By SARAH DOOLITTLE, Four Points News

For the second year in a row, students from Vandegrift High School have produced average SAT scores that are higher than average scores in the United States, Texas or other Leander ISD schools.

Furthermore, a greater percentage of VHS students took the SAT, with 82 percent of the Class of 2013 participating versus 67 percent of LISD students. The average VHS student’s SAT score was a total of 1656 out of 2400. The national average is 1484 and LISD students post an average of 1579.

District-wide, scores on the SAT increased by 30 points from the class of 2012 to 2013 even though nationally, average scores dropped by three points.

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By RICH KEITH, Four Points News

Four Points now has representation on the Austin City Council in District 6 with last week’s approval of new redistricting maps.

Last November, Austinites voted for geographic representation. The successful campaign achieved what had eluded citizens and planners for over 30 years: a city charter amendment which changed the make-up of the City Council members from six at-large members and a mayor to 10 members, each representing one district, plus a mayor.

Made official on Nov. 25, Four Points will lie in District 6. The new district encompasses all of River Place and Four Points areas to the north of RM-2222 and only portions of Comanche Trail. The Steiner Ranch peninsula is not in the district except for the River Ridge neighborhood and those bordering areas close to Lake Austin which lie in Austin’s Extraterritorial Jurisdiction or ETJ.

“It’s going to be a whole new ballgame at City Council,” said River Place resident Jay Wiley, the first candidate to announce to run for District 6 next November. “Our neighborhoods will finally have a seat at the table, and that will make a big difference in how the Council discusses everything from infrastructure to traffic to parks.”

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By SCOTT W. COLEMAN, Hill Country News

The University Interscholastic League, the governing body of Texas high school sports, on Monday released the new enrollment brackets that will be used to determine the all-important classifications for football and basketball for the 2014-16 seasons.

One of the most talked-about changes is the implementation of a Class 6A. However, the new classification isn’t exactly what many were expecting. Instead of separating the largest schools in the state, the changes primarily shift the majority of schools in the current Class 5A into the new 6A, while what has been a separate classification for the smallest schools playing six-man football will now become the new 1A.

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By RICH KEITH, Four Points News

Austin ranked as the 21st worst city in the Americas for traffic congestion according to the 2013 TomTom Americas Traffic Index released last week. The report shows that Austin has some of the worst traffic in the western hemisphere.

GPS maker TomTom collected GPS measurement data from drivers on the roads during rush hours and non-rush hours.

photo by RealtyProAustin

The report compares travel times during non-rush hours with travel times during rush hour. The difference is expressed as a percentage increase in travel time during the rush hours.

A typical Austin motorist with a 30 minute commute will experience an estimated 83 hours of traffic delays over the course of a year, according to the report. Motorists experienced about 34 minutes of delays per hour, driven during Austin’s increasingly lengthy rush hour.

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By SARAH DOOLITTLE, Four Points News

Over 40 parents attended the Keeping Your Child Safe: Substance Abuse Prevention Conference at Vandegrift High School a couple of weeks ago. Led by Mary Ann Kluga, RN LCDC, Leander ISD’s Substance Abuse Prevention Coordinator, the two hour event on Nov. 19 offered information for parents about substance and addiction issues facing students.

Mary Ann Kluga informs parents about the latest drug trends, including prescription drugs, opiates, anti-anxiety and over-the-counter medications.
Photo by Sarah Doolittle

LISD Superintendent Bret Champion was also in attendance and introduced Klulga by saying, “We want to provide as much information as we can to parents to make sure that there’s a wealth of good information for our students because we’re all in this together.”

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