Lakeside May Close, or School May Expand
You’ll have to excuse Lakeside Elementary parents who feel confused. Last Thursday, school district officials discussed possibly closing the campus. This Thursday, city officials will discuss possibly expanding it.
Nearly every seat in Lakeside’s cafeteria was occupied on Aug. 14 for a discussion inspired by empty seats in its classrooms. Many attendees wore matching T-shirts identifying them as members of the Lakeside Longhorns Carnival Committee. This event was a “community dialogue meeting,” the first in a series of five that Coppell ISD has scheduled this month at the five campuses that are candidates for closure at the end of this school year.
As of Aug. 12, Interim Superintendent Doug Williams explained, there were 1,266 empty seats across the district’s 10 elementary schools. Lakeside and the other “footprint” elementaries around Coppell were designed to have a comfortable capacity of 600 students apiece. As the district tries to chip away at a budget deficit, it can’t afford to operate so many inefficient schools.
“I know what a difficult process this is,” Williams said. “Not one person wants to close one campus.”
Williams said half of Coppell ISD’s elementaries are being left out of the closure discussion. The three campuses outside of Coppell’s city limits (Canyon Ranch, Lee, and Valley Ranch) are exempt because they serve the portion of the district that’s adding young families. Two others, Denton Creek and Wilson, are off the chopping block because they offer special programs — Dual Language Immersion and International Baccalaureate, respectively.
That leaves Austin, Cottonwood Creek, Mockingbird, and Town Center in the same boat as Lakeside. But Lakeside is unique among that group because plans have been submitted to the city regarding an expansion of the school.
Before big drops in both enrollment and demographic projections made closing multiple campuses a possibility, a majority of Coppell ISD voters in 2023 approved a bond package that called for refreshing, renovating, or expanding every elementary school in the district. The trustees have chosen to proceed with those projects because each building will still be an asset, even if it doesn’t host students. Mockingbird Elementary was refreshed in 2024, and Town Center Elementary got the same treatment this summer.
(See “School That May Close Will be Refreshed” in Vol. 5, No. 2.)
The schedule of bond projects calls for Lakeside to be renovated and expanded in 2026. On Aug. 21, the Coppell Planning and Zoning Commission will conduct a public hearing on plans that would increase the building’s square footage by more than 25 percent.
The City Council will consider those same plans on Sept. 9. Four weeks later, Coppell ISD’s trustees will decide which school or schools to close. The district wants to have the plans approved by the city just in case Lakeside is spared. If the trustees opt to close Lakeside, those plans will be moot.
The Aug. 14 meeting at Lakeside began with about 20 minutes’ worth of presentations on the district’s financial woes and its declining enrollment. (All of the stats presented should have been familiar to faithful readers of this newsletter.) During the remaining 40 minutes, attendees were asked to discuss a series of questions in small groups and then submit written responses via QR codes. Those questions included “What should Coppell ISD consider in the elementary planning process?” and “What do families and staff need from the district to feel informed and supported?”
Similar meetings are scheduled at Cottonwood Creek on Aug. 18, at Mockingbird on Aug. 20, at Austin on Aug. 21, and at Town Center on Aug. 28. After the final meeting, the district will share the five sets of attendees’ written responses with the trustees and the public.
Some of the people who attended the Lakeside meeting were upset because they didn’t get a chance to address everyone in the room at once. I’ve pointed out to a few of those folks that anybody who wants to speak their piece into a microphone — in front of the trustees and the entire community — will have opportunities to do so during the school board’s meetings on Aug. 25, on Sept. 22 (when the closure recommendation will be revealed), on Sept. 29, and on Oct. 6 (when the trustees’ decision is expected).
New Tech Will be Moved Inside Coppell High
This will be the final school year for New Tech High @ Coppell as a standalone facility. One year from now, it will be “a school within a school” on the Coppell High campus.
On Aug. 11, a 5-2 majority of the Board of Trustees voted to follow through on Interim Superintendent Doug Williams’ recommendation to relocate the school. The dissenting votes came from Anthony Hill and Leigh Walker.
The district has estimated that relocating New Tech will lead to at least $1.4 million worth of savings. New Tech’s building on Samuel Boulevard can accommodate 500 students, but only about half that number are enrolled there this fall. When New Tech was presented as a candidate for closure last year, the trustees were told there wasn’t a single class period in which the entire student body was on campus at the same time. That’s because New Tech students are eligible to participate in extracurricular activities at Coppell High and to take certain classes there.
When Williams made his recommendation two weeks before the Aug. 11 vote, he said it came down to shuttles. Running shuttles between the high schools costs the district money, but Williams also decried how many minutes the shuttling takes from a student’s day.
“If it is relocated, then it would allow students the opportunity to be able to experience New Tech but be able to do some things with Coppell High and not spend time on a shuttle,” Williams said.
One of the main selling points for New Tech is that it offers a smaller, more intimate setting than Coppell High, which has about 1,000 students in each grade. In an attempt to preserve that atmosphere, the southwest corner of Coppell High will be converted to New Tech’s new home, which will have branded exterior and interior entrances to differentiate it from the rest of the building. The New Tech students will also begin their classes earlier than their Coppell High counterparts to reduce traffic and parking issues.
At several recent meetings, New Tech parents and students have pleaded with the trustees and administration to keep their school at its own facility. Trustee Nichole Bentley, who has two New Tech graduates in her family, got emotional when she mentioned the school’s current students. Bentley said she and her peers are doing the best they can as they tackle budget deficits, declining enrollment, and legislative mandates.
“There is no way, when we make decisions up here, for every decision to be 100 percent right for every single kid in the district,” Bentley said.
200-Foot Tower Planned Near Cities’ Limits
Oncor plans to erect a 200-foot cellular tower right outside Coppell’s city limits. This structure would be about as tall as a 20-story building.
The energy delivery company owns land near the southwest corner of East Belt Line Road and South Northlake Road. Oncor’s land is in Dallas, but the homes on the north side of East Belt Line are in Coppell, and the neighborhood on the east side of South Northlake is in Irving.
(I may have just set a record for the most directional words in one paragraph.)
Within Dallas’ Code of Ordinances, Oncor’s nearly 100 acres of land are known as Planned Development 942. On Aug. 21, Dallas’ City Plan and Zoning Commission will consider a proposal to amend the rules for that planned development in a few ways:
“Tower/antenna for cellular communication” would be added to a list of uses that are permitted by right. That list already includes an electrical generating plant, an electrical substation, and a radio, television, or microwave tower.
Language would be added establishing 200 feet as the maximum height for a radio, television, or microwave tower as well as a tower/antenna for cellular communication.
New language would also exempt such towers from Dallas’ regulations about “residential proximity slope,” which normally restrict the heights of structures that are near homes.
A memo from Senior Planner Liliana Garza says Dallas’ staff is recommending approval of Oncor’s request because “it is not foreseen to be detrimental to any development pattern or safety on nearby properties.”
This item is part of the City Plan and Zoning Commission’s consent agenda, which means it may be approved without debate, unless someone objects. The meeting is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. on Aug. 21 at Dallas City Hall. Dallas does allow remote testimony during such hearings, but you’d have to register as a remote speaker by 3 p.m. on Aug. 20. If you do register, you’ll need the case number: Z-25-000067.
Council Votes to Limit Speakers’ Tomfoolery
Online provocateur Alex Stein doesn’t live in Coppell, but he has spoken during six Coppell City Council meetings in the past 12 months. Stein doesn’t always show up for these “Citizens’ Appearance” sessions as a solo act. During one meeting last spring, he was accompanied by a pair of dudes who identified themselves as “Cyrus” and “607 Unc.” The next month, Stein was followed by a costumed character who called himself “Johnny Beetlejuice.”
I assume all of these speeches become content for Stein’s various social media accounts, but I wouldn’t know. I don’t dare navigate my browser to those channels for fear that Mark Zuckerberg’s mainframes would start feeding me more of the same. I think I’m already at risk in that regard just by publishing this article.
With Stein and his minions in mind, City Attorney Bob Hager crafted a new section of the Code of Ordinances called “Presentations by Citizens.” It prohibits several actions and things such as “obscene, profane, or defamatory language,” props, costumes, sound effects, “animated histrionics,” and the playing of any media that wasn’t submitted to the city secretary at least 24 hours before the meeting. Speakers who repeatedly violate these rules of conduct could be barred from appearing at council meetings.
The City Council considered these rules on Aug. 12, when they were approved by a one-vote margin. Mark Hill, Brianna Hinojosa-Smith, and Kevin Nevels were in favor of enacting them, but Don Carroll, Biju Mathew, and Ramesh Premkumar went the other way. With Jim Walker absent, it fell to Mayor Wes Mays to break the tie.
Premkumar expressed concerns about the city being sued. Stein filed a lawsuit in 2022 after he was removed from a Dallas County Commissioners Court meeting, but a federal jury ruled last March that Stein’s free speech rights had not been violated. Hager assured Premkumar that he had reviewed the particulars of that case when writing Coppell’s new rules, and Mays backed him up.
“There’s nothing here that hasn’t been put in place elsewhere,” Mays said. “We’re not blazing new ground here.”
Because he is one of thousands of Coppell residents for whom English is a second or third language, Mathew worried that someone speaking during “Citizens’ Appearance” could be penalized because their comments were misinterpreted. But Nevels pointed out that Robert’s Rules of Order allow any council member to pause the proceedings and prevent an unjust penalty. And Hager reiterated that Coppell residents rarely if ever come close to the types of misbehavior that the new rules were written to control.
“This is your meeting,” the city attorney said. “The public is invited to attend; they’re not entitled to hijack it.”
Although that was a divided vote, the council did take several 6-0 votes the same evening on other topics, including these:
They approved a new three-year deal for people arrested by Coppell police to be housed in Grapevine’s jail. (See “Grapevine Welcomes Our Prisoners” in Vol. 2, No. 27.)
They approved zoning changes that will allow the new owner of 804 Bullock Drive to reclaim a portion of his property from Dickey’s Barbecue Pit. (See “Dickey’s to Lose Some of its Parking Lot” in Vol. 5, No. 24.)
They approved a permit that will allow Coppell resident Christopher Merrill to open a GolfTRK franchise on the northwest corner of Wrangler Drive and South Belt Line Road.
Chronicle Crumbs
• During the Coppell City Council’s Aug. 12 meeting, Mayor Wes Mays read a proclamation honoring Barbara Jean Lee, who is celebrating her 90th birthday this year. The proclamation says “the oldest living Coppell native still residing in the city … has lived essentially every day of her life in Coppell and dedicated much of her life to improving the community we all enjoy today.” Lee helped create the Coppell Historical Society, and its website features more photos as well a video of a portion of the proclamation presentation.
• I am sorry to report that Local Diner founder Frank Brightwell died on Aug. 15 after a battle with pancreatic cancer. Brightwell opened Coppell’s Local Diner in 1990, one year after he began scrambling eggs and flipping pancakes at his original Local Diner in Carrollton. He expanded the concept to Flower Mound and Irving over the years, but the Coppell location was the only one still run by his family until they sold it last year.
• You know that vacant suite in the same building as Marco’s Pizza on Sandy Lake Road? The building’s owner wants to convert that space into a drive-thru location for donations to Goodwill. The Coppell Planning and Zoning Commission will conduct a public hearing on that proposal during their Aug. 21 meeting. The city’s planners are recommending denial.
• The Coppell Planning and Zoning Commission’s Aug. 21 meeting will also include a public hearing about a proposal to develop the vacant parcel on Denton Tap Road that’s due south of Grow It Land Designs & Garden Center. The submitted plans for the Pecan Creek Shopping Center include a pair of buildings that would be zoned for restaurants and retail stores. The city’s planners are recommending approval.
• Coppell will soon have a new set of traffic lights where Northwestern Drive meets Freeport Parkway. Although the plans for a Tim Hortons coffee shop near there have apparently died, the land behind the Quik Trip gas station is expected to be fully developed some day, which would lead to more traffic.
• Remember when the City of Coppell undertook a massive reconstruction of South Belt Line Road? A similar reconstruction of South Royal Lane is in the works. The city is accepting bids from contractors until 2 p.m. on Sept. 4.
• People who live north of the Duck Pond Park thought the reconstruction of Woodhurst Drive was over, but crews have been working there in recent days. City of Coppell spokesperson Hannah Cook told me the contractor had to make some replacements related to items on the punch list.
• It’s been more than seven weeks since a possibly criminal incident damaged the entrance to the CVS at Sandy Lake Road and MacArthur Boulevard. You would think that a corporation as large and successful as CVS would have the means and motivation to replace a store’s entrance in less than seven weeks, but you’d be wrong.
• If you want to talk about a corporation that moves fast, let’s talk about Chick-fil-A. The demolition of its location on Round Grove Road in Lewisville began two weeks after the aforementioned incident at CVS. Here’s a look at how far the restaurant’s rebuild had progressed as of 3 p.m. on Aug. 16.
Community Calendar
Assistance League of Coppell: The league’s Aug. 21 meeting at the Coppell Family YMCA will include an overview of its recent activities. Social time will begin at 11 a.m., with the formal meeting set to begin at 11:30. Prospective members are welcome to attend.
The Trip to Bountiful: Theatre Coppell will stage nine performances of the play about an elderly woman who longs to escape her cramped Houston apartment and return to her beloved hometown. The next show after today is set for 8 p.m. on Aug. 22 at the Coppell Arts Center.
Coppell Cup: The Coppell Youth Soccer Association’s annual tournament will bring dozens of teams to town on Aug. 22, 23, and 24. Most of the games will happen at Andrew Brown Park West and Wagon Wheel Park.
Recycling Fundraiser: Members of the Coppell Community Chorale will accept your household items between 9 a.m. and noon on Aug. 23 in the Coppell Arts Center parking lot.
Coppell Cub Scouts: The city’s Cub Scouts packs are teaming up to host a recruiting event from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Aug. 23 at Andrew Brown Park East. Activities for prospective Scouts will include geocaching, a camping demonstration, miniature sailboat racing, and Alka-Seltzer rockets.
Spotlight on Broadway: The Coppell Community Chorale will perform songs from musicals such as Avenue Q, Hamilton, and Kinky Boots at 7 p.m. on Aug. 30 at the Coppell Arts Center.
Mammogram Poster Girls: Free mammograms will be offered in a mobile clinic parked outside Ole’s Tex-Mex on Sept. 2. Appointments are required.
Coppell Lariettes Spaghetti Dinner: The Coppell High School drill team’s annual fundraising event is set for 5 p.m. on Sept. 5, before the varsity football team’s home opener against Waxahachie.
St. Ann Community Carnival: Coppell’s miniature version of the State Fair of Texas will begin at 5 p.m. on Sept. 5 and conclude at 6 p.m. on Sept. 7.
Another edition of the Chronicle that leaves me feeling very on top of happenings in Coppell. Thanks! Can't help but comment that the last thing I think Coppell needs is another set of empty buildings (proposed Pecan Creek Shopping Center). A quick ride around town will show you 'For Lease' signs in all directions. And, a chuckle of agreement over 7 weeks and still no front door on CVS vs. a complete tear down and outer wall reconstruction for Chick-fil-A. :)
My favorite word from today: “tomfoolery.” Thanks for your insights.