New campuses coming: Georgetown ISD prepares for fast enrollment growth
Georgetown ISD officials are working to open four new campuses over the next three years to make room for 4,400 additional students.
The why: The district’s enrollment is expected to increase from 13,800 students to nearly 20,000 students over the next decade, according to data from Zonda Demographics.
What's happening: In 2024, GISD voters approved a $649.5 million bond package to fund the construction of High School No. 4, Middle School No. 5, Elementary School No. 12 and a new campus for Frost Elementary at the old Benold Middle School site.
High School No. 4 is GISD’s third comprehensive high school and will allow the district to keep Georgetown and East View high schools 5A campuses—with about 2,300 students or less—at the request of community members, Superintendent Devin Padavil said.
Quote of note: “Our schools are going to continue to grow, and we have to be able to make sure that our students and our faculty have facilities that take care of their needs,” Padavil said.
Berry Springs Park and Preserve infrastructure and trail upgrades completed
The Berry Springs Park and Preserve improvement project is now complete, adding new facilities, a pavilion and a trail extension. Williamson County officials celebrated the completion of the project at an Aug. 22 ribbon-cutting ceremony.
About the project: The county broke ground on the project last spring to bring improvements to the park, including:
An open-air group pavilion
A new remote restroom
A new headquarters/visitor center with restrooms
Additional paved parking
A new maintenance and storage facility
A trail extension under CR 152
The project cost $5.9 million and was funded through voter-approved park bonds and CIP funds.
Before you go: Berry Springs Park and Preserve, located at 1801 CR 152 in Georgetown, opens daily from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.
All Things Kids Exceptional Toys, Books & Sweets is looking for new ownership.
The details: Owner Karen Soeffker put the downtown Georgetown business up for sale five or six months ago, an employee said. The store has been in Georgetown for 14 years, and sells toys, games, books and ice cream from Scoops.
ACC awarded $3.6M Texas Semiconductor Innovation Fund Grant
Austin Community College received a $3.6 million grant from the state of Texas in August.
In a nutshell: Per an Aug. 14 news release from Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's office, the grant is part of the Texas Semiconductor Innovation Fund, an incentive program to encourage semiconductor research, design and manufacturing in Texas.
Did you know: The fund awards grants to state entities and higher educational institutions for manufacturing and design projects, as well as businesses with established presences in the state.
