Voters in Bastrop ISD will decide Nov. 3 whether to approve a tax rate increase expected to generate about $6 million annually for the district.

The gist: Trustees triggered a voter-approval tax rate election Aug. 13 after adopting a $1.0809 tax rate for 2026-27—1.3 cents higher than the current rate.

By the numbers: The district’s maintenance and operations tax rate will depend on the outcome of the election.

For a home with a $378,000 taxable value, the annual BISD tax bill would be:

• Without voter approval: $0.6499 per $100 valuation, or about $64 less annually

• With voter approval: $0.6799 per $100 valuation, or about $49 more annually

For a $378,000 home with a $140,000 homestead exemption, the annual bill would be:

• Without voter approval: about $40 less annually

• With voter approval: about $32 more annually

Something to note: Homeowners aged 65 and older with a homestead exemption would not see an increase from the VATRE.

What’s next: Early voting runs Oct. 19-30, and Election Day is Nov. 3.

Bastrop dogs will soon have more to wag about after Bark Park improvements kicked off Aug. 14, with new ways to play, cool off and stay out later on the way.

The update: City crews began moving dirt for two new solar lights on Friday—the first of a slate of city-led upgrades that will also include new water stations, a wash station, agility equipment and signage.

How we got here: The work follows more than a year of discussion about improvements to the 1.2-acre park at 101 Grady Tuck Lane.

As previously reported by Community Impact, the city in July 2025 designated the approximately 1.2-acre site as parkland, protecting it from future development.

Looking ahead: The park is not currently closed for renovations; however, that could change as construction progresses.

Most of the new amenities should be in place by mid-September.

Check out some of the most-read stories about the Austin area from Aug. 10-13. 

1. Franklin Barbecue to temporarily close in East Austin

2. Cedar Park officials approve $5.6M for transportation, community projects

3. New running shoe store to open in San Marcos outlets

4. Claw machine arcade coming soon to New Braunfels

5. Discount Tire opens second location in Georgetown

6. H-E-B plans store upgrades in Pflugerville

The Texas Education Agency released public school accountability ratings for the 2025-26 school year on Aug. 14.

"We use [A-F ratings] as a way to evaluate our own performance as adults, and then build action plans so that the way that we run our schools next year can be even better than last year," Education Commissioner Mike Morath said during an Aug. 14 news conference.

The overview: Across the state, 85% of campuses received a C rating or higher, which is considered “acceptable" academic performance.

Schools are rated based on three criteria: student achievement, school progress and closing the gaps.

Zooming in: At least one district, Austin ISD, is at risk of being taken over by the TEA after two of its middle school campuses received their fifth consecutive failing grades this year. State law requires the agency to shutter those campuses or take control of the district.

Any potential state-mandated closures or takeovers will not happen immediately, as districts with concerns about their ratings have through Sept. 11 to appeal scores to the TEA.