Enrollment at AISD schools has been on a slight decline over the last three school years, and is expected to continue decreasing over the next few years. By the 2020-21 school year, officials anticipate 6,000 fewer students will attend AISD schools than did so in 2015-16. ADA means “average daily attendance,” for the number of actual students in attendance on the average school day. WADA means “weighted average daily attendance,” and is based on specific district characteristics.

Senate Bill 973, Sen. Brandon Creighton, R-Conroe

Japan has it. Sweden. France, Germany, Britain. Even Uzbekistan gets around with it. High-speed rail has proven to be fast, convenient, and efficient. But Texas has seemingly dug its heels in against it. This session, Sen. Brandon Creighton, R-Conroe, has filed SB 973, adding extra hoops to any rail company’s efforts to start surveying for a high-speed rail line (any line capable of carrying trains at speeds faster than 110 mph).

Creighton’s bill is all about derailing development of a planned HSR link between Houston and Dallas, which private rail firm Texas Central Partners has proposed as a 200 mph, 90-minute alternative to a short flight or the misery of driving I-45. And Creighton is not alone: Over a dozen bills have been filed to add extra impediments to such construction. Among the stack is SB 981 from Sen. Lois Kolkhorst, R-Brennan, who has a long history of voting against alternatives to gas-guzzling road transportation – and, by sheer coincidence, happens to own Kolkhorst Petroleum, a family concern that used to own the Rattlers roadside convenience store chain.

Of course, the road and airline industries have long held a vested interest in blocking development of a bullet train-style system in Texas. Fighting from the other side may well be the influential Texas Association of Business, whose new CEO Jeff Moseley arrives from his old job as state vice president of government affairs for (guess who?) Texas Central Partners. Let the lobbyist death match begin!

This article appears in February 24 • 2017.

A note to readers: Bold and uncensored, The Austin Chronicle has been Austin’s independent news source for over 40 years, expressing the community’s political and environmental concerns and supporting its active cultural scene. Now more than ever, we need your support to continue supplying Austin with independent, free press. If real news is important to you, please consider making a donation of $5, $10 or whatever you can afford, to help keep our journalism on stands.

SUPPORT US

The Chronicle's first Culture Desk editor, Richard has reported on Austin's growing film production and appreciation scene for over a decade. A graduate of the universities of York, Stirling, and UT-Austin, a Rotten Tomatoes certified critic, and eight-time Best of Austin winner, he's currently at work on two books and a play.