Austin, TX
Debate on Texas school choice legislation continues
Debate on Texas school choice legislation continues
State lawmakers are once again debating the controversial school voucher legislation known as the “school choice plan.”
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.
Texas: The Issue Is: School choice & vouchers
Gov. Greg Abbott talks about the chances of school choice moving forward and political columnist Bill King joins the discussion.
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.
What is the fate of school choice in Texas?
Will a school voucher plan pass in the next legislative session? Will it fail again? FOX’s Steven Dial and Greg Groogan discuss with political columnist Bill King.
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.
MANOR, Texas — Multiple agencies are at the scene of a “major” crash on FM 973 in Manor.
Manor police reported the crash at around 4:48 a.m., saying that responders are on scene of a collision in the 11700 block of North FM 973 Road near Lagos Elementary School.
Police say the road is closed in both directions while officials work the scene.
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Manor PD, the Travis County Sheriff’s Office, Texas DPS, Travis County ESD 12, and Austin-Travis County EMS are also at the scene, according to police.
CBS Austin has reached out to officials from the responding agencies for more information.
This is a developing story.
AUSTIN, Texas – A 28-year-old Austin woman who was reported missing earlier this week has been located, according to the Austin Police Department.
What we know:
Police announced Saturday that Ghadah Alharbi has been found following a public appeal for information about her whereabouts.
Alharbi was last known to have contacted family members by phone around 8 p.m. on June 16. Her disappearance was described by investigators as out of character, prompting concern from both her family and the Austin Police Department.
Authorities said she had left her vehicle at her residence in Central Austin near Mueller and was known to use ride-share services for transportation.
Dig deeper:
The Austin Police Department’s Missing Persons Unit had requested the public’s assistance in locating Alharbi on Friday, citing concerns for her well-being.
In an update released Saturday, police confirmed Alharbi had been located but did not provide additional details about where she was found or the circumstances surrounding her disappearance.
Police thanked the community and media for their assistance and cooperation.
The Source: Information in this article was provided by Austin police.
Following controversial comments from head coach Steve Sarkisian and recruiting battles with other contending teams, the Texas Longhorns have once again found themselves in the national spotlight ahead of the 2026-27 season.
Just like this time 365 days ago, the Longhorns are the favorites to win the SEC Championship by the time the postseason rolls around, as well as be contenders for the national championship — despite failing to gain a playoff berth in 2025.
Ahead of the 2025 season, Texas’ preseason hype centered around quarterback Arch Manning and his first year at the helm of the Longhorns’ offense. Despite predictions that Manning would win the Heisman and be the first pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, the Longhorns went on to a nine-win regular season with steady, ongoing improvements in Manning’s performance.
Now, the attention from national media seems due to the “all-in” season that the Longhorns are looking toward, with a huge roster turnover through the transfer portal suggesting that this is the make-or-break year for Texas — and Manning — to achieve any national championship hopes.
However, a “make-or-break” season isn’t necessarily what’s ahead for Texas in 2026.
Texas’ Championship Hopes Aren’t Necessarily Over After 2026
It’s fair to assume that the Longhorns are going all in for a national championship in 2026, given the emphasis on experienced transfer portal talent, coaching staff changes and even talk from some players about what the team’s goals are over the offseason.
But considering 2026 as the Longhorns’ last chance for a trophy in the immediate future isn’t as easily justifiable, especially when Texas may not be considering much of a rebuild after this season ends. Sarkisian himself didn’t deny that Manning may come back for another year with Texas in 2027, and many key playmakers on both offense and defense have several more years of eligibility left.
Especially looking at Texas’ incoming class of freshmen and history with the transfer portal, it’s likely that the Longhorns are setting themselves up for longevity more than immediate success. If Manning does decide to declare for the 2027 NFL Draft, incoming freshman quarterback Dia Bell will be an exciting prospect for Texas to bank on when looking for its next offensive leader.
It’s natural that the Longhorns should continue to generate national excitement, especially with the newest five-star commit to the 2027 class. Even so, Texas has a habit of bucking the trends and national predictions. The pressure was on in 2025 to win a national championship in Manning’s first year as a starter, and as more mock drafts continue to slate him as a first-rounder, that pressure has only heightened in what most onlookers see as his last year playing college football.
Whether the Longhorns will buckle under that pressure this go-around will be seen, starting with their home opener against Texas State on Sept. 5.
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