Ahead of adopting its 2026-27 budget June 15, the Georgetown ISD board of trustees voted unanimously to hire educational consulting firm MoakCasey LLC to conduct an efficiency audit May 18.

The audit is a requirement set by the Texas Education Code for districts seeking to hold a voter-approval tax rate election, or VATRE. If approved by voters, the VATRE would increase the district’s maintenance and operations property tax rate to raise revenue for the district.

The details: MoakCasey is expected to finish the audit within three months, and the proposed VATRE would be taken to voters Nov. 3.

The district is scheduled to adopt its budget and adjustments to its compensation plan for the 2026-27 school year June 15.

By the numbers: At $1.0506 per $100 valuation, Georgetown ISD’s tax rate is among the lowest in Williamson County. Although the district’s tax revenue has continued to increase, the district is exploring solutions to keep a balanced budget while maintaining priorities, such as raising compensation for teachers and responding to the increasing costs of healthcare.

Georgetown is seeing new business growth along Williams Drive and I-35 as well as in the Wolf Ranch and Parmer Ranch shopping centers.

Rally House
Located in Wolf Ranch Town Center, the store sells officially licensed sports apparel, fan gear and merchandise, including jerseys, hats, shirts, sweatshirts and gifts for NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL and college teams.

• Opened in late April
• 1013 W. University Ave., Ste. 225, Georgetown

• Opening TBD
• 2209 N. I-35, Georgetown

• Opening in mid-to-late July
• 4720 Williams Drive, Bldg. 1, Ste. 105, Georgetown

Check out some of the most-read stories from the Austin area May 18-21. 

1. The Pulao Company set to open this summer in Leander

2. City moving toward 2.6K-acre annexation to support decades of mixed-use development in East Austin

3. $250M Amazon warehouse, distribution center near CR 172 in Round Rock now operational

4. H-E-B plus! expansion, new fitness gym and more Kyle business news this spring

5. Berry Creek Drive in Georgetown closed due to storm damage

6. Pflugerville ISD teachers, nurses, psychologists to see pay bump in 2026-27

Peter Sandford, owner of Smarter Homes, brings decades of experience in Austin to the home technology industry. The West Lake Hills business was established in 2006, offering expertise on home automation systems to locals. 

In a nutshell: Sandford specializes in designing systems for lighting, motorized shades, security and more, with a focus on reliability, longevity and easy-usage, he said.

Zooming in: One of his areas of interest is smart irrigation systems, which use connected controllers, sensors and live data to automate watering schedules. The system takes into account environmental factors, including weather, soil moisture and temperature to adjust watering needs. 

“When integrated into a smart home, irrigation becomes dynamic, improving efficiency and reducing water waste,” Sandford said.

Sandford connected with Community Impact to talk about the home automation process and further details for implementing smart irrigation systems. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.