Could Coppell ISD Close Two Campuses? • Attendance Affects District’s Bottom Line • Trustees Approve Raise for Superintendent • Council Rejects Senior Living Proposal
After I published this edition, a subscriber texted me to say she’d detected activity at the Biscuit Bar. This was certainly news to me, as I wasn’t aware the Biscuit Bar had been shut down. When a restaurant is never open for dinner, it’s hard for a commuter like me to notice that they’re never open period.
Hi Dan - Pure Barre Coppell had their soft re-opening April 15. New owner and we will see if it sticks. Just FYI since you reported about it closing in November 2023.
So many thoughts are rolling around in my head now after reading this edition! Think I’ll take one of my OTC sleep-aids so I’m not laying here thinking for the next 2 hours.😆 (12:31 AM)
Beth Van Duyne paid for an advertisement in NYC to recruit police officers? Perhaps this was instigated by north Texas police departments somewhere but I find it rather bizarre.
Love getting this every Sunday! I want you to know that The Commodores rocked and were well worth the cost of admission. Thank Coppell Arts Center and Mayor Bradley for the intro. Very fun in our city!
It might also be helpful if the district gave capacity numbers that matched reality. Any teacher at a footprint school could tell you that it feels very tight at 550 students, 600 students doesn’t seem realistic (definitely not optimal).
Kevin, I believe that’s why the chart I published in this edition has the second and third columns representing 94 percent and 89 percent of each school’s capacity.
That is good to see but it doesn't help the narrative when a trustee is referencing the 100% number based on your comment that "Sethi pointed out, the bond-funded renovations of three campuses will increase the elementaries’ combined capacity from 6,740 to 7,000"...I'll admit I didn't hear exactly how he phrased it so I could be misspeaking on that
This same administration and many of the same trustees spent $40 million opening a new elementary school in Irving just a few years ago (Canyon Ranch). Now they say we have two too many elementary schools?
The really crazy thing is to go back and look at the enrollment projections when the district said we needed to build Canyon Ranch. At the time, the district had about 12,600 students, and it was projected to grow to 13,700 by 2024-25. So they said we needed a new school.
It turns out, the projection was pretty close. We're set to have about 13,400 students next year.
Yet the trustees and administration now say those numbers justify closing two elementary schools? Then why'd we spend $40 million on a new one?
An important fact that I failed to include in the article: Canyon Ranch Elementary was built (and Valley Ranch Elementary is being expanded) because there’s a lot of growth and demand for elementary seats in the southern portion of the district. The declining enrollment is in the northern part of the district; that’s where I would expect schools to be shuttered.
Didn’t we get both? Since the new school wasn’t built in the new Irving communities where most of the population growth has been, we got a new school with new bus service!
Thank you for the detailed report on the likelihood of the closing of some schools. It’s a hard decision for our leaders to make and it’s heartbreaking to me as a 45 yr resident who has watched the district and community grow. I’m also very upset that Texas is trying to shutter our public schools by underfunding them and our board is trying to find ways to protect our school buildings. It’s a very sad state of affairs!
After I published this edition, a subscriber texted me to say she’d detected activity at the Biscuit Bar. This was certainly news to me, as I wasn’t aware the Biscuit Bar had been shut down. When a restaurant is never open for dinner, it’s hard for a commuter like me to notice that they’re never open period.
Excellent story on CISD. I am shocked about the state giving charter schools first dibs on closed schools. Public ed is under attack in Texas.
I feel like "brunch spots" could usurp nail salons as the most ubiquitous business type in Coppell:)
Hi Dan - Pure Barre Coppell had their soft re-opening April 15. New owner and we will see if it sticks. Just FYI since you reported about it closing in November 2023.
Thanks for the heads-up!
Wow, I should have read this at 12:00 noon!
So many thoughts are rolling around in my head now after reading this edition! Think I’ll take one of my OTC sleep-aids so I’m not laying here thinking for the next 2 hours.😆 (12:31 AM)
Beth Van Duyne paid for an advertisement in NYC to recruit police officers? Perhaps this was instigated by north Texas police departments somewhere but I find it rather bizarre.
Love getting this every Sunday! I want you to know that The Commodores rocked and were well worth the cost of admission. Thank Coppell Arts Center and Mayor Bradley for the intro. Very fun in our city!
Spell check got me. Mayor Wes Mays. My apologies
Bohemian Queen last weekend was AWESOME too. Thoroughly enjoyed!
This weekend we saw Theatre Coppell performance of Charlotte’s Web.
We’re very thankful to have the Coppell Arts Center here - a beautiful venue with a wonderful variety for all.
It might also be helpful if the district gave capacity numbers that matched reality. Any teacher at a footprint school could tell you that it feels very tight at 550 students, 600 students doesn’t seem realistic (definitely not optimal).
Kevin, I believe that’s why the chart I published in this edition has the second and third columns representing 94 percent and 89 percent of each school’s capacity.
That is good to see but it doesn't help the narrative when a trustee is referencing the 100% number based on your comment that "Sethi pointed out, the bond-funded renovations of three campuses will increase the elementaries’ combined capacity from 6,740 to 7,000"...I'll admit I didn't hear exactly how he phrased it so I could be misspeaking on that
This same administration and many of the same trustees spent $40 million opening a new elementary school in Irving just a few years ago (Canyon Ranch). Now they say we have two too many elementary schools?
The really crazy thing is to go back and look at the enrollment projections when the district said we needed to build Canyon Ranch. At the time, the district had about 12,600 students, and it was projected to grow to 13,700 by 2024-25. So they said we needed a new school.
It turns out, the projection was pretty close. We're set to have about 13,400 students next year.
Yet the trustees and administration now say those numbers justify closing two elementary schools? Then why'd we spend $40 million on a new one?
An important fact that I failed to include in the article: Canyon Ranch Elementary was built (and Valley Ranch Elementary is being expanded) because there’s a lot of growth and demand for elementary seats in the southern portion of the district. The declining enrollment is in the northern part of the district; that’s where I would expect schools to be shuttered.
Seems like a new bus would have been cheaper, but maybe that's just me.
Didn’t we get both? Since the new school wasn’t built in the new Irving communities where most of the population growth has been, we got a new school with new bus service!
Thank you for the detailed report on the likelihood of the closing of some schools. It’s a hard decision for our leaders to make and it’s heartbreaking to me as a 45 yr resident who has watched the district and community grow. I’m also very upset that Texas is trying to shutter our public schools by underfunding them and our board is trying to find ways to protect our school buildings. It’s a very sad state of affairs!