Georgetown ISD will finish building a new $106 million middle school and a $66.57 million elementary school this summer, yet these campuses will not welcome students for an additional year.

The big picture: In February, Superintendent Devin Padavil announced his decision to delay the opening of Ames and MS 5 until August 2027 as the district prepares for enrollment growth to slow over the next 10 years.

What they're saying: "I don’t believe in gambling with the community’s money," Padavil said. "It was more important to me to be fiscally conservative."

The why: Padavil’s decision to delay opening Ames Elementary and MS 5 comes after the district received new demographic data in November that projected slower enrollment growth over the next decade.

An August demographic report projected the district will have 19,900 students by the 2034-35 school year. By the time the district received updated projections in November, that number had shrunk by 2,500 students.

Downtown Georgetown recently gained a new ramen bar as well as a to-go location for an established Mexican restaurant. Read more about these and other updates from the local business community.

San Pedro Limon
Owner Yuri Paz and her husband, Victor, opened a second location to house their tortilla machine and serve as a to-go restaurant. The original location remains open for sit-down dining.

• Opened Jan. 26
• 1004 S. Austin Ave., Georgetown

• Opened in mid-March
• 114 E. Seventh St., Ste. 116, Georgetown

• Opening April 15
• 609 E. University Ave., Ste. 110, Georgetown

Kites, wiener dogs, bluegrass and more—the spring festival season is here, and it stretches well beyond Austin city limits. 

ABC Kite Fest
Nearly a century old, this Zilker Park tradition will pull more than 10,000 kites into the Austin sky. Handmade and commercial kites will compete side-by-side while live music, children’s activities, a pet zone and a mini market populate the park.

• April 11, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
• Free (admission)
• 2100 Barton Springs Road, Austin

• April 24-26, times vary
• Free (admission)
• 710 S. Main St., Georgetown

• April 25-26, 8 a.m.
• $10
• 204 San Antonio St., Buda

From a mixed-use project to a Target and more, here are five of the most expensive projects filed with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation in the Austin metro this week.

1. Bell District Block B in Cedar Park: Boston-based General Investment and Development is building a 194-unit mixed-use project that will feature an outdoor pool courtyard.

2. Pathways at Santa Rita Courts East in Austin: The Housing Authority of the city of Austin will construct a four-story, multi-family building that totals 77 units and renovate 11 historic single-story buildings into 27 units.

3. Target in Dripping Springs: The Village at Dripping Springs will feature the area's first Target, totaling about 147,000 square feet.

4. Cigna Healthcare in Austin: The insurance provider will add a 40,100-square-foot office to its portfolio.

5. San Marcos Self Storage in San Marcos: Seven one-story self-storage buildings, totaling approximately 83,085 square feet, will be added.

Beginning April 1, Texans can no longer use food stamps to purchase sweetened beverages and candy.

How we got here: During the 2025 legislative session, Texas lawmakers passed Senate Bill 379, which prohibits Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits from being used to purchase candy and sweetened drinks. In August, the federal government approved a waiver allowing Texas to implement the prohibition beginning April 1.

Texas will be the ninth state to prohibit SNAP benefits from being used on sugary items, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

How it works: Under SB 379, Texans will not be allowed to use their SNAP benefits to buy sweetened drinks containing any artificial sweeteners or at least 5 grams of added sugar, according to the Texas Health and Human Services Commission. SB 379 also bans the purchase of candy with Lone Star Cards.

It is up to Texas businesses to determine which items are no longer SNAP-eligible, update their store purchase systems and train staff to recognize the newly restricted items, according to the HHSC.