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.
Austin, TX
Texas Pride events 2026: Parades, festivals and more happening this June
AUSTIN, Texas – Pride Month is celebrated each June.
It marks the anniversary of the Stonewall uprising that started in late June 1969. The protests are seen as a turning point in the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement. It inspired marches across the country in the years that followed.
More than a dozen cities and towns across Texas are celebrating with everything from parades to festivals to concerts and more.
A Pride flag is seen held up in a crowd during preparation for a Queer March to the Texas State Capitol on April 15, 2023 in Austin, Texas. (Brandon Bell / Getty Images)
Here’s a look at some of the dates and places Pride events are happening around the Lone Star State this month:
Austin also has a Pride celebration, but it is scheduled for Aug. 22.
The Source: Information in this story came from various sources, including official websites for events. AI was used to help assemble the list of events.
Austin, TX
UC Santa Barbara Baseball Drops 6-4 Nailbiter to Texas at Austin Regional Final
Red-hot Rowan Kelly came to the plate with the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth inning with a chance to extend the Gauchos season, but a thrilling comeback was not to be.
The UC Santa Barbara baseball team battled to the end, but fell to host Texas 6-4 in the Austin Regional final on Sunday afternoon.
“I think our guys gave a really good effort,” Checketts said. “Kellan’s start was outstanding, set the tone for us, gave us a shot. We came up short against a very good baseball team.”
UC Santa Barbara (40-20) held the lead through six innings behind a strong start from pitcher Kellan Montgomery and continued offensive production from Kelly. However, Texas (43-13), the tournament’s No. 6 national seed, scored four runs over the final three innings to secure the victory and advance.
Montgomery, a Santa Barbara native, delivered one of his strongest outings of the season. The right-hander retired the Longhorns in order in the first inning and held Texas scoreless through five innings while allowing only a handful of baserunners. Kelly provided early offense with a solo home run in the first inning, his second home run of the day after homering earlier against Tarleton State.
“I think just trusting myself and the guys behind me. The last couple outings haven’t really been what I wanted, so just not making it anything bigger than it is,” Montgomery said. “This is my first time in playoff baseball, so I’m just trying to enjoy every moment with a really special group. It was just trusting myself and the seven guys behind me.”
Texas broke through in the sixth inning, loading the bases before a sacrifice fly by Adrian Rodriguez and a two-out single by Ethan Mendoza drove in two runs and gave the Longhorns their first lead of the game at 2-1. Relief pitcher Van Froling entered and recorded the final out of the inning.
The Gauchos responded immediately in the bottom half. Consecutive walks by Liam Barrett and Kelly set the stage for a sacrifice bunt attempt by William Vasseur that resulted in multiple Texas throwing errors. Barrett scored on the initial errant throw, while Kelly later crossed the plate after another misplay, giving UC Santa Barbara a 3-2 advantage.
Texas regained control in the seventh inning. After a runner’s lane interference call erased a potential scoring play, Aiden Robbins hit a two-run home run four pitches later to move the Longhorns back in front. Texas added two more runs in the eighth, including one on an RBI double and another following a failed pickoff attempt, extending its lead to 6-3.
UC Santa Barbara narrowed the deficit in the bottom of the eighth. Kelly doubled off the top of the left-field wall and later scored as the Gauchos cut the lead to two runs. The inning ended with the potential go-ahead run still at the plate.
The Gauchos mounted one final threat in the ninth. Xavier Esquer and Cole Kosciusko opened the inning with singles, and a hit batter loaded the bases with two outs. Kelly came to the plate with the tying run in scoring position, prompting Texas to make a pitching change.But Longhorn starting pitcher Luke Harrison made a rare relief appearance to record the final out and preserve the victory.
Austin, TX
Austin Pets Alive! gets $10K donation, pet beds
AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin Pets Alive! (APA!) received a $10,000 donation and 30 pet beds on Thursday.
The donation was from Robert Thiele, an Amazon delivery driver and owner of Clark Courier Services, which was named in honor of his late bulldog, Clark, who passed away this spring after a battle with cancer.
“I named Clark Courier Services after Clark because just like our drivers, he delivered smiles every single day. In a world full of best friends, Clark was the bestest,” said Thiele.
According to Amazon, the donated pet beds were given a second life through Amazon Re:Turn, which repurposes textiles from customer returns that could not be resold or donated.
As a surprise for Thiele, APA! unveiled memorial plaques dedicated to Clark on shelter kennels, which were inscribed with his name and the words “forever delivering.”
“Our Delivery Service Partners are local, small business owners embedded in the communities they serve. Robert’s been delivering in Austin for nearly seven years, and he’s not just moving packages. He’s showing up for the people, the pets, and the neighborhoods around him. That’s what this program is about,” said Emma Crowley, Amazon spokesperson. “Today, we got to give a little back to someone who has and will continue to give so much to others.”
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