The oddesey of Schoolyard Dogs

On the fourth of July, the Schoolyard Dogs food truck officially launched their business, taking up residence next to Wimberley Shaved Ice at the corner of Rhodes Lane and RM 2325. For very reasonable prices, hungry customers can purchase hot dogs with all the trimmings including homemade chili and spicy sweet relish, as well as Frito pies. Also on the menu are vegetarian hot dogs, vegetarian chili, chips, cookies and soft drinks.

Behind the inauguration of the colorful food truck is a multilayered project with the aim to provide training, employment and recreation for neurodivergent and disabled adults in the Wimberley Valley. Woodcreek residents Mickey Perkins and her husband Roger Smith are the architects of the Schoolyard vision.

Natives of California, the Perkins-Smith household made the decision to move to Wimberley in 2013 at the urging of close friends who had settled in the area several years earlier. Mickey, whose given name is Laura, taught high school in the Anaheim, California school district for 20 years and Roger worked as an elementary school teacher, prior to their move. Both of their sons, Jasper and Rufus, were diagnosed with autism at an early age. Later on, Jasper was found to have an intellectual disability in addition to autism.

A week before the family began their odyssey to Texas, Mickey learned that she had a stage three cancer. A week after their arrival, she traveled to MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston where she would have surgery and begin treatment that continued for a year.

For five years the Perkins-Smith family lived with their friends who had two sons of their own. The unusual arrangement proved to be beneficial for both families as the four boys bonded and the adults appreciated the friendship and critical support system the agreement provided.

Once Jasper and Rufus graduated from Wimberley High School and aged out of the Wimberley Independent School District’s 18 to 22-yearold special services program at The Texan Academy, the parents asked themselves, “Now what?” They knew that there were very few resources for disabled adults in just about every area of life — housing, recreation, life skills — and particularly in job training and employment.

While searching for answers, Mickey dreamed one night of converting a school bus into a food truck that would sell one of Jasper’s favorite foods, hot dogs. The dream showed how the boys could train, work and develop social outlets. Not ones to second guess her dream, Mickey and Roger pursued the idea and through fundraising and donations, acquired a Special Education school bus in 2020. As a class project, students at Wimberley High who were enrolled in an agricultural mechanics class, began the remodel by taking out the original seats and fixtures.

From there, Mickey found a professional in Austin who converted Airstream trailers. For an entire year, the family raised money to pay for the conversion and by Christmas 2023, it was complete. Among its many features, the impressive transformation included a fire retention system and a bluetooth enabled sound.

As time went on, the vision of Schoolyard Dogs expanded from a project to help their sons to the creation of something larger that would benefit others. Their ultimate goal became Schoolyard Services, a nonprofit with the aim of creating a community center for differently-abled adults living in the Wimberley area.

An important partner in the Schoolyard mission has been WISD’s Life Skills and 18-plus programs at The Texan Academy. Unused land at the campus, which is the former Scudder Elementary school, was redeveloped into Schoolyard Farms to support the Life Skills program. Students raise produce and quail eggs to sell. WISD coach Ryan Durkin, who is a teacher of the Life skills program, has been a “huge influence and supporter,” said Mickey in a recent interview. Other supporters have been Courtenay Kehl, Family Ministry Director at Wimberley United Methodist Church, Sonora Bank, the Knights of Columbus and Byron Eckols.

Meanwhile in April, 2024, Mickey landed in the Intensive Care Unit with COVID-19 that left her with heart damage.

She is currently seeking a mentor as she transitions into the role of the Executive Director of Schoolyard Services. She recently took on the responsibility of caring for her mother, a disabled individual, in her home in Woodcreek North. Roger will return to his teaching position at St. Stephens in the Fall.

As the nonprofit scales up to realize the vision of Schoolyard Services, employees at Schoolyard Dogs will soon receive their first paycheck. Twenty- six-year-old Noah Dill, Schoolyard Dogs’ first employee, is one of them. Both he and Rufus Perkins-Smith have been learning to greet customers, take orders, and in Noah’s case, attract customers by dressing in a hot dog costume. Noah appeared happy and comfortable during his shift last Saturday. He chatted with customers, delivered a hot dog to an injured customer and kept watch over the three picnic tables they share with Wimberley Shaved Ice. This will be the first paycheck he’s ever received.

Schoolyard Dogs at 101 Rhodes Lane is open from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday through Sunday. For more information about Schoolyard Dogs, Schoolyard Farms and the Schoolyard Services mission visit schoolyarddogs. org.