Becky Fogel

Jan 16, 2025 | austinmonitor.com | Becky Fogel

Thursday, January 16, 2025 by Becky Fogel, KUT The Eanes ISD school board voted unanimouslyonTuesday to close Valley View Elementary as part of an effort to reduce an estimated $6.5 million budget deficit. District officials said closing the campus, which is currently at 50 percent of its operational capacity, will save $2 million. Starting next school year, Valley View students will attend Barton Creek Elementary, which is about 6 miles away.

Jan 15, 2025 | austinmonitor.com | Becky Fogel

Wednesday, January 15, 2025 by Becky Fogel, KUT A federal food assistance program could provide families in Hays, Williamson and Travis counties with more than $17.8 million to feed their kids over the summer if Texas decides to participate. But that’s a big if. The Texas Health and Human Services Commission missed the Jan. 1 deadline to tell the U.S. Department of Agriculture whether it plans to participate in the Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer Program, or Summer EBT.

Jan 7, 2025 | houstonpublicmedia.org | Becky Fogel

University of Texas at Austin President Jay Hartzell announced Tuesday he has accepted an offer to lead Southern Methodist University, a private university in Dallas. His last day at UT will be May 31, according to the University of Texas System. "I am very grateful to Chairman Kevin Eltife and the UT System Board of Regents for the incredible opportunity they provided me to serve UT Austin in this role," Hartzell wrote in an email announcing his resignation to the UT community.

Dec 19, 2024 | austinmonitor.com | Becky Fogel

Thursday, December 19, 2024 by Becky Fogel, KUT When Austin ISD students Jonnell and Layth started middle school a few years ago, their attendance was on the spottier side. Jonnell said she didn’t like going because it wasn’t easy to get along with some of her classmates at Webb Middle School. But over the years, that’s changed. “I used to have problems with people, but I learned how to get over them and not hold grudges,” she said.

Dec 4, 2024 | austinmonitor.com | Becky Fogel

Wednesday, December 4, 2024 by Becky Fogel, KUT Voters living within Austin ISD’s boundaries will elect a new school board member after none of the six candidates running for at-large position 8 got enough votes to win the Nov. 5 election outright. Fernando Lucas de Urioste and Lindsey Stringer, the two candidates with the most votes, face each other in the Dec. 14 runoff election. De Urioste got more than 32 percent of the vote last month, while Stringer got about 26 percent.