Grapevine - Colleyville - Southlake Edition | October 2024

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Grapevine Colleyville

Southlake Edition VOLUME 14, ISSUE 8 OCT. 5NOV. 5, 2024

2024 Voter Guide

GCISD tax rate election could result in $6M boost

Kindergarten teacher Bailey Webster works with students at Heritage Elementary School on the rst day of school.

COLBY FARRCOMMUNITY IMPACT

may no longer be feasible in the years to come. “No campus or department will be exempt from potential cuts as we face the stark reality of projected decits for the 2025-2026 school year and beyond if the VATRE were to fail, and while we’ve been able to avoid it thus far, the prospect of consolidating schools would also have to be under consideration,” he said.

overall compared to last year, the district is seeking approval of three “golden pennies” for a projected tax revenue boost of nearly $6 million. If voters deny the tax rate, it would default to a lower amount and the district would face a $5.3 million shortfall. In a letter sent to GCISD sta and families in June, Superintendent Brad Schnautz stated the district has maintained its current oerings but that

BY COLBY FARR

For Grapevine-Colleyville ISD, three additional pennies to the property tax rate means the dier- ence between a scal year 2024-25 budget that’s balanced or falls short. The choice lies with voters who will go to the polls in November after the district’s board of direc- tors called a voter-approved tax ratication election earlier this year. Despite the tax rate being lower

CONTINUED ON 16

Also in this issue

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Closings

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12 Scooter’s Coffee The store offered a variety of hot, cold and frozen coffee drinks, teas, smoothies and bakery items. • Closed Sept. 1 • 897 W. Northwest Highway, Grapevine • www.scooterscoffee.com 13 Fireside Pies The restaurant served several wood-fire pizza choices and pasta dishes as well as seasonal desserts. • Closed Aug. 31 • 1285 S. Main St., Grapevine • www.firesidepies.com 14 LOOK Dine-In Cinema Those who have gift cards can use them at other LOOK Dine-In Theater locations. • Closed Sept. 1 • 5655 Colleyville Blvd., Ste. 300, Colleyville • www.lookcinema.com

9 Balkan Garden Bistro The Balkan restaurant owners have not found a new location, but hope to reopen soon. • Closed Sept. 1 • 2140 Hall-Johnson Road, Ste. 118, Grapevine

In the news

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GRAPEVINE - COLLEYVILLE - SOUTHLAKE EDITION

Government

BY CODY THORN

Tax rate to effect business properties Colleyville City Council approved an $83 million budget for fiscal year 2024-25 during the Sept. 17 meeting. What happened Council also adopted the tax rate, which will be effectively raised by 3.33%, according to city documents. At $0.276204 per $100 valuation, the Colleyville rate is above the no-new-revenue rate but below the voter-approval rate, Finance Director Matt Poston said. That is an increase of $0.015213 per $100, or 5.83%. Poston said on a house valued at $700,000, Colleyville taxpayers will pay $29 less compared to 2023. Commercial proper- ties valued at $1 million will pay $152 more. Poston added the tax bill is split and paid to five different entities.

Grapevine tax rate

$0.3

$0.2826

$0.2

Grapevine City Council approved a $0.241165 per $100 valuation tax rate for fiscal year 2024-25.

$0.24116

$0.1

2020-21

2021-22 2022-23 2023-24 2024-25

Fiscal year

Grapevine general fund

Economic development: $5.65M

Water and wastewater: $39.85M

Crime control and prevention district: $24.22M Convention and visitor bureau: $27.51M

Convention and leisure incentives: $5M

Permanent capital and street maintenance: $4.89M

Stormwater drainage utility: $2.18M Lake parks special revenue: $3.40M

Trinity Metro/4B: $15.93M Debt service: $17.06M

Golf course: $7.13M

SOURCE: CITY OF GRAPEVINE/COMMUNITY IMPACT

Grapevine City Council adds $29M to budget Grapevine City Council approved the fiscal year 2024-25 budget and adopted a lower tax rate during the Sept. 17 meeting. The tax rate adopted was $0.241165 per $100 val- uation, which falls below the posted no-new-rev- enue rate, according to Chief Financial Officer Jeff Strawn. The maintenance and operations portion of the rate, which is used for general spending, is $0.13182, and the interest and sinking portion,

which is used to repay debt, is $0.109353. Both of those were decreases compared to the FY 2023-24 rates, according to city documents. The overview Council also approved the budget, which is $241 million across all city funds, an increase of $29 million from 2023-24. The $29 million will go toward keeping employee pay in the 50th percen- tile of market levels, maintaining the permanent capital maintenance funds and sustaining cash funds for fleet vehicles, according to city officials. The budget includes market- and merit-based pay increases for city employees and first respond- ers, as well.

Colleyville tax rate*

Maintenance and operations Interest and sinking

$0.30 $0.35 $0.20 $0.15 $0.25 $0.10 $0.05 $0

Fiscal year

SOURCE: CITY OF COLLEYVILLE/COMMUNITY IMPACT *PER $100 VALUATION

Southlake City Council OKs property tax decrease Southlake City Council approved a lower ad valorem tax rate for the seventh year in a row during the Sept. 17 meeting. Zooming in The approved property tax rate is $0.305 per $100 valuation, a drop of $0.014 compared to last year, according to city documents. Chief Financial Officer Sharen Jackson said reduce revenues by an additional $5.6 million. She said the average house has a value of $1.09 million and the tax bill will be $2,670. That is an approximate saving of $14 compared to the previous year, according to documents. The context

Southlake tax rate

Southlake City Council approved a $0.305 per $100 valuation tax rate for fiscal year 2024-25.

$0.3 $0.4 $0.5 $0.2 $0.1 $0

The proposed tax rate will allocate $0.25 for the general fund operation and $0.055 for debt services. The general fund totals $54.4 million, or 41.6%, of the $130.5 million operating budget.

the reduction will reduce city revenues by $1.58 million, while the 20% homestead exemption will

Fiscal year

SOURCE: CITY OF SOUTHLAKE/COMMUNITY IMPACT

COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM

BY GABBY BAILEY & CODY THORN

County Sheri’s Oce to add body cameras The Tarrant County Commissioners Court unan- imously voted in favor of adding body cameras to Tarrant County detention ocers and for the Sheri’s Oce to seek a third party to review its policies in detail. Commissioners voted 4-0 for the Sheri’s Oce to move forward with the policy adaptations during their Sept. 3 meeting. Zooming in The sheri’s chief of sta, Jennifer Gabbert, told commissioners both of these proposals have been in the works for months or years and that the Sher- i’s Oce wants the third-party consulting rm to be used as a resource for both new and existing policies and standard operating procedures. The work from previous proposals will be used as a framework so eorts aren’t wasted, Gabbert said. “We’re hoping with this new court that’s

Grapevine OKs $20M water facility updates An amended contract with Freese and Nichols Inc. was approved by Grapevine City Council on Aug. 20 for work for water treat- ment and a wastewater treatment facility. The proposed plan calls for $20 million in updates, the rst at the facility since 1989, according to city documents. A maximum price contract could go to council in the spring of 2025. One of the changes is to split the facility into an upper administration building and a lower garage and workshop, otherwise, the original layout could have had construction delays. This change will save $600,000, according to city documents. The total cost for both changes is $108,448 with a 10% contingency that brings the cost to $119,292. Enterprise Fund will supply the funds, according to city documents.

The Tarrant County Commissioners Court all voted in favor of adding body cameras to detention ocers.

COURTESY TARRANT COUNTY

interested in going out of the previous comfort zones, that some of this would come to fruition for us,” she said during the meeting. What’s next A timeline for these initiatives was not laid out by the Commissioners Court. “The Court voted to support the Sheri’s Oce in pursuing these long-awaited projects and we look forward to implementing them in the near future,” the Sheri’s Oce wrote in a statement.

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Government

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Colleyville Rec Center now open with full gym, amenities The two-story facility will house the Colleyville Parks and Recreation Department. It was retrofitted to include office spaces, two gyms, seven multipurpose classrooms and a game room. 1 Mayor Bobby Lindamood cuts the ribbon during the grand opening of the Colleyville Rec Center. 2 A full-size basketball gym was built with several hoops and hardwood floors. 3 A game room is located on the second story of the rec center with a full view of the second gym. 4 The Colleyville Rec Center has ping pong tables in one of the multipurpose rooms.

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GRAPEVINE - COLLEYVILLE - SOUTHLAKE EDITION

www.GCISD.net/VATRE

100% OF FUNDS STAY IN GCISD

VOTE EARLY OCT 21 - NOV 1 ELECTION DAY NOV 5 AND OLDER If the VATRE is approved by voters, it will not impact the taxes of a homeowner with an Over-65 Exemption. The overall tax rate is 47.3 cents less than it was in 2018, which equates to $90 million of taxpayer relief . This is the lowest overall tax rate in GCISD in more than 25 years . estimated 22 percent ($31.33 million) of GCISD’s M&O tax levy will be sent back to the state in the form of recapture for 2023-2024. SAVINGS The increase will be made of “golden pennies.” Tax funds collected through these pennies are not subject to recapture, meaning 100 percent of these funds remain in GCISD. This is unlike other portions of the M&O tax rate, which are subject to recapture (required by state law). Recapture removes local property tax dollars from public school districts. An

The Voter-Approved Tax Ratification Election (VATRE) will ask Grapevine-Colleyville ISD voters to consider ratifying the overall tax rate of $0.9233, which includes an increase to the Maintenance and Operations (M&O) tax rate and a reduction to the Interest & Sinking (I&S) tax rate. This would generate nearly $6 million in funding for: Teachers and staff Instruction and student programs Daily operating expenses (utilities, maintenance, supplies) WHAT IS A VATRE?

LOWER OVERALL TAX RATE The school district tax rate is made up of two parts: Maintenance & Operations (M&O) and Interest & Sinking (I&S)

Total

$0.9233

*The GCISD Board of Trustees lowered the I&S tax rate, while the M&O tax rate will increase with the passage of the VATRE. The new overall tax rate is $0.9233, which is $0.0014 lower than 2023.

Maintenance & Operations funds employee compensation and day-to-day operations.

Interest & Sinking funds are strictly used to pay off voter-approved bond debt.

The Texas Tax Code provides mandatory ballot language, but what does it mean? The TOTAL tax rate of $0.9233 is $0.0014 less than the previous year. The increase of 1.08% references the increase to ONLY the M&O rate (from $0.7290 in 2023 to $0.7369 in 2024) $1,513,042 represents the difference in the tax collections from the $0.7290 M&O rate to $0.7369. UNDERSTANDING THE BALLOT

Proposition A Ratifying the ad valorem tax rate of $0.9233 per $100 valuation in the Grapevine-Colleyville Independent School District for the current year, a rate that will result in an increase of 1.08% percent in maintenance and operations tax revenue for the district for the current year as compared to the preceding year, which is an additional $1,513,042 .

For Against

If the VATRE fails, the district’s M&O tax rate will be $0.7069 rather than $0.7369, resulting in nearly $6 million less in revenue for GCISD. Content provided by Grapevine-Colleyville ISD

COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM

Election

BY GABBY BAILEY

Voter Guide

2024

Dates to know

Where to vote

Oct. 21: First day of early voting Oct. 25: Last day to apply for ballot by mail (received, not postmarked) Nov. 1: Last day of early voting Nov. 5: Election Day and the last day to receive ballot by mail (or Nov. 6 if carrier envelope is postmarked by 7 p.m. at location of election on Election Day)

Tarrant County residents can cast their ballots at any polling location during early voting and on Election Day. Visit www.tarrantcountytx.gov/en/elections.html for polling locations.

Only candidates in contested elections are included. Go to county election websites for information on uncontested races.

KEY: D Democrat G Green L Libertarian R Republican *Incumbent

Presiding Judge, Texas Court of Criminal Appeals R David J. Schenck D Holly Taylor Judge, Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, Place 7 R Gina Parker D Nancy Mulder Judge, Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, Place 8 R Lee Finley D Chika Anyiam Member, State Board of Education, District 11

Tarrant County Criminal District Judge, Number 2 R William Knight D Marquetta “Marq” Clayton Tarrant County Criminal District Judge, Number 3

Sample ballot

Federal elections President R Donald J. Trump D Kamala Harris L Chase Oliver G Jill Stein U.S. Senate R Ted Cruz* D Colin Allred L Ted Brown U.S. House Texas, District 24 R Beth Van Duyne* D Sam Eppler State elections Texas Railroad Commissioner

R Douglas Allen* D John T. Brender

Tarrant County Sheriff R Bill E. Waybourn* D Patrick Moses Tarrant County Tax Assessor-Collector R Rick Barnes D KC Chowdhury Tarrant County Commissioner Precinct 3 R Matt Krause D Laura Leeman

R Brandon Hall D Rayna Glasser G Hunter Crow

Local elections Texas Senate District 12 R Tan Parker* D Stephanie Draper Texas House Representative, District 63 R Ben Bumgarner* D Michelle Beckley Texas House Representative, District 94 R Tony Tinderholt* D Denise Wilkerson Texas House Representative, District 98 R Giovanni Capriglione* D Scott Bryan White Tarrant County Judge, 213th Judicial District R Chris Wolfe* D Cindy Stormer

Grapevine-Colleyville ISD VATRE Ratifying the ad valorem tax rate of $0.9233 per $100 valuation in Grapevine-Colleyville ISD for the current year, a rate that is about 0.15% lower than FY 2023-24’s tax rate, which was adopted at $0.9247. Learn more on how the VATRE vote could affect the district on Page 16.

R Christi Craddick* D Katherine Culbert L Hawk Dunlap G Eddie Espinoza Justice, Supreme Court of Texas, Place 2 R Jimmy Blacklock* D DaSean Jones Justice, Supreme Court of Texas, Place 4 R John Devine* D Christine Vinh Weems Justice, Supreme Court of Texas, Place 6 R Jane Bland* D Bonnie Lee Goldstein L David Roberson

SOURCES: TEXAS SECRETARY OF STATE, NORTHWEST ISD, COMMUNITY IMPACT

GRAPEVINE - COLLEYVILLE - SOUTHLAKE EDITION

Election

BY MARK FADDEN

KEY: D Democrat R Republican *Incumbent

Tarrant County Criminal District Judge, Number 3

What are the biggest challenges facing the county?

How do you plan to address these issues?

Coming out of COVID[-19] where trials were not held for almost two years, a backlog of cases accumulated in Tarrant County, creating delays for crime victims and defendants to have their day in court. Long delays chip away at the credibility of our system of justice and the courts, especially.

One of my goals was to cut in half the backlog of cases in my court within two years. I accomplished that goal after 17 months. CDC3 went from the third- largest docket (out of 11 criminal district courts) to now the third-smallest (ninth place to third).

Douglas Allen* Occupation & experience: Judge, Criminal District Court 3. Tarrant County, Assistant United States Attorney, 2002-23, Assistant District Attorney, 2000-02 www.judgedouglasallen.com

The jail is continually overcrowded due to mismanagement, which reduces safety in our community. Our law enforcement agencies should never be told “jail is full” simply because it isn’t run correctly. Unfortunately, that has been happening and it isn’t right.

Being in the office every day to make sure that work doesn't back up. My court would be open during the day to conduct business. [I’d] get non-violent criminals into court and get them on the path to being productive citizens as opposed to constant drains on society.

John Brender Occupation & experience: Attorney. Former felony prosecutor with over 100 jury trials www.brenderforjudge.com

Candidates were asked to keep responses under 50 words, answer the questions provided and avoid attacking opponents. Answers may have been edited or cut to adhere to those guidelines, or for style and clarity. For more election coverage, go to www.communityimpact.com/voter-guide.

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Outgoing commissioner reviews highlights from 18-year tenure in seat After 18 years, Tarrant County Commissioner Gary Fickes is not seeking another term in the November election to represent Precinct 3. Fickes spoke with Community Impact about his time on the court. Answers have been edited for length, style and clarity. Looking back, what are things that stand out during your tenure? We kind of came into office wanting to do some- thing about the highway problems that we had in northeast Tarrant County—mainly meaning the lack of adequate infrastructure. That and health care. Are there any projects that you consider monumental in your tenure? We were able to secure the needed funding for

a project called the DFW Connector project. It was Grapevine, partly Coppell, Irving and Southlake. Primarily it was in Grapevine. It’s on the north side of the airport. And it was basically a $1.5 billion project, and we didn’t have the money. When I became a commissioner we started working on the money part of it with [the Texas Department of Transportation] and the federal government. Putting this in a time perspective, when President [Barack] Obama established what they called stimulus money, we were able to secure about a half a billion dollars of stimulus money. How has the precinct changed in your tenure? My precinct now has probably surpassed 550,000 people. It was probably in the high 200,000s when I became a commissioner. One of my goals was to continue to help make northeast Tarrant County, my precinct, the best precinct in the state of Texas from a lot of different angles—from health care to certainly road construction and economic devel- opment. That was the hardest and the easiest part. We had something people wanted in our area, and I think a lot of people moved here because we had a

COURTESY TARRANT COUNTY

desirable area for people to live, and the biggest part was the quality of our school districts. Do you have plans for retirement? I probably won’t totally retire. When you totally retire, you fade away, and I’m not sure I’m ready to fade away. I’ve got a lot of organizations to keep me busy.

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GRAPEVINE - COLLEYVILLE - SOUTHLAKE EDITION

GCISD tax rate election could result in $6M boost From the cover

District tax rates

The current situation

Even if the VATRE passes, GCISD will have a lower tax rate than surrounding districts.

= VATRE has been called in that district

The property tax rate is made up of two rates. The interest and sinking rate generates revenue for the district’s debt service fund, which is then used to pay off principal interest on bonds issued by the district. The maintenance and operations rate generates revenue for the district’s daily operations: teacher salaries, instructional costs, maintenance and utilities. The board approved both rates in August with a 3 cent increase to the M&O rate. When a district seeks golden pennies to generate revenue, a VATRE has to be called, GCISD Chief Financial Officer Derick Sibley said. Golden pennies are not subject to recapture. Recapture mandates that property-rich districts such as GCISD make payments to the state to be redistributed to property-poor districts, according to the TEA. GCISD sent more than $31 million in recapture payments during fiscal year 2023-24, Sibley estimated.

Lewisville ISD

$1.1178

Northwest ISD

With VATRE

$1.1179

Coppell ISD

Carroll ISD $0.9617

Carrollton- Farmers Branch ISD

With VATRE

Grapevine- Colleyville ISD

Keller ISD $1.0852

$1.0343

$0.9836

Without VATRE

With VATRE

$0.9233 $0.8933

EMS ISD $1.2457

Birdville ISD

Irving ISD $1.0159

Hurst-Euless- Bedford ISD

$1.2008

$0.9689

*PROPOSED SOURCE: GRAPEVINE-COLLEYVILLE ISD/ COMMUNITY IMPACT

How it happened

2024-25 general fund expectations

Revenue if VATRE passes: $185.8M

general fund receives less in basic allotment revenue. “[The board] have gone as far as state law will allow them in increasing the tax rate,” Sibley said. “On top of that, we have three additional golden pennies, which is now what we’re asking the voters to consider.” Brent Alexander, demographic research director with School District Strategies, said in January that he expects district enrollment to continue declining 1% each year over the next 10 years.

Texas school districts receive funding from a mix of property taxes, state funding and federal sources, according to the Texas Education Agency. Revenue is partially generated based on a basic allotment of $6,160 per student counted in average daily attendance. The basic allotment has remained the same since 2019 while inflation has increased opera- tional costs and GCISD’s student population has declined. As enrollment declines, the school district’s

Expenses: $184.8M

$5.3M shortfall

Revenue if VATRE fails: $179.5M

SOURCE: GRAPEVINE-COLLEYVILLE ISD/COMMUNITY IMPACT

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Diving in deeper

population and have higher property values, making it more challenging for young families to purchase a home,” Schnautz said. District officials have recently opened transfer opportunities for children of employees at the cities of Grapevine and Colleyville, he said.

A decline in student enrollment can directly affect the district’s entitlement to funding from average daily attendance. Sibley estimated the district has lost $4.1 million in revenue since the 2019-20 school year due to a loss of 669 students. “This is common amongst districts across the state that are no longer growing, have an aging

As Election Day gets closer, Schnautz said the district aims to communicate with voters everywhere they can. Officials are also disseminating information via mail and town halls ahead of the election. “Although the district is asking the voters to consider a 3 cent increase to the maintenance and operations tax rate, the total tax rate is not increasing,” he said.

GCISD student enrollment

GCISD tax rate

per $100 valuation

2024 average taxable value of a home in GCISD: $485,971

15K

$1.5

13,199

$1.3967

Average tax bill

Tax rate

12,141

12.5K

$1.2

$4,493.77

2023-24

$0.9247

$4,487

If VATRE passes $0.9233

10K

$0.9

$0.9247

$4,341

If VATRE fails $0.8933

School year

Fiscal year

SOURCE: GRAPEVINE-COLLEYVILLE ISD/COMMUNITY IMPACT

SOURCES: GRAPEVINE-COLLEYVILLE ISD, SCHOOL DISTRICT STRATEGIES/COMMUNITY IMPACT

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GRAPEVINE - COLLEYVILLE - SOUTHLAKE EDITION

Transportation

Education

BY CODY THORN

BY MARK FADDEN, HANNAH NORTON & CHLOE YOUNG

Trinity Metro reduces fares for buses, trains Trinity Metro streamlined fares for bus, train and On-Demand rides Sept. 15. A single ride for buses, trains and On-Demand trips will be $2 for local service, a reduction between 50 cents and $1. One-day tickets will be $4 and seven-day tickets will be $18, a reduction of $2 and $9, respectively. Reduced tickets are available, with valid ID, for seniors 65 or older, persons with disabilities, Medi- care card holders, youth ages 5-19 and veterans with proof of status, according to the website. No ticket is needed for children ages four and under. On-Demand rides, including transfers between TEXRail and Trinity Metro buses, will be matched with other riders headed in the same direction to create ecient trips, according to a news release. The background Trinity Metro owns and operates TEXRail, a

Trac study in Colleyville planned The Colleyville City Council approved a contract to study trac patterns along Bedford Road and Martin Parkway on Cheek-Sparger Road. Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc. was awarded a contract in an amount not to exceed $62,400 during the Aug. 6 meeting. Kimley-Horn will conduct an analysis on the current trac volumes during peak hours as well as project peak volumes for 2029, according to city documents.

AF accountability ratings remain blocked A Travis County district court once again blocked the Texas Education Agency from releas- ing its AF accountability ratings for Texas school districts and campuses Sept. 18. “I’m currently enjoined by the courts from issuing ratings for the second year in a row,” TEA Commissioner Mike Morath told state lawmakers during a Senate Education Committee hearing Sept. 18. “If you actually want your AF system to work, you’re probably going to have to do some- thing about that.” Over 100 school districts sued the TEA in 2023 over concerns that the system would unlawfully lower their ratings for the 2022-23 school year. What’s happening After hearing from the TEA and several school districts who sued the agency, Travis County Judge Daniella Deseta Lyttle issued a temporary

CISD approves debt plan to save $6M Carroll ISD board members voted unani- mously to authorize defeasance, or paying down the principal, of debt at their Aug. 26 meeting. The move should save the district an estimated $6 million. The details The district initially estimated and bud- geted $18.8 million that would be eligible for defeasance, with the nal amount being based on actual tax collections remaining after all 2024-25 scheduled debt has been paid, according to district documents. Assistant Superintendent for Financial Services David Johnson said by paying o the $18.8 million early, it would save the district approximately $6 million in interest.

TEA AF rating timeline

The last time Texas districts received complete A-F ratings No accountability ratings issued due to COVID-19 Schools that received “C” or lower The last time Texas districts received complete A-F ratings

2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024

were deemed “not rated” Ratings blocked by judge

Reduced train fees will include transfers between Trinity Metro and TEXRail.

PHOTO BY CODY THORNCOMMUNITY IMPACT

SOURCE: TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCYCOMMUNITY IMPACT

27-mile commuter rail line that runs between downtown Fort Worth and Dallas Fort Worth International Airport’s Terminal B. There’s also a 34-mile commuter rail line, Trinity Railway Express, jointly owned and operated by Trinity Metro and Dallas Area Rapid Transit. What else? In July, Trinity Metro On-Demand added location stops in Manseld and the Alliance area of Fort Worth.

injunction Sept. 18. The order continues to block the TEA from assigning AF performance ratings for the 2023-24 school year. A dierent judge issued a temporary restraining order initially blocking the release of the ratings Aug. 12 in response to a lawsuit led by Pecos- Barstow-Toyah, Crandall, Forney, Fort Stockton and Kingsville ISDs. An additional 27 districts have since joined the lawsuit, according to lawyers for the school districts.

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Education

BY GABBY BAILEY & MARK FADDEN

Higher Education Guide

2024

Readers, welcome to your annual CI Education Edition! This guide features the latest updates and resources about local Higher Education school options in the community, ranging from campus updates to informational graphics, all written by our local team of journalists. In this year’s education guide, we see how nearby community colleges are moving back to pre-pandemic enrollment rates and how campuses are expanding to better serve students. On behalf of your Community Impact team, we look forward to continuing to provide the latest news and information surrounding our local colleges!

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UT Arlington to add new Fort Worth campus (Page 22)

Take a look at local higher education statistics (Page 23)

Learn more about what nearby colleges have to offer (Page 24)

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County college sees enrollment increase

UNT launches health science grad school The University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth officials announced Aug. 29 they are launching a new graduate school. Zooming in According to a news release, the graduate school will be led by Dr. Tom Cunningham, interim vice provost, and serve as the central support hub for the following programs:

TCC fall enrollment

60K

50K

40K

Tarrant County College’s 2024 fall enrollment has increased by nearly 6,000 students over fall 2023, marking the school’s largest enrollment recovery since the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a TCC release from Sept 9. The details Enrollment across the six campuses in the TCC system now consists of 47,351 students, including 12,500 dual-enrolled students. Dual enrollment includes students who are taking college courses through their high schools and for those who already have earned dual credits. “For 60 years, we have been the community col- lege of choice for people living in Tarrant County,” Chancellor Elva LeBlanc said in the release. “TCC prepares students of all ages and backgrounds to continue their education at our state’s four-year institutions or to enter the Texas workforce in

30K

20K

10K

SOURCE: TARRANT COUNTY COLLEGE/COMMUNITY IMPACT *ESTIMATED, AS OF SEPT. 16

• Master’s degree • Doctoral degree • Dual degree

high-demand, high-wage careers.” Also of note

The news release states the school will focus on aligning graduate education with HSC’s research enterprise by coordinating administrative services across various programs.

The release states the enrollment number is expected to grow during the 2024 fall semester since there are different start dates across TCC’s locations.

GRAPEVINE - COLLEYVILLE - SOUTHLAKE EDITION

Education

BY MARK FADDEN

UTA announces plan for 51-acre campus in west Fort Worth

The University of Texas at Arlington plans to purchase 51 acres of property in west Fort Worth within the Walsh Ranch development. The details According to an Aug. 5 news release, the Univer- sity of Texas System Board of Regents approved the plan and has authorized the purchase of the property. Positioned at the intersection of I-30 and I-20, the new campus is expected to open fall 2028 and plans to serve more than 10,000 students. A closer look UTA President Jennifer Cowley said the western part of the metroplex has several characteristics that make it an ideal location for the new campus, which include: • An ever-growing population • A plethora of student talent • A wide breadth of opportunity for explosive

economic advancement “UTA has long been a top supplier of talent to companies across Fort Worth, and this expansion will allow UTA to broaden its impact across our region,” Cowley said. What they’re saying “Anytime the UT system can expand greater educational opportunity, access and aordability to Texans, we’re going to do it,” said Kevin Eltife, chair of the UT System Board of Regents. “We’ve recently done it in East Texas and South Texas, and now we’re heading west. We’re looking forward to planting a UT Arlington ag in west Fort Worth, currently the nation’s fastest growing city.” Put in perspective According to the news release, UTA’s student population is approximately 41,000, making it the second-largest institution in the UT system.

The new University of Texas Arlington campus on the west side of Fort Worth will be called “UTA West.”

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Education

BY CODY THORN

Student data Fall student enrollment

Fall enrollment at local colleges mostly continue to move back to pre-pandemic numbers with many students choosing health care-related degrees.

Largest academic programs by enrollment North Central Texas College

Highest educational attainment

North Central Texas College Tarrant County College Texas Christian University

Grapevine Southlake Colleyville

Liberal Arts and Sciences: 5,251

9,382

Less than 9th grade Some high school High school graduate Some college, no degree Associate degree Bachelor’s degree Graduate or professional degree

2% 0.1% 0.3%

2019

54,378

Health professions and related programs: 558

11,024

2.3% 1.2% 0.4%

8,191

Tarrant County College

56,855

2020

16.8% 7.5% 6.5%

Liberal arts and sciences, general studies and humanities: 28,887

11,124

7,574

18.8% 11.5% 17.4%

36,264

2021

Health professions and related programs: 4,195

11,726

5.6% 5.5% 6.9%

Texas Christian University

7,303

40,131

2022

General Business: 1,712

12,063

34.9% 40.6% 41.4%

7,543

Nursing: 854

19.2% 33.4%

28.3%

41,472

2023

12,556

SOURCE: TEXAS HIGHER EDUCATION COORDINATING BOARD/COMMUNITY IMPACT

SOURCE: U.S. CENSUS BUREAU AMERICAN COMMUNITY SURVEY 2022/COMMUNITY IMPACT

Learn More

GRAPEVINE - COLLEYVILLE - SOUTHLAKE EDITION

Education

BY COMMUNITY IMPACT STAFF

College Guide

2024

Tarrant County College College type: two-year Levels of degrees offered: associate degrees Admission rate: open-admission institution (100%) • Locations in Arlington, Fort Worth and Hurst • www.tccd.edu

University of Texas at Dallas College type: four-year Levels of degrees offered: bachelor’s degrees, master’s degrees, doctoral degrees Admission rate: 65%

• 800 W. Campbell Road, Richardson • www.utdallas.edu

Amberton University — Frisco College type: two-year, four-year Levels of degrees offered: bachelor’s degrees, master’s degrees Admission rate: n/a • 3880 Parkwood Blvd., Bldg. 7, Frisco • www.amberton.edu

University of North Texas College type: four-year

• Locations in Bowie, Corinth, Denton, Flower Mound, Fort Worth, Gainesville and Graham • www.nctc.edu Texas Christian University College type: four-year Levels of degrees offered: bachelor’s degrees, master’s degrees, doctoral degrees Admission rate: 43% • 2800 S. University Drive, Fort Worth • www.tcu.edu Texas Wesleyan University College type: four-year Levels of degrees offered: bachelor’s degrees, master’s degrees, doctoral degrees Admission rate: 58% • 1201 Wesleyan St., Fort Worth • www.txwes.edu Texas Woman’s University College type: four-year Levels of degrees offered: bachelor’s degrees, master’s degrees, doctoral degrees, certificates Admission rate: 93.6% • 304 Administration Drive, Denton • www.twu.edu

Levels of degrees offered: bachelor’s degrees, master’s degrees, doctoral degrees and certificate programs Admission rate: 72% (whole school) • 1155 Union Circle, Denton • www.unt.edu University of North Texas at Frisco College type: four-year Levels of degrees offered: bachelor’s degrees, master’s degrees, doctoral degrees Admission rate: 72% (whole school) • 12995 Preston Road, Frisco • www.frisco.unt.edu University of Texas at Arlington College type: four-year Levels of degrees offered: bachelor’s degrees, master’s degrees, doctoral degrees Admission rate: 81% • 701 S. Nedderman Drive, Arlington • www.uta.edu This list is not comprehensive.

Collin College College type: two-year, four-year

Levels of degrees offered: associate degrees, some bachelor’s degrees, noncredit and certificate programs Admission rate: 100% • Locations in Allen, Celina, Farmersville, Frisco, McKinney and Plano • www.collin.edu

Dallas College College type: two-year, four-year

Levels of degrees offered: associate degrees, some bachelor’s degrees, noncredit and certificate programs Admission rate: 100% • Locations in Coppell, Dallas, Garland, Irving, Mesquite, Pleasant Grove and Richardson • www.dallascollege.edu

North Central Texas College College type: two-year Levels of degrees offered: associate degrees Admission rate: 100%

COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM

Development

BY HEATHER ALDRIDGE AND CODY THORN

4 Southlake warehouses under construction A Dallas company is constructing four ware- houses called Mustang Crossing Business Park near the Southlake-Grapevine border in Southlake. Zooming in Southlake Mustang Owner LP is constructing four buildings at 2000, 2100, 2110 and 2120 Mus- tang Court, across the road from Grapevine-Col- leyville ISD’s Mustang Panther Stadium. The location was formerly owned by Magellan Pipeline GP, which has been a petroleum opera- tion since 1990, according to city documents. Storage tanks were removed for the construc- tion of the buildings, which will range from 102,644 square feet to 188,115 square feet for a total of 546,330 square feet, per city documents. Also of note According to Constellation Real Estate Partners,

Southlake business park now leasing Mustang Court Business Park is leasing recently completed industrial space in Southlake. The three buildings on 26.3 acres are owned by Brookfield Properties and leased by Holt Lunsford Commercial. According to a filing with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, the development was $3.9 million in 2022.

MUSTANG CT.

M U S T A N G D R .

Southlake

the buildings will achieve LEED certification for “green ready” for including conduits for electric vehicle charging stations. LEED—or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design—certified buildings are resource efficient, use less water and energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, according to the U.S. Green Building Council, the organization that issues the certifications. The city approved the final plan in January and construction on the project began in early 2024.

• Building 1— 172,380 square feet • Building 2— 76,621 square feet • Building 3— 86,400 square feet

There are more than 80 combined dock doors and each building has office space, according to Holt Lunsford’s website. The warehouses are located at 1825, 1850 and 1855 Mustang Court.

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