When Round Rock ISD posed its annual calendar survey to community members, it proposed the option of a weeklong break in October or an earlier start to the 2027-28 school year. 

District administrators said in a March 26 meeting that survey responses led them to create an entirely different calendar option. 

What you need to know: District administrators provided an update to the board, showing the results of this survey and how they informed the calendar option that will be presented to the board for approval in April.

The details: RRISD Chief of Access and Opportunity Karen Gray said the district explored the possibility of a fall break after receiving suggestions from community members. 

Gray shared that community members expressed concerns about child care challenges for both calendar options—A and B—that had either a fall break or an early start. 

Round Rock City Council unanimously approved a new water treatment agreement with Georgetown on March 26, extending a long-standing partnership that allows Round Rock to process and deliver Georgetown’s water supply.

The big picture: The agreement allows Round Rock to continue treating Georgetown’s raw water using existing system capacity, formalizing a regional arrangement as both cities plan for continued growth.

“This agreement, we are renewing it ... Georgetown asked if we would renew it for another five years, and we’re willing to do that,” said Michael Thane, executive director of public works.

The contract will remain in effect for five years, unless terminated earlier by either city.

Check out the latest updates on upcoming, ongoing and completed transportation projects across the Austin metro. 

Upcoming projects
Austin’s I-35 cap-and-stitch vision faces uncertain funding future: The outlook for Austin's ambitious plans to cover stretches of the redesigned I-35 with public amenity decks remains unclear due to the high costs of constructing the project, which city staff advised not to fund as of this spring. City Council committed last year to pay the Texas Department of Transportation $104 million to add structural supports along I-35, which are needed for any future decks to be built. But no funding has yet been set aside for the development of caps and stitches or public amenities. 

Ongoing projects
Greenlawn Boulevard widening
Project: The city of Round Rock is reconstructing Greenlawn Boulevard from an existing four-lane divided roadway to a six-lane divided urban roadway with pedestrian and lighting improvements.
Update: Construction began in January, per city officials.

• Timeline: completion is expected by April 2027

• Cost: $13.95 million

• Funding source: type B sales tax revenue

At least 257,000 students have applied for Texas’ inaugural education savings account program, according to the state comptroller’s office. Less than half of those applicants are likely to be accepted.

The overview: Applications for Texas Education Freedom Accounts close at 11:59 p.m. March 31. Students enrolling in private schools will receive $10,474 to spend on tuition and related expenses, while homeschool students can get up to $2,000 each, and students with disabilities may qualify for up to $30,000 each.

Through March 29, about 23% of applicants had indicated they would be homeschooled while 77% of applicants said they wanted to attend a private school, state data shows.

Program funding is capped at $1 billion for the 2026-27 school year, meaning between 90,000 and 100,000 students will likely be accepted.

By the numbers: About 34,000 students indicated in their application that they have a disability, per the comptroller's office. Students who have a disability and are considered low- or middle-income will receive priority acceptance into the program under state law.