Austin, TX

Texas needs a compromise in Austin to fund public schools

Published

1 year ago

December 13, 2023

Texas needs a compromise in Austin to fund public schools

Thousands of schools experience constant disruption due to school closures, classroom consolidations and increasing teacher vacancies in Texas. As these education challenges persist, the state holds on to $4 billion earmarked for education. This means that school districts are forced to maneuver costs and salaries amid inflationary conditions and the impending end to COVID-era federal funding.

As leaders of some of the highest-performing community public charter schools in Texas and the country, collectively serving over 150,000 Texas children, we are proud of our graduates’ 100% college acceptance rates, college graduation rates at four times the national average for first-generation college students, and alumni entering the workforce with average earnings that contribute significantly to the Texas economy. These outcomes require additional resources.

We invest $500 to $800 per student each year to ensure each of our high school students is on a successful path to achieve economic mobility. However, our costs have increased by about 20% since 2019 both in terms of teacher salaries and non-wage expenses like school transportation, food costs and custodial services.

Statewide, about 400,000 students — or roughly 6% of Texas kids — attend a public charter school. There are no local bonds or voter tax rate initiatives to cover the gaps when funding from the state falls short. These students and their schools rely on state funds for even the most basic educational or operational expenses. When state funds are unavailable or inadequate, those students suffer from diminished educational opportunities.

School districts were forced to make tough budget choices this past year and can’t afford another school year under these same conditions. We implored the Texas Legislature to recognize the urgency of this situation, work together to reach a compromise and act swiftly to provide necessary support for our public schools.

If our state is unable to come to consensus and reach a reasonable compromise for Texas students, we, the leaders of high-performing schools, will have to make tough decisions on where to invest our limited resources. Signature programs, like the ones that have great economic mobility outcomes, are at risk.

We are asking the state Legislature to appropriate and distribute the approved $ 4 billion in the state’s K-12 public education budget. Without the approval to distribute this funding, public schools, both traditional ISDs and public charter school networks, will continue to hold flat on state funding at 2019 levels — despite costs that look far different from a few years ago. We will see staff and program reductions when our students still need meaningful support recovering from pandemic academic and social-emotional health losses.

Our state is known for its resilience and determination. Choosing intentionally to underfund our education system is an anomaly that undermines our state constitution, fails to uphold Texas values, and threatens the very foundation of our future.

We believe a compromise is possible today that allows a new form of school choice — one that is highly accountable to taxpayers and prioritizes our highest-need students — while releasing $4 billion to our public schools. Our communities simply can’t afford to wait any longer. We ask the public to encourage their legislators to find a compromise that benefits 100% of public school children in Texas.

The call to action is clear — Texas leaders and the Legislature must return to Austin to rekindle productive conversations about school funding and choice and reach a compromise that prioritizes the well-being of Texas public school children. The stakes are too high. Our networks alone would face tens of millions of dollars of budget shortfalls if the state doesn’t release the approved funds. Are we willing to sacrifice the education of more than 5 million children because our legislators can’t find common ground?

These children are our future political leaders, community leaders and workforce. We implore our leaders to return to their responsibilities in Austin, recognize the transformative power of education and adequately fund our Texas public schools now.

Our children can’t wait until the 2025 legislative session. Immediate legislative action will have a ripple effect for generations as Texas students thrive and contribute meaningfully to our great state, and the gratitude we extend will be immeasurable.

Fatih Ay is chief executive officer of Harmony Public Schools, Mark DiBella is chief executive officer of YES Prep, Yasmin Bhatia is chief executive officer of Uplift Education and Sehba Ali is chief executive officer of KIPP Texas.

We welcome your thoughts in a letter to the editor. See the guidelines and submit your letter here. If you have problems with the form, you can submit via email at letters@dallasnews.com

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Austin, TX

A New Restaurant With Southeast Texas Cowboy Flair Has Food Truck Roots

Published

7 hours ago

January 6, 2025

Press Room

A New Restaurant With Southeast Texas Cowboy Flair Has Food Truck Roots

One of Austin’s best barbecue trucks finally has a full-blown restaurant.

Micklethwait Craft Meats, a barbecue truck that formerly took up residency on Rosewood Avenue, opened its first standalone restaurant at 4602 Tanney Street in East Austin on Friday, January 3.

Tom Micklethwait, the owner and founder of Micklethwait Craft Meats, says the new space has also allowed the restaurant to expand its menu to offer an ever-changing lineup of specials and baked goods, in addition to butchering its own cuts of meats. The restaurant has also incorporated new offset pits, including one that allows Micklethwait to cook ingredients and meats directly on the fire. “The new cooking style will allow the restaurant to expand its repertoire and how we approach barbecue as opposed to the classic Central Texas offset smoker,” he says. “We’re getting more into Southwest Texas cowboy style.”

Micklethwait Craft Meats has been an Austin staple since 2012, but diners have largely secured its smoked meats from a truck — until now.

Micklethwait Craft Meats’

Though he believes brisket will always be the restaurant’s No. 1 seller, Micklethwait predicts newer favorites will include chicken al carbon. Cooked Southwest Texas style — smoked with post oak and finished directly over mesquite coals — the dish is served with salsa verde and tortillas, almost like a build-your-own taco platter, he says.

The restaurant, which Micklethwait says had a good first-day turnout, has launched with limited hours from 11 a.m. to around 4 p.m. or sellout Thursday through Sunday, but by March or April, Micklethwait says he plans to expand the hours — adding on dinner or more hours earlier in the week.

a brisket sandwich from Micklethwait Craft Meats served with slaw, pickles, and red onion. — Get your brisket on a plate or in sandwich form.

a person holds up smoked dino ribs from Micklethwait Craft Meats. — Micklethwait Craft Meats is known for its variety of smoked meats, including its massive Dino Ribs.

Micklethwait purchased the building at the corner of Springdale and Oak Springs last summer from friends. He had already used the 90-year-old building, which previously served as a farm store and a neighborhood church, as Craft Meat’s headquarters and commissary kitchen for its food truck for the past six years. He began renovating the building last August. The revamped building now offers 40 indoor seats and 80 seats on its spacious outdoor patio, which is shaded by pecan trees. The Micklethwaits say they plan to add some new components, including an onsite herb and vegetable garden that will help fuel their menu.

Though known mainly for its food trucks, Micklethwait has owned other restaurants. The team originally opened a Micklethwait restaurant in Smithville in 2018 but closed it in 2020 to focus on the Austin food truck, which he opened in 2012.

Micklethwai also operated the sandwich truck Romanouskas Delicatessen from 2015 to 2016 and the taco truck Taco Bronco in 2020. He expanded his footprint in 2021 with Saddle Up, a beer garden and icehouse located on Rosewood Avenue, where the Micklethwait truck was once located. As planned, Micklethwait closed Saddle Up late last year to launch the restaurant.

Micklethwait Craft Meats’s new building. — Micklethwait Craft Meats’s new restaurant is housed in a former farmhouse and church.

Micklethwait Craft Meats is located at 4602 Tanney Street, East Austin, 78721. It is open from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m., or sellout, from Thursday through Saturday.

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Austin, TX

Auburn basketball vs. Texas: Score prediction, injury updates, how to watch, tipoff time

Published

15 hours ago

January 6, 2025

Press Room

Auburn basketball vs. Texas: Score prediction, injury updates, how to watch, tipoff time

After getting a relatively breezy win over Missouri on Saturday to open up conference play, the SEC slate is set to take it up a notch on Auburn basketball this week.

The second-ranked Tigers don’t play a home game for a week-plus a they travel to Austin, Texas, on Monday for a matchup with the Longhorns at 8 p.m. CST Tuesday before heading east to play South Carolina at noon Saturday.

“It doesn’t matter if we’re playing them in Austin or playing them here,” Auburn coach Bruce Pearl said Saturday. “We’ve got 40 minutes of a basketball game against the University of Texas. … For me, honestly, I think we can play better on the road. You have to: You have to be sharper, you have to take better care of the ball. You can’t be as casual with your passes. You have to be locked in.”

As the Tigers embark on a week-long road trip, here’s everything you need to know about Tuesday’s tilt with Texas.

Why more history is on the line for Bruce Pearl against Texas

With the Missouri win, Bruce Pearl earned his 213th career victory at Auburn — which tied him with Joel Eaves for the most in the program’s history. On Tuesday, Pearl has a chance to surpass Eaves and become the winningest coach in the program’s history.

“I will celebrate whatever we accomplish this year this summer,” Pearl said Saturday of the accolade. “I’ll celebrate with my friends, my family, the Auburn Family, on the boat at Lake Martin; out there on a golf course. Nobody will enjoy it more. But you know me. You have to know I’m on to Texas and on to the next one.”

Injury updates: Auburn basketball vs. Texas

It should be a clean bill of health for both squads. Neither had a player out in their SEC-openers, and while Auburn may still be monitoring Johni Broome’s shoulder in the aftermath of his injury against Georgia State, he’s played 20-plus minutes in each of the Tigers’ three games since.

How to watch Auburn basketball vs. Texas: Tipoff time, TV and live stream options

TV channel: ESPN2
Streaming: Fubo
Start time: 8 p.m. CT
Location: Moody Center (Austin, Texas)

Listen live: Auburn basketball vs. Texas on the radio

Saturday’s game will be broadcast live on WLWI FM (92.3) in Montgomery and WGZZ FM (94.3) in Auburn. The radio call can also be streamed online. Here are the announcers:

Analysis/Color: Randall Dickey
Play-by-play: Andy Burcham

Prediction for Auburn basketball vs. Texas

No. 2 Auburn 78, Texas 70: It’ll be just the second true road game of the season for Auburn. Pearl said he thinks game sites will be inconsequential for much of SEC’s best this season, and looking at Texas’ resume so far, he could be right. While the Longhorns have just two losses, one of those was an 11-point defeat to then-No. 25 UConn at the Moody Center.

If the Tigers can take a few pages out of Texas A&M’s book, they should be fine. The Aggies staved off the Longhorns for an 80-60 victory on Saturday. In the process, they held Texas guard Tre Johnson — the Longhorn’s leading scorer — to 11 points on 2-of-13 shooting.

Adam Cole is the Auburn athletics beat writer for the Montgomery Advertiser. He can be reached via email at acole@gannett.com or on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, @colereporter.

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Austin, TX

Texas Longhorns’ Rori Harmon Joins Historic Company in Win vs. Arkansas

Published

22 hours ago

January 5, 2025

Press Room

Texas Longhorns’ Rori Harmon Joins Historic Company in Win vs. Arkansas

AUSTIN — Texas Longhorns star point guard Rori Harmon has been the rock of the Texas team since she arrived on campus in 2021. Now a senior, Harmon is just one of two in the storied Texas program to reach the milestone of 1,000 points and 600 assists. She dished out her 600th assist in the team’s 90-56 win over Arkansas on Sunday.

After missing the majority of last season with a torn ACL she suffered in practice, Harmon has now surpassed both of those milestones this season. Against the Razorbacks, she had six assists and needs just four more to be second all-time in assists for Texas.

In front of the seventh-largest women’s basketball crowd in Moody Center history with over 8,700 people in attendance, Texas won by a large margin, but head coach Vic Schaefer was not statisfied with his team’s performance.

Texas Longhorns guard Rori Harmon (3) shoots the ball during the game against Arkansas at the Moody Center on Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025. / Aaron E. Martinez/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

“First, congratulations to Rori, 600 assists. That’s a lot of assists, lots of passing,” Schaefer said. “We didn’t play very good, to be honest with you. I’m kicking myself. I took it a little easy on them on Friday, we just don’t handle easy well. And you know, we got in late, around two am. That’s just an excuse, really, at the end of the day. But you know, we really struggled today with certain things and again, I wear that. I’ve got to coach better and teach better, and we got to play better. But I just think there’s a standard that we all try to live up to, and I think we’re all trying to chase perfection, whether that’s attainable or not, it’s probably not, but still, we’re going to chase it.”

Though Harmon was far from perfect against Arkansas, she still reached a career milestone. She was 5-11 from the field and finished with 12 points, making both free throws she attempted, but most importantly, shared the ball well.

Harmon gave all credit to her teammates, as assists are a statistic that requires multiple people to be involved.

“It feels great to be a part of those list of names and it’s a great honor, but you can’t do it by yourself,” Harmon said. “Obviously, Coach Schaefer puts us in great situations. And my teammates are obviously, in my mind, the best teammates you can have. And truly, like I said, you really can’t do it by yourself, so I really need to thank everybody else around me who have put me in those great positions.”

Texas is now 14-1 overall and 2-0 in conference play.

Harmon and her teammates will return to the Moody Center on Thursday to take on the No. 19 Alabama Crimson Tide. The game will tip off at 7:00 PM and be aired on SEC Network Plus.

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