5 more campuses to serve free breakfast, lunch in Pflugerville ISD
Pflugerville ISD’s Community Eligibility Provision program has expanded and is now providing free breakfast and lunch to students at 12 of its campuses.
What you need to know: The Texas Department of Agriculture recently approved five additional PfISD campuses for the program in 2025-26.
Connally High School and Copperfield, Spring Hill, Timmerman and Wieland Elementary schools have been added to the list of participating campuses, which include:
Barron Elementary
Delco Elementary
Dessau Elementary
Northwest Elementary
River Oaks Elementary
Dessau Middle School
Westview Middle School
All students at these campuses will receive free meals, regardless of socioeconomic status.
Council approves agreement to keep concrete headquarters in Pflugerville
Pflugerville City Council approved an economic development agreement between the city and Lauren Concrete Aug. 26 to keep the company’s headquarters in Pflugerville.
Overview: The company requested a new sales tax abatement agreement over a 10-year period for it to maintain its headquarters within the city. Per the agreement, half of the city’s annual sales tax revenue from Lauren Concrete will be remitted in part by the city and by the Pflugerville Community Development Corporation.
The company generates about $1 million in sales tax revenue to the city and $500,000 to PCDC, according to city documents. The agreement, along with a deal between PCDC and Lauren Concrete that was also approved by council, will equate to an approximately $500,000 reimbursement to the company.
Amid Democratic criticism, Texas lawmakers vote to overhaul STAAR and launch new tests in 2027
Both chambers of the Texas Legislature have voted to overhaul the state’s standardized testing system, putting public school students one step closer to taking new exams in the 2027-28 school year.
The details: House Bill 8 would eliminate the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness and replace it with three shorter tests, which students would take at the beginning, middle and end of each school year.
Bill author Rep. Brad Buckley, R-Salado, said HB 8 would “reduce test anxiety, provide teachers with immediate feedback and create a pathway for trust in our system again." The majority of House Democrats and a few Republicans disagreed, arguing Aug. 26 that the bill would increase the amount of time students spend on exams and essentially create “another STAAR test” developed by the Texas Education Agency.
Next steps: After state senators passed HB 8 with a 21-7 vote Aug. 27, the bill returned to the House for consideration of a Senate amendment. If House lawmakers sign off on the changes, HB 8 will be sent to the governor.
Travis County directs $34M in taxpayer funds for affordable child care
Less than a year after voters approved a countywide tax rate increase to expand affordable child care, Travis County officials have launched the first wave of investments under the Creating Access for Resilient Families, or CARES, initiative. Commissioners approved a $24 million contract with Workforce Solutions Capital Area, which will use existing programs to provide care for 1,000 children ages 0-3, and three interlocal agreements totaling $9.7 million with Austin ISD, Del Valle ISD and Manor ISD to expand pre-K and after-school programs.
The details: Austin ISD will extend Apple Blossom Centers’ half-day and after-school programs to 306 children; Del Valle ISD will serve 200 pre-K4 students; and Manor ISD will provide care for 1,593 children.
The initiatives are part of a broader plan to create nearly 9,800 child care opportunities countywide, including expanded nontraditional-hour programs and increased subsidy slots. County officials said more contracts are in the works, with an additional 1,700 slots expected in the coming months.
