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UT Austin is implementing some new rules for getting around on campus ahead of the new school year, but the changes aren’t impacting every set of wheels.
An update on the ongoing negotiations affecting CapMetro bus drivers and transit workers.
The Austin school district is facing the looming threat of a state takeover because of unsatisfactory accountability ratings at a few campuses. How might that play out, and when will we know?
Jacob’s Well in Wimberley was flowing rapidly for a short time after July’s heavy rainfall. But it would take a lot of change for the iconic watering hole to reopen to swimming.
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Jerry Quijano [00:00:08] UT Austin is implementing some new rules for getting around campus ahead of the new school year, but the changes aren’t impacting every set of wheels. We’ve got the latest on that plan. Plus, there’s an update on the ongoing negotiations affecting cat metro bus drivers and transit workers. We’ve go that. And the Austin School District is facing the looming threat of a state takeover because of unsatisfactory accountability ratings at a few campuses. How might that play out, and when will we know? More about those stories coming up on today’s show.
KUT Announcer: Laurie Gallardo [00:00:38] The Austin Signal is a production of KUT News, hosted by Jerry Quijano.
Jerry Quijano [00:00:43] And the influx of rain across Central Texas this summer brought life back to one of the most beautiful swimming holes in our neck of the woods, but how long is that lease on that new life? We’ve got the latest coming up next. It’s right here on Austin Signal. Howdy out there, this is Austin Signal. I’m your host Jerry Quijano, glad you’re here. It is Tuesday, August 11th. CapMetro bus drivers and transit workers have reached a quote, strong tentative agreement, end quote, with City of Austin subcontractor Keolis, avoiding a potential strike. The workers, represented by amalgamated transit union Local 1091, were requesting better pay, better training, more vacation, and better work-life balance. Union members still need to vote on that new contract and are set to do so in the upcoming weeks. The University of Texas at Austin is implementing new transportation rules for the coming school year. Riders of electric bikes, scooters, and boards will soon have to dismount and walk in certain areas of campus. KUT’s Gabriel Velazquez-Nera has more.
Gabriel Velasquez Neira [00:01:56] On the first day of classes, UT students will no longer be allowed to ride battery-powered vehicles down Speedway through campus. Starting August 24th, the university is designating that area as a pedestrian-friendly zone that includes everything between San Jacinto Boulevard and Guadalupe Street and from 21st Street to 24th Street. Riders, however, will not be fined for operating their personal electric vehicles in these dismounted zones, according to UT’s website. Inside, the university is hoping that the students listen to the messaging. Non-electric types of transport and ADA mobility devices are still allowed in these areas. But the new rules come after the university posted regulations online earlier this month, along with signage. The regulations did not differentiate between normal bikes and scooters and electric ones in the designated dismount areas. It drew criticism and the university took down the page. The signage currently posted around the area also does not specify that the notice is for electric vehicles only. I’m Gabriel Velasquez-Neda in Austin.
Jerry Quijano [00:03:00] The Austin Independent School District will receive this week its State Accountability Ratings and the results of those will determine whether the district could face a takeover by the Texas Education Agency. But what does that actually mean and how did we end up in this moment? Here to tell us more is Greta Diaz-Gonzalez-Vazquez. She is KUT’s education reporter who has been following this story for a while now. Hello Greta, welcome back to the show.
Greta Diaz Gonzalez Vasquez [00:03:23] Hi, Jerry.
Jerry Quijano [00:03:24] So, a state takeover is something I’ve been hearing about for a while, and this looming threat of one. What actually is a state takeaway? What does that mean?
Greta Diaz Gonzalez Vasquez [00:03:32] Yeah, so the Texas Education Agency calls it an intervention. And it is when the commissioner, the education commissioner who is appointed by the governor, when he appoints a board of managers that replaces the elected school board, and he also appoints and new superintendent. Now that board of manager has pretty much powers on academics and instruction on staff, they can just make decisions for the whole district. And because they are not elected, they don’t have to answer to community feedback.
Jerry Quijano [00:04:00] Yeah, that was the thing that was struck out to me, right? These are elected officials and these are people being put in those positions. Okay, so how did we end up to where Austin ISD is on the doorstep of having a state takeover? I mean, what are we waiting for that could actually trigger that to happen?
Greta Diaz Gonzalez Vasquez [00:04:16] Yeah, for that, we need to talk about what can trigger a takeover. And so there’s multiple things that can trigger takeover, one is academic accountability ratings. So if a school gets five consecutive unacceptable ratings, which are Fs on a row, like five years in a row then the state can come in and take over the district. But it can also happen because of financial mismanagement, leadership and governance issues and if the district is subject to an investigation. But in this case, it’s because of academic accountability ratings, because Burnett, Dobie and Webb middle schools, they all have four consecutive Fs. And so now Friday, they’re going to publish the results for this year’s accountability ratings. And if either of those three schools get a fifth F, then the state could take over.
Jerry Quijano [00:05:04] You mentioned the variety of ways that a district could be taken over by the Texas Education Agency and there are multiple districts in the state that are already under state control. Where are they and how is that played out for those districts?
Greta Diaz Gonzalez Vasquez [00:05:17] Eight districts are under state control so far. I do have to say some districts have avoided it by closing the campus that got a fifth consecutive failing grade and then also just having somebody who supervises the whole district, but that has been rare. The biggest district that has been taken over and the one that we know more about is Houston ISD. It was taken over in 2023 and academics who study the district’s takeover have told me that the district. Took a, this is a quote, militaristic approach to education, because what they have heard from teachers is they came in with a new approach, which is the new education system or NES, and they have told me that teachers have pre-made slides to teach, that they have work packets, that have very tight schedules where sometimes students can’t even ask questions, and that the approach is very, very test intensive. If they’re continuously testing students. So far, an advocate, a Houston advocate told me that around 21,000 employees have left the district since 2023. Around 5,000 of those because they were laid off, but the rest because they didn’t want to work at the district anymore because it’s very, very tense.
Jerry Quijano [00:06:31] You were talking about some of the ways these districts have been impacted. What might be the arguments for a state takeover?
Greta Diaz Gonzalez Vasquez [00:06:37] Yeah, so that’s a good question because the state, especially the commissioner, Mike Morath, has said that schools should not be having unacceptable ratings at all because that means that students are not meeting academic standards and that should not happen because then in that case, districts are really failing in what they’re supposed to do, which is educate students. So they say that coming in and helping the districts raise the bar and make sure that all students are meeting the bar, that’s what they are coming in to do. Mm-hmm.
Jerry Quijano [00:07:07] Okay, so you tell us a little bit about what a state takeover actually is. How might this play out? What would it look like for Austin ISD specifically going forward if the state take over does in fact happen?
Greta Diaz Gonzalez Vasquez [00:07:21] Yeah, so first we would have to wait till Friday, see those ratings, and then from Friday we would also have to for the commissioner to make an announcement that could come October, and then normally it takes a few months for him to appoint somebody, so that would be March. And people I have spoken to have told me Houston ISD is the blueprint. They also say that they see very similar things happening in Fort Worth ISD. And so a lot of people are telling me it’s probably going to look a lot like Houston ISD.
Jerry Quijano [00:07:50] What about the parents that you’ve heard from? What have they had to say?
Greta Diaz Gonzalez Vasquez [00:07:52] Parents are worried, and I will say it’s parents across the district, because they do understand that even if it’s one campus that gets the fifth failing grade, it would affect the whole district. So they are very worried. On Saturday, there was a rally at the Brentwood neighborhood, and they just wanted to raise awareness. They’re saying that, you know, this is a matter of also funding schools so that people need to ask our state leaders to fund schools properly so they can have better academics. Um, and I, I also found that a section of the Texas education code says that if the majority of parents from the school that triggered the takeover that got the fifth unacceptable rating asks the commissioner in written form to close the campus instead of taking over the district, then the commissioner shall do that. I have spoken to people that they’re saying that they are organizing to make sure this happens. But I’ve also spoken to community leaders who have told me that some parents are saying, you know what, my kid actually is not getting a great education and maybe this wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world. So there’s things on both sides, but I would say overall, the majority of what I hear is parents being worried about the takeover and what it will mean for their kids’ education.
Jerry Quijano [00:09:06] Understandably, okay. Well, that’s something that we are certainly going to continue to watch and we’ll bring you the latest from Greta Diaz González Vasquez right here on Austin Signal. Thank you, Greta
Greta Diaz Gonzalez Vasquez [00:09:15] Thank you, Jerry.
Jerry Quijano [00:09:21] Very few Texans were shocked in 2024 when Donald Trump won the state. What did surprise many was that the Republicans also flipped nine traditionally blue counties in the Rio Grande Valley, including some majority Latino counties that had voted Democratic for decades. But a recent bipartisan poll of Hispanic voters found that around 20% of those who voted for Trump two years ago, say they wouldn’t do so again. The group behind that poll is Unidos US, a national nonpartisan Latino civil rights and advocacy group, and last week they brought their annual convention to Texas. The Texas newsroom’s Blaise Ganey was there and asked Latino voters how they’re feeling with just a few months ahead of the midterm elections.
Blaise Gainey [00:10:05] 1,000 people attended the 2026 UNITO’s U.S. Conference at the Fairmont in Austin.
Santiago Suero [00:10:11] We are going to ask you to use your phone for a couple activities.
Blaise Gainey [00:10:13] Your camera ready to scan some QR codes. In this breakout session called building an economy that delivers, about 75 people listened at Santiago Suero polled the audience.
Santiago Suero [00:10:24] What issue do you think Latino voters rank as their highest priority? Attendees quickly joined in, submitting their answers. Seeing a lot of people saying cost of living. Immigration is the second highest one.
Blaise Gainey [00:10:35] Which popped up on the screen creating a word cloud.
Santiago Suero [00:10:38] Jobs is pretty high up there, the cost of living is far and away the top one that y’all are answering.
Blaise Gainey [00:10:43] These answers are pretty similar to what Latino voters in Texas were focused on two years ago before the 2024 election, high housing costs, expensive groceries, and uncertainties surrounding immigration policy. That year, exit polls showed a majority of Texas Latinos voted for President Donald Trump. But Ford.us immigration expert Andrea Flores says many Latino voters who supported him now have mixed feelings.
Andrea Flores [00:11:09] They’re happy that the border is quiet and that some of the chaos of the Biden administration is over. But when it comes to mass deportation, what ICE is doing, what Border Patrol is doing they oppose that.
Blaise Gainey [00:11:19] And like in that audience poll, Flores says, Latinos overall aren’t feeling much better about the current state of the economy. Like Austinite Olivia Dominguez, she’s in her 60s and says she came to the conference since she’s had a lot of free time since losing her job.
Olivia Dominguez [00:11:34] I stopped working in January, not voluntarily.
Blaise Gainey [00:11:39] I asked her which party is doing the best right now to court Latina voters.
Olivia Dominguez [00:11:43] Who’s doing the best?
Blaise Gainey [00:11:45] There was no easy answer.
Olivia Dominguez [00:11:47] But I know the disappointment in what’s going on with immigration and our dollar. I would say maybe the Democrat might have an edge.
Blaise Gainey [00:12:02] Texas Democrats seem to feel the same way, likely a reason why two of their most high-profile candidates this November spoke at the event’s luncheon, Democratic U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico and Gina Hinojosa, who’s running for governor. Hinojoza told the crowd this year Latino voters in Texas have more power than ever.
Gina Hinojosa [00:12:21] To give you a sense of our importance in this election, in 2018, the closest a Democrat came to flipping Texas in recent history, Beto O’Rourke ran against Ted Cruz, and he got 64% of the Latino vote.
Blaise Gainey [00:12:40] Since then, Hispanics have become the state’s majority, now making up more than 40% of Texas’ population.
Gina Hinojosa [00:12:46] When I get 64% of the Latino vote in 2026, I win.
Blaise Gainey [00:12:53] But getting to that number won’t be easy. Democrats in Texas and nationally have their own problems to address with Latino voters. Sofia Zuniga traveled from Miami to attend Unidos US. The Floridian says she sees many similarities with Texas around issues like immigration and affordability. This year.
Sofia Zuniga [00:13:11] I want to say I’m hopeful, but I’m also fearful.
Blaise Gainey [00:13:14] In November, she’s pulling for Democrats.
Sofia Zuniga [00:13:17] I do wish that Democrats would put more of a priority with Latino voters and I think they’re doing that now and they’re realizing that they lost a lot of Hispanic voters.
Blaise Gainey [00:13:26] But there have been recent signs the party may be earning some votes back. Here’s Andrea Flores, the lawyer and immigration expert.
Andrea Flores [00:13:33] In the first round of off-cycle elections, so you saw in New Jersey, in a Florida mayor’s race, in Pennsylvania you saw a swing back of Latino voters back towards Democrats in those early races. Now it’s a question of will we see that again?
Blaise Gainey [00:13:49] What that trend means for Texas in November is still up in the air.
Gina Hinojosa [00:13:54] Of votes.
Blaise Gainey [00:13:55] That’s what Gina Inajosa told the crowd in Austin, but she says the winds are swinging Democrats way. One data point, a special state senate election earlier this year where a Democrat flipped the Republican districts and got 79% of the Latino vote. So while the issues on voters’ minds may have stayed the same, the party they trust to address them might be changing. I’m Blaise Ganey in Austin.
Jerry Quijano [00:14:19] We’ve got more Austin signal coming your way after this break.
Matthew McKibben [00:14:28] You’re listening to Austin Signal. My name is Matthew McKibbin and I am the assistant business manager at KUT. We’ve got a month left for the field guide to Austin Summer Reading Bingo Challenge. It’s not too late to join and cross out a few boxes on your bingo card. Here are two book recommendations for you. Daniel Krause’s Angel Down tells the story of five World War I soldiers tasked with rescuing what they believed to be an injured comrade. It turns out the injured person is an angel. Yes, an actual angel, shot down somewhere over no man’s land. The story’s sense of urgency also comes from the fact that this entire book is told as one long run-on sentence. Normally, that’d be a gimmick that would turn me away, however the one sentence structure adds a sense of desperation and tension to their struggle for survival and But there’s even a purpose for it. This book stuck with me for days after reading it and I can’t wait to read it again. The next book on my list is the audio book of Homer’s The Odyssey. This was a reread for me in preparation for Christopher Nolan’s film adaptation. I read this epic poem in college, as we all did, but this was the first time I read it as it was likely intended to be read, by listening, as narrated by the brilliant Sir Ian McKellen. Hearing such an acclaimed actor read this story brought it to life and I’d argue it’s probably the best way to inhabit the world of the lost Odysseus, the towering Cyclops and those pesky suitors clamoring for Penelope’s love and riches. To get your own bingo card and find out more about the KUT Field Guide to Austin Summer Reading Bingo Challenge, go to KUT.org or click the link in today’s podcast show notes. I’m Matt McKibben and this is Austin Signal.
Jerry Quijano [00:16:33] Well, one truly Texas way to escape the summer heat is to visit one of our cool spring-fed watering holes. Clustered right here around central Texas, we’ve got Barton Springs in Austin, Landa Park in New Bromfels, and Hancock Springs in Lampasses. Jacobs Well in Wimberley might win the award though for the most stunning watering hole, but it’s been closed to swimming the past four summers. And even with the rain that caused devastating flooding this summer, the flow is not back up to normal. Texas Standard’s Laura Rice has this deep dive.
Laura Rice [00:17:08] Jacob’s Well is an earthly wonder, so beautiful that it looks almost otherworldly. Crystal clear water with bright green algae and what appears to be a bottomless hole in the limestone.
Carl Flocky [00:17:22] When it’s clear like this, you can look down and you can see about 25 feet down. And from that bottom 20 feet down, five feet down it’ll continue to kind of angle to a depth of about 150 feet. And then that cavern runs. It’s been mapped almost a mile to the northwest.
Laura Rice [00:17:42] Carl Flocky is the director of Hayes County Parks and Natural Resources. He knows Jacobs well intimately, and is still in awe of it.
Carl Flocky [00:17:51] It is really fascinating to think about how water can actually push out of the ground, not just lazily flow out, seep out, but it is being forced out of this aquifer, which is a really, really fascinating feature that we have here.
Laura Rice [00:18:10] When the flow slows down, or stops altogether, the water recedes into the hole. But no one ever thought that would happen.
Carl Flocky [00:18:18] In the year 2000 was the first time ever that it stopped flowing. It did that again in the droughts of the late 2000s. And then of course, in the big 2011 time period drought.
Laura Rice [00:18:32] Flows returned when rain did, and so did swimming, until 2022.
Carl Flocky [00:18:37] That’s when we dropped down to zero flow and for four years now we’ve been essentially at zero flow so we went from periods of long periods of flow with isolated times of no flow to now it’s the reverse where it is long periods without any water at all and small periods of some water.
Laura Rice [00:18:59] After July’s heavy rain, the flow picked up again. It was coming out very briefly at about 22 cubic feet per second.
Carl Flocky [00:19:07] A cubic foot is approximately as much water as you could contain within a basketball.
Laura Rice [00:19:11] That’s well above what’s considered normal flow, which is about 4-6 cubic feet per second. Even though it’s now back down to below normal, the influx was enough to bring the wells level not just to the top of the hole, but up out of it, filling up the pool area and going down the rocky Cypress Creek bed.
Carl Flocky [00:19:31] It is really encouraging to see the water be flowing out of the well, out of the ground here downstream. It creates a conduit where fish can swim up and down the stream. They’ve been trapped in puddles for summers upon summers now.
Laura Rice [00:19:44] It looks ready for human swimming too, but Flocky says not so fast. His office is out here and he and his staff spend a decent amount of time each day explaining to visitors why they can’t swim.
Carl Flocky [00:19:59] It’s just not enough water we feel. We are concerned about when people get in the water the all the oils and things that they are bringing into that system when that flow is low it’s not being flushed out it’s not being carried downstream is concentrating into the system that is a direct conduit into our aquifer and we know it holds many rare species maybe even endangered species like salamanders beetles things like that.
Laura Rice [00:20:26] Janet Durmeyer and her friends were disappointed to see all the no swimming signs.
Janet Durmeyer [00:20:31] I grew up in San Antonio, heard about it all my life and this is the first time I’ve actually made it. My friends are here from Houston and we wanted to make a day trip and do some swimming because it’s hot. And so it’s really disappointing to see it like this, quite frankly.
Laura Rice [00:20:45] Durmeyer now lives in comfort and saw the other side of the July rains that replenished Jacob’s well, the flooding. It’s been horrible. It’s so devastating. Two years in a row.
Janet Durmeyer [00:20:57] She takes a pragmatic view of the area’s relationship with rainfall. If you live in this area, you understand the terrain. And so the terrain is very, very rocky. And so, yes, we’re given to flash floods. But as fast as it floods, it also recedes. And so it doesn’t always have a whole lot of time to soak in and really recharge those aquifers and those springs and things. So you know, that’s. That’s kind of the frustration everybody thinks, yay, we got all this rain, we’ve got all this water, and then a month later, wind drought again. But Parks Director-
Laura Rice [00:21:31] Dr. Carl Flocky says the challenges for Jacobs Well only begin with the weather.
Carl Flocky [00:21:37] In order to get back to a sustained historical flow, we’re going to need a period of prolonged rainfall, average, above average rainfall for a long period of time, which is possible, especially looking at the outlook for this winter of a strong El Nino cycle. It is possible we’ll get the rainfall we need to get us there. But if we don’t see changes in water use, we’re never gonna be able to sustain that level of flow again. It’s going to keep drawing down.
Laura Rice [00:22:07] Hayes County has been one of the fastest growing in the country over the past decade or so.
Carl Flocky [00:22:12] There are fundamental things at the regional level that we need to look more at, such as where we’re sourcing water supplies, can we get more folks utilizing rainwater collection, rainwater as a water supply, things like that. To get us to a sustained flow rate, there will need to be some big shifts like that
Laura Rice [00:22:32] Some folks have wondered if it’s even worth it, if it’d be better for Jacob’s well and the creatures who call it home to just say no more swimming ever. But that’s not how Flocky sees it.
Carl Flocky [00:22:44] I grew up as a kid swimming in Jacob’s Well, and I would love to have that opportunity for the people around here, the people of Texas, the world, again, for my children to have the opportunity.
Laura Rice [00:22:56] His kids are young enough that swimming has never been open here in their lifetimes. But Flocky is helpful.
Carl Flocky [00:23:04] Simply providing the really phenomenal experience of getting to swim in those cold crystal clear waters
Laura Rice [00:23:12] But that’s not happening anytime soon. So for now, if you come out to Jacob’s well, you’ll just have to be content to admire. In Wimberley, I’m Laura Rice.
Jerry Quijano [00:23:27] Before we leave you today, I would get some sports news. The San Antonio Spurs will open their upcoming season at home with the Western Conference Final Rematch against the Oklahoma City Thunder. But this year, the Spurs are gonna be visiting Austin early in their schedule, very early. In fact, just three days after starting the season in San Antonio, the spurs will face the Houston Rockets and former Longhorn Kevin Durant at the Moody Center. That game is scheduled for October 23rd. Well that is it for us today here on Austin Signal. We have plenty more about the many stories we shared with you today in the podcast show notes and you can always find more from us at kut.org slash signal. Renee Chavez is our technical director, Alexandra Hart is our producer, Kristen Cabrera is our managing producer and I’m your host, Jerry Kikano. Thank you for spending the day with us. We’re gonna be back at the same time tomorrow. We’ll talk to you then.
This transcript was transcribed by AI, and lightly edited by a human. Accuracy may vary. This text may be revised in the future.
