As 2017 begins, here are five things to know this week if you live in or around Northwest Austin.
1. Toll rate increases
Drivers who use Toll 183A and Manor Expressway, or the tolled portion of Hwy. 290, are ringing in 2017 with some new toll rates, which took effect Sunday, Jan. 1. Rates will increase by 1.5 percent and equate to about $0.01 to $0.02 greater than the current rates, according to the Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority. The rate increase does not apply to the MoPac express lanes.
2. Back to class
K-12 students in the three school districts in Northwest Austin head back to class this week. Round Rock ISD and Pflugerville ISD start back up Tuesday. Austin ISD starts Wednesday. Spring sessions for both The University of Texas at Austin and Austin Community College District begin Jan. 17.
3. New school ratings
The Texas Education Agency is expected to release its first statewide school district and campus ratings Friday, Jan. 6, that use a new A-F rating system. The A-F ratings are a change from the “met standard,” “met alternative standard,” and “improvement required” ratings given to school districts and campuses in previous years. Last month, Austin ISD joined several other Texas school districts calling for a repeal of the new accountability measure. An AISD board of trustees' resolution criticized of the state’s reliance on STAAR, or State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness, assessment scores as a measure of academic performance, as well as the lack of data to prove the A-F system’s efficacy.
