Bastrop ISD will welcome more than 13,000 students for the first day of the 2026-27 school year Aug. 13.

Looking ahead: Check out some important dates for BISD students.

• Sept. 7: first student holiday
• Nov. 23-27: Thanksgiving break 
• Dec. 18: first day of winter break
• Jan. 6: first day of the spring semester
• May 26: last day of school

Members of the Grace Mennonite Fellowship sewing group donated their time to repair about 140 uniform pockets for the Bastrop County Juvenile Boot Camp, helping improve safety at the alternative education and discipline program.

What's happening: Beginning in mid-June, the volunteers met for three hours every Tuesday for four weeks to sew shut the pockets on approximately 140 uniforms, reducing participants' ability to hide prohibited items. The boot camp supplied some thread and sewing needles, while the women purchased additional materials, including heavy-duty needles needed to work through the thick fabric.

The details: The idea for the project came from the son of sewing group member Gaylene Long, who suggested closing the pockets to help limit the flow of restricted items into the facility. In addition to sewing the pockets shut, the volunteers patched damaged areas without changing the uniforms' fit or appearance. Long said the project reflected Grace Mennonite Fellowship's belief that every child deserves support and a second chance while also providing a meaningful opportunity for the group to serve the local community.

Within the next year, Texans will likely see changes to when they can vote early in elections, including expanded weekend voting hours.

The overview: Last year, state lawmakers passed Senate Bill 2753, which shifts Texas’ early voting window closer to election day, cutting out a three-day gap between the two voting periods and adding more Saturday and Sunday voting.

While the changes did not take effect immediately and were designed to help boost voter turnout, local election administrators said the law will also significantly raise costs for municipalities and delay the release of election results.

Election officials said the current three-day break allows staff to set up polling places for election day and prepare submitted ballots so results from early and mail-in voting can be released quickly after the polls close on election night.

The impact: Harris County Clerk Teneshia Hudspeth estimated that the shift would raise the cost of administering a large election by 30% and increase costs for smaller elections by 9%, due to personnel, equipment and voter education needs.