Hill Country Telephone Cooperative has committed $10,000 to each of the 26 schools across the Texas regions it serves, a decision the rural telephone co-op detailed in a recent episode of The Building Texas Show. Madysen McDonald of HCTC told host Justin McKenzie that the timing reflected pressing community needs. "There's a lot of communities right now that need it," she said, adding that the co-op is "really excited to see how they can use that money to help them and help their students."
The scale of the commitment matters beyond the individual checks. HCTC's service area stretches from Ingram to Fredericksburg and out to Big Lake, encompassing Mason, Sonora, Junction and El Dorado. In many of these communities, a school district is among the largest local employers and a primary anchor of civic life. A $10,000 infusion to each of 26 schools represents a direct, unrestricted-style boost to rural education budgets at a time when smaller districts often struggle to fund programs and activities that larger systems take for granted.
HCTC's support is not limited to writing checks. On Friday nights, the cooperative sets up a tent near the ticket gate at games such as Comfort versus Ingram and Mason versus Junction, handing out trinkets to fans on both sides and giving away HCTC prizes. McDonald said children are especially eager to visit. "They come up to us all the time and they say, 'Hey, my parents have HCTC. We love you,'" she said. The co-op tries to connect with young fans on their level and support members' kids as much as it can.
That same student population was expected on stage at Hill Country Venture Fest in Mason, where McKenzie served as emcee. He said pitching a business in front of hundreds of people builds resilience. McDonald shared his enthusiasm: "I can't wait to see how these kids' brains are working." The episode, How Texas Youth Are Changing The Game at VentureFest, captures a broader story about rural connectivity and community investment.
HCTC began with landline service and expanded into fiber and fixed wireless, which reaches ranch properties where running fiber from the gate is not practical. McKenzie noted that a landline can still matter when cell service goes down and someone needs to call 911. New residents can learn more at Hill Country Telephone Cooperative or visit local offices in Sonora, Mason and Junction.
For McDonald, the cooperative difference is personal. HCTC employees live in the communities they serve, so members see them at the grocery store and at T-ball games. McKenzie closed on the cooperative spirit: when the business is local, the money goes back into the community's kids, teams and events like Hill Country Venture Fest. The full conversation is available on The Building Texas Show.
