Your Daily Guide

🏫 Houston ISD Will Cut Dozens of Jobs

The school district’s board of managers approved measures that would allow dozens of staff and teaching positions to be cut before the start of the 2024-2025 school year. Superintendent Mike Miles said that almost every department in the school district would shrink because of budget cuts. [Houston Chronicle 🔒]

• Want to know more about Mike Miles? Here’s what he shared with us at the start of the school year. [City Cast Houston 🎧]

⚖️ Judge Rules in Arcola Drama

A Fort Bend County district judge ruled that Arcola city officials went beyond their legal authority to prevent a council member from voting and carrying out her official duties. Earlier this month, the current mayor Fred Burton, who faced scrutiny for his use of public funds and behavior online, was also voted out of office. [Houston Landing]

🥩

Houston Man Sells Barbecue Out of His Truck

Houstonians are flocking to a man who sells barbecue out of his truck in Montrose. Even though he doesn’t have a permanent location or a food truck, the Houston man’s business, Ambers Southern BBQ, has become his full-time job. [Houston Chronicle 🔒]

🎒Do Zip Codes Determine a Child’s Success?

The latest Child Opportunity Index numbers are out and Houston is one of the worst in the nation when it comes to the child opportunity gap. City Cast Houston Host Raheel Ramzanali is talking to Aswad Walker, associate editor at The Defender, about how this number impacts our children, why our city is so low, and how we can fix it. Plus, at the end of our episode, Content Director Wil Fulton speaks with Kristopher Larson, CEO of our sponsor Downtown Houston+, to hear about the best things to do in downtown Houston, and why it's such an appealing place to live, work, and enjoy. [City Cast Houston 🎧]

• ICYMI: Houston police chief Troy Finner resigned. What’s next for Houston? [City Cast Houston 🎧]

Summer is almost here! Are you still trying to figure out what activities to get your kids involved in? Also, what other summer resources are available to your children through the city and county? Here are some summer camp suggestions and affordable resources available all across the Houston-area.

Houston Summer Resources

• The Summer Food Service program also provides free nutritious breakfast and lunch for children 18 and under at over 200 sites across Houston starting in June. To find out more information, call 2-1-1 and give the operator your zip code for the closest site to you.
• Is your child looking for their first summer job? The city has several job listings for summer positions. They’re especially looking for lifeguards, so all pools can open this summer. You can earn an extra $500 incentive if you work the whole summer.
• The City of Houston also offers free swim lessons and sports activities for kids throughout the summer. Harris County also provides swim lessons for kids and adults.

Affordable Summer Camps

• The Houston Parks and Recreation Department offers a 10-week summer camp starting in June for children ages 6 - 13 at 53 different community centers. You must register online and pay $30 per week per child, but fee exemptions do exist for qualified people.
• Check out Camp S.T.R.E.A.M., a free week-long camp offered at four different Houston Public Library locations throughout the summer. At this year’s camp, children will focus on making a video game project. Registration will open up a month before each camp starts, so follow the website for updates.
• Writers in the Schools offers camps across Houston to help students pre-K through 12th grade to grow their creative writing skills.
• Camp Adventure is a free summer camp offered through Children’s Museum Houston to children attending an HISD Title One elementary school. Students will get to participate in crafts, STEM activities, games, and other fun.
• Register for the free Camp STEMPACT at San Jacinto College for Texas students ages 14 - 18 years old. The camp runs at different San Jacinto College campuses throughout July.

Btw, take advantage of these outdoor spaces when the weather is nice this summer ☀️

Congrats to Charles, who was the first person to guess EQ Heights, bright and early at 6:08 a.m. This cozy coffee shop on Heights Boulevard is the perfect place to get some work done, relax with a book, or catch up with friends over a cup of coffee.

Shout-out to our second place winner Yuilet 🥳

Now, where am I this week?

After our live taping of City Cast Houston at the Toyota Center, I walked through a popular downtown park. Where am I? Bonus points: Tell me your favorite memory from this park. I’ll reveal the winner and answer in next Monday’s newsletter!

P.S. Here’s why Houston’s coffee shop reputation should be better. Plus, enjoy a round-up of my favorite coffee shops.