AUSTIN, Texas – State lawmakers are once again debating the controversial school voucher legislation known as the school choice plan.

The Texas House Public Education Committee held a meeting on Monday about the future of education, budgets, and school vouchers. The school voucher plan aims to use tax dollars to pay for students to attend private schools.

A panel of education experts and professionals from across the country presented information on school vouchers in front of members of the Texas House Public Education Committee on Monday.

“Choice programs are successful when they accomplish three things; they need to attract a large and diverse quality of education providers. Second, they must provide information to parents to help them act as informed consumers of education. Third, they should prioritize,” says University of Arkansas Professor of Education Policy Dr. Patrick Wolf.

Governor Greg Abbott’s School Choice Plan was introduced in 2023. It allows students to be given an education savings account in the amount of nearly $8,000 to attend a private school. The funds will come from tax dollars, sparking concern that it may take away from the budget of public schools.

“Such financial support is a game changer. It has significantly democratized access to diverse education settings, allowing parents to customize options that better align with their values, their education and their children’s unique needs,” says Utah Education Fits All Executive Director Robyn Bagley.

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“I guess we are just abandoning making data-informed or data-driven decisions when it comes to taxpayer dollars in this amount. If it is privatized, I think that is really disappointing, considering again how substantially underfunded our neighborhood public schools are,” says District 49 Texas House Representative Gina Hinojosa.

The school choice plan was voted against by members of the Texas House of Representatives in 2023 and may be voted on again in 2025.

“Parents and teachers, we don’t listen enough to those voices when it comes to our neighborhood public schools. We also heard from the expert that is on the panel that these options only work when private schools are allowed to discriminate in admissions,” says Hinojosa.

During the meeting, the panel of education specialists provided feedback on the impact the school vouchers have in their area.

“All K-12 students in the state should be eligible to participate if their parents decide their private school or customized education best serves the child’s educational needs,” says Wolf.

“All of you have been invited to sell us on vouchers, which I appreciate. That is your position and what all of you do for a living, but I am very concerned that we are not getting a true picture across the country from folks who may disagree with your assessment,” says District 52 State Representative James Talarico.

A second day of meetings will be held at the capitol on Tuesday, August 13.

Kids, this is the story of how I met your mother, and it was all thanks to ATXtoday.

Ok, so maybe that’s not exactly how the 2000s sitcom went, but if Ted Mosby had consulted us for date night ideas, we could’ve shaved the show down to two seasons (and saved his kids a lot of time).

Regardless, whether you’ve met “the one” or are hoping to impress someone new, we’ve got 35 local date night ideas that are legen — wait for it — dary.

For the ones who want a night out on the town

If the way to their heart is through their stomach

• Source ingredients (and don’t forget the flowers) at one of Austin’s farmers markets before making dinner together at home.
• Head to a food truck park and get the first, second, and third courses from different trucks. Play “rock, paper, scissors” to decide who gets to choose each restaurant.
• Delight your date’s taste buds by introducing them to a new cuisine — you can eat around the globe without leaving Austin.
• Eat dinner at a restaurant in the 2nd Street District (let its twinkling trees set the mood), then keep the conversation going over chocolate fondue for two at Crú Food & Wine Bar.
• Impress your date by taking them to one of Austin’s best restaurants — here are the ones that ATXtoday readers think are deserving of a Michelin star.

If you love the great outdoors

• Watch the sunset from a scenic locale like Mount Bonnell or the Pennybacker Bridge Overlook.
• Wander through the sculpture garden at Laguna Gloria, then grab a grazing board at Spread & Co.’s on-site location to enjoy on the grounds.
• Take your date to the lake on a paddleboard, kayak, or quirky boat rental.
• Pack dinner, a deck of cards, and a cooler of beverages, then make your way to a local park.
• Take your relationship to the next level — aka have your pets meet each other — at one of these dog-friendly locations.
• Take a Downtown Austin daycation and reserve a poolside cabana at a luxury hotel through ResortPass.

For the ones who like to play games (just not with your heart)

If you’re really hoping that it works out

• Get into the groove and head to a dance class with Ballet Austin.
• Climb to the top of their “best date” list with an indoor rock climbing session.
• Find your zen through a heated yoga class at TruFusion Austin. Bonus: your first class is free.
• Hike to Sculpture Falls on the Barton Creek Greenbelt. Psst — wear a swimsuit and jump into the creek together.
• Sip coffee together at The Perch ATX before walking or biking the Ann and Roy Hike-and-Bike Trail.
• Learn to surf together on Lake Austin with ATX Wake Surf.

If you want an “old fashioned”-style date

If you wanna show off by knowing all the hottest events in town

• Shameless plug: Sign up for our daily newsletter, where we call out our top picks of things to do around town. Your date doesn’t have to know we’re behind it, you can take all the credit.
• Stay up-to-date on the coolest local events around Austin with our events page (and check out this guide for our tips on navigating the page).

What did we miss? If you know a perfect date spot that’s not on the list, guide us in the right direction.