Austin ISD Walks Back Middle School Bus Hub Plan After Safety Backlash
Austin ISD announced late Friday that it is scrapping its new “hub stop” transportation model for middle schoolers, restoring neighborhood-level bus pickups after a wave of complaints from families. High school students, however, will still be routed through the hub system this fall.
“Thank you for your feedback as we released information about the transportation hub model earlier this week. After careful consideration, we have decided to restore neighborhood-level bus stops for middle school students.” — Austin ISD
The reversal comes just days after the district rolled out its new hub assignments, which replaced traditional door-to-neighborhood bus stops with centralized pickup points at elementary schools, libraries, post offices, and CapMetro transit centers. Some students were assigned hubs up to three miles from home, and parents raised alarms about kids having to cross busy roads with no sidewalks or bike lanes to reach them.
Austin ISD’s Transportation and Vehicle Services director said the district will use savings from the recently approved closure of Paredes Middle School, along with other budget adjustments, to cover the cost of restoring neighborhood stops for middle schoolers. Route testing was set to begin the following week.
The hub model was born out of necessity: Austin ISD is closing a historic budget shortfall through more than $205 million in cuts for the 2026-27 school year, with just over $11 million of that coming from transportation. District officials point to a widening state funding gap — Texas reimburses AISD roughly $1 for every $7.22 it actually spends per mile of bus service — as the driver behind the changes.
[Chart: Transportation’s $11M share of the $205M in budget cuts, and the $1-vs-$7.22 state funding gap per mile]
For now, middle schoolers get their old bus stops back, but high schoolers — and the district’s broader budget squeeze — aren’t going anywhere.
Families can still submit feedback through AISD’s Transportation Hub Stops Survey as the district fine-tunes routes ahead of the Aug. 18 start of school.
Two more Central Texas governments are cutting ties with Flock.
Guadalupe County commissioners voted this week to terminate their contract with Flock Safety, with Sheriff Joshua Ray telling commissioners “there’s a movement to get rid of it,” pointing to vandalism that has taken out every Flock camera in Seguin, with the company refusing to cover replacement costs.
Just north of Austin, the town of Lago Vista has also voted to remove its Flock safety cameras amid growing backlash over license plate reading technology.
The Elgin Police Department is requesting the public’s assistance in identifying the two individuals pictured in connection with two late July burglaries.
Authorities in Hays County recently conducted compliance checks on registered sex offenders in recognition of the 20th anniversary of the Adam Walsh Act.
In total, 138 compliance checks were completed within the 2-day period. Out of those 138, there are 9 active non-compliance investigations. Active non compliance means the offenders may be currently committing or may have already committed a violation of sex offender registration requirements.
On July 30, Texas Department of Public Safety Capitol Region troopers assisted DPS Criminal Investigations Division and the Austin Police Department with a directed traffic stop on a suspect wanted on multiple felony warrants for evading arrest and credit card abuse. The suspect was also identified as a known flight risk and documented criminal gang member.
APD officers initiated the traffic stop on Braker Lane near IH-35. The suspect refused to stop and fled, leading to a vehicle pursuit.
The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office has arrested former employee Miguel Cortez-Gonzales, 27, in connection with an alleged assault of an inmate at the Montgomery County Jail. (Houston Chronicle)
The Texas Department of Public Safety is seeking information about the 1996 murder of Juan Leon Laureles, 30, in Brown County.
No reported injuries after a house fire in Briarcliff Friday afternoon.
Authorities are investigating a deadly glider crash Thursday afternoon in Burnet County. (Houston Chronicle)
Thousands of jobs would be created in a niche of Central Texas already booming with new factories. Hutto city leaders just agreed to offer the company incentives to sweeten the proposition. (Austin Business Journal)
PODCAST
The question has been asked before and will likely be asked forever more: Is Austin still weird? Plenty of folks say not really, or that is hasn’t been for some time now…but there’s always a bit of weird for those who go searching.
Also: Gov. Abbott’s pitch to eliminate “city monopolies” on providing electricity…and some tips to help you make that perfect shot of “Austinhenge” this weekend.
(Episode from August 7, 2026)
CapMetro announced its rail service will not run August 24-27.
The goats are baaaaack on the Ann and Roy Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail, continuing an annual effort to clear brush and poison ivy from the area.
WEATHER
FRIDAY’S HIGH / LOW TEMPERATURES
AUSTIN-BERGSTROM INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
CAMP MABRY
5-DAY FORECAST / AUSTIN, TEXAS
One wildfire of note today and that is in the Texas Panhandle in Oldham County.
The fire is approximately 12 miles north of Vega.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced a proposal to dismantle what he termed “utility monopolies,” arguing that expanding consumer choice through retail competition will lower electric bills. However, energy market experts and utility officials note that providers like Austin Energy already offer some of the lowest electricity rates in the state. (KUT 90.5)
Caldwell County officials are weighing a plan that could reduce the number of polling locations from 16 to 12, a move driven by what leaders describe as a shortage of equipment and the loss of at least one voting site. (CBS Austin)
With just 87 days until the midterm elections, Valerie DeBill of the League of Women Voters says confusion over Texas’ voter registration process and a belief that individual votes don’t matter remain two of the biggest barriers to voter participation.
Texas Take asks Republican U.S. Senate candidate Ken Paxton about taking a European vacation as conservatives, like TV host Jesse Watters, blast him for not being more visible this summer. “Where’s Paxton?” the Fox News host said on Wednesday just before Paxton took the stage in Houston for his first big rally in Texas’ largest city since winning the primary in May. Reporters Casey Murray and John Moritz join Wallace to break down how Paxton is trying to win over Republicans who supported Cornyn, while Democrat James Talarico dives into some of the most purple areas of the state.
Plus, Democratic candidate for governor Gina Hinojosa stops by the show to warn Democrats that there is almost nothing stopping the GOP from eliminating more Black and Hispanic representatives from Congress and the Legislature if she doesn’t defeat Gov. Greg Abbott.
Finally, while vacationing in Maine, Wallace stopped in Biddeford to see how the community is responding to an ICE shooting that happened just days after a similar incident in Houston’s East End.
(Episode from August 7, 2026)
How data centers have become a hot-button issue this political cycle and how that controversy could tip the rural vote in the 2026 midterm election. Quorum Report’s Scott Braddock breaks down the Texas political landscape.
(Episode from August 7, 2026)
The guys recap their trip to San Angelo for the West Texas Legislative Summit, the news made at it, and the developing themes of the statewide elections.
In a 180 for the ages, Texas House Judiciary Chairman Jeff Leach is back to fully embracing his old political mentor, Ken Paxton, after previously helping lead the charge to impeach him back in 2023. The truth is they’ll rise and sink together politically with Paxton now at the top of the Texas GOP’s statewide ticket.
Then Harvey weighs in on Sen. Cornyn’s pushback to the Trump Administration, Susan Hays helps us try to make sense of Texas’ new THC crackdown, and Jen Rice at Democracy Docket explains how a plan to slash the number of voting locations around Fort Worth quickly became a political hot potato.
(Episode from August 7, 2026)
There are currently movement restrictions in place due to an established New World Screwworm Infested Zone in parts of the following Texas counties: Bandera, Brewster, Coke, Crockett, Edwards, Gillespie, Jim Hogg, Kerr, Kimble, La Salle, Medina, Pecos, Presidio, Schleicher, Starr, Sutton, Terrell, Tom Green, Uvalde, Val Verde, Webb, Zapata, Zavala.
Texas politicians are proposing various legislative approaches to artificial intelligence, including an AI tax to support workers, safety regulations such as a kill switch requirement, and an AI dividend for citizens.
The Texas Education Agency has launched a new online dashboard designed to give parents and the public more transparency into educator misconduct cases across the state.
The state’s Crime Victims’ Compensation program touted “significant progress” shortening payment delays but also acknowledged the program has been hampered by “poor processes” and “poor communication,” according to testimony at a Senate Finance Committee hearing on July 27.
A fuel truck crashed into KVII-TV in Amarillo Friday morning. According to the station, the crash happened at 12:30 a.m. Surveillance video shows the crash.
The driver of the pickup and two passengers left the scene. They said police know who the driver of the pickup truck is.
The fuel truck driver was not injured.
SPORTS
MLB: The Texas Rangers held on for a 2-1 win over the Baltimore Orioles at home, while the Houston Astros rallied for a 6-3 victory over the San Diego Padres on the road — a solid night for baseball in the Lone Star State.
Cam Smith homered twice and the AL West-leading Houston Astros spoiled Robbie Ray’s San Diego debut by beating the Padres 6-3 on Friday night for their eighth win in 10 games. (Associated Press)
Joc Pederson hit a two-run homer in the sixth inning, and Nathan Eovaldi and three relievers combined to limit Baltimore to one run as the Texas Rangers beat the Orioles 2-1 on Friday night. (Associated Press via MSN)
ON THE SCHEDULE
AL WEST STANDINGS
| Rank | Team | W | L | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Houston Astros | 60 | 57 | — |
| 2 | Texas Rangers | 58 | 58 | 2.0 |
| 3 | Seattle Mariners | 56 | 61 | 4.5 |
| 4 | Athletics | 45 | 71 | 15.5 |
| 4 | Los Angeles Angels | 45 | 71 | 15.5 |
The Astros hold a slim 2-game edge over the Rangers at the top, with Seattle lurking a few games back. Athletics and Angels are tied at the bottom of the division.
COWBOYS: Jesse Holley and Nate Newton discuss rookie Jaishawn Barham’s groin injury, the tight end group’s progress, Jake Ferguson and Brevyn Spann-Ford, the defensive line’s dominance in 11 on 11 periods and preview the upcoming joint practice scrimmage against the LA Rams featuring Miles Garrett and Matthew Stafford.
TEXANS: Michael Connor, John Hickman and Stan Norfleet discuss how big of a year it is for the Houston Texans and where the league ranks CJ Stroud.
(Episode from August 7, 2026)
28 DAYS UNTIL TEXAS FOOTBALL
Jerry Hamilton and Bobby Burton discuss several Texas Longhorns football players who they believe are poised for a breakout season based on their observations during the first few days of fall camp.
A look at the massive $4 billion expansion of Austin–Bergstrom International Airport (AUS), a project titled “Journey With AUS.” Due to the city’s explosive growth and passenger numbers far exceeding original capacity, the airport is undergoing a complete transformation to become a premier travel hub.
