Northwest Austin Edition | March 2023

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NORTHWEST AUSTIN EDITION

VOLUME 17, ISSUE 2 MARCH 29MAY 2, 2023

I35 North project breaks ground

The I-35 North expansion runs from Hwy. 290 East to SH 45 N. The project will add a high-occupancy vehicle lane in each direction on the main road along with other improvements.

$606M

project

additional main lanes

Ramen Tatsu-Ya now open in Lakeline area

additional frontage road lanes minutes saved for regular lanes in peak trac 2-6

years of construction 30-36

minutes saved for HOV lanes in peak trac

SOURCE: TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION COMMUNITY IMPACT

Austin Sunshine Run to raise funds for kids camps LOCAL VOTER GUIDE 2023

GRACE DICKENSCOMMUNITY IMPACT

BY GRACE DICKENS Improved mobility is the goal of the $606 million I-35 North project that began in March. Slated to add a main lane in each direction, create a diverging diamond interchange and expand frontage roads, the project on I-35 from Hwy. 290 East to SH 45 N has raised concerns for residents and businesses through- out the project who ultimately look forward to its comple- tion in 2029. “We know the project is coming whether we like it or not, but one of the biggest concerns is how we can be ready,” said Margaret McGhee-Sue, Wells Branch Neighbor- hood Association president. “Being prepared and knowing ahead of time how to be reactive to it and planning is going to be huge.”

Though work began in mid-March, the ocial project groundbreaking occurred March 29, after press time. Plan for relief The need for the project arose from studies showing I-35 as one of the most-congested roads in Texas, said Bradley Wheelis, a public information ocer for the Texas Depart- ment of Transportation. Project funding was approved in September and comes from TxDOT and the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization, the region’s trans- portation planning group. The largest change on the way with the I-35 North proj- ect includes the addition of a nontolled high-occupancy vehicle lane in each direction. That lane is intended for use

Sample ballot

CONTINUED ON 24

2 0 2 3

LOCAL VOTER GUIDE

Austinites to vote on clashing police oversight items in May

Arcade UFO relocates to North Austin

BY ELLE BENT

Pull the newest teaser from CC Libraries

PROPOSITION A

PROPOSITION B

Two propositions, both titled the “Austin Police Oversight Act,” will appear on the ballot in May, yet each would achieve dierent results in regards to external accountability of police misconduct if approved. The conicting oversight mea- sures are brought to Austin voters amid an expiring contract between

• Goals: deter police misconduct and brutality through strengthened civilian and city oversight and increased transparency • Author: Equity Action, a criminal justice political group

• Goals: to strengthen the city’s system and civilian police oversight system • Author: Voters for Oversight and Police Accountability, a political group with funding from the Austin Police Association

SOURCE: CITY OF AUSTINCOMMUNITY IMPACT

CONTINUED ON 20

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Dell Children’s Medical Center will soon be near you in North Austin! In April 2023, Dell Children’s Medical Center North Campus is opening — with pediatric specialty care — including around-the-clock ER and trauma care, specialized surgical care, pediatric imaging, and outpatient rehab services. Now, right here, closer to where you live and work — without leaving Austin. You can start scheduling with specialists today! Many of our pediatric specialists are in a new medical building on the same north campus. Dell Children’s Medical Center North Campus — opening this April

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NORTHWEST AUSTIN EDITION • MARCH 2023

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THIS ISSUE

MARKET TEAM GENERAL MANAGER Taylor Caranfa Stover EDITOR Grace Dickens GRAPHIC DESIGNER Sabrina Musachia ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Jill Futch METRO LEADERSHIP PUBLISHER Travis Baker MANAGING EDITOR Amy Denney COPY EDITOR Kasey Salisbury SENIOR ART PRODUCTION MANAGER Haley Grace CONTACT US 16225 Impact Way, Ste. 1, Pugerville, TX 78660 • 5129896808 CI CAREERS communityimpact.com/careers PRESS RELEASES nwanews@communityimpact.com ADVERTISING nwaads@communityimpact.com Learn more at communityimpact.com/advertising EMAIL NEWSLETTERS communityimpact.com/newsletter SUPPORT US Join your neighbors by giving to the CI Patron program. Funds support our journalistic mission to provide trusted, local news in your community. Learn more at communityimpact.com/cipatron ABOUT US Owners John and Jennifer Garrett launched Community Impact in 2005, and the company is still locally owned today. We have expanded to include hundreds of team members and have created our own software platform and printing facility. CI delivers 35+ localized editions across Texas to more than 2.5 million residential mailboxes.

HIGHLIGHTS FROM THIS MONTH

FROM GRACE: Thanks for checking out our Northwest Austin paper! In this issue, we delve into details on the I-35 North project, which started in March in Northwest Austin. Spanning from Hwy. 290 East to SH 45 N, the project will add one high- occupancy vehicle lane in each direction alongside several other improvements. Read more about this story on Page 24 to see what residents and business owners have to say about the upcoming construction. Learn more about the upcoming May 6 election with our Local Voter Guide, starting on Page 19. Reporter Ben Thompson dives into Austin’s propositions A and B on Page 20, breaking down what the propositions mean and what voters can expect following their passage or failure. This issue also spotlights Arcade UFO on Page 22, which relocated to North Austin in December. Serving as the only Japanese and Korean arcade in Austin, the arcade is a destination for ghting and rhythm game enthusiasts alike. Amid crawsh season, this issue also has a look at HappyRito Seafood in Lakeline Plaza on Page 23, which oers a Vietnamese-Cajun twist to seafood boils, baskets and sandwiches. As always, we hope you enjoy this issue, and thank you for reading! Grace Dickens, EDITOR

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45 TOLL

LYNDHURST ST.

IMPACTS PECAN PARK BLVD.

Businesses that have recently opened or are coming soon, relocating or expanding

OLD MILL RD.

MOPAC

183

KRAMER LN.

GRAND AVE. PKWY.

LAKE CREEK PKWY.

620

POND SPRINGS RD.

LAKELINE MALL DR.

AUSTIN LN.

GRACIE KILTZ LN.

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WELLS BRANCH PKWY.

Mesa Rim Climbing Center

COURTESY MESA RIM

commercial real estate and has nearly $8 billion in assets under its management. The new location in Austin will allow Northland to focus on its portfolio of assets in the Western United States. 617- 965-7100. www.northland.com 5 Mesa Rim Climbing Center opened at 1205 Sheldon Cove, Austin, on March 7. The 50,000-square-foot facility will oer 55-foot-tall climbing walls, rope climbing, bouldering terrain, cardio equipment, a sauna and locker rooms. Additional fea- tures of the building include a yoga studio along with training spaces for weight lifting and climbing. 512-284-9043. www.mesarim.com/austin 6 The Museum of Illusions opened March 18 at 11010 Domain Drive, Ste. 100, Austin. The 6,200-square-foot interactive museum has over 70 exhibits, including optical illusions, 3D holograms and more through illusion rooms, instal- lations and images. The experience in The Domain is designed for all ages, and tickets are available for purchase online. www.moiaustin.com 7 Pops Crawsh opened for the season Feb. 21 at 6900 N. RM 620, Austin. The crawsh trailer sells crawsh and shrimp by the pound. Lunch specials that include sides such as potatoes and corn are also available on the weekends as well as plates with gumbo and shrimp and grits. Pops Crawsh is only open on the week- ends and will close operations for the season at the end of May. 512-688-9917. 8 Ramen Tatsu-Ya opened a Northwest Austin location at 14028 N. US 183, Bldg. G, Ste. 310, Austin, on March 13. The Japanese restaurant oers a full menu of ramen entrees, including pork, chicken

SPICEWOOD SPRINGS RD.

MOPAC

JOLLYVILLE RD.

183

WALNUT CREEK PARK

GREAT HILLS TRL.

620

2222

360

SPICEWOOD SPRINGS RD.

2222

CAPITAL OF TEXAS HWY.

LONGHORN BLVD.

ANDERSON LN.

MOPAC

NEILS THOMPSON DR.

SHELDON COVE

INDUSTRIAL TERRACE

CONNOR DR.

RUTHERFORD LN.

MAP NOT TO SCALE

NOW OPEN 1 Aha Indian Restaurant opened in late January at 8650 Spicewood Springs Road, Ste. 119, Austin. The restaurant serves a variety of Indian dishes, such as curries, tandoori, biryanis and desserts such as rasmalai, or a cheese dish with thickened milk. There are also several vegetarian options, including curries and appetizers. 512-284-8788. www.ahaindianrestaurant.com

FAST, DISCREET, DELIVERY in 2 hours or less 3 AutoNation USA Austin opened in January near Grand Avenue Parkway. Lo- cated at 15718 N. I-35, Austin, AutoNation sells preowned vehicles in various colors 2 Following the closure of Second Bar + Kitchen in Domain Northside’s Archer Ho- tel in late December, AKB Austin opened Jan. 25. Located at 3121 Palm Way, Austin, the hotel bar oers a variety of cocktails, wines and liquors along with several dif- ferent dining menus throughout the day. 737-300-4800. www.akbhotelbar.com

and styles. Customers meet with vehicle specialists to help choose cars to try out, and pricing is based o the one-price model, which removes haggling from the buying process by showing the lowest available price upfront. 737-402-5500. www.autonationusa.com 4 Private equity rm Northland an- nounced the opening of its second head- quarters, HQ2 , in March. Located at 3200 Grace Kiltz Lane, Austin, in Domain South End, the rm specializes in residential and

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COMPILED BY GRACE DICKENS

Ramen Tatsu-Ya

Amplify Credit Union

COURTESY JANE YUN

GRACE DICKENSCOMMUNITY IMPACT

and vegan options. The new location near Lakeline Mall will have a covered patio, large outdoor seating and a mural by a local artist. This is Ramen Tatsu-Ya’s sixth Central Texas location. 512-893-5561. www.ramen-tatsuya.com 9 Semper Laser opened Feb. 25 in the Gateway Courtyard. Located at 9503 Research Blvd., Ste. 530, Austin, the studio provides hair removal for men and women through laser skin treatments. Sessions vary by treatment type, and there are eight- and 12-week session plans for permanent hair reduction, according to the business. 888-318-1383. 10 The North Face will open a location in Domain Northside later this year. The new location will be at 3211 Palm Way, Ste. 146, Austin, occupied by The Purple Mattress, which will be moving to a dif- ferent space within the center. The North Face provides sports and outdoor wear for men, women and children, including clothing, shoes, bags and more. www.thenorthface.com ANNIVERSARIES 11 SoccerZone Lakeline celebrated its 10-year anniversary in February. The indoor athletic eld at 920 Old Mill Road, Cedar Park, oers youth and adult soccer leagues, child development classes and youth soccer training. SoccerZone also serves as a venue for birthday parties, corporate events and sports camps. Darren Brown is the owner of both the Lakeline and South Austin locations, www.semperlaser.com COMING SOON

The business is owned by mother-daughter duo Valerie Gonzalez and Herlinda Lopez-Wood.

GRACE DICKENSCOMMUNITY IMPACT

FEATURED IMPACT NOW OPEN Delicious Tamales opened a location at 1700 W. Parmer Lane, Austin, on March 2. Owned by mother and daughter Valerie Gonzalez and Herlinda Lopez- Wood, the business oers authentic tamales made with various llings cooked daily at each location, according to a press release. This is the business’s second location in Austin with the rst located at 1931 E. Oltorf St. in South Austin. Delicious Tamales is based out of San Antonio, where it serves as the largest tamale RENOVATIONS 13 Renovations at the Amplify Credit Union headquarters at 3600 W. Parmer Lane, Ste. 200, Austin, are scheduled to be complete this summer. In response to the rise of remote work, the credit union is downsizing its space o Parmer Lane and adding additional space for lease by professional service rms such as medical providers, an Amplify representative said. 512-836-5901. www.goamplify.com COMMUNITY 14 One Austin-area Texas Farmers’ Market location is gearing up for the kicko of the WIC operating season, which runs April through October. At TFM, SNAP

provider in the area with six locations, the press release said. 512-488-5299 www.delicioustamales.com

Limbo Jewelry

SCOFIELD LN.

GRACE DICKENSCOMMUNITY IMPACT

each of which has a restaurant and bar, vendors and concessions. 512-940-4025. www.soccerzonetexas.com Local laundry service Ian’s Cleaners is celebrating ve years in business in May. The business, owned by Austin native Ian Noble, oers wash and fold, dry clean- ing, and clothing restoration services to residents, businesses and schools. Ian’s Cleaner’s delivery services are available for residents throughout Austin, Round Rock, Pugerville, Georgetown and Cedar Park. www.ianscleaners.com NEW OWNERSHIP 12 Architectural Tile & Stone at 9315 Neils Thompson Drive, Austin, underwent new ownership in January. Previous own- er Steve Rymer transitioned ownership to his daughter Ryan Steele, who has been with the company for 10 years in man- agement. The business was founded in 1999 and serves as a stone slab importer, fabricator and distributor, according to the business. 512-420-9989. www.architecturaltilestone.com

benets are accepted regularly, while WIC is seasonal. The Texas Farmers’ Market at Lakeline in Cedar Park will accept SNAP and WIC, located at 11200 Lakeline Mall Drive, Cedar Park, on Saturdays from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. www.texasfarmersmarket.org CLOSINGS 15 Limbo Jewelry will close its Domain Northside location on April 16. The shop opened in 2017 at 3211 Palm Way, Ste. 152, Austin. Limbo’s location at 1708 S. Con- gress Ave., Austin, will remain open. Limbo sells handcrafted jewelry, such as earrings, necklaces and bracelets, along with other gifts such as candles, canvas bags, pillows,

socks and more. 512-994-6878. http://limbojewelrystore.com

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You'd make a great Blanton Member. Austin’s art museum invites you to support art in our community and enjoy: • behind-the-scenes tours and talks • free admission to all exhibitions and galleries • exclusive discounts and advance registration for programs • free admission to our new Second Saturday events • and more — starting at $75/year (that’s $6.25/month!) Our newly reimagined grounds open May 13. Join now to attend the exclusive Member Garden Party on May 3 and preview the new museum grounds before the public.

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COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM

TODO LIST

April & May events

COMPILED BY GRACE DICKENS

APRIL 2630

SEE DISNEY ON ICE HEB CENTER

MAY 67

HAVE FUN AT A FESTIVAL DOWNTOWN AUSTIN

Disney On Ice will bring its Frozen & Encanto tour to the H-E-B Center with appearances from Anna, Elsa and Mirabel as well as Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse and Goofy. The performance will feature ice skating, aerial acrobatics and more. Multiple showtimes. $30-$80. 2100 Ave. of the Stars, Cedar Park. 512-600-5000. www.hebcenter.com/events

The Pecan Street Festival will be held in downtown Austin, featuring artisan vendors, live music, kids activities, food vendors and more. The event is the largest free arts and crafts festival in Central Texas with over 300 vendors along Sixth Street. 11 a.m.-10 p.m. (May 6), 11 a.m.-8 p.m. (May 7). Free. Sixth Street, Austin. www.pecanstreetfestival.org

The 2023 Austin Sunshine Run has race options for kids, adults and dogs.

COURTESY AUSTIN SUNSHINE RUN

FEATURED EVENT 2023 AUSTIN SUNSHINE RUN The 2023 H-E-B Austin Sunshine Run will be held in downtown Austin on May 7. The event features 5K and 10K runs along with options for kids and dogs from Auditorium Shores at Town Lake Metropolitan Park to Exposition Boulevard and back. A celebration with food, drinks and music will follow the race. All proceeds benet the Austin Sunshine Camps, a nonprot that provides overnight camps to kids. 8-10:30 a.m. $10 (Kids K), $35 (virtual 5K), $40 (5K), $45 (fastest dog in Austin 5K), $50 (10K). Auditorium Shores at Town Lake Metropolitan Park 900 W. Riverside Drive, Austin 512-524-2953 www.austinsunshinerun.com

16 GO TO A GAME FLEA MARKET Game Kastle Austin will host a ea market for individuals in the community to buy board games and accessories, hobbyist items and more from local sellers. Game Kastle is store that carries board games and gures, and hosts events for local game tournaments. 11 a.m. Free. 3407 Wells Branch Parkway, Ste. 800, Austin. 737-209-0169. www.gamekastle.com/stores/austin 22 EXPERIENCE PIONEER LIFE The Wells Branch Municipal Utility District will host the 40th annual Pioneer Festival celebrating Texas history and culture. The family-friendly event features educational exhibits and activities related to the 19th century Texas lifestyle, such as butter churning, weaving, blacksmithing and more. Noon- 5 p.m. Free. 2106 Klattenho Drive, Austin. 512-251-9814. www.wellsbranchmud.com 22 GET CREATIVE ArtsFest will be held at The Arboretum, dedicated to inspiring individuals to be their own artists. The event will feature an art market, demonstrations, live paintings and a roaming caricature artist. There

APRIL 12 THROUGH 16

are additional activities for children, including face painting and story time. 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Free. 10000 Research Blvd., Austin. 512-338-4755. Eventbrite: Arboretum ArtsFest 29 HAVE A PARK PLAYDATE The Austin Parks Foundation will host a playdate at Alderbrook Pocket Park. As part of the Playdates in the Park series running from March through May, the event involves story time, crafts, singing, exercise and more to get children active and support development. 10 a.m. Free. Alderbrook Pocket Park, Austin. 512-477-1566. Facebook: Playdate in the Park at Alderbrook Pocket Park 29 ENJOY BARBECUE AND BEER The Come & Smoke It BBQ Festival will have several specialty smoked dishes by pitmasters from around Texas and beyond with drinks provided by an array of vendors at Windy Point Park. There will also be live music by Justin Langston and others. Tickets include a dish from each chef, entry to the park, parking, live music and free beer while supplies last. 1 p.m. $75 (general admission), $100 (VIP). 6506 Bob Wentz Park Road, Austin. Facebook: Come & Smoke It BBQ Fest

WATCH INDEPENDENT FILMS The eighth annual Indie Meme Film Festival will oer South Asian and Iranian lm premieres, Q&As, lmmaker events, audience discussions and parties at the Austin Film Society. The event will have over 25 lms from 10 dierent countries in over 13 languages. There will also be a virtual festival from April 28-May 1. Event times to be determined. $100 (regular badge), $200 (platinum badge). 6259 Middle Fiskville Road, Austin. www.indiememe.org/im-2023 13 CELEBRATE LOCAL MEDIA The Austin aliate of the Alliance for Women in Media will host the Trailblazer & Awards of Excellence 2023 Starry Night Gala to celebrate local men and women in the media industry. The event will award media professionals alongside naming a new Trailblazer, or someone with at least 20 years of experience serving their community in support of the organization’s mission to improve media quality. 5:30 p.m. $120. Archer Hotel, 3121 Palm Way, Austin. www.awmaustin.org

Find more or submit Northwest Austin events at communityimpact.com/event-calendar. Event organizers can submit local events online to be considered for the print edition. Submitting details for consideration does not guarantee publication.

NORTHWEST AUSTIN EDITION • MARCH 2023

COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM

TRANSPORTATION UPDATES McKalla rail station on track for completion in 2024

COMPILED BY GRACE DICKENS

ONGOING PROJECT

45 TOLL

Work on Capital Metro’s McKalla Station near Q2 Stadium progressed on schedule in February and March. Station work caused local closures in the area Feb. 27-March 3 and resulted in service interruptions for riders. During these closures, drainage improvements and water line relocations were also worked on alongside the development of quiet zones to allow trains to travel in the area without blowing their horns, according to a CapMetro press release. Additional work was completed in the North Burnet neighborhood for double tracking of railroad tracks. This change allows trains to switch tracks if one goes out of service, limiting disruptions for users. McKalla Station is being built as part of Project Connect, a multibil- lion-dollar plan expanding Austin’s transportation infrastructure, including two light rail lines and multiple new bus routes. The project is intended to provide

Construction zone Rail tracks

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ALL INFORMATION ON THIS PAGE WAS UPDATED AS OF MARCH 3. NEWS OR QUESTIONS ABOUT THESE OR OTHER LOCAL TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS? EMAIL US AT NWANEWSCOMMUNITYIMPACT.COM. US 183 North mobility expansion An annual update provided in February announced the US 183 North mobility project is 25% complete. Upcoming work includes nishing installing lighting xtures along southbound US 183. The new LED lights—which are designed with shields to reduce light spillover to nearby neighbor- hoods—are expected to come online in the coming months, according to the Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority. Timeline: January 2022-26 Cost: $612 million Funding sources: Texas Department of Transportation, Mobility Authority

RUTLAND DR.

Crews worked on adding a second track to the rails in the North Burnet neighborhood in February and March.

GRACE DICKENSCOMMUNITY IMPACT

PROGRESS ON PROJECTS Capital Metro worked on several improvements in the area to prepare for the new McKalla rail station.

safer and more convenient transpor- tation to the area during events at nearby venues such as Q2 Stadium, according to CapMetro documents. The new station is scheduled to be operational by the 2024 Austin FC season, and additional work will take place near Rundberg Lane and Braker Lane in July to keep the project on track and on budget, according to CapMetro.

Double tracking for rails

Drainage improvements

Quiet zones

Water line relocations

SOURCE: CAPMETROCOMMUNITY IMPACT

512-232-5000 EdServices@austin.utexas.edu

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NORTHWEST AUSTIN EDITION • MARCH 2023

EDUCATION BRIEFS Public feedback at forefront of AISD superintendent search

News from Austin ISD, Pflugerville ISD & Round Rock ISD

Winter Storm Mara damage costs district

THE SEARCH IS ON Austin ISD began the search process for a new superintendent in early 2023, months after Stephanie Elizalde resigned.

March 15

Community input due

BY AMANDA CUTSHALL

present, doing whatever it takes to be successful, equity, resilience, being a role model and someone who is solution-oriented. Following the town halls, GR Recruiting built a profile for the ideal AISD superintendent and shared it with the board of trustees. The previous superintendent, Stephanie Elizalde, left for Dallas ISD in June 2022. Anthony Mays served as interim superintendent until December, when he left the district. Matias Segura was named interim superintendent in January; however, the board decided he would not be allowed to apply for the permanent position. “When they advertised for an interim, they wanted someone who would come in and not be considered as a candidate because that could be a deterrent to other

AUSTIN ISD The search firm hired by Austin ISD to find its next superintendent wrapped up a series of town halls in March. GR Recruiting and the district offered the town halls to com- munity members, who discussed what they want to see in a superintendent. At a March 7 town hall, attend- ees brought up challenges such as teacher support and special education issues. “The problem is that we do not have the support,” said Sandra Flores, a teacher at Webb Middle School. “It’s across the board, really, we just do not have enough teachers, security guards and counselors.” Some of the qualities sought in a new superintendent mentioned by the community included being

GR Recruiting builds profile

BY AMANDA CUTSHALL

March 22

AUSTIN ISD Damage from Winter Storm Mara has cost Austin ISD an estimated $845,000, officials said at a Feb. 23 board meeting. The majority of AISD campuses had tree debris, which caused obstruc- tion of roadways, parking lots and playgrounds. Debris also knocked out power to 23 campuses and facilities, district documents showed. The board of trustees approved emergency purchases related to damages at the meeting. The autho- rization for the emergency purchases will last for six months and can be made using general funds or disaster relief funds if those become available. Also on Feb. 23, trustees approved paying teachers and staff for the days the district was closed due to Winter Storm Mara.

Trustees finalize profile Candidate applications due

March 25

April 20

May 25

Lone finalist named

New superintendent hired

July 1

SOURCE: AUSTIN ISD/COMMUNITY IMPACT

potential candidates,” said Gloria Davis, lead associate with GR Recruiting. By the end of May, trustees will select five to seven semifinalists who will be interviewed in person with a desired start date of July 1, Davis said.

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RRISD releases early enrollment dates

Early enrollment for Round Rock ISD varies by grade and location. NEW ENROLLMENT DATES March 7-May 26 April 1-May 19 In-district early enrollment for new students in kindergarten-12th grade Full-day pre-K early enrollment for children who live within district

BY BROOKE SJOBERG

HIGHLIGHTS PFLUGERVILLE ISD At a Feb. 23 meeting, PfISD trustees approved the use of $930,555 to install 75 miles of new fiber internet cables across the district. Chief Operations Officer Victor Valdez said the district’s existing fiber cables have been in use since 2001 and are difficult to maintain. ROUND ROCK ISD Following a review from the Texas Education Agency of RRISD accountability data, the district’s rating remains an 89, or B, and its accreditation status has been fully restored. RRISD and several other districts were chosen to review to ensure ratings and accountability data are accurate statewide. This figure was presented in front of a panel of Leander ISD and Round Rock ISD teachers at the 2023 South by Southwest EDU Conference on March 7. Additionally, 93% of those teachers said they have taken steps to 77% Texas teachers looking for career change, poll shows TEXAS A statewide survey by the Charles Butt Foundation found 77% of Texas teachers have seriously consid- ered leaving their job in the last year. BY GRANT CRAWFORD ROUND ROCK ISD Early enroll- ment for the 2023-24 school year will have different dates for student groups through mid- to late May, according to district officials. Early enrollment for in-district RRISD students opened March 7 and will run through May 26 for kinder- garten through 12th-grade students. RRISD’s all-day prekindergarten program enrollment runs from April 1-May 19. The district’s open-enrollment pilot program has been extended for prekindergarten through 12th-grade students who live outside the district with early enrollment from April 17-May 19.

April 17-May 19

Out-of-district enrollment for pre-K through 12th grade

May 27-July 4

Campuses closed, online enrollment unavailable

July 5

New student enrollment for pre-K through 12th grade opens

Aug.15

First day of 2023-24 school year

SOURCE: ROUND ROCK ISD/COMMUNITY IMPACT

Austin Community College board of trustees will meet April 10, May 1 at 3 p.m. at 5930 Middle Fiskville Road, Austin. 512-223-7613. www.austincc.edu MEETINGS WE COVER Austin ISD board of trustees will meet April 27 at 6 p.m. at 4000 S. I-35, Austin. 512-414-1700. www.austinisd.org Pflugerville ISD board of trustees will meet April 20 at 7 p.m. at 1401 W. Pecan St., Pflugerville 512-594-0000. www.pfisd.net Round Rock ISD board of trustees will meet April 20, 26 at 5:30 p.m. at 300 Lake Creek Drive, Round Rock. 512-464-5000. www.roundrockisd.org leave the profession, such as updating their resumes or applying for a job outside of teaching. Combined with data showing more than half of all new teachers are leaving after five years, it has left advocacy groups and educators concerned for the future in public education. Teachers whom education nonprofit Raise Your Hand Texas has spoken to through listening circles—697 teachers in 79 school districts—indicate a number of factors have led to the retention shortage, including salaries and staffing shortages for support staff, counselors, behavior specialists and others.

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NORTHWEST AUSTIN EDITION • MARCH 2023

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COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM

EDUCATION

HEATHERWILDE BLVD.

What's changing?

PfISD will not close schools, faces $7M budget shortfall

New

Current high school zoning

MOPAC

Starting in the 2023-24 school year, some areas in southeast Pugerville zoned for Weiss High School will change to Pugerville or Connally high schools. attendance zones

1 T

BY CARSON GANONG

recommended closing ele- mentary schools—among the schools suggested as options were Pugerville, River Oaks and Dessau elementary schools. In the months following the committee’s nal recommendation, PfISD ocials narrowed down the proposals to two options: one that would see Dessau Elementary School close and another that would realign attendance boundaries for some high schools. Since December, a coali- tion of parents and teachers from Dessau Elementary has been attending district board meetings to voice opposition to the plan. “If you take this elemen- tary away, you take away the history, the culture [and] the belonging we all have and our children have to be proud to be from Des- sau,” said Emily Miranda, a fth grade teacher at Dessau Elementary. The latest action At a Feb. 23 board meeting, trustees voted to move forward with only the high school portion of the plan, leaving Dessau Elementary Ocer Jennifer Land said closing Dessau Elementary would have saved the district around $2.5 million. The district previously delayed the opening of Hidden Lake Elementary School—a new campus in east Pugerville—as a cost-saving measure, but the district plans to open the school for the 2023-24 school year to address growth in the surrounding area. Land said even if trust- ees voted to close Dessau Elementary, the FY 2023-24 open and its attendance boundaries unchanged. PfISD Chief Financial

Pugerville ISD ocials decided not to close any elementary schools but will instead adjust high school attendance boundaries, moving around 560 Weiss High School students to Pugerville and Connally high schools. The Feb. 23 decision came as PfISD is predicting a $7 million shortfall for the scal year 2023-24 budget. Superintendent Doug Killian said it means the district must consider other options to reduce its spending. Decisions beyond new high school boundaries have yet to be made, but trustees said in the coming months they will examine options, including sta reduction and smaller cost-cutting mea- sures districtwide. Killian said many factors have contributed to PfISD’s scal challenges over the past several years, including rising fuel, supply and labor costs. But ultimately, Killian said PfISD will continue to ght decits until state leaders x the mechanism by which Texas school districts are funded. “The biggest issue is the funding formula and student enrollment,” Killian said. “The combination of those two things along with the attendance since the pandemic has really hit us hard.” Hard decisions In December, the district’s attendance boundary committee presented pro- posals for boundary changes, several of which involved closing one or more schools to help account for the projected $7 million budget shortfall. Early on in the pro- cess, several proposals

Pugerville ISD boundary

High school

Area of change

IMMANUEL RD.

45 TOLL

GRE MAN RD

HIGH SCHOOL ZONE AREAS

GREENLAWN BLVD.

Pugerville High

Connally High

E. HOWARD LN.

Weiss High

Hendrickson High

HEATHERWILDE BLVD.

PARMER LN.

Current zones

New high school zoning

MOPAC

1660

GREENLAWN BLVD.

1 T

45 TOLL

129

MOPAC

HEATHERWILDE BLVD.

CAMERON RD.

973

WELLS BRANCH PKWY.

130 TOLL

IMMANUEL RD.

GRE MAN RD

HARRIS BRANCH PKWY.

GREGG MANOR RD.

FUCHS GROVE RD.

E. HOWARD LN.

MAP NOT TO SCALE N

SOURCE: PFLUGERVILLE ISDCOMMUNITY IMPACT

PARMER LN.

budget shortfall would not diminish as district estimates show Hidden Lake Ele- mentary will cost about $3 million to open and sta. The changes to high school attendance boundaries will result in approximately 560 Weiss High School students being relocated to Puger- ville and Connally high schools. Hendrickson High School’s attendance bound- aries will not change. Chief of Sta Brandy Baker said the plan includes a grandfathering clause for students entering 11th and 12th grades during the 2023-24 school year at Weiss High. The district will also close transfers to Weiss and Hendrickson high schools.

The new attendance boundaries will go into eect in the 2023-24 school year. Killian said the high school changes will have little direct impact on the district’s budget but will prevent the need for build- ing a new high school. “We really can’t aord to sta a new high school at the current rate,” Killian said. Finding savings elsewhere Without the savings from closing Dessau Elementary, the district will have to consider other options for cutting costs. These include reducing stang ratios for campuses with smaller student populations. “We’ve got a lot of

campuses that are sitting at [600, 700] or 800 students, and they have the same stang,” Killian said. “So we could sta them fraction- ally—like have a system prin- cipal share two campuses and [have the principal] go back and forth.” Killian said the district will likely cut smaller expenses, such as computer programs and districtwide surveys. However, Killian said lasting nancial relief for PfISD will have to come at the legislative level through an increase in the funding received per student, an item working its way through the Texas Legislature.

NORTHWEST AUSTIN EDITION • MARCH 2023

CITY & COUNTY

News from Austin, Travis County & Williamson County

HIGHLIGHTS AUSTIN City Council voted Feb. 23 to settle three lawsuits totaling $1.5 million from protesters allegedly injured by Austin Police Department officers in the May 2020 police brutality and racial justice protests. Austin has now agreed to pay out $18.88 million to victims of police violence during the demonstrations along with $3.3 million to the family of a man shot in the back and killed by police in May 2017. Austin City Council will meet April 13 and 20 and May 4 at 10 a.m. at Austin City Hall, 301 W. Second St., Austin. 512-974-2250 www.austintexas.gov/department/ city-council Travis County Commissioners Court will meet April 4 and 18 and May 2 at 9 a.m. at the Travis County Administration Building, 700 Lavaca MEETINGS WE COVER

COUNTY VACANCIES The Williamson County Sheriff’s Office and the Williamson County Juvenile Detention Center have experienced an increase in unfilled positions among corrections officers and supervision officers, respectively, over the past four years.

Austin petition process in line for revisions City Council voted March 9 to establish a resident commission tasked with proposing updates to Austin’s political petition process, potentially including a higher signature requirement and new ethical and transparency standards for petitioners. Propositions could also be locked to higher-turnout November elections. Council’s action came two months ahead of an election featuring two rival ballot propositions resulting from petition drives. One, backed by Austin’s police union, has attracted criticism from some officials over claims that petition canvass- ers misled residents or obscured details of the proposition. In Austin, anyone who collects the signatures of at least 20,000 registered voters may petition the city government to enact new policy, roll back previous council action or amend the city charter. The removal of a city official would follow the same process, but with a higher signature requirement of 10% of the city’s voters—currently, more than 66,000 names. Successful petition measures may either be approved by City Council or, more commonly, put BY BEN THOMPSON

Williamson County navigates shortages in justice system

CITIZEN-INITIATED PETITIONS IN TEXAS

Texas voters may petition their cities to enact policies or take other actions, and successful petitions typically prompt elections. Petition requirements vary by city.

2020 population estimate

City signature threshold*

City

Petition signature requirement

BY GRANT CRAWFORD

Budgeted positions

Position vacancies

Percentage of vacant positions

WILLIAMSON COUNTY Officials are facing a shortage of adult corrections officers and juvenile supervision offi- cers in Williamson County facilities, forcing staff to work overtime, preventing youth from receiving individualized care and leaving officials searching for solutions. Corrections facilities and juvenile detention centers are both facing a similar issue throughout Texas. The William- son County’s Sheriff’s Office and the Juvenile Detention Center are among the pool of agencies nationwide in search of new people willing to join the profession. As of February, the sheriff’s office had 62 corrections officer vacancies out of 256 budgeted positions. Mean- while, the juvenile center was looking to fill 17 of its 77 positions. These shortages have spurred Sheriff Mike Gleason and county officials to provide pay raises in an effort to improve recruitment as the county competes with area agencies to bring in new faces. Following a report from Gleason at the Jan. 24 meeting that three officers had left over the weekend for other positions, the court approved raising the starting salary for corrections officers from around $42,000 to $51,000. The move will allow the county to be more competitive, Gleason said, but the solution to these staffing shortages is “a little bigger than salaries.”

15% of voters in the highest-turnout mayoral election within three years of petition’s filing

Houston

2,304,580

36,155

WILLIAMSON COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE

10% of registered voters as of the last regular city election

San Antonio

1,434,625

82,372

3.4% 12.1% 20.5% 24.2%

2020 2021 2022 2023

Dallas

1,304,379

10% of registered voters

66,510

5% of registered voters or 20,000 voters, whichever is smaller

Austin

961,855

20,000

Fort Worth

918,915

20% of registered voters

101,526

SOURCES: CITIES OF AUSTIN, DALLAS, FORT WORTH, HOUSTON AND SAN ANTONIO; BEXAR AND HARRIS COUNTIES; U.S. CENSUS BUREAU/COMMUNITY IMPACT

0 50 100 150 200 250 300

*ESTIMATES BASED ON CURRENT AND PAST ELECTION AND VOTER REGISTRATION INFORMATION

WILLIAMSON COUNTY JUVENILE DETENTION CENTER

on an upcoming election ballot. Austin has seen 15 petition elections since 2012 on topics such as ride-hailing regulations, the city’s government system, marijuana enforcement, police staffing, and criminalizing public camping and sleeping. The 20,000-signature threshold for most petitions represents around 3% of the city’s voter pool, well below limits set in other large Texas cities and many peer cities nationwide. Austin used a 10% threshold until 2012; the current limits were

enacted to line up with state law. “If we’re going to spend valuable city resources on an election, that petition should stem from a representative cross-section of the public and not an ever-shrinking sliver,” said District 5 Council Member Ryan Alter, who sponsored the resolution to create a new charter review commission. Once formed, that commission will work to produce recommended changes that Austin voters will consider in the city’s November 2024 election.

9% 11.7% 28.6% 22.1%

2022 2023 2021 2020

St., Austin. 512-854-4722. www.traviscountytx.gov Williamson County Commissioners Court

will meet April 4, 11 and 18 and 25 and May 2 at 9:30 a.m. at the Williamson County Courthouse, 710 Main St., Georgetown. 512-943-1100. www.wilco.org

0 1020304050607080

SOURCE: WILLIAMSON COUNTY/COMMUNITY IMPACT

HYMEADOW 12611 Hymeadow (512) 506-8401

NORTH 620 10601 N FM 620 (512) 506-8316

ARBORETUM 10515 North Mopac Expressway (512) 342-6893

Artist conceptual rendering

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AUSTIN LIGHT RAIL: KEEP THE CONVERSATION GOING!

Join us to learn what’s next for light rail in Austin

THURSDAY, APRIL 6 5:00 – 7:00 P.M. JOIN REMOTE VIA ZOOM PROJECTCONNECT.COM/GET-INVOLVED

Please join us for our next virtual community meeting on April 6 as we move forward with Austin’s light rail. Learn about updates on the light rail system from the Austin Transit Partnership (ATP), what’s next for Project Connect and share your feedback. Everyone is welcome to attend. We hope to see you there! Can’t make it? Your feedback is still needed!

View the materials online and provide feedback at

Call 512-494-9400 or visit coautilities.com/go/mvrapp

ProjectConnect.com/Get-Involved starting on March 21 through May 2.

For language translations or accommodations, call 512-904-0180. Información de la reunión está disponible en español.

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