During its May 4 budget workshop, leaders from Georgetown ISD considered increasing contributions and integrating Next Level Urgent Care into its health care offerings to mitigate increasing medical insurance costs.

The cost of medical insurance is projected to increase to $18.4 million next year, GISD Chief Financial Officer Kenneth Adix said.

By the numbers: GISD lost $3.4 million last year due to medical insurance costs, Adix said. Using expenditures up to March of this year to project the rest of the district’s fiscal year 2025-26 spending, GISD is on pace to lose another $6.3 million.

The school district is seeking a $10 million transfer from the general fund to the health care fund to account for this year’s shortfall. To cover this transfer, GISD is considering using money from a one-time property value audit, which Adix says amounts to “a little over $12 million.”

The big picture: Since the district left the health insurance provided through the state Teacher Retirement System in 2022, it is unable to rejoin until 2027.

A Wells Fargo bank opened recently in the Parmer Ranch Marketplace shopping center.

The gist: The new branch adds to Wells Fargo's 450 locations in Texas, which provide individual and business banking services.

Located at the northeast corner of Ronald Reagan Boulevard and Williams Drive, Parmer Ranch Marketplace is home to the newest Georgetown H-E-B, as well as several other recently opened businesses.

What they're saying: “The launch of our new Parmer Ranch branch represents a meaningful commitment to Central Texas,” Dan Hoke, business growth strategy executive for Wells Fargo, said in a statement. “We’re thrilled to join the Georgetown community and offer our customers a welcoming, modern, inviting space where we can truly connect with customers, understand their needs and foster lasting relationships built on trust.”

• 28707 Ronald Reagan Blvd., Georgetown

Veterans in Williamson County facing financial challenges will receive support from a $5,000 donation from the Veterans of Foreign Wars’ local Georgetown chapter.

What happened: Williamson County Director of Veteran Services Michael Hernandez presented the donation alongside the local VFW Commander John McCleskey, a retired navy master chief, at an April 28 Commissioners Court meeting.

“We've had a collaboration for some time now, and they have supported us financially with veterans in need,” Hernandez said at the meeting.

Because the VFW did not place restrictions on the donation, Veteran Services will have the flexibility to assist local veterans with a wide range of essential expenses. The funds can be used to help cover utilities, rent or mortgage payments, food and transportation, Hernandez said.

Digging deeper: The VFW is a national nonprofit organization with over 9,000 local chapters, aiming to support and unite veterans, especially those who have served overseas, according to its website.

As health care costs continue rising in Texas and across the nation, state lawmakers are working to understand the factors that make health care unaffordable and what can be done to rein in prices.

The big picture: About 5.2 million Texans, or 16.7% of the state’s population, did not have health insurance in 2024, according to U.S. Census Bureau data.

For years, advocates have called on Texas lawmakers to pass laws to drive down health care costs and improve access to health insurance. During a two-day hearing April 30 and May 1, a Texas House committee examined why health care costs are rising. Lawmakers will discuss potential policy solutions later this year, committee chair Rep. James Frank, R-Wichita Falls, said.

What's happening: Yale University professor Zack Cooper said that since 2000, U.S. health care spending has grown three times faster than inflation. The average health insurance premium for a family of four is $27,000 per year, he said.

“Every family is basically buying a new Toyota Corolla worth of health insurance," Cooper told lawmakers.