SATX-NBF: Impact 10/21/2025

New Braunfels ISD, or NBISD, reports high proficiency in Spanish literature and language among its students, according to an update presented to school board trustees on Oct. 13.

About the program: The district serves 938 emergent bilingual students in the 2025-26 school year, up from 919 the previous school year, which is about a 2% increase.

NBISD offers two separate dual-language programs for 6-12th grade: an ESL content-based course, where English is taught within regular class time, and a pull-out course, where students continue their English learning outside of core classes. More than 20 languages are spoken in households across the district—including Spanish, French, Cantonese, Mandarin, Russian and Japanese, according to the district.

In the report from the Multilingual Programs Director, Nayane Olivas, students in the AP Spanish exam excelled, with students earning a three or higher on the test.

NBISD scored above the state and global averages in Spanish Literature and Spanish Language tests.

Core Beauty Salon & Co. relocated from the Phenix Salon Suites at 664 S. Walnut Ave. to 1671 I-35 N. frontage road, Ste. 305 New Braunfels on Sept. 10. 

What they offer: The hair salon—owned by Monica Mancha—offers women's haircuts and extensions, hair treatments, manicures, pedicures and more. 

• 1671 I-35 N. frontage road, Ste. 305 New Braunfels

In a 3-2 vote, Hays County Commissioners Court officials terminated a contract with Flock Safety, a company that creates automatic license plate readers and manages vehicle data. This decision comes after several months of discussion and deliberation by the court over public concerns surrounding the company’s data privacy practices.

What happened: Two items regarding Flock Safety were on the agenda, with one proposing to purchase more equipment from the company and the other proposing to terminate the contract.

Flock was scheduled to give a presentation to the Commissioners Court at the Oct. 14 meeting, but the paperwork was not submitted on time. According to House Bill 1522, which became law Sept. 1, local government agencies must post agendas at least three business days before a public meeting.

According to Hays County Sheriff Anthony Hipolito, the Flock Safety contract requires a 30-day notice for termination. At that time, Flock representatives are expected to deactivate and remove the equipment.

As water restrictions and shortages become more common in Texas communities, state lawmakers are asking voters to approve $20 billion to fund new water supply projects and improve existing systems over the next 20 years.

The overview: If voters approve State Proposition 4, which is on the November ballot, the state will create a dedicated funding stream to help local utilities access more water and upgrade their infrastructure. Without the new funding, Texas’ water crisis could deepen, experts say.

“We’ve got 1,500+ people moving to Texas every day, and not one of them is bringing a single drop of water with them,” Dean Sharp, who leads the management division of the Texas American Water Works Association, said Oct. 16.

Key takeaway: Despite the $1 billion annual price tag, Proposition 4 would not create any new state taxes or increase costs for Texans, lawmakers and experts said. Beginning in 2027, the money would come from existing sales tax revenue and be deposited in the Texas Water Fund, a state account that voters approved in 2023.

In the Nov. 4 election, voters will be deciding the future of Northeast San Antonio’s school districts, as residents in both Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City and Judson ISDs will see voter-approval tax rate elections, or VATREs, on the ballot.

Zooming in: According to the Texas American Federation of Teachers, a VATRE allows school districts to generate supplemental revenue by levying property taxes beyond a maximum compressed tax rate calculated by the Texas Education Agency.

Through the VATRE, SCUCISD and JISD will look to raise their property tax rates by $0.12 and $0.045 per $100 valuation, respectively. This would raise $17.15 million for SCUCISD and approximately $21 million for JISD, according to the districts’ financial staff. SCUCISD aims to fund projects in departments such as band and fine arts, while JISD seeks to reduce budget shortfalls.