Coppell Chronicle Vol. 4, No. 47
Coppell ISD Delays Fees for Scouts • Winter Warnings Wailed in Wee Hours • MacArthur Park to See Many Changes • Video Highlights Vista Mall’s Vacancies
A subscriber replied to last week’s edition to complain that I write too much about local governments.
“If this continues,” she said, “I will cancel my membership.”
Spoiler alert: It will continue.
And the new venture I’m about to announce won’t change anything about that fact. If you have friends and family members who live in Grapevine or Colleyville, I’d appreciate you telling them about this:
Our nation has a long history of explorers and entrepreneurs who looked westward and saw dollar signs on the horizon. Lewis and Clark. Ben and Jerry. Jerral Wayne Jones.
I’ve decided to follow in their footsteps, because I think our neighbors in Tarrant County might enjoy (and pay for) my brand of journalism.
But don’t worry, Chronicle subscribers. I’ll still show up in your inbox every Sunday, with plenty of coverage of our local governments.
Coppell ISD Delays Fees for Scouts
Coppell ISD was going to start charging rental fees to Cub Scout packs this semester, but that policy change has been delayed until the fall.
Multiple Scout leaders showed up at the Board of Trustees meeting on Dec. 9 to decry the new fees. They were told they would be charged at least $68 per meeting — $34 per hour, with each assessment being a minimum of two hours.
Sheri Hill, the treasurer of Pack 846, said many packs are still recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic. Their enrollment is down, which means they have less dues money coming in. She also said packs typically plan their budgets over the summer, but this fee was not announced until October.
“This is a genuine concern for some of our packs that have less than a thousand dollars in their accounts and six months left in the school year,” Hill said.
Jaclyn Kincade, Cubmaster of Pack 850, said Scouting is much more than an after-school program. It provides children with “valuable life skills, character development, and a sense of belonging that may not always be found elsewhere.”
As the former Cubmaster of Pack 857, I can attest to that. I oversaw many pack meetings in the cafeteria of Denton Creek Elementary. We were charged for using it on Saturdays for our pinewood derbies, but weeknight meetings were free of charge. One meeting from 2017 particularly stands out in my memory, due to a special guest.
“To ensure our program remains accessible to all families, the cost of participation must remain low,” Kincade told the trustees. “Many of our families served in the district face financial challenges. Without access to affordable meeting space, the program could become a burden for our families — or worse, might not be available to the children who need it most.”
Coppell ISD Director of Communications Amanda Simpson told me the district will waive the fees until the fall semester. “This allows us time to collaborate on solutions that help the district cover costs while supporting Scout groups in managing their expenses,” she said via email.
Simpson said these fees will cover the costs of additional staffing, including a building attendant who is required to manage access under the district’s updated security measures. The attendant will also monitor facilities and ensure the building’s safety and operations.
As you may recall from a November article called “Coppell ISD Facing More Budget Cuts,” Superintendent Brad Hunt wants everyone to know CISD is tightening its belt wherever it can, because the school district doesn’t have as much spending power as it once had.
“People just need to understand that this is moving to action,” Hunt said in November. “It’s not this ‘what could be’ or ‘what if’ — it is what’s happening now.”
It’s also happening this week. Hunt and the trustees will discuss the budget and revised attendance zones during the board’s regular meeting on Monday and a workshop on Wednesday. In between, money will be the predominant theme during Tuesday’s “State of the District & Legislative Call to Action” event at Coppell High School.
Winter Warnings Wailed in Wee Hours
As much fun as most people seemed to have with last week’s snow days, plenty of Coppell residents were frustrated by the city’s predawn warnings.
The snow didn’t start falling until Thursday, but people who signed up for NotifyCoppell alerts received emails, texts, and/or phone calls about a winter storm watch before 4 a.m. on Tuesday. Another round of alerts for a winter storm warning was issued before 5 a.m. on Wednesday.