State
Development
BY HANNAH NORTON
BY BEN THOMPSON
Texas to phase out STAAR, launch 3 new exams in 2027
Austin skyline expanding south of Lady Bird Lake Two million square feet of new housing and com- mercial space are planned at the Ego’s bar property, the latest of many prominent high-rise redevelop- ments around the South Central Waterfront near downtown. What happened A 6.5-acre project from Related Cos. at 500 S. Congress Ave. was approved Sept. 11 with: • 950 residences • A 225-room hotel • 600,000 square feet of o ces and 135,000 square feet of commercial space Retailers, restaurants, a grocer and the return of Ego’s are planned. The site’s tallest tower may reach up to 650 feet, with the rest of the property capped at 500 feet.
South Central Waterfront development District boundary
High-rise projects
Beginning in fall 2027, third- through 12th-grade students will take three shorter exams in lieu of the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness. The changes come after state lawmak- ers passed House Bill 8, a law phasing out the STAAR, in September. The overview Bill author Rep. Brad Buckley, RSalado, said in September that the new law will reduce test-related anxiety and help educators track student growth throughout the year. Critics of the plan, including most Democratic lawmakers and a few Republicans, said they were concerned it would increase the amount of time students spend taking exams and result in “another STAAR test.” In the 2027-28 school year, school districts will be required to administer a beginning-of-year assessment in late August or September, a mid- year assessment in January or February, and an end-of-year assessment in May.
What to expect The Texas Education Agency will develop the three new exams. Lawmakers said educators will be allowed to continue administering third-party assessments in the beginning and middle of each year with TEA approval. All districts will be required to implement the state-developed end- of-year exam to measure year-over-year growth. Students’ scores will be released within 48 hours after each new test is administered. Currently, most students take the STAAR in April and receive their results in June, per the TEA. Questions from the new state-owned exams will be reviewed by Texas teachers and piloted in schools ahead of the 2027-28 school year. The TEA is required to release a plan for the rollout of the new exams by February 2027, which Buckley said will allow lawmakers to provide feedback and make adjustments to the testing system before it takes e¢ect later that year.
“[HB 8] reforms our Texas assessment program ... creating greater transparency, oversight and, ultimately, predictability.” REP. BRAD BUCKLEY, RSALADO
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Ego's bar
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4K-capacity Riverside venue breaks ground Global live entertainment company AEG Presents broke ground on a 65,000-square- foot indoor music venue in September. The details The venue plus two apartment buildings and a hotel at 4700 E. Riverside Drive will anchor the 109-acre River Park mixed-use development. AEG o cials said the venue with space for 4,000 attendees, opening in 2027, lls a gap in Austin’s music market.
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Another project A 510-foot tower planned nearby at 600 E. Riverside Drive was also reviewed in September, but its nal approvals are months away. Endeavor Real Estate Group’s lakeshore project would replace the Cidercade bar with 200 condos and retail space. Other mixed-use tower projects are also coming to the waterfront district, like the 19-acre “Statesman PUD” redevelopment on Lady Bird Lake.
"No parent has asked for this; no parent wants this. This bill was supposed to be [a] win for our public schools and for
our kids. This is no win." REP. GINA HINOJOSA, DAUSTIN
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