 Hour Learning. Price said the Alpha School model enables students to learn twice as fast as they would in a traditional school setting.
The update: Alpha School opened several new academies across the United States this school year, including a K-3 school in Plano and K-8 school in Fort Worth. The company is planning to open an academy in Houston this winter.
Cellphone ban, library materials: 8 new Texas laws impacting public schools
When Texas students returned to school in August, some substantial changes awaited them.
The overview:
House Bill 2 increases state funding for public schools by $8.4 billion.
House Bill 1481 prohibits students from using cellphones and other personal communication devices throughout the school day.
Senate Bill 12 requires parental consent for students to receive "medical, psychiatric and psychological treatment" on campus.
Senate Bill 13 gives parents and school boards more oversight of library materials.
House Bill 6 gives teachers more discretion to remove repeatedly disruptive or violent students from class.
Senate Bill 10 requires most schools to display donated posters of the Ten Commandments in classrooms.
Senate Bill 11 allows districts to set aside time for students and staff to pray or read religious texts at school.
Senate Bill 965 codifies school employees' rights to "engage in religious speech or prayer while on duty."
The context: The sweeping changes come after lawmakers passed what state leaders have called “transformative” education laws during this year’s regular legislative session, which ended June 2.
