The 85th Texas Legislature begins today

The state’s 85th Legislature convenes officially for the first time today. Legislators will make key decisions about the state’s budget and new legislation about topics ranging from gun use to education. Click here for a quick list of things to know about the legislative session.

Bee Cave City Council will discuss new developments at meeting tonight

Bee Cave City Council meets at 6 p.m. tonight at City Hall, 4000 Galleria Parkway, Bee Cave. Council members are slated to discuss site development plan for the Spillman Ranch Loop project; a development agreement and annexation for a tract off Hamilton Pool Road; Canyonside's revised site plan amendment off West Hwy. 71 and Vail Divide; an ordinance related to the towing of vehicles for lack of financial responsibility; and the use of city property for highway improvements and utility easements. The agenda for the meeting can be found here.

West Lake Hills City Council meets Wednesday

West Lake Hills will hold its first city council and board of adjustment meetings of the year at 7 p.m. on Wednesday at City Hall, 911 Westlake Drive, West Lake Hills. The council is scheduled to discuss a possible construction project to extend wastewater mains on both Cortona Drive and Westlake Drive. Agendas for both meetings can be for here.

Auditions for the Lakeway Players are this week

The Lakeway Players are holding auditions for their performance of Moon Over Buffalo this week. Auditions will be held 7-9 p.m. on Thursday, and 10 a.m.-noon Saturday at the Lakeway Activity Center, 105 Cross Creek, Lakeway. Director Linda Dobbs will cast four men and four women ages 18 and older. Show dates are March 23-25 and rehearsals begin in February. For information and to schedule a specific audition time, contact Dobbs at 512-431-8917.

Texas Education Agency has released preliminary accountability ratings for schools and districts across Texas

On Friday, the TEA released a provisional set of accountability ratings for school districts and campuses across the state based on the TEA’s upcoming A-F rating system. The grades released by TEA are considered a trial run compiled from the 2015-16 school year data. James B. Crow, executive director of the Texas Association of School Boards, said in a statement that the rating system is a flawed concept. “These new A-F ratings are just a symptom of the larger sickness: an unhealthy fixation on standardized testing and standardized expectations,” he said. “There are 1,028 school districts in Texas, and no two are exactly the same. Trying to apply the same accountability measures primarily based on one standardized test is a disservice to our kids, their families, and our educators.” See how Eanes and Lake Travis schools fared based on TEA’s new accountability metric here. For schools in Leander ISD results read our article on the district's results.  Results for Dripping Springs ISD schools can be found here.