Harris Elementary students moved into a fully modernized campus in January.

The $56.28 million modernization—funded by the district's 2022 bond—includes new classrooms, administrative offices and outdoor learning areas along with a new cafeteria and gym, Principal Sonya Wyatt said at an April 28 ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Notable quote: “This is everything that we envision—opportunities for us to unlock our students and see how well it was worth the wait," Wyatt said.

The overview: More than 100 Harris Elementary students, parents and teachers gathered alongside district and city officials to celebrate the new campus April 28.

Established in 1954, the original Harris Elementary building no longer met the needs of its students, Wyatt said. Since 2023, the campus has operated out of the former Sims Elementary, which closed in 2021, while construction was underway on the new school.

A closer look: The modernized Harris Elementary features:

• Flexible spaces for a variety of teaching and learning styles
• Mental health and wellness areas
• Outdoor learning opportunities
• Community support spaces
• Professional learning centers
• Technology upgrades
• Enhanced security features

Creative Action, an educational art program for children, will move its headquarters to Muller, where it will open a new “community arts collaborative building,” according to a news release. 

Learn more: Construction is slated to begin in May 2026, with Creative Action to occupy the space in fall 2027. 

What to expect: The 25,000-square-foot building will house six nonprofit partners across two stories, including Art Spark Texas, Austin Bat Cave, Austin Soundwaves, Latinitas, Creative Action and Studio A. 

The new headquarters will include rehearsal spaces and community gathering areas “that help blend the arts with academic and social-emotional learning,” according to the release. 

• 4611 Tilley St., Austin

Camp Mystic, the Texas Hill Country camp where 28 people died in catastrophic flooding last summer, announced April 30 that it will not welcome campers this summer.

The background: The decision comes nearly 10 months after 25 young campers, two teenage counselors and the camp’s executive director, Dick Eastland, died as the Guadalupe River camp flooded July 4. Camp Mystic’s owners had planned to open a secondary campsite called Cypress Lake in late May, but backed down at the urging of flood victims’ families and state lawmakers.

What's happening: A spokesperson for the Department of State Health Services, which licenses youth camps, confirmed to Community Impact that Camp Mystic had withdrawn its application to operate in summer 2026. 

In a statement, Camp Mystic officials said they did not want to “unintentionally effect further harm” on flood victims and their families.

"We also recognize that over 800 girls want to return to Camp Mystic Cypress Lake this summer," they wrote. "Our special bond with our Camp Mystic families does not change or end with the announcement."