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 →