Coppell Chronicle Vol. 5, No. 9

Spring Ballot Influenced by Autumn Votes • Closures Also Impact CFBISD Candidates • Flood District to Conduct Rare Election • What Other Choices Do We Have to Make?

For a journalist who specializes in local news, this is the most exciting time of year. Early voting in our local elections begins on Tuesday and continues daily through April 29. Election Day is May 3. For a preview of what you’ll see on your ballot, click one of the links below.

• Sample ballot for Dallas County voters

• Sample ballot for Denton County voters

Everything that follows is intended to help you make informed decisions at your polling place.

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Spring Ballot Influenced by Autumn Votes

Last fall’s votes to close a school and consolidate a program are reverberating in this spring’s Coppell ISD Board of Trustees election.

Two of the candidates, Jonathan Powers and Julie Waters, have children enrolled at Pinkerton Elementary School, which will close at the end of this semester. The only incumbent among the four competitors, Leigh Walker, is a former Pinkerton parent and a former Pinkerton student. And Walker’s challenger, Sheri Hill, has a son in the Dual Language Immersion program at Wilson Elementary. That program will shift to Denton Creek Elementary so Pinkerton’s International Baccalaureate program can move to Wilson.

Those experiences influenced the candidates’ answers to a particular question posed during the Coppell Chamber of Commerce’s April 10 forum: “What criteria do you believe should be used when making future school closure decisions, and how do you plan to ensure transparency and community input during that process?”

Powers had to answer that question first. Because the district has a budget deficit and plenty of empty seats in its elementary schools, Powers said he is looking forward to hearing recommendations from the Coppell ISD Efficiency Review Committee. Those recommendations are expected before summer.

As for what happened last year, “people feel like maybe the community involvement should have extended a little bit farther in the process,” Powers said, “so I’m committed to doing that — making sure that our community is involved the entire way through the process.”

Waters, who was vocally opposed to the idea of closing Pinkerton before she and Powers ran for separate seats on the Board of Trustees two years ago, described school closures as “a very difficult and emotional and painful topic.” She said the concept would have been easier to digest if the district presented “an entire plan that closes the deficit” rather than potentially stringing closures out over multiple years.

Waters said a lot of Pinkerton and Wilson parents felt like their voices weren’t being heard last year. “It didn’t matter what we were saying,” she said. “The path that was set forth was the path that was going to happen.” Waters said she’s not sure what she would have done differently, but “I would want to make sure those groups felt heard.”

When it was Hill’s turn to answer that question, the first-time candidate said the district should have had more meetings at schools, which she called parents’ “safe zones,” because some people are intimidated by the administration building.

“They think it’s a scary place. And honestly, every time I step in, sometimes I do think it’s a scary place. I feel like I’m being judged, or I feel like I don’t have a friend there and I’m an oddball out,” Hill said. “So if I feel that way, and I’ve been to every board meeting except for two this year, imagine somebody that’s never been to a board meeting, how they feel.”

The final answer came from Walker, who is seeking a fourth term on the board. Last September, four trustees voted to close Pinkerton, but she was not among them. The other dissenters were Manish Sethi, who is giving up the seat that Powers and Waters are seeking, and Anthony Hill, who is unopposed in his bid for a seventh term.

Three weeks later, a 5-2 majority of the trustees moved Pinkerton’s International Baccalaureate program to Wilson and consolidated Wilson’s Dual Language Immersion program with its counterpart at Denton Creek. Nichole Bentley and Anthony Hill dissented on that one.

Walker said the board has debriefed what went well during the closure and consolidation discussions, what they would have changed, and how such changes could be implemented. But she said the district had engagement from key constituencies at different points throughout the process.

“I had to learn this as a board member — that being heard does not mean you necessarily get what you advocated for,” Walker said.

With more closure debates on the horizon, Walker said there are three things that are really important to her:

• Having parent and community engagement at inflection times when it matters.

• Including more people in the process.

• Keeping “our people and our programs” at the forefront.

If you have not yet decided who you’re supporting in this election, you have multiple ways to get informed.

Visit the candidates’ websites, so you can read about their backgrounds and see who has endorsed them:

• Hill: VoteForHill.com

• Powers: Powers4CISD.com

• Walker: WeAre4Leigh.com

• Waters: VoteForJulieWaters.com

Watch a forum, so you can hear the candidates’ stump speeches as well as their off-the-cuff answers:

• Coppell ISD PTO Presidents forum on April 3

• Coppell Chamber of Commerce forum on April 10

Read their written responses to a few simple questions I sent them:

Coppell ISD Board of Trustees Place 1

94KB ∙ PDF file

Download

Compare the responses from Sheri Hill and Leigh Walker.

Download

Coppell ISD Board of Trustees Place 2

97KB ∙ PDF file

Download

Compare the responses from Jonathan Powers and Julie Waters.

Download

Speak to them in person. If history is any indication, the candidates and their biggest supporters will hang out in the Coppell Town Center parking lot throughout early voting and on Election Day.

I plan to hang out there this Saturday. The first 10 people who stop by my tent with proof that they became a paid subscriber after this edition was published will receive a Coppell Chronicle cap as an incentive bonus.

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Closures Also Impact CFBISD Candidates

School closures are also a factor in the Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD election, which features an unusual alliance of candidates.

Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD, which includes portions of Coppell and Irving, uses a system called cumulative voting. Rather than running for a specific seat, all contenders compete against each other in a game of musical chairs. If there are three seats on the ballot — as there are this year — then each voter gets three votes. You can vote for the same person three times or spread your three votes among multiple people.

There are seven candidates this year — three incumbents and four challengers — and this is the first time I’ve seen a group run as a slate in CFBISD. Check out this sign posted on the east side of Coppell:

Brady Barnett (BradyForCFB.com), Rangoli Mathur (VoteRangoliForSchools.org), and Nicole Yarbrough (NicoleForCFB.com) are among the four challengers. The district’s PTA council hosted a forum on Tuesday, when Barnett said this while introducing himself: “We are three candidates, and we are asking for one vote apiece. With these three candidates, we can make change. And we believe — I believe — strongly that change is needed.”

(A recording of Tuesday’s forum is available via Facebook.)

On March 6, a 6-1 majority of CFBISD’s trustees voted to close four schools at the end of this semester: Central, Furneaux, and McCoy elementaries — which are all in Carrollton — and Dan F. Long Middle School in Dallas. Barnett and Mathur are McCoy parents, and Yarbrough had at least one child attend Long.

The fourth challenger, Paul Gilmore (PaulForCFB.com), has a different strategy with his signage.

Based on the two instances of Gilmore’s name and the two check marks, I assume his signs are left over from last year. There were two seats on the ballot in 2024, when Gilmore finished fourth in a four-candidate field.

Although Gilmore said he’s “asking for your three votes” during Tuesday’s forum, he also said this about cumulative voting: “It’s confusing, it’s ineffective, and it’s holding us back. I’ll fight for a system that’s fair, transparent, and better for our schools.”

The three incumbents are Kim Brady (KimB4CFB.com) and Ileana Garza-Rojas (TrusteeGarzaRojas.com), who were both elected in 2022, and Tara Hrbacek (Tara4CFB.com), who was elected in 2017 and re-elected in 2019 and 2022. I couldn’t help but notice that Brady’s signs and website feature three checkmarks.

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Flood District to Conduct Rare Election

Residents of one of Coppell’s special taxing districts have a rare opportunity to elect one of their own to its board of directors.

This may be the first contested election in the Northwest Dallas County Flood Control District’s history. The district’s general counsel, Pete Eckert, could not definitively say when another election had been held, and officials with the Dallas County Elections Department did not respond to emailed inquiries.

The district’s three directors are Bennett Ratliff, Wayne Reynolds, and Robert “Tex” Schmidt. Schmidt, who was appointed to the board to fill a vacancy in 2017, is the only director who resides in the district. Ratliff used to live there before moving to Plano, and Reynolds has never lived in the district, despite serving on the board since its inception. He resides in Farmers Branch.

The state law that lays out the district’s rules and regulations says directors must either reside in the district or own property there. According to the Dallas Central Appraisal District, Ratliff and Reynolds each own 100 square feet of land in the district with a taxable value of $200. The listed address for each lot is 1098 Sandy Lake Road. The “Find Property on Map” function of the appraisal district’s website says these two tiny parcels are northeast of the Bethel School Court cul-de-sac, right outside the eastern edge of MacArthur Park.

The district was created when a developer decided to build houses on the east side of Coppell in a 100-year floodplain. The Texas Legislature passed a law years ago that allowed developers to finance infrastructure by creating special taxing entities. These flood control districts, levee improvement districts, and municipal utility districts can issue bonds that are then paid off by property owners.

These are the boundaries of the Northwest Dallas County Flood Control District.

A recession began shortly after the Northwest Dallas County Flood Control District was created. The district went bankrupt, and only in the last few years has the board been able to refinance its bonds and make progress on debt reduction.

The election is happening because Mike Wilcox filed paperwork to be a candidate. Wilcox has owned a home in the flood control district for 20 years. He is responsible for the vast majority of the posts in a Facebook group for the district’s property owners.

This is not Wilcox’s first time for running for office. In 2018, when he ran for a position as a Republican precinct chair, he garnered 40 percent of the votes to Kim Mobley’s 60 percent.

This is also not the first time Wilcox has butted heads with Ratliff. It’s not hard to find examples of the two sniping at each other on Facebook. Ratliff served three terms on the Coppell ISD Board of Trustees before being elected to the Texas House in 2012. He was defeated in the Republican primary two years later by Matt Rinaldi, and Wilcox has been a vocal proponent of Rinaldi.

Wilcox has vowed to increase the transparency of the flood control district’s activities if elected. As documented in my previous articles on the district, there’s certainly room for improvement in that regard. The district’s website features so little information that it might as well not exist. Notices of board meetings are posted digitally on the county clerk’s website and posted literally on the front door of the Oaks Riverchase apartment complex’s clubhouse, the venue for most meetings. I’m not aware of the meetings’ minutes being posted anywhere.

Wilcox has also promised to waive his stipend if elected. The district’s governing documents say each director can be compensated up to $200 per month. The most recent financial audit report I’ve seen says the directors receive a combined $7,200 on an annual basis ($200 x 3 directors x 12 months = $7,200). That’s not a bad rate for a board that typically meets for less than an hour each month.

The most recent of these meetings happened on Tuesday and lasted less than 15 minutes. When it was over, I asked Ratliff about the residency issue. He was appointed to the board to fill a vacancy in 2018, but he and his wife moved to Plano a couple of years later to be closer to a facility that serves their son with special needs. Ratliff said he has missed only a few meetings over the years, despite living in Collin County. Meanwhile, Ratliff said he could recall seeing Wilcox at only a couple of board meetings.

Of course, that lack of attendance is not unique to Wilcox. The only spectator at Tuesday’s meeting besides yours truly was Schmidt’s wife.

Terms on the flood control district’s board last four years. Ratliff and Eckert reminded me that the district could be debt free in four years, thanks to the board’s habit of making extra payments toward the principal. The directors hope that the City of Coppell will take over the district’s flood-control duties once its debt is paid off. If that happens, then this might be the first and the last contested election in the district’s history.

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What Other Choices Do We Have to Make?

Here’s a roundup of the other cities and school districts that overlap with Coppell and Coppell ISD.

Irving City Council

A big chunk of Coppell ISD is in Irving, where three candidates are vying for the at-large City Council seat that Brad LaMorgese is vacating: Vicky Akinyi Oduk (who does not appear to have a campaign website but is on Facebook), David Pfaff (PfaffForIrving.org), and Sergio Porres (SergioForIrving.com). Mark Zeske will also be listed on the ballot, but he has withdrawn his candidacy. The remaining candidates recently participated in a League of Women voters forum that you can watch.

Dallas City Council

Cypress Waters is part of Coppell ISD, but it’s also part of Dallas, specifically City Council District 6, where Omar Narvaez is stepping down after eight years due to term limits. Eight contenders are trying to succeed him: Monica R. Alonzo (AlonzoForDallas.com), David Blewett (Blewett.com), Laura Cadena (LauraForDallas.com), Tony Carrillo (Tony-Carrillo.com), Gabriel Kissinger (GabrielForDallas.com), Nicolas “Nico” Quintanilla (NicolasQuintanilla.com), Linus Spiller (ElectLinusSpillerCampaign.com), and Machelle Wells (WellsForDallas.co). Cadena is backed by Narvaez as well as current and former members of the Dallas City Council, the Texas Legislature, and the U.S. Congress. But The Dallas Morning News recommended Spiller.

Lewisville City Council

The north end of Coppell ISD is within Lewisville’s city limits. Three candidates are vying for the City Council seat that Brandon Jones is giving up after three terms: Carlos E. Andino Jr. (AndinoForCityCouncil.com), Coppell High School teacher Joshua Chanin (JoshuaChanin.com), and Lonnie E. Tipton (Facebook).

Lewisville voters will also consider six proposed amendments to the city charter.

Lewisville ISD Board of Trustees

The north end of Coppell is within the boundaries of Lewisville ISD, where incumbent Trustee Sheila Taylor (ReelectSheilaTaylorForLISD.com) faces challenger Ryan Echols (EcholsForLISD.com).

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Sports Snorts

• Four Coppell High School athletes have qualified for the Class 6A State Track and Field Championships, which will happen on May 3 at UT-Austin, because they excelled at the Region I meet, which happened on Friday and Saturday at UT-Arlington. Qualifying girls include Ainsley Bramer, who won the regional title in shot put; Maya Easterwood, who finished second in the 3,200 meters; and Mia Schuller, who was the runner-up in pole vault. On the boys’ side, Braydon Walker finished second in shot put.

• The Coppell High School girls golf team won the Class 6A Region I championship on Tuesday at Tangle Ridge Golf Club in Grand Prairie. Alicia Bellendir tied for first among individual players, and Riya Bapna tied for third. Along with the rest of their teammates — Elizabeth Bellendir, Isabella Nguyen, and Nethra Sheri — they will compete for a state championship on April 28 and 29 at White Wing Golf Club in Georgetown.

• Last week’s edition began with an article called “Cowgirls Win State Soccer Championship.” During Tuesday’s Coppell City Council meeting, Mayor Wes Mays will read a proclamation honoring the soccer team for this achievement.

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Business Briefs

• Daniel G. Flaherty, the CEO of Coppell-based Gemmy Industries, urged President Donald Trump to reconsider tariffs on seasonal imports. “Shelves will go empty, prices will spike, and companies like mine — built on bringing magic to American homes — will struggle to survive,” said the man who leads the company behind Big Mouth Billy Bass.

• Main Event, which is based in Coppell, is part of a nationwide summer initiative called Kids Bowl Free. That means bowlers who are 15 or younger can get two free games per day. Here’s the catch: The offer is valid only before 5 p.m. on weekdays, and your kids still have to rent bowling shoes.

• Lowe’s announced on Monday that it will acquire Artisan Design Group, which is based in Cypress Waters, for $1.325 billion. Lowe’s will finance the deal with cash on hand, which is pretty impressive if you ask me. (No one did.)

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Chronicle Crumbs

• On Wednesday, the Coppell ISD Board of Trustees had a closed-door discussion of how they will begin the process of replacing Superintendent Brad Hunt, who announced he intends to retire at the end of this semester. No formal action was taken on Wednesday, but Trustee Jobby Mathew said in open session that the board will explore hiring a search firm. Mathew also said the trustees will work with Hunt to finalize his exit date, which may be later than the conclusion of this school year.

(See “Hunt Will Soon Retire From Coppell ISD” in Vol. 5, No. 7.)

• The process of replacing traffic light cabinets throughout Coppell will continue this week. You can expect to see blinking red lights and stop signs between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. on certain days at the following intersections:

• Monday — Denton Tap Road and Bethel Road

• Thursday — Sandy Lake Road and Royal Lane

• April 28 — Sandy Lake Road and Freeport Parkway

• May 1 — Sandy Lake Road and North Coppell Road

• May 5 — Sandy Lake Road and South Coppell Road

• Coppell’s mandatory watering restrictions take effect on May 1. For more details about when you should and shouldn’t water your lawn, go here.

• The City of Coppell’s annual budget process includes grants for service and arts organizations. If you run an organization like that, you have until 5 p.m. on Friday to apply for funds.

• Coppell resident Doug Hupp and his siblings own two Montana-centric businesses: Yellowstone Dreamin’ Adventures and Yellowstone Dreamin’ Camp. With Earth Day coming up this week, Hupp let me know they have partnered with an organization called Evertreen to have one tree planted for each tour or camp reservation they book this year. They have already committed to 1,000 tree plantings.

• May 1 is the deadline for new customers to sign up for the Rotary Club of Coppell’s Flag Lease Program. If you pay $75, volunteers will place a U.S. flag in front of your home for Memorial Day, Flag Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, and Veterans Day.

• Coppell High School’s Class of 2025 is raising funds by offering curb painting. Orders can be placed through May 15.

• For the past six months, commuters have been frustrated about the Texas Department of Transportation’s changes to the eastbound lanes of State Highways 114 and 121 in Grapevine. Traditionally, Coppell-bound drivers in the third lane from the left could choose between northbound 121 and eastbound Interstate 635. But TxDOT installed barriers that forced vehicles in that third lane onto 635.

After much confusion and congestion, TxDOT removed those barriers last weekend. Shortly after 1 p.m. on April 13, I recorded this video from the passenger seat of my 16-year-old son’s Ford Mustang. (Pray for me.)

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Community Calendar

Coppell Aggie Muster: Henry Cisneros, a former San Antonio mayor and Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, will speak when Aggies get together at 6 p.m. on Monday at the Coppell Senior and Community Center.

Riverchase Animal Hospital Ribbon Cutting: The veterinary practice on East Belt Line Road has been refurbished, and the Coppell Chamber of Commerce will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 4 p.m. on Thursday.

Coppell Kiwanis Club: The newly formed club’s first meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Thursday at the Triumph office at 651 Canyon Road.

Influenced: The Coppell Lariettes will perform their spring show at 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday in the Coppell High School auditorium.

Taylor Storch Charity Workout: Get You in Shape’s Brad Linder will lead a community workout at 8 a.m. on Saturday at Andrew Brown Park East to raise money for the Coppell ISD Education Foundation’s Taylor Storch Memorial Scholarship.

Earthfest: Celebrate Coppell’s commitment to the environment with an entertaining and educational experience for all ages. It will happen between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Saturday at the Biodiversity Education Center.

Pinkerton’s Last Rodeo: As mentioned earlier in this edition, Pinkerton Elementary will close at the end of this semester. Cowpokes past and present will celebrate the school’s history from 3 to 6 p.m. on April 27.

Mental Health Expo: Several Coppell ISD clubs and organizations will partner with The Defensive Line to host an event promoting healthy lifestyles. It is scheduled from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on April 29 at Coppell High School.

MacArthur Park Playground Community Input Meeting: If you want to help shape a new all-abilities playground at MacArthur Park, be at Mockingbird Elementary School at 6:30 p.m. on April 30 for a community input meeting.

Coppell Football Spring Jam: Players will be sorted into two teams so they can best demonstrate their skills and strengths starting at 5 p.m. on May 1 at Buddy Echols Field. This event will also feature the Hamburger Man, Kona Ice, a bounce house, face painting, and contests. Admission is free.

National Day of Prayer: The Coppell Interfaith group will host a ceremony at 6 p.m. on May 1 at the Grand Pavilion in Andrew Brown Park East. All are invited to join in prayer for our nation. Light refreshments will be served.

Old Town Anniversary Party on the Lawn: Live music from Limelight and a lineup of food trucks will draw people to Old Town Coppell between 7 and 9 p.m. on May 2.

Run to Fund: The Coppell ISD Education Foundation’s annual 5K and 1-mile fun run are scheduled for the morning of May 3 at Andrew Brown Park East. The registration fees will increase at midnight tonight, so hop to it!

Wellness Festival & Fire Truck Pull: Businesses that promote a healthy lifestyle will be at the Coppell YMCA between 9 a.m. and noon on May 3.

Service to CommUNITY: The Bahá’ís of Coppell will honor five individuals for their dedication and service — Frank Gasparro, Charlene Lovato, Stacy McGill, Taylor Mounce, and Kevin Nevels — during a ceremony set for 11 a.m. on May 3 at the Cozby Library and Community Commons. Due to limited space, RSVPs are requested by April 25 via info@bahaisofcoppell.org.