Check out the latest updates from Pflugerville ISD's Oct. 22 board of trustees meeting.

6 campuses to submit improvement plans to the state: Dessau, Timmerman and Spring Hill elementary schools, Pflugerville and Westview middle schools, and Connally High School are all required to submit a targeted improvement plan to the state.

Director of School Improvement Rachel Naugle said five of the six campuses have received a grant from the Texas Education Agency that requires a TIP to be submitted.

New 2026-27 budget projections show $3.4 million shortfall decrease: PfISD is in the fourth month of its 2026-27 fiscal year, and Chief Financial Officer Jennifer Land said the district is already seeing slight budget improvements from what was adopted in June.

Notable changes include an additional $600,000 in revenues and a $2.8 million decrease in expenditures.

Housing activity up, kindergarten enrollment down: Zonda Demographics representative Paul Cash provided the latest PfISD report, which included information on housing activity within the district and enrollment projections over the next decade.

Super Hippo Comic Shop opened in Hutto in early October.

The details: The shop is located on the second floor of The Story Emporium & Bookshop and offers a variety of comics with new shipments coming in every Wednesday. 

Super Hippo Comic Shop is owned by Juan Christman, and his wife and two sons help run the store. 

Christman said this is the first comic store in Hutto, and they plan to sell toys and cards at the location in the future. 

• 202 Hwy. 79, Hutto

Check out the latest transportation project updates across the Austin metro.

Austin pushes back on proposed Parmer Lane highway conversion: Austin City Council approved a resolution directing city staff to work with regional transportation agencies to prioritize safety, walking, biking and transit in proposed Parmer Lane improvements amid concerns that a plan to convert the corridor into a multilane highway could increase traffic, noise and pollution.

Kyle reevaluates 6 priority intersections marked for roundabouts: On Aug. 18, the Kyle City Council approved an almost $500,000 reevaluation of 12 intersections where roundabouts were recommended. The results of intersection analyses at six priority locations were presented on Oct. 20. Of the six intersections reevaluated, four were recommended for road remedies other than roundabouts and two were recommended to continue pursuing roundabouts.

Pflugerville's FM 685 median removal to bring overnight lane closures Oct. 26-30: As part of the city’s Downtown East project, a new traffic light is being installed at the intersection, and Main Street is being extended from its current terminus at N. Railroad Avenue.

Seasonal affective disorder, or SAD, is depression tied to changes in daylight, according to the National Institute of Mental Health.

Roxanne Dudley, a psychiatric nurse practitioner and licensed professional counselor with Integral Care’s Mobile Crisis Outreach Team, said fall’s added stress can worsen both anxiety and seasonal depression.

What residents should know: Everyone has bad days, she said. If symptoms last more than two or three weeks and take up multiple hours of the day, get help, Dudley said.

“That’s not just business as usual," she said.

Managing the impact: Dudley said to prioritize exercise. However, the usual 20-30 minutes a day can feel impossible with low energy or packed schedules, she said.

“I’m a big fan of exercise snacks,” she said. Five or 10 minutes twice a day adds up.

Whatever people try, Dudley recommended having self-compassion.

“It’s progress, right? Not perfection,” she said.

Reach out: Integral Care is Travis County’s mental health safety net, so cost and insurance should not be barriers to care.

Additionally, the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is also available 24/7 by call or text.