On Monday, the Coppell ISD Board of Trustees approved a sale of the next issuance of bonds from the 2023 bond referendum. The CISD Unlimited Tax School Building Bonds, Series 2025, went on sale on Wednesday and is anticipated to be settled around March 25.
The bond currently holds a AA+ rating, but the future rating will be based on the district’s adjustments to create a balanced budget.
“They are telling us we can’t keep getting these high ratings unless we do something about our overspending,” Superintendent Dr. Brad Hunt said.
The board also approved amendments to the Core Construction contracts for the guaranteed maximum price of different projects. Town Center Elementary, Denton Creek Elementary and Coppell Middle School North are set to receive an interior refresh with new laminate, clock systems, wall coverings and more. DCE, TCE and Valley Ranch Elementary will also be receiving furniture replacements.
The trustees discussed TCE refurbishments in the context of if the campus was ever considered for closure and sale of the property.
“Given where the location is, this campus gives us a lot of flexibility that some of our other locations do not,” trustee Nichole Bentley said. “Should we decide to sell it at some point in time, it is actually one of our most prime located properties as well. Getting some utility out of it and making it as good as we can for now makes a lot of sense to me.”
Coppell High School’s indoor facility will receive an artificial turf replacement, and CMSN will replace both its track and artificial turf. The construction also includes sidewalk and fencing upgrades at all schools, including walking track resurfacing at elementary schools.
Chief communications officer Angela Brown shared an update on the Attendance Matters Campaign for the school year. Striving to reach 97% attendance, the campaign focuses on educating parents on the importance of attendance on school funding and improving school culture to make students more excited to show up.
“We asked important questions, like how are students being greeted when they arrive?” Brown said. “How do they know they are missed when they are absent? Building a positive school culture is an integral part of our culture.”
The district lost $54,000 during the solar eclipse of the 2023-24 school year due to an average attendance of 88%. Social media campaigns and attendance rewards by campus aided in bringing attendance to around 96.8% at the end of the first semester.
Dr. Hunt said the district does not encourage students to be present when they are sick.
“We want our kids in school because we love them, we want to see them, they learn best here,” Dr. Hunt said. “Yes, the funding does come from here and why wouldn’t we turn over every rock to try to get as much funding as we can when we are dealing with serious issues?”
During a review of the 2023-24 district, director of accountability, assessment, & multi-tiered systems of support Mary Kennington said the district lost $48.2 million in state recapture last year. The report also looked at student performance on previous state testing and where 2023-24 graduates are now.
The board celebrated 2024-25 Teacher of the Year recipients, and CISD coordinator of health services Joyce Alcorn and the district health services department for receiving a $128,000 grant from the Metrocrest Hospital Authority. The grant will be used to introduce a flex nurse that can travel between campuses, purchase additional CPR supplies, two additional vision screeners for pre-K and disabled students, as well as 11 audiometers for hearing and sounding.
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