An Austin realtor has launched Texit, a real estate service aimed at helping Central Texans looking to move out of state.

Why it matters: Citing the state's politics or increasingly hot climate, some Texans have been looking to leave Texas.

State of play: The Texit service, started by Austin native Lilly Rockwell, doesn't explicitly mention politics.

• But she launched it after noticing "a huge uptick in casual conversations — and with people actually moving after Roe v. Wade was overturned, particularly if they have daughters," she tells Axios.
• Starting Texit is "kinda scary because it's just a very different message from what most realtors put out there," Rockwell says. But, she added: "I'm at ease with working with these types of clients — it's more close to how I feel, it's authentic to who I am."

How it works: The service offers project management for selling a current home and buying a new one, fronting up to $25,000 for home improvements and moving costs — money paid back at closing.

• It also offers a $2,000 listing fee discount, designed to help offset the cost of the move, and access to trusted agents across the country.
• "We'll connect you with a top-performing agent in your new city to help you find the right home and neighborhood," according to the Texit site.

Between the lines: Roughly half of Rockwell's business the first half of this year involved out-of-state relocations, Rockwell tells Axios, with clients moving to North Carolina, California, Pennsylvania — and Japan.

Flashback: In 2022, Dallas-based realtor Bob McCranie launched "Flee Texas," to aid LGBTQ+ Texans wanting to depart the state.

By the numbers: Nearly 612,000 people moved to Texas from other states in 2023, compared to 478,000 who left, per Texas Public Radio.

• Texans who moved out of the state that year primarily relocated to Colorado, Georgia and North Carolina.

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Cellphones aren't on school supply lists as Gen Alpha heads back to class this fall with administrators tightening bans in an effort to combat COVID-era learning loss.

Why it matters: Survey data from the Walton Family Foundation and Gallup shared exclusively with Axios shows attitudes toward phones in schools have shifted drastically in the space of a single generation as educators grapple with distractions and teens' wellbeing.

Case in point: A new Texas law mandates that districts bar students from using cellphones and smartwatches during school hours.

Zoom in: Austin ISD officials surveyed focus groups of students, families and staff about a potential cell phone ban last spring, and said the results overwhelmingly showed that "this policy has the potential to boost focus in class, build stronger peer connections, and create a more engaging learning environment."

By the numbers: 79% of Gen Z adults said they were allowed to use their phones between classes when they were students, compared to just 41% of middle schoolers and 61% of high schoolers now.

• 40% of current middle school students said they can use their phones during free time in class, which is 25 percentage points lower than when Gen Z adults were in school.

Zoom out: About three-fourths of parents said they support restrictions on phone use but favor allowing students to keep the phones in their possession.

📬 Tell us: At what age would you give your kid their own cell phone?

Methodology

The Austin ISD school board adopted a new field trip policy, following the death of an eighth grader at an end-of-the-school-year celebration. (Austin American-Statesman 🔒)

🚔 The Austin Police Department unveiled its first fully electric patrol vehicles. (CBS Austin)

✈️ Delta Air Lines will open a new flight attendant base in Austin and announced new nonstop service to Denver, Columbus and Kansas City. (KXAN)

We've got you covered with some work-week plans.

Monday

🎬 Watch Nic Cage in "Mandy" at Hyperreal Film Club, 7:30-11pm. Pay what you can, starting at $8.

🎙️ Catch a discussion with former U.S. Rep. Colin Allred, who's running for U.S. Senate again, at LBJ's Bass Lecture Hall. Free with an RSVP.

Tuesday

🎶 See Ethel Cain on The Willoughby Tucker Forever Tour at Moody Ampitheater. Doors open at 6pm, $77.

Wednesday

🪄 Put on your ruby slippers and watch an immersive, theatrical experience of "The Wizard of Oz" at Zach Theater, 7:30pm. $56.

Thursday

🍿 Watch a double feature of "You've Got Mail" and "Empire Records" at the Paramount's summer film series. Doors open at 6pm, $12.

🤠 Learn to line dance at the Spicewood Springs Branch library with Nico Osier of Country Fried Dance, 6:30-7:30pm. Free.

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Goats have returned to the trail to munch on invasive poison ivy and clear other overgrown vegetation along Lady Bird Lake.

How it works: The goats began their feast on Friday at Lou Neff Road — on the trail side of Zilker Park — and they'll spend the rest of the week in the area.

What's next: If you miss them this week, they'll be back in September, according to a spokesperson for The Trail Conservancy.