Georgetown ISD committee recommends $649M bond for May election
After months of evaluating district needs, the Georgetown ISD Citizens Advisory Committee recommended the district call a bond election for $649 million in May. The bond would be funded by a one-cent increase in the district's tax rate, should the board order a bond election based on this recommendation.
The details: Propositions include several projects geared toward addressing district growth and increased participation in extracurriculars as well as maintenance of aging facilities.
Proposition A, $596.46 million: school facilities, capital improvements, safety and security
Proposition B, $20.3 million: technology and technology infrastructure
Proposition C, $27.85 million: fine arts facilities
Outpatient services begin at new Texas Children's Hospital in North Austin
Texas Children's Hospital celebrated the opening of its North Austin campus Feb. 1, the system's fourth children's hospital in the state.
The details: Along with an emergency room and urgent care center, the hospital offers neonatal and pediatric intensive care services, gynecological services, a labor and delivery unit, operating rooms, renal dialysis, a sleep center and more.
The recent influx of high-tech infrastructure to the Round Rock, Pflugerville and Hutto area has underscored the regionโs appeal as a hub for digital innovation.
The big picture: With new data center developments taking shape in the area, city officials and industry leaders expect substantial economic investments to the surrounding communities, with an estimated boost in sales and property tax revenue.
What they're saying: โ[Data centers] tend to be a very strong asset to have in your community,โ said Amy Madison, director of the Pflugerville Community Development Corporation. โMost data centers, of any size, are going to put as much as a billion dollars on the ground. There are significant investments in personal property and capital investment in the building itself. That obviously hits the tax base favorably.โ
On a local level: Round Rock, Pflugerville and Hutto appear to be taking great strides in the sector, with industry giants Switch, Sabey Data Centers and Skybox Datacenters each breaking ground on campuses in the area in recent years.