New Braunfels Edition | September 2025

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New Braunfels Edition VOLUME 8, ISSUE 10 SEPT. 9 OCT. 7, 2025

2025 Education Edition

Supporting student needs

306

SUNDANCE PARKWAY

The New Braunfels campus will be located at 2049 Sundance Parkway. (Courtesy Northeast Lakeview College)

Northeast Lakeview College receives $3.8M to fund New Braunfels campus expansion

NLC President Veronica Garcia said they thought they would be comfortable at the technology center for the next ve years. “What we didn’t expect was that we were [going to] grow so quickly,” Garcia said.

expand the community college’s New Braunfels campus Aug. 11. The community college opened at the Central Texas Technology Center at 2193 FM 758, in the fall of 2023, with 125 students and 10 courses. Now, the college has 25 courses and has grown to 400 students.

BY AMIRA VAN LEEUWEN

Alamo Colleges’ Northeast Lakeview College, or NLC, is expanding its New Braunfels campus to oer more career path programs for high school students and individuals in the region. New Braunfels City Council approved $3.8 million in economic development corporation funding to

CONTINUED ON 22

Also in this issue Impacts

2025 Education Edition Page 17 Check out the opening of a new elementary school

Page 7 Learn about Sprouts Farmers Market coming soon

Development

Page 15

Read an update on the Apple Seeds Apartments

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Owners John and Jennifer Garrett launched Community Impact in 2005, and the company is still locally owned today with editions across Texas. Our mission is to provide trusted news and local information that everyone gets. Our vision is to build communities of informed citizens and thriving businesses through the collaboration of a passionate team. Our purpose is to be a light for our readers, customers, partners and each other by living out our core values of Faith, Passion, Quality, Innovation and Integrity.

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Impacts

on building full-body strength through dynamic movements. Serrano Fitness Studio also o ers yoga classes and Zumba. • Opened Aug. 4 • 111 S. Union Ave., Ste. 119, New Braunfels • www.serranoitstudio.com/home 4 Favorite Neighbor The European-inspired wine bar—owned by Abigail Porter—serves small plates and various wines. • Opened Aug. 9 • 494 N. Union Ave., New Braunfels • www.thefavoriteneighbor.com 5 HelloSpace+ Storage The independently-owned storage facility o ers climate-controlled storage spaces and U-Haul truck rentals. • Opened Aug. 1 • 141 Lonesome Quail, New Braunfels • www.hellospaceplus.com 6 The Social Party Marketing Agency The marketing agency—owned by Ali Schneider—o ers di erent content creation packages. • Opened June • 1528 Common St., Ste. 13, New Braunfels • www.thesocialpartyagency.com 7 Texas Salt Co. The Bandera-based business—owned by Daniel and Andrew Almand—sells handcrafted smoked salts, nishing salts, pepper blends and specialty seasonings. • Opened Sept. 5 • 144 S. Seguin Ave., New Braunfels • www.texassaltco.com Heaven on Earth The cottage bakery service—owned by Avion Moore— sells gourmet pudding. • Opened June • Serving New Braunfels, Northeast San Antonio, San Marcos • www.tasteheavenonearth.com

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337

CREEKSIDE CROSSING

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UNION AVE.

ELIZABETH AVE.

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2 Grouchy Goose The riverside, biergarten-style bar and restaurant serves cocktails and hosts live music. Grouchy Goose also accepts reservations for private events or parties. • Opened July 26 • 8515 River Road, Gruene • www.tanturtletx.com 3 Serrano Fitness Studio The studio—owned by sister-duo Wendy and Karina Serrano—specializes in pole tness, which focuses

Now open

1 Tan Turtle Tavern The open-air bar and grill serves American fare. Tan Turtle Tavern also has a beach volleyball court and live music stage. • Opened late June • 8515 River Road, Gruene • www.tanturtletx.com

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Mrs. Crust & Co. This new cottage bakery o ers delivery and pickup of various homemade baked goods from sourdough breads to chocolate chip cookies and more. • Opened July 21

12 Cavender’s Boot City This Western apparel store sells cowboy hats, boots,

Now open

pants and more. • Opening TBD • 1671 I-35 S., Ste. 208, New Braunfels • www.cavenders.com

• Serving New Braunfels area • Facebook: Mrs. Crust and Co.

13 Cava The chain restaurant specializes in Mediterranean-style foods and serves bowls and pita wraps topped with Greek-inspired items like Tzatziki, Harissa and various dressings. • Opening TBD • 323 Creekside Crossing, Ste. 117, New Braunfels • www.cava.com

Coming soon

8 Fruition Fruit Blendz The Acai food bowl truck—owned by Anita Bitela and Gerry Sandoval—known for its from-scratch, customizable Acai bowls and smoothies—is opening a brick-and-mortar location. Bitela and Sandoval plan to add juice cleanse options, gourmet toast and co ee to their menu. • Opening fall • 840 S. Business I-35, New Braunfels • www.fruitionfruitblendz.com 9 Texas Roadhouse The restaurant o ers classic American steakhouse fare, including ribs, burgers, salads and sandwiches.

17 Elements Art Collective & Gifts The gift shop—locally owned by Sarah Donovan— will sell river-themed gifts, desert inspired artwork, handmade jewelry and more. • Opening Aug. 30 • 412 N. Union Ave., New Braunfels • Instagram: Elements Art Collective & Gifts

Relocations

14 Natty Men’s Boutique The men’s clothing store has relocated from 301 W. San Antonio St. Natty Men’s Boutique sells men’s clothing, hats and accessories. • Relocated Aug. 1 • 297 W. San Antonio St., New Braunfels • www.staunchtradition.com

• Opening mid-November • 3206 I-35, New Braunfels • www.texasroadhouse.com

In the news

10 Academy Sports + Outdoors The store sells sporting goods from athletic wear to hunting equipment to shing gear. • Opening Q4 of 2025 • 159 I-35 S., New Braunfels • www.academy.com 11 Sprouts Farmers Market The organic supermarket chain sells a range of natural and organic foods, will be located next to HomeGoods. • Opening early 2026 • 275 Creekside Crossing, New Braunfels • www.sprouts.com

15 Heidelberg Lodges The hotel and vacation rental—o ering small, riverside cottages—is undergoing renovations that include refurbishing rooms, a new pool and beach volleyball courts. • 1020 N. Houston Ave., New Braunfels • www.heidelberglodges.com 16 AudioNova This audiology clinic sells hearing aids and o ers testing and tinnitus treatment and renamed and rebranded its location in the spring. • 1529 Common St., New Braunfels • www.audionova.com

18 Naturally Café The restaurant is planning to renovate its location this fall. New signage will be added and there will also be a redesign of its exterior and interior, according to the café’s management team. • 2302 Gruene Lake Drive, New Braunfels • www.naturallynb.com

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NEW BRAUNFELS EDITION

Government

Leo Plastics—a Canada-based manufacturing company—is expanding with a new facility in New Braunfels at 2625 Goodwin Lane. The new 70,000-square-foot facility is part of the company’s Leo, USA expansion project, which will serve customers in Mexico and the Southern United States area and manufacture custom blow-molded plastic parts, compo- nents and products, as previously reported by Community Impact . New Braunfels City Council approved two resolutions recommending its economic devel- opment corporation, or NBEDC, authorize an incentive not to exceed $950,000 for Leo and nominating the company for Enterprise Zone $950k incentive OK’d for Canada- based company

Lefko USA Inc.

1102

306

Leo USA Inc. will be located at 2625 Goodwin Lane in New Braunfels.

AMIRA VAN LEEUWENCOMMUNITY IMPACT

private-sector investment that directly supports community economic development priorities. Jewell said the program makes Texas communi- ties more competitive in site selection. “Those incentives are performance-based, meaning that the companies have to fulll the minimum investment and employment thresh- olds, and then they get a rebate of that state sales tax back to the company,” he said. “It does not cost the city of New Braunfels anything.”

Project designation under the state’s Texas Enterprise Zone Program on Aug. 25. The Texas Enterprise Zone Program is a state-level economic development tool that provides a rebate of state use and sales tax for companies that meet certain investment and employment thresholds, said Je Jewell, New Braunfels’ director of economic and community development. The program is designed to encourage

COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM

BY AMIRA VAN LEEUWEN

The company makes those initial capital investments and employment commitments prior to the expiration of that designation period. The company would pay state sales and use tax on qualied expenditures. “If the company fullls those hiring and investment requirements, they’re eligible for a refund up to $2,500 per employee hired, up to a maximum of $1.25 million ,” Jewell said. Breaking down the incentive If Leo fails to meet the performance metrics, it will repay NBEDC $2,000 annually for each employee. The company would also rebate $2,000 annually to the NBEDC for every year that it is at least $500,000 below the minimum taxable value, according to agenda documents. The company agreed to provide a $450,000 let- ter of credit before receiving the initial payment. The letter of credit will be maintained by Leo for the rst ve years of the project, agenda documents state. “This would make sure that the EDC could draw on it and reclaim any incentives that are

Performance metrics The $950,000 incentive will be delivered to Leo over three years, provided the following requirements are met.

Payment

Timeline

Requirement

$450k issued

Following $4M investment in buildings, real property, improvements, machinery and equipment

December 31, 2026

20 full-time employees with an average pay of $62,000 per employee, maximum taxable value of $6M in business personal property, machinery, equipment and tenant improvements At least 100 full-time employees with average cumulative payroll of $62,000 per employee, minimum taxable value of at least $10M in business personal property, machinery and equipment and tenant improvements

$250k issued

Within 30 days of January 1, 2028, with continued occupancy of the building

$250k issued

Within 30 days of January 1, 2030, with continued occupancy of the facility

SOURCE: CITY OF NEW BRAUNFELSCOMMUNITY IMPACT

basis, according to agenda documents. Looking ahead

paid out,” Jewell said. The company has also agreed to a local hiring requirement—20% of employees must reside within Comal or Guadalupe County unless the employment rate is less than 3.5% on an annual

The company will begin operating at the facil- ity by December 2026, agenda documents state.

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NEW BRAUNFELS EDITION

Government

BY AMIRA VAN LEEUWEN

New Braunfels selects rm to update comprehensive plan

The city of New Braunfels is in the process of updating its comprehensive plan—Envision New Braunfels—as the city approaches full build-out. New Braunfels City Council approved a professional services agreement with MIG, Inc. on Aug. 25 to update the plan. MIG, Inc. is a national rm specializing in planning, design, communications, manage- ment, science and technology, according to agenda documents. “We are approaching full build-out here in New Braunfels,” Christopher Looney, director of planning and development services, said during a special City Council meeting Aug. 18. Looney said another reason prompting an update was due to changes by the state that all but eliminated the ability to annex territory. The overview A comprehensive plan is a policy document that guides community decision-making

Approaching build out

through various forms of community engage- ment. The city’s charter requires frequent updates to the comprehensive plan. This plan update will include public outreach to obtain the long-range vision and aspirations of residents, recording accomplishments and identifying new or updated goals and actions. The plan update would also use the city’s Land Use Fiscal Analysis and other completed plans since the adoption of Envision New Braunfels to inform data-driven updates to the Future Land Use map, according to agenda documents. Some context Envision New Braunfels was an update to the city’s 1999 Comprehensive Plan, according to agenda documents. The plan—which was adopted in August 2018— was developed using two years’ worth of data collection, trend analysis and multi-jurisdiction

10K 8K

2K 4K 6K

2020 2025

2029

2034

SOURCE: CITY OF NEW BRAUNFELSCOMMUNITY IMPACT

cooperation. Over 700 residents, property owners, business owners and other stakeholders served on plan element advisory groups, agenda documents state. The city received almost 1,500 written comments through 37 community input events and over 7,500 participants engaged online. The plan has 46 goals and eight strategies categorized into 287 actions.

ai175622919511_Community Impact - 1-8th Pg.pdf 1 8/26/25 12:26 PM

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Government

BY AMIRA VAN LEEUWEN

New Braunfels City Council is considering a budget of $113.5M for its general fund and a tax rate of $0.4089 per $100 valuation ahead of scal year 2025-26. The general fund budget is structurally balanced, which means that recurring revenues meet recurring expenditures, according to an Aug. 18 budget presentation. The proposed tax rate of $0.4089 is below the no-new-revenue tax rate of $0.4095, Assistant City Manager Jared Werner said. A no-new-revenue tax rate is the rate needed to generate the same amount of revenue from the prior year on existing properties. The interest and sinking rate is typically used for debt services and is separate from the maintenance and operations. The maintenance and operations rates is used for the general fund, according to the presentation. Council looks to adopt at tax rate

What residents need to know

Total property tax rate history

Interest and Sinking

Maintenance and Operations

Property taxes are paid to the city of New Braunfels, New Braunfels ISD and Comal County, but only about 24% of property taxes are paid to the city. City residents who live in Guadalupe County or Comal ISD would have a slightly dierent proportion based on varying homestead exemption rates, the presentation states. With 34%, sales tax makes up the most of the city’s revenue in its proposed general fund budget, with property taxes making up 27% revenue, according to the presentation.

$0.4754

$0.4089

$0.4139

$0.1 $0.2 $0.3 $0.4 $0.5

Fiscal Year

NOTE: THE CITY’S FISCAL YEAR IS FROM OCT. 1 SEPT. 30.

Also of note

Fiscal Year 202526 general fund revenue

Sales tax and property tax revenue are two of the city’s largest sources of revenue in its general fund—but those revenue sources have stalled. Werner said this proposed budget positions the city well for the economic uncertainty they feel they are navigating. “We’re seeing the lowest growth in property values since 2013. Sales tax is the city’s number one revenue source, and when we look over the last 18 months, there’s been a lot of volatility in relation to sales tax collections,” he said. The city is expected to adopt its budget and tax rate in September, after press time.

Sales taxes: 34%

Property taxes: 27%

Franchise taxes: 14%

Tax rate breakdown

Other taxes: 14%

Maintenance and Operations: $0.1939 Interest and Sinking: $0.2150

Miscellaneous taxes: 4%

Das Rec: 3%

Parks and recreation: 2%

Total proposed tax rate: $0.4089

Fines: 2%

SOURCE: CITY OF NEW BRAUNFELSCOMMUNITY IMPACT

NOTE: THE OTHER TAXES CATEGORY ENCOMPASSES CHARGES FOR SERVICES, INTERFUND TRANSFERS, INTEREST INCOME AND LICENSE AND PERMITS.

NEW BRAUNFELS EDITION

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Government

BY AMIRA VAN LEEUWEN

Community celebrates completion of new park The New Braunfels Parks and Recreation Department celebrated the opening of Willard Canyon Trail, a new park area located o of North Walnut Avenue and Wood Road, at 616 Beverly Lane on Aug. 20. The details Fred and Colleen Willard donated the 10-acre property to the city so it could be used as park- land. The park has three dierent trails totaling one mile. KOM Trails—a Leander-based contractor spe- cializing in trail building—was the contractor on the project. The trail path oers hiking opportu- nities. Willard Canyon also has opportunities to view wildlife. There are no on-site restrooms or water fountains. Parks and Recreation Director Ken Wil- son thanked the Willards for their property donation. “Their gift of 10 acres protects the piece of the Hill Country in the heart of New Braunfels. We’ve heard loud and clear from our residents during our 2024 Community Survey—natural services were rated as [a] number one priority, and three out of four residents said that we should have more,” Wilson said. What they’re saying Mayor Neal Linnartz said Willard Canyon Trail was a gift to the community. “This new park oers residents a quick escape into nature, right in the heart of the city, adding to the growing number of green space options oered in New Braunfels,” Linnartz said in a

$240k allocated to remap oodplain New Braunfels City Council allocated up to $240k in economic development corporation funds for the Dry Comal Creek, or DCC, Floodplain Remapping Project Aug. 11. The overview The DCC is a major waterway through New Braunfels and can be a major source of ood- ing. Garry Ford, director of transportation and capital improvements, said the map needs to be updated periodically to maintain ood- plain accuracy. It would also help provide economic development opportunities. Ford said there are people interested in developing adjacent to the creek. Although the project began well ahead of the devastating oods seen in the Texas Hill Country over the summer, the tragedy high- lights the importance of keeping oodplain maps up to date, Ford said in a news release. The project will begin in late 2025 or early 2026, Communications Manager David Fergu- son said in an email to Community Impact .

Fred and Colleen Willard, community members and city o cials, celebrated the opening of Willard Canyon Trail on Aug. 20.

AMIRA VAN LEEUWENCOMMUNITY IMPACT

Willard Canyon Park The park is made up of three trail segments.

Canyon Trail: 0.4 miles Ledges Trail: 0.35 miles Cactus Trail: 0.25 miles

FOREST LN.

NOTE: TRAIL MAP IS NOT APPROXIMATE.

news release. Jerri Jones, KOM Trails owner and partner, said they were honored to have been involved in the project. “Contributing to this initiative aligns perfectly with our core values of fostering a trail system that encourages everyone to step outside and embrace nature. We look forward to seeing how this trail system inspires more people to connect with the natural world and cultivate a healthy, active lifestyle,” Jones told Community Impact .

New Braunfels

Study stream City limits

1 SCS Site #2 Reservoir

337

1863

GUADALUPE RIVER

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City Council approves contract for airport terminal feasibility and planning study New Braunfels City Council approved a $185,701 contract with PGAL for a terminal feasibility and planning study for the New Braunfels National Airport on July 28. What you need to know 35 1101

documenting limitations at the current facility and identifying missed economic opportunities due to space constraints, including limitations on corpo- rate aviation, business jet activity and additional aviation services, Communications Manager David Ferguson said in an email to Community Impact . Looking ahead The study is anticipated to be complete by early 2026, before going back to City Council, Ferguson said in the email.

PGAL is an international design ¡rm that has experience working with airports of similar size throughout Texas, according to agenda docu- ments. The study will provide the foundation for potential investments in a new airport by

New Braunfels National Airport

728

NEW BRAUNFELS EDITION

Transportation

BY SIERRA MARTIN

6 road intersections to see improvements Drivers in New Braunfels will see improve- ments at several road intersections, with ongoing construction anticipated to be completed by the end of the year. The background New Braunfels voters approved Proposition A—outlining plans for eight transportation projects throughout the city and totaling $99.33 million —in the 2023 bond. Among those projects, Phase 1 of the citywide intersection improvements was funded for $5.21 million . According to the 2023 bond website, potential improvements include new trac signal installa- tions or intersection reconstruction, such as: • Adding turn lanes • Converting wire-hung trac signals to mast arm-supported trac signals

Street Maintenance Plan underway The New Braunfels Public Works Depart- ment received input from residents through an online survey—which closed Sept. 5—on how to allocate funding for street mainte- nance projects in the 2025-26 scal year. The setup City Council allocated $1.8 million to fund over 45 dierent roadway maintenance projects last year, ranging from preventative maintenance to rehabilitation projects, according to a news release. “Over the last ve years, the city has taken on approximately $9 million in street main- tenance projects along with nearly $200 million in roadway and drainage repairs approved by voters during bond elections in 2013, 2019 and 2023,” Public Works Director Greg Malatek said in the release.

Phase 1 citywide intersection improvements

HUECO SPRINGS LOOP RD.

BORCHERS BLVD.

ALYSSA WAY

MISSION VALLEY RD.

1863

INDEPENDENCE DR.

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S. WALNUT ST.

GARDENIA DR.

• Adding pedestrian signals • Adding emergency vehicle prioritization for trac signals • Upgrading vehicle detection technology Looking ahead Intersection improvements are anticipated to be completed by December, according to city ocials.

South Walnut Avenue repaving project complete The $1.06 million repaving project on a section of South Walnut Avenue from County Line Road to Klein Road was completed at the end of July. Zooming in The project was funded through the addi- tional $2 million of street maintenance funding approved in the scal year 2024-25 budget, according to a news release. Initially budgeted at $1.2 million , the project came in $140,000 under budget, according to city ocials. The project began June 22, with Lone Star Paving executing alternating lane closures from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. to allow crews to mill and repave the road. After paving was complete, utility adjust- ments and striping took place during the day. The project was completed on schedule, accord- ing to city ocials.

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Development

BY AMIRA VAN LEEUWEN

Construction on Apple Seeds Apartments back on track for 2026 completion

The Apple Seeds Apartments are going to be completed on time and on budget, following two years of permit delays, said Eric Cooper, President and CEO of the San Antonio Food Bank. What happened A culmination of the COVID-19 pandemic and city’s permitting process delayed the project, Cooper said. “Coming out of the pandemic, we got architect drawings, a contractor ready to build—but we were missing the permits necessary to start the construction,” Cooper said. Cooper said it took them two years to get a per- mit. During that time, building codes had changed and because of those building code changes plans had to be redrawn—creating additional delays. The city issued a permit in February 2023 under the 2019 codes, which was not picked up by the Apple Seeds Apartments or the contractor on the project, Jenna Vinson, New Braunfels director of

communications and community engagement, said in an email to Community Impact . Permit approvals expire after 180 days with no forward progress on the project. The city issued a second permit extension, which was granted in June 2024, with a notice that further extensions may not be granted due to the city adopting the 2021 International Code Council’s codes, Vinson said in the email. What you need to know The $12 million development broke ground in June 2021. The 52-unit aordable housing project will oer two-bedroom and three-bedroom apart- ments for families with children under the age of 15 and households earning 80% or less of the area’s median income, according to a news release. Units will be equipped with washers and dryers. There will also be an amenity center. Cooper said the food bank hopes to be complete with the project by the summer of 2026.

The Apple Seeds Apartments are located at 1530 S. Seguin Ave. in New Braunfels.

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COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM

Education

BY AMIRA VAN LEEUWEN

Education Edition

2025

Readers, welcome to your annual education edition! As a New Braunfels parent myself, I know the start of the school year brings both excitement and adjustment. This fall, New Braunfels ISD and Comal ISD made policy updates-including new cell phone rules aligned with Texas House Bill 1481 and guidelines around articial intelligence use-aimed at reducing distractions and improving learning environments. Both districts also received a ‘B’ in the state’s latest accountability ratings, which makes me proud to see the consistency and progress our schools are achieving year after year. Our community is also seeing important changes beyond the classroom. Comal ISD recently approved a lower tax rate oering meaningful relief for homeowners in the district and completed upgrades to 18 elementary school campuses as part of its 2021 bond program. We have also highlighted The Rock Haus Foundation, a nonprot that continues to play an essential role in supporting young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, helping them build independence, connect with local resources, and access the support they need to thrive in our growing community.

What's inside

Read about Comal and New Braunfels ISD’s tax rate for the 202526 scal year (Page 21)

Kayla Brooks General Manager kbrooks@ communityimpact.com

Read about New Braunfels ISD’s new cell phone policy (Page 2425)

Learn about school districts 202425 accountability ratings (Page 2627)

For relevant news and daily updates, subscribe to our free email newsletter!

New Braunfels ISD, or NBISD, ocials cele- brated the opening of its newest elementary school—Legend Point Elementary—with a ribbon-cutting Aug. 7. Board President Eric Bergquist said Legend Point was not just a new school in NBISD, but a launch pad for each learner who will be attend- ing the campus. “This school is a result of vision, collaboration and dedication for so many dierent groups and individuals, and we are so thankful for all those who helped bring Legend Point to life,” Bergquist said. NBISD celebrates opening of new elementary school

Legend Point Elementary School

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New Braunfels ISD ocials celebrated the opening of Legend Point Elementary School with a ribbon cutting.

AMIRA VAN LEEUWENCOMMUNITY IMPACT

The contractor on the project was Guido Con- struction and the architect was Stantec. Quote of note NBISD Superintendent Laurelyn Arterbury said they are proud of what the campus means to the community, but are more excited about what it will become. “As our district continues to grow, NBISD continues to focus on what matters most—our students,” Arterbury said.

What you need to know The two-story elementary school is located at 4365 Klein Meadows in New Braunfels. The school opened its doors to students for the rst day of school Aug. 18. In case you missed it Legend Point Elementary was funded by the district’s 2018 Bond Program and serves kinder- garten through fth-grade students. The elemen- tary school was built to provide relief for Klein Road Elementary and Voss Farms Elementary.

NEW BRAUNFELS EDITION

Education

NBISD OKs timeline extension for high school reconstruction

The time extension will not impact the move-in date, Director of Construction Services Billy Kidd said. “The move-in date has and will remain Christ- mas break of 2025,” Kidd said. The change order will also not increase the cost of the overall contract, Kidd added. The additional cost will be covered with contingency or buyout savings within the Guaranteed Maxi- mum Price of the contract, according to agenda documents. In case you missed it Phase 1 of the high school’s reconstruction was approved by voters in the November 2021 bond election. Phase 1 of the project consists of the complete replacement of NBHS and includes a three-story academic wing, main oce, cafe- teria, library and program space for Career and Technical Education courses.

The New Braunfels ISD board of trustees approved a $101,232 change order and time extension on Aug. 11 for Joeris Construction to complete the rst phase of reconstructing New

Braunfels High School. What you need to know

The contractual date for substantial comple- tion of Phase 1 was late September, but because of a design change related to the construction of the main entrance and the decision to keep four existing tennis courts, the completion date has moved to late October, according to board documents. The decision to keep the existing tennis courts created design issues with preparing the ground for the new curbs and drive on the east side of the Phase 1 building. Each of the aforementioned issues was discovered as construction pro- gressed and required additional discovery and planning, board documents state.

The rst phase of reconstruction at New Braunfels High School is slated to be completed by October.

New Braunfels High School

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BY AMIRA VAN LEEUWEN

Northeast Lakeview College now oering nursing program

Northeast Lakeview College is now oering an Associate of Applied Science in Nursing program to the number of courses it oers. The overview The nursing program, which was added in August, will have 30 students admitted. In January 2024, Executive Director of Nursing Crystal Saulsberry wrote the proposal and in November of that same year she presented it to the Texas Board of Nursing. The Associate of Applied Science in Nursing program is a 2-year, 4-semester, 60-credit hour program. The program consists of clinical and face-to-face lectures, Saulsberry said. “It also involves simulation which is really great for students because it has that real world aspect,” she said. Saulsberry said students were very excited about the program.

“I’m really excited to present this to the commu- nity,” she said. The need One of the biggest issues along the Northeast corridor is lack of healthcare, and the healthcare that is available is in the private sector which can be more expensive for students, Northeast Lakev- iew College President Veronica Garcia said. “We knew that there was a high demand need for nurses ... but we also needed an option where they could get high quality education at an aord- able price,” Garcia said. Quote of note Saulsberry said University Health Retama Hos- pital is going to open at the same time as the com- munity college’s rst cohort will be graduating. “It’ll be great to have our students who live in the community work in the community,” she said.

The Associate of Applied Science in Nursing program consists of clinical and face-to-face lectures.

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Education

BY AMIRA VAN LEEUWEN

Comal ISD prohibits personal communication devices during school

What they're saying

Trustee David Krawczynski thanked district sta for their work on the updated phone policy. “I think overall this is a big step in the right direction for our education system,” Krawczynski said.

Comal ISD has prohibited students from using personal communication devices while on campus property during school hours for the 2025-26 school year. The change comes after the passage of House Bill 1481 from the 89th Legislative Session. The board of trustees approved the change to its policy and updated the district’s Student Code of Conduct during an Aug. 28 school board meeting. The Texas Senate unanimously passed HB 1481 on May 25. The legislation was sent to Gov. Greg Abbott’s desk for nal approval on June 20. The proposals mandate that districts adopt policies banning the use of personal communication devices during the school day, according to previous Community Impact reporting.

All personal communication devices must be powered o or silenced and stowed away during school hours, which include instructional time, lunch and hallway passing periods, according to an email the district sent to parents. The Texas Education Code states that “personal communication devices” include cell phones, personal tablets, laptops, radios and paging devices. Wearable technology also falls under a “personal communication device” and can include: • Artiicial Intelligence, smart glasses • Smart watches • Earbuds • Wireless headphones • Fitness trackers

“It was a pretty impactful state law that came out, and there [were] a lot of districts around the state that rushed to buy stu or do stu, and in [Comal ISD] we took the

summer, we listened to what was going on around the state.” RUSS GARNER, BOARD VICE PRESIDENT

COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM

Education

BY AMIRA VAN LEEUWEN

Local districts set FY 202526 tax rates The Comal ISD and New Braunfels ISD boards of trustees approved the tax rates for the 2025-26 scal year. CISD trustees approved a $1.0748 tax rate for FY 2025-26 on Aug. 28, which is $0.0121 less than the FY 2024-25 rate. What you need to know Certied property tax values were submitted to the Texas Education Agency Aug. 1 to set the district’s Tier I tax rate within the limits of House Bill 2. HB 2 was signed into law by Gov. Greg Abbott June 4 and will give nearly 9,000 public schools $8.4 billion in new funding, according to previous reporting by Community Impact . For CISD, the maintenance and operations, or M&O, tax rate is a total of $0.7248. The interest and sinking tax rate is $0.35, board documents state.

Comal ISD completes playground upgrades Comal ISD has completed playground upgrades—totaling $34 million —for 18 ele- mentary school campuses across the district. The upgrades were funded by the district’s 2021 bond and were completed in August, CISD Communications Specialist Salwa Lan- ford said in an email to Community Impact . Digging deeper Campuses received two new playgrounds with rubberized surfaces, including one for K through 1st-grade students and another for 3rd through 5th-grade students. Other upgrades included new outdoor basketball goals and articial turf play elds. All 18 existing elementary schools in the district at the time of the bond election received playground upgrades, Lanford said in the email.

FY 202526 tax rate breakdown

Interest and Sinking Maintenance and Operations

Comal ISD $0.35

$0.7248

$1.0748 tax rate

New Braunfels ISD $0.3408 $0.6969

$1.0377 tax rate

SOURCE: COMAL ISD, NEW BRAUNFELS ISDCOMMUNITY IMPACT

In other news NBISD trustees approved a tax rate of $1.0377 per $100 of taxable value for FY 2025-26 on Aug. 25. The rate means homeowners will see no change in the school tax rate from last year. Last year, the average taxable value of a home in NBISD was $305,426, which is a $273 decrease in school district taxes. This year, the average taxable value of a home is $279,122, the release states.

Higher Education in New Braunfels

• Undergraduate and graduate degrees • Dual credit courses • Blend of in-person and online courses • Christ-centered worldview • High-quality educational experiences

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NEW BRAUNFELS EDITION

Supporting student needs From the cover

New Braunfels Northeast Lakeview College campus

The overview

College campus Existing spaces

NLC announced that it was relocating to the former PNC Bank building at 2049 Sundance Parkway in February to expand its course oerings to better meet the region’s growing educational and workforce demands. The college also purchased a 4.2-acre tract of land adjacent to the Sundance building for future expansion, which cost $2 million. The combined total investment for the future expansion and renovation project is $23.64 million. As part of the relocation, the building will undergo a $7 million remodel, and equipment purchases for labs cost $1 million , Garcia said. The college’s total remodel cost would have been $8 million . NLC had reserved $3 million for the remodel and equipment, leaving it with a $5 million funding gap. Previously, the council authorized the economic development corporation to spend up to $1.2 million to aid in the construction and expansion of NLC on July 14. The additional $3.8 million approved in August eliminates NLC’s funding gap. The pre-existing 58,000-square-foot building at Sundance Parkway will feature a number of additional labs for a variety of proposed programming. There will also be a welcome center equipped with a testing center.

Renovations 1 Proposed programming • Electrical labs • Engineering technology • Classrooms • Testing Center • Allied Health lab

A R

• Nursing lab • Biology labs • Chemistry lab • Cyber Defense lab • Tutoring labs

Renovations

Future expansion

SOURCES: NORTHEAST LAKEVIEW COLLEGECOMMUNITY IMPACT

Zooming out

What you need to know

Projected county population growth 2020 2040 Projections

Garcia said she has seen a growing interest in dual credit programs. NLC partners with Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City ISD, New Braunfels ISD, Judson, Marion and Comal ISDs to oer those programs. “We’re seeing a huge expansion [of dual credit programs] out in the Comal and Guadalupe coun- ties, and so that allows for students to jumpstart their education so that they can transfer in,” Garcia said.

NLC ocials made the decision to grow its New Braunfels campus following the steady growth of students from outside of Bexar County enrolling at the college, Garcia said. In fall 2021, 31% of students attending came from outside Bexar County, and by fall 2023, that number increased to 39%. Comal County’s population is also anticipated to grow by 95.4% from 2020 through 2040, and Guadalupe County is projected to grow by 55.4% within that same timeframe, according to population projections presented by community college ocials. “It’s growing very quickly and we realized we need to do something,” she said. Aside from NLC, there are two other institu- tions within New Braunfels city limits that oer various programs, degrees and certications, including Howard Payne University and Texas State Technical College.

Kendall County

44,279 70,896

+60.1%

Guadalupe County

172,706

+55.4%

268,305

High school students enrolled in dual credit programs

Comal County

SCUCISD

CISD

NBISD

161,501

+95.4%

400 800 1.2K

315,640

Bexar County

2,009,324

+29.4%

2022

2023

2024

2,599,727

Fall semester

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