Chief Communication Officer Angela Brown updated the board on the next steps in this process at an Oct. 28 meeting. The plan, focused on long-range facilities strategies and creating a district vision, was developed in the 2023-24 school year and implementation began with the facilities evaluation in the summer.
“We haven’t had a strategic plan in several years, so developing the plan was foundational work for looking strategically at the entire district and putting systems in place,” Brown said.
The details
The district implementation teams will continue work on the facilities evaluation, Brown said. The initial evaluation led to the district closing Pinkerton Elementary and consolidating school programs throughout September and October.
In the next phase the district is forming a committee made up of parents, students, community members and staff to examine the district budget and further examine building efficiency, Brown said.
“This committee will look at future decisions related to efficiencies and serve as an advocacy role to the district,” she said.
Teams will also be formed to develop a plan that assesses gaps in district safety and security processes, Brown said. Through this, district officials hope to create strategies that improve communication, technology and perimeter security. Additionally, a process for ensuring CISD stakeholder safety will be implemented.
Other objectives the teams will examine include implementing a plan that expands extracurricular activities for students and one that improves CISD professional learning committees, which are staff think tanks focused on meeting all student’s needs, according to district documents.
Zooming in
Typically the implementation teams will consist of around 12 people, Brown said. However, the committee for the facilities evaluation will be around 30 people.
The district is looking for a wide variety of backgrounds, demographics, skills and expertise, she said. Those interested in serving on any implementation teams can apply online at the district's website.
“We have an amazing Coppell ISD community and we would love for anyone with expertise in [building efficiency, student safety and success] areas to come and serve on the committee,” she said.
Also of note
Budget concerns exacerbated by inflation and stagnant state funding formulas forced CISD to adopt a $7.5 million shortfall budget in fiscal year 2024-25 and were a driving force behind the facilities evaluations.
The school closure and program consolidations are poised to save $2.1 million and $288,000 respectively. The district also called a voter-approval tax rate election—which could generate $2.4 million if it passes—in the upcoming November election.
However, projected enrollment decline of around 600 students over the next four years could lead to an additional $4.4 million loss, meaning additional consolidations could still be on the table if challenges persist.
During the Oct. 28 open forum, community members also expressed trepidation in voting for the VATRE after enduring the process of school closures.
