Ascending Wages

Austin airport's minimum wage reaches cruising altitude of $20 per hour

Austin-Bergstrom International Airport airplane 2014

Wages for Austin airport employees are going up.

Austin-Bergstrom International Airport Facebook

Always a trailblazer, the City of Austin recently set an example in raising its employees’ minimum wage to $20 per hour, with an upcoming boost to $22. Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, owned and operated by the city, is following suit. It has officially committed to a $20 minimum wage, going into effect the week of December 19.

This wage goes to “[f]ood service workers and members of UNITE HERE Local 23,” the latter being a multi-city hospitality workers’ union. A member of the union, Cinthya San Miguel, commented on the citywide raise when it was first announced, saying this move was part of “standing up for Austin workers.”

Delaware North Company (DNC) is the first of those contracted with the City of Austin to set the new wage. All companies have until January 1 to make the change. In October, the city calculated the local “living wage” (i.e. the wage necessary to comfortably support basic needs) at $20 per hour.

“We are thankful the Austin City Council increased the minimum wage for city employees and thank Council Member Fuentes for spearheading this effort in City Hall,” said San Miguel in a new press release. “Workers are getting priced out of living in Austin, but this wage increase is a step in the right direction – allowing us more room to breathe and provide for our families. This is an example of what we can do when elected leaders, companies, and the workers come together.”

Council Member Vanessa Fuentes connected the wage increase to a matter of “basic dignity” and keeping up with Austin’s rising prices. “Our food service workers keep this city vibrant and thriving. They deserve the opportunity to call this place home,” she said.

In 2019, the airport announced a 20-year master growth plan detailing more than 60 projects that will continue to change the landscape of the growing public service, in concert with less-predictable changes from the city.

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schools with high achievers

19 Austin elementary and middle schools rank among Texas' best for 2025

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Congratulations are in order for the Bats.

Several Austin elementary and middle schools are at the top of the class when it comes to educating and preparing the next generation for a successful life and career, according to U.S. News & World Report's just-released list of 2025 Elementary and Middle Schools Rankings.

One such school – Basis Austin – is the No. 1 best middle school in Texas for 2025.

U.S. News ranked more than 79,000 public schools on the state and district level using data from the U.S. Department of Education. Schools were analyzed based on their students' proficiencies in mathematics and reading/language arts on state assessments, and tie-breakers were decided based on student-teacher ratios.

Texas' best middle schools for 2025
Basis Texas Charter School's Austin campus has a total enrollment of 273 students, 19 full-time teachers, and a student-teacher ratio of 14:1, according to U.S. News. A majority of students at this charter school – 89 percent – scored "at or above the proficient level" in mathematics, and 92 percent showed at or above proficiency in reading.

"Basis Austin did better in math and better in reading in this [test score] metric compared with students across the state," U.S. News said in the school's profile. "In Texas, 51 percent of students tested at or above the proficient level for reading, and 41 percent tested at or above that level for math."

Basis Austin also ranked No. 16 in the statewide rankings for the best elementary schools for 2025.

Eight other Austin-area middle schools earned spots in Texas' top 100, including:

No. 31 – Canyon Vista Middle School, Round Rock ISD
No. 40 – Chaparral Star Academy
No. 47 – Hill Country Middle School, Eanes ISD
No. 64 – Cedar Valley Middle School, Round Rock ISD
No. 81 – West Ridge Middle School, Eanes ISD
No. 85 – Pearson Ranch Middle School, Round Rock, Round Rock ISD
No. 91 – James Garland Walsh Middle School, Round Rock, Round Rock ISD
No. 100 – Florence Stiles Middle School, Leander, Leander ISD

The best elementary schools in Texas
Jesus A. Kawas Elementary school in Laredo was crowned the No. 1 elementary school in Texas for 2025, while three Austin-area schools were among the top 25.

Round Rock's Cactus Ranch Elementary is the No. 18 best elementary school statewide, boasting 743 students, 47 full-time teachers, and one full-time counselor. Students at this public school scored 88 percent efficiency in math and 90 percent efficiency in reading.

U.S. News says student success at Cactus Ranch is significantly higher than the rest of Round Rock ISD.

"In Round Rock Independent School District, 64 percent of students tested at or above the proficient level for reading, and 52 percent tested at or above that level for math," U.S. News said in the school's profile. "Cactus Ranch Elementary did better in math and better in reading in this metric compared with students across the state."

Following one spot behind Cactus Ranch in the statewide ranking is Austin's Canyon Creek Elementary in Round Rock ISD, coming in at No. 19. Canyon Creek has a student population of 369 with 27 full-time teachers, and one full-time counselor. The school's student-teacher ratio is 14:1, and 90 percent of students are proficient in math, and 88 percent in reading.

Other Austin-area elementary schools that were ranked among the 100 best in Texas are:

No. 22 – Patsy Sommer Elementary, Round Rock ISD
No. 31 – River Ridge Elementary, Leander ISD
No. 42 – Elsa England Elementary, Round Rock ISD
No. 53 – Laurel Mountain Elementary, Round Rock ISD
No. 81 – Laura Welch Bush Elementary, Leander ISD
No. 88 – Mills Elementary, Austin ISD
No. 94 – Clayton Elementary, Austin ISD
No. 100 – Cedar Creek Elementary, Eanes ISD

"The 2025 Best Elementary and Middle Schools rankings offer parents a way to evaluate how schools are providing a high-quality education and preparing students for future success," said LaMont Jones, Ed.D., the managing editor for Education at U.S. News. "The data empowers families and communities to advocate for their children’s education. Research continues to indicate that how students perform academically at these early grade levels is a big factor in their success in high school and beyond."

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