San Marcos CISD schools will soon see changes to the books on their shelves. The board of trustees approved the purchase of 729 new materials and voted to retain 32 challenged titles at a Dec. 15 meeting.

What’s new: The School Library Advisory Council was established earlier this year after Senate Bill 13 passed in the 89th legislative session, which aims to give school boards and parents more oversight over library materials. The SMCISD board of trustees each appointed a member to the SLAC.

What else? Previously, librarians were able to purchase new materials at will throughout the year. The new process is as follows:

• Librarians create a list of books they want to procure.
• The SLAC reviews the list.
• If no objections are made, the list is presented to the school board for the final decision.

From self-care to car shops and more, here are four of the latest business updates in Kyle.

Now open: European Wax Center–Kyle
The salon offers full-body wax services, including bikini, underarms, legs, face and more.

• Kyle Marketplace, 6401 FM 1626, Ste. 175, Kyle

• 1080 Kohlers Crossing, Kyle

• 19121 I-35, Kyle

The Old Settler’s Music Festival, an Americana and roots music festival, will return for its 39th year in Driftwood.

The details: In recent years, the festival took place in Dale, just south of Austin. Old Settler’s is a volunteer-led nonprofit dedicated to preserving and sharing American roots music, founded in 1987.

On April 17-19, festivalgoers can expect:

• Recreational vehicle-friendly camping with shaded areas, toilets and access to Onion Creek
• Late-night campfire jams, family activities, and a blend of Americana, folk, bluegrass and roots music

• April 17-19
• $10-$199 (three-day admission), $49-$149 (early entry or VIP upgrades), $40-$1,199 (parking or camping upgrades)
• 18301 FM 1826, Driftwood

Unlock MLS market research advisor Vaike O’Grady shared an end-of-year update on the Austin-Round Rock- Metropolitan Statistical Area's housing market, including where the MSA is seeing employment growth and projected housing trends. 

Major takeaways: According to Unlock MLS' year-to-date data on single-family homes:

• Homes spent 73 days on the market on average, nine days longer than 2024 YTD
• Total sales were down 5% from 2024 with 26,455 homes sold
• Median sale prices were down 1% from 2024 at $438,532

• Between 30,000-32,000 closed sales
• Between 10,000-12,000 active listings
• Upward of 5 months of inventory 
• Median sales prices of $410,000-$425,000