Coppell Chronicle Vol. 4, No. 14
Trustees May Tweak Closure Timeline • Pinkerton’s IB Program Could be Moved • Pathology Firm Expected to Get Tax Breaks • When Assessing Public Art, Size Matters
The annual Coppell 5K race benefiting Coppell Special Olympics will begin at 8 a.m. on Saturday at Andrew Brown Park East. As part of the Coppell Chronicle’s sponsorship of this event, I have two race entries to give away. They’ll go to the first two paid subscribers who type “I want to race!” in the comments.
Trustees May Tweak Closure Timeline
One week after they approved a timeline for deciding whether to close any schools, some Coppell ISD trustees questioned aspects of that timeline.
The timeline was adopted on May 13. The next step happened on May 20, when the trustees learned about a facilities evaluation tool developed by a team of district parents and employees. It calls for each campus and building to be rated on a variety of operational, environmental, and programmatic factors. You can read more about the tool in this PDF:
The facilities evaluation tool received rave reviews from the school board, but Trustee Manish Sethi said the timeline doesn’t clearly say when the tool’s ratings would be released. Board President David Caviness disagreed, as he understood that would happen on Sept. 9, three weeks before the timeline calls for the trustees to make a decision on Sept. 30.
“Are you proposing that we alter and do something different?” Caviness asked.
Although he didn’t specify an edit to the timeline, Sethi said Sept. 9 would be too late for the trustees to get the data and too close to their Sept. 30 decision.
“I will not feel comfortable making such a big decision, which will be course-altering — history-making — for Coppell,” Sethi said.
In case you’re new to this conversation, the trustees have been discussing potentially consolidating campuses to help reduce the district’s deficit. Sethi has suggested CISD could afford to shutter two elementary schools. Click this button to get caught up on previous coverage:
Trustee Leigh Walker echoed Sethi’s concerns and said she was relieved that the board rejected the other timeline labeled Option B, which called for them to make a closure decision in July.
“Between all of these inputs, I personally, as a board member, need time to go home, marinate, sit, have things percolate, so I can actually have a productive conversation,” Walker said.
Trustee Jobby Mathew asked whether the board might be able to get the facilities evaluation tool’s data earlier than Sept. 9; Superintendent Brad Hunt said his staff couldn’t immediately answer that question. If the trustees can’t get the data earlier, Mathew wondered whether it would be possible to schedule more workshops between Sept. 9 and Sept. 30; Trustee Nichole Bentley pointed out that September is pretty packed already. For example, many trustees are supposed to attend the Texas Association of School Boards conference, which is set for Sept. 27-29 in San Antonio.
“We may have to be willing to open our calendars and look beyond a Monday workshop date,” Caviness told his fellow trustees, “because if you’re saying you don’t want to be boxed into one or two dates, we can’t box the process into meeting on Mondays.”
Nobody suggested delaying the decision beyond Sept. 30, but Sethi said he wants the trustees to have enough time to be in sync with the community.
“I don’t want us to be limited to this calendar at all,” Sethi said. “We approved this calendar without fully knowing when we’ll be getting what we’ll be getting.”
Until it gets altered, the calendar calls for the trustees to formally approve the facilities evaluation tool during their June 10 workshop. By then, the administration should have an answer about whether the tool’s data can be presented sooner than Sept. 9.
“It is a tool, but it is a starting point for us. It is a starting point for us to organize our thoughts,” Walker said. “I don’t see it as the end; I see it as the beginning.”
Pinkerton’s IB Program Could be Moved
When talking about potentially closing a campus, none of the trustees and administrators has mentioned any schools by name. But plenty of other people have talked about Pinkerton Elementary in that context.
Pinkerton is on an island relative to Coppell ISD’s 10 other elementary schools. It wasn’t built in the 21st century like Canyon Ranch and Richard J. Lee, and it wasn’t based on a common set of architectural plans like the eight “footprint” schools. Pinkerton is the district’s oldest and smallest elementary by far.
Given these facts, some Pinkerton parents have long suspected that their school is on the chopping block. Heck, that suspicion seemed to be the impetus for Julie Waters’ 2023 campaign for a seat on the Board of Trustees.
(See “Pinkerton Parents Are Riled Up” in Vol. 2, No. 38.)
Pinkerton is also unique because it is Coppell ISD’s only elementary affiliated with the International Baccalaureate program. That program was one of several topics discussed during the trustees’ May 13 budget workshop.
Mary Kemper, the district’s Executive Director for Instructional Leadership, showed the trustees a slide that broke down the annual fees the district pays to the International Baccalaureate Organization: $9,260 for Pinkerton and $12,660 for Coppell High School. (If the district offered IB at one of its middle schools, that fee would be $10,920.)
“That’s the ongoing cost to have ‘IB’ stamped on the door,” as Board President David Caviness (who happens to be a former Pinkerton dad) put it.
There are also periodic fees associated with on-site evaluations by IB officials and assessments of students, but “it looks like there’s not a huge impact to our budget,” Trustee Leigh Walker said. Nobody disagreed, although Chief Financial Officer Diana Sircar offered a caveat that other costs must be considered, such as the lack of efficiency due to smaller class sizes for IB courses at the high school.
The trustees had a few questions that couldn’t be answered during that May 13 workshop. For example, Jobby Mathew wanted to know how many students apply for the IB program at Pinkerton but are turned away due to a lack of space. And Nichole Bentley wanted to know how much it would cost to launch an IB program at a new campus.
After sharing that one of her sons was a Pinkerton student during the certification process, Bentley asked this question: “If you moved Pinkerton somewhere else and expanded the program, you don’t have to go through that whole process?”
Kemper said she had discussed that topic with representatives from Texas IB Schools, and her understanding is that the rules regarding such moves are loosening.
“I’ve been told that we can pick it up and move it to a new address. We can pick it up and move it, and the school can have a different name,” Kemper said. A certain percentage of the Pinkerton faculty would have to follow the IB program, but “it’s definitely a possibility that can be done.”
Bentley then requested research into how much it would cost to move the IB program to a footprint elementary school.
Meanwhile, Manish Sethi suggested the district might want to fill in the missing piece and have one of its middle schools certified as an IB campus. Having a continuous IB program that spans a student’s entire education could be a marketing tool as Coppell ISD deals with declining enrollment.
“Doing it the right way,” Sethi said, “we can create a story that there is a distinct benefit to doing this IB program. [If] there are enough choices of IB courses, we can attract students of all varieties.”
Pathology Firm Expected to Get Tax Breaks
When the Coppell City Council gets together on Tuesday, these items will likely get the most attention:
The Citizens Police Academy Coppell Alumni Association will be honored for 25 years of volunteer service.
A representative of Metrocrest Services will brief the council on the area’s unhoused population.
The council will also discuss the residential rehabilitation grants program that attracted nearly 700 applications this month.
(All of those topics will be covered in editions of this newsletter that will be sent to paid subscribers only. If you’re a free subscriber, now would be a good time to upgrade for the low, low price of $30 per year.)
One item on Tuesday’s agenda that may fly under most residents’ radar is a tax-abatement agreement with a company called Fulgent Genetics, which operates pathology laboratories in five states. The firm is buying a 98,000-square-foot building at the intersection of Airline Drive and Freeport Parkway, where its specialists will perform cancer diagnostic testing on patient samples.
To entice Fulgent to purchase and occupy the property, Coppell is offering a five-year, 75-percent abatement on the city’s portion of taxes on furniture, fixtures, and equipment. A memo from Director of Community Development Mindi Hurley says Fulgent will have 230 full-time employees in Coppell and will generate hotel reservations throughout the year. This agreement may be approved without debate on Tuesday, as the item is part of the council’s consent agenda.
These deals on tax breaks come to fruition via a two-step process. The first step is the creation of a reinvestment zone, and that step is always the subject of a public hearing. The hearing on the Fulgent reinvestment zone happened on April 23, when nobody signed up to speak and the council approved the item unanimously.
The last time Coppell approved a tax-abatement deal was December. The council gave Welbilt — a company that makes appliances for commercial kitchens — an eight-year, 75-percent abatement on the city’s portion of taxes on furniture, fixtures, and equipment; an eight-year, 90-percent abatement on the city’s portion of real property taxes; and a cash grant of $250,000.
Welbilt is moving its headquarters from Florida to a building at the intersection of Sandy Lake Road and Royal Lane. When the council created a reinvestment zone there last October, Council Member Jim Walker said this: “This is a huge coup for Coppell, in my opinion. This is another corporate headquarter relocation. These things are wonderful to get, and it’s a huge compliment to our community to be able to attract this quality kind of company who’s going to come in and buy one of our buildings and set up shop for many, many moons.”
At my request, Hurley provided this list of Coppell’s active reinvestment zones for those who are truly curious:
Speaking of Welbilt …
When Assessing Public Art, Size Matters
Have you noticed the hourglass sculpture near Welbilt’s building on the west end of Sandy Lake Road? It caught my eye in April of 2023, when I took and published this photo:
That sculpture was thoroughly discussed this month, when the Coppell Planning and Zoning Commission considered zoning changes for the Welbilt property. This case was on the commission’s May 16 agenda only because Welbilt wants to build a porte cochere closer to Sandy Lake than what is typically allowed and because the company wants its name on that structure.
“What they’re trying to do is create an entry feature,” Development Services Administrator Matt Steer told the commissioners. “They have representatives come from the airport, so they get driven in here [in] limousines, and you know, they want a nice entry feature for their clients.”
Here are renderings of those nice entry features, as envisioned after dark:
During the commission’s work session, Commissioner Sue Blankenship wanted to know if the Welbilt case was an opportunity to revisit the “little piece of artwork” she and her peers considered a few years ago.
“It looks just like the picture, but it’s about this tall,” Blankenship said, as she held her hand about 3 feet above the floor. That cracked up Commissioner Glenn Portman, who said, “It looks like a midget.” Blankenship later added, “I don’t know if that qualifies as public art.”
The sculpture by Brad Oldham and Christy Coltrin was commissioned by the developers who proposed constructing two hotels on the land due west of the Welbilt building. The City Council approved those plans, which were endorsed by the Planning and Zoning Commission, in November of 2021. The plans included this rendering:
(See “Double Your Hotels, Double Your Fun?” in Vol. 1, No. 37.)
“This was going to be ‘Welcome to Coppell.’ It was going to be this magnificent piece. It was going to be ‘Oh, you guys are going to be so proud.’ Y’all didn’t even notice it,” Blankenship told the other commissioners, and Chair Edmund Haas agreed: “I probably drove by it and didn’t even see it.”
The plans approved in 2021 said the sculpture would be 9 feet tall, and a plaque near its base indicates that is indeed its height. The commissioners debated its size during their recent meeting by looking at pictures on Google Maps. Following the “trust but verify” philosophy, I went out there with a ladder and a tape measure to confirm. Sure enough, that sucker’s 9 feet tall.
In response to Blankenship’s concerns, Steer pointed out that Welbilt did not develop the property, which was established in accordance with the approved plans. “Even though it looks smaller with the buildings next to it, juxtaposed against the buildings, it still meets the criteria that was approved,” he said.
During the May 16 hearing, Welbilt was represented by Colton Vaughn, a senior project manager with Entos Design. His firm is creating Welbilt’s 50,000-square-foot “experience center” that will flexibly replicate everything from a sandwich shop to an institutional kitchen.
Blankenship had nothing to say during the hearing, but Commissioner Kent Hafemann asked Vaughn what he thought of the sculpture. Vaughn said it’s a “great” piece, and its stainless-steel aesthetic matches the appliances that Welbilt produces.
“From the beginning, we’ve had no plans of modifying it,” Vaughn said. “We think it works well.”
What do you think?
Congratulations Are in Order
• Congratulations to Coppell resident Ashley Brundage, who was recently named the CEO of Dallas Area Habitat for Humanity. Dallas Innovates has more details.
• Congratulations to Coppell resident Scott Orr, who was recently named the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Dallas CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates). The Koller family are big fans of CASA’s annual Parade of Playhouses fundraiser, which is coming up next month at NorthPark Center.
• Congratulations to Wilson Elementary music teacher Eric Hanson, who recently found out he will be honored by the Country Music Association and CMA Foundation as a Music Teacher of Excellence. Hanson will be one of just 30 teachers nationwide to receive the award, and he got the news from country superstar Luke Bryan. Coppell ISD has more details.
• Congratulations to Sarah Myers, who won the Outstanding Stage Management award in Broadway Dallas’ High School Musical Theater Awards. She was honored for the Coppell High School Cowboy Theatre Company’s production of 9 to 5, which was also nominated in the Outstanding Costume Design and Outstanding Lighting Design categories. One year ago, Myers won the inaugural Best Stage Manager award from the Schmidt and Jones Awards, which honor excellence in musicals produced by high schools in Dallas, Collin, and Tarrant counties. That honor was for Mamma Mia.
• Congratulations to all of the kids who graduated from Coppell High School and New Tech High @ Coppell on Friday. As a reminder, you have until June 7 to find your name on one of the Grad-venger Hunt signs placed throughout Coppell and possibly win a $100 gift card by uploading a selfie to social media. That will be a bit challenging for the kids whose names are on this sign that — as of Saturday morning — was covering a pothole in the Wendy’s drive-thru lane on MacArthur Boulevard.
Chronicle Crumbs
• On Wednesday, the Coppell Community Experiences Department announced some changes at the Wagon Wheel Tennis and Pickleball Center, effective June 1. For example, pickleballers who don’t live in Coppell will now be charged $7 for open play or court reservations, which is more than double the $3 charges for residents. And open play sessions will begin at 7 a.m. on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, and go as late as 10 p.m. on Wednesdays.
(When I launched this newsletter in 2021, I couldn’t have imagined writing this much about pickleball.)
• Coppell High School has hired a new head coach for its boys basketball program, but now it needs a new head coach for its girls basketball program. After five seasons drawing up plays for the Cowgirls, Ryan Murphy is taking over the Cowboys’ clipboard. Murphy will replace Clint Schnell, who stepped down after six seasons. Coppell Student Media has more details.
• On April 28, I published an article called “Big Building Has Been in the Works for Years” that explained how the recently expanded Subaru building on Freeport Parkway was approved by the Coppell City Council in 2014. Last week, Subaru announced that it is moving its regional HQ to Coppell.
• On Saturday morning, a member of the “Coppell, Texas” group on Facebook asked if anybody knew what’s going into the former home of Smashburger. This question came to my attention because Deena Martin tagged me in a comment alluding to the Ghostbusters theme: “There’s something new in the neighborhood … Who ya’ gonna call? Dan Koller”
Before long, I was inside the Smashburger space on Denton Tap Road and asking questions. The guy who seemed to be in charge of the renovations took my business card and promised to be in touch at a time of his choosing, but he said the new tenant will have to remain a secret for now. Sorry, Deena.
Community Calendar
Movie Mondays: Beginning June 3, the Cozby Library and Community Commons will host weekly screenings for families and for teens. Separate films will be shown for each group starting at 3 p.m.
Teen Trivia: Teenagers can test their knowledge and win prizes between 1 and 2 p.m. on June 4 at the Cozby Library and Community Commons.
Crack the Case: Children who will be in elementary school this fall are invited to investigate mysteries and puzzles between 3 and 4 p.m. on June 4 at the Cozby Library and Community Commons.
Hunger Games Party: Teenagers are invited to join their fellow tributes between 2 and 3:30 p.m. on June 5 at the Cozby Library and Community Commons, where they’ll have fun while testing their knowledge and getting creative. You will not need to fight for your life to leave the program a victor.
Game Night: Families can enjoy classic and contemporary board games — and a few giant ones also — between 6 and 8 p.m. on June 5 at the Cozby Library and Community Commons.
Master Plan Community Input Meeting: Coppell’s Community Experiences Department is updating its Master Plan, which outlines goals for parks, open spaces, facilities, and programs. You can provide input during a meeting that will begin at 6 p.m. on June 6 at the Coppell Arts Center.
Big Fish: Theatre Coppell will stage nine performances of the musical about a traveling salesman who lives life to the fullest. The first show is scheduled for 8 p.m. on June 7 at the Coppell Arts Center.
Box Turtle Conservation: You can learn interesting facts about box turtles and local conservation efforts, and even meet a few shelled friends, between 10 a.m. and noon on June 8 at the Biodiversity Education Center.
Coppell History Talks: Megan Bozarth, an assistant vice president of DFW International Airport, will be at the Cozby Library and Community Commons at 1 p.m. on June 8 to discuss the history of the airport as it marks its 50th anniversary. This event is sponsored by the Coppell Historical Society.
Electric Avenue: A band that bills itself as “the 80s MTV experience” will perform at the Coppell Arts Center twice on June 8, at 2 and 7:30 p.m.
I think Trustee Sethi is on the right track. Whatever happens with the facilities, the IB program should be expanded to include a middle school to create a complete K-12 IB program. My second hand understanding of the IB Program at the Uplift North Hills charter, a K-12 in Irving, is they have way more applications each year than spaces to fill. With declining enrollment in CISD, open enrollment for the K-12 IB program would help fill seats.
Your humor never disappoints! 😆