By LYNETTE HAALAND, Four Points News

Vandegrift High School and Leander ISD have SAT scores that beat the state and national averages, and VHS outscored LISD by 33 points or more in Critical Reading, Mathematics and Writing sections.

LISD Superintendent Bret Champion announced that last year 1,677 graduates took the SAT, a 17-percent increase from the year before, and the total score on the college-entrance exam increased by six points from the graduating class of 2014 to the class of 2015. Continue reading →

Construction at Aria at Steiner Ranch at 4800 Steiner Ranch Blvd. is ongoing while a large number of the buildings are finished with occupancy at 50 percent. Over the next two years, Aria and Tacara Steiner Ranch will add nearly 550 new units combined, both feeding into Steiner Ranch Elementary.
Photo by Lynette Haaland

By CASSIE MCKEE, Four Points News

Five new apartment developments in or near the Four Points area are expected to be built and fully occupied within the next two years. While the developments may attract a significant number of families with school-aged children, local officials say schools in Four Points can handle the growth.

Two of the developments are already built. The largest of the five, Escape at Four Points, located near River Place Elementary, has 344 units and is currently 80 percent occupied. Currently, only 30 LISD students live among the 275 occupied units, according to Dr. Stacy Tepera of Population and Survey Analysts, who presented a demographic update to the LISD Board of Trustees in October. Tepera said the approximately 60 units remaining to be occupied will not likely have a major impact on student enrollment and may add only five to 10 additional students.

Tepera said the proposed Cardinal Point development, also near River Place Elementary, may have a higher number of students because the units are income-restricted. The project is subsidized by the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs. Cardinal Point is expected to break ground in 2016 and will have 120 units. Continue reading →

By CASSIE MCKEE, Four Points News

A new Trademark and Licensing Program in Leander ISD is helping to protect the district’s logos and designs and also generate revenue for items such as teacher salaries and daily operating expenses.

The idea for the program came about when district officials realized that for-profit retailers were selling merchandise that had school logos and designs on it but the sales were not benefiting the schools in any way.

“That revenue was going to that for-profit retailer instead of the district or booster club,” said Veronica Sopher, assistant superintendent of community and  governmental relations. Continue reading →

By LYNETTE HAALAND, Four Points News

Construction has begun on Tacara Steiner Ranch, a 246-unit apartment complex at 4306 Quinlan Park Road North owned and being developed by Casey Development.

The project is being built on the terraced back of the hill on the 60-acre site that is facing Lake Travis. The property lies between the Canyon Glen neighborhood and Quinlan Crossing. Next to the site is 32 acres purchased by Hill Country Bible Church.

After more than three years in the works, the project is expected to offer its first units in summer 2016. The timetable of the project is 16 months, said Darren Casey, founder and CEO of San Antonio-based Casey Development Ltd.

Construction has started at the Tacara Steiner Ranch 60-acre site although equipment was parked on Monday and Friday because it was too muddy from the rains. The timetable on the project is 16 months, said Darren Casey, the developer.

Continue reading →

By LYNETTE HAALAND, Four Points News

The River Place Homeowners Association is combining forces with River Place residents living on Milky Way Drive, who started a petition drive to show their opposition to a developer’s request for a zoning change for a 40-acre tract at the end of Milky Way Drive.

“The petition received 833 signatures in just a little more than two weeks,” said Ted Gaunt, petition organizer and River Place resident who lives on Milky Way Drive. The petition has 876 supports as of Oct. 30.

“We don’t oppose development of this amazing piece of land, with views of downtown — we just want it to be fair to those that have already started homes and families here,” Gaunt said.

At the River Place Hoedown recently, (L-R) Sophie Gaunt and Chelle Warren were collecting signatures on the petition circulating to prevent a proposed dense development to be built at the end of Milky Way Drive in River Place.

Continue reading →