ATX-RRK: Impact 10/21/2025

• Opened Oct. 6
• 2651 Gattis School Road, Round Rock

• Opened Sept. 24
• 1551 E. Old Settlers Bvld., Ste. 250, Round Rock

A quarterly budget update from Round Rock ISD staff urged caution around projections for a budget surplus in the 2025-26 financial year.

What you need to know: RRISD Chief Financial Officer Dennis Covington told the board of trustees that legislative changes around school funding implemented this year, combined with uncertainty about an increase to the homestead exemption, has projections for the budget somewhere between an $11 million shortfall and $5 million surplus.

Travis County and Austin officials have issued a local disaster declaration as wildfire risk rises across Central Texas, following a renewed statewide proclamation by Gov. Greg Abbott.

“The risk is real,” Travis County Judge Andy Brown said.

The overview: Local declarations allow the city and county to respond quickly to emergencies by temporarily bypassing time-consuming contract processes.

Some context: Though summer rains fueled vegetation growth, dry conditions have turned it into additional fire fuel, creating a “critical point,” Travis County Fire Marshal Gary Howell said. Between Oct. 17-19, two brush fires broke out, including one near the Circuit of the Americas, briefly threatening nearby homes.

Action taken: The city is updating wildfire evacuation plans for neighborhoods with limited access, working closely with residents to prepare communities.

What you should know: Officials urge homeowners to create defensible space, maintain gutters, and remove flammable materials within 5 feet of their homes. Residents can request free Structural Ignition Zone Evaluations and sign up for emergency alerts at WarnCentralTexas.org to stay prepared this wildfire season.

The Texas House and Senate are launching new legislative committees to “get to the bottom of exactly what occurred” during this summer’s deadly Central Texas floods, state leaders announced Oct. 13.

The details: The bipartisan panels, known as the House and Senate General Investigating Committees on the July 2025 Flooding Events, will meet jointly to conduct “a comprehensive and thorough review” of the floods, House Speaker Dustin Burrows and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said.

Lawmakers will be tasked with:

• Identifying strategies to strengthen Texas’ disaster preparedness
• Helping communities respond to future floods
• Examining actions taken at summer camps in the flood zone