D.C. Public Schools has hundreds of migrant students on its class rosters but is struggling to provide the high-quality help the students need.

Why it matters: D.C is among several school districts nationwide scrambling to meet the academic, physical health, and mental health needs of their new migrant students, our Axios colleagues report.

🔎 Zoom in: Approximately 400 students from recent migrant families are enrolled in PreK3 through 12th grade, DCPS spokesperson Kera Tyler tells Axios.

• DCPS has trained staff on being "culturally responsive" to its new students.
• And the city has increased its budget for translation and interpretation services, according to Tyler.

Yes, but: D.C. says it faces challenges providing high-quality bilingual mental health services, in particular, due to staffing shortages.

Between the lines: Many migrants are entering new schools after surviving weeks or months traveling — sometimes across multiple national borders.

• They likely have navigated a complicated border process, sterile government facilities, or non-profit shelters at the southern border.

What they're saying: To encourage bilingual development, DCPS urges "all families to continue to speak in their native language and have books or other texts in their native language," Tyler tells Axios.

• When it comes to English, "We work to help students and families understand that learning in a new language is a process that requires patience, hard work, and a willingness to take academic risks."

🧠 Be smart: All children in the U.S. are entitled to a public elementary and secondary education regardless of their citizenship or immigration status, the Education Department says.

By the numbers: Tens of thousands of migrants have been bused to the nation's capital. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott alone has sent at least 12,500 people.

• 1,007 migrants were in D.C. hotels as of September, according to the District government.
• Lodging, meals, and other aid have cost $55 million.

Go deeper

Three D.C.-area runners scored big at Sunday's Marine Corps Marathon, which brought more than 23,000 athletes to Washington.

🏃‍♀️ What's happening: Fairfax native Bonnie Keating, 38, took first place among women with a time of 2:50:49 (those are six-and-a-half-minute miles). She placed third last year.

• In the 50K ultra-marathon, Arlington's Anna Staats, 24, won the women's bracket (3:35:57).
• Meanwhile, fellow Arlingtonian Michael Wardian, 49, snagged second place in the men's 50K (3:10:19). Wardian clinched first place in the inaugural MCM 50K in 2019, and came in second last year.

Between the lines: Abnormally hot October temps shut down the marathon early, and many runners — including Wardian — say they were impacted by the humidity.

You're gonna pay more to see the Wiz this year.

By the numbers: A family of four will spend on average $222.82 at a Washington Wizards home game for four of the cheapest available tickets, a parking spot, two beers, two sodas, and four hot dogs, according to Bookies.com.

• That's up 17% from last season.

The average cost across the league is $304.64.

• Since last season, the total cost per game rose $16.26 per game, a 5.3% increase.

Methodology: Bookies.com calculated the cost of attending an NBA game in each area using the cheapest available ticket for home games in December and January on Ticketmaster.

Yes, but: No Lakers road games or Christmas Day games are included to avoid a skewed average.

🚨 Four people were hurt yesterday in a crash involving a police cruiser and an overturned vehicle on U and 14th Streets NW. One person was seriously injured. D.C. police say it happened around 12:45pm. (WTOP)

🏥 D.C. opens its first 24/7 sobering center today to battle substance abuse emergencies. The facility at 35 K St. NW offers treatment and recovery coaches for those in need. Overdose deaths were up 17% through the end of July, compared to the same period in 2022, the deadliest on record. (DCist)

🏠 The Georgetown compound that included Jackie Kennedy's house was auctioned for $9.25 million. The site on the 3000 block of N Street NW sold for a big markdown after listing for $26.5 million in March. (UrbanTurf)

💼 See who's hiring around the city.

1. Temporary Staff- Political & Public Affairs at PoliTemps.
2. Director, CREF at Mortgage Bankers Association.
3. Social and Multimedia Editor at AI-Monitor.
4. Associate/Senior Associate, Macroeconomics at Keybridge.
5. Digital Media Coordinator at Association of Zoos & Aquariums.

Want more opportunities? Check out our Job Board.

Hiring? Use code FIRST50 for $50 off your first job post.

Upscale Tex-Mex restaurant Ometeo is gearing up for a big, margarita-fueled opening in Tysons Corner before the year's out.

Why it matters: The indoor/outdoor restaurant is the latest from D.C.'s Long Shot Hospitality — they're behind popular spots like The Salt Line and Dauphine's — and is part of a Tysons development boom bringing top restaurant talents to the 'burbs.

Driving the news: Austin-based chef Gabe Erales is co-leading the project, Long Shot tells Axios. The El Paso native brings a homegrown take on Tex-Mex border cuisine to the restaurant and has been working with Long Shot's head chef Kyle Bailey for years to develop the concept.

Catch up quick: You may remember Erales as Top Chef's Season 18 winner in Portland — and the fallout after it came to light he had been fired the previous year for harassment.

• Erales has since apologized and opened two Austin restaurants, Yucatán-inspired Bacalar and walk-up window Tómalo Taqueria.

Zoom in: Ometeo will bring big Texas energy to the growing Capital One Center with multiple dining rooms, bars indoors and out, and a huge patio. At the same time, the team wants diners to experience a more nuanced version of Tex-Mex dining.

What they're saying: "There are all these preconceived notions — tons of melted cheese, chili con carne — and that's a big part of Tex-Mex," Erales tells Axios. "But there's also a lot of diversity, and a history of regional Mexican cooking that spilled over into Texas, whether that's mole or campfire cooking, or tamales."

Keep reading

Happy Halloween! Hope you're dressed to the nines like this good cowgirl Pepita and Piper the gnome.

🎃 Thank you to all of our Axios D.C. readers for sharing your pet Halloween photos.