Burks Elementary School teacher Tommy Gillett was named the Region 10 Elementary Teacher of the Year for 2026, per a July news release from the district.

What they're saying: In this Q&A, Gillett talks about why he chose a career in education and how he has adapted to the evolving landscape of public education in Texas.

Why did you choose a career in education?: I think teaching ended up being the right fit for me because it brought together several things that mattered to me. Elementary school was probably my favorite period. I remember Toastmasters competitions, math competitions, and just playing and laughing with friends at recess. Those are some of my favorite memories.

I also wanted to do something meaningful. Before teaching, I rented cars, and while there was nothing wrong with that job, I didn’t have the same feeling that what I was doing really mattered. Teaching gave me that sense of purpose, along with a creative outlet. I love exploring ideas, experimenting, and creating.

Potbelly is now open in west McKinney, staff at the location confirmed.

The details: The sandwich shop with over 465 locations offers a variety of toasted sandwiches as well as wraps, salads, soups, macaroni and cheese, milkshakes and more, according to the company's website.

Get involved: While the restaurant opened in early September, a grand opening celebration is planned for 11 a.m.-1 p.m., Sept. 19. The event will include food, giveaways, games and prizes, including the opportunity to win Potbelly for a year, the release states.

• 3200 S. Stonebridge Drive, Ste. 108, McKinney

The retail section of a mixed-use project in Allen and Denton County Civil Courts relocation are in progress. Check out some of the latest construction filings with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation.

1. Methodist Richardson Medical Center expansion
Methodist Richardson Medical center is adding a three-story tower with mechnical space and an imaging suite on the first level, a 25-bed intermediate care unit on the second and shell space on the third per a TDLR filing. Construction is estimated to take roughly a year to complete.

• Location: 2831 E. President George Bush Highway, Richardson

• Estimated timeline: Dec. 1, 2026-Dec. 30, 2027

• Estimated cost: $64 million

2. Denton County Civil Courts relocation
Denton County Civil Courts is relocating into an existing five-story office building in Denton, per a TDLR filing. The office used to be the corporate headquarters for Sally Beauty Holdings, Inc. before the company relocated to Plano at the end of 2025 per previous reporting.

• Location: 3001 Colorado Blvd., Denton

• Estimated timeline: Dec.1, 2026-March 31, 2028

• Estimated cost: $60 million

The Texas comptroller's office is requesting that lawmakers provide more than $2 billion for the state's education savings account program, which subsidizes private education and homeschooling for participating families.

How we got here: The legislature created the program in 2025, allocating $1 billion for the 2026-27 school year. Nearly 110,000 students have received state dollars from the program so far, and officials said funding should be doubled to ensure more students can enroll in the next two years.

Zooming in: According to the comptroller's legislative appropriations request for the 2028-29 biennium, it would cost:

• $916 million per year to continue funding the roughly 110,000 students currently enrolled

• $82 million annually would be needed to fund siblings of participating children who will soon qualify for the program

• $980 million per year to provide funding for more than 106,000 students on the program's waitlist

Something to note: The comptroller's $2 billion base budget request would not fully cover the waitlist and interest list, which would cost nearly $4 billion for the 2027-28 and 2028-29 school years.