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Richardson Edition VOLUME 7, ISSUE 12 AUG. 27 SEPT. 25, 2025
2025 Education Edition
$1.4B on the ballot RISD bond would fund CTE building, facility upgrades and more
INSIDE
14 Some funds from RISD’s bond referendum would serve to expand the district’s Career and Technical Education programming, which includes manufacturing. COURTESY RICHARDSON ISD
Also in this issue
Impacts: Learn more about an upcoming co ee shop, a new Mediterranean restaurant and other business updates in Richardson (Page 6 7)
Transportation: See the latest updates on lane construction starting on U.S. 75 (Page 10)
Community: Read about clean up e orts happening in Richardson green space, and how to get involved (Page 18)
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Owners John and Jennifer Garrett launched Community Impact in 2005, and the company is still locally owned today with editions across Texas. Our mission is to provide trusted news and local information that everyone gets. Our vision is to build communities of informed citizens and thriving businesses through the collaboration of a passionate team. Our purpose is to be a light for our readers, customers, partners and each other by living out our core values of Faith, Passion, Quality, Innovation and Integrity.
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RICHARDSON EDITION
Impacts BE THE FIRST TO KNOW! Scan to get business openings to your inbox.
• 2701 Custer Parkway. Ste 706, Richardson • www.cherielane.com
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5 The Fresh Monkee The business offers protein shakes in a variety of flavors, such as antioxidant berry, which has orange juice, pomegranate juice, vanilla protein and berries. • Opened in July • 3501 Custer Parkway, Ste. 119, Richardson • www.freshmonkee.com 6 The Caroline Eastside Apartments The three-building, 384-unit apartment complex is currently leasing. It offers studio, one, two and three- bedroom apartments. Amenities include an indoor and outdoor pool, fitness center with a yoga room, dog washing station, dog park and walking trails. Rent ranges from $1,490 up to $3,320 with two months of rent concessions, Baker said. • Opened in July • 1735 N Greenville Ave., Richardson • livecarolineeastside.com
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7 Golden Hands Massage The spa offers 30-to-120 minute body massages. It also offers foot reflexology appointments as well as combo body and foot massage. Add ons, such as CBD oil and aromatherapy are also available. • Opened Aug. 4 • 1980 Nantucket Drive, Ste. 102, Richardson • https://tinyurl.com/y96j7s6u 8 Merab Salon Some of the salon’s most popular services offered include knotless braids, box braids, jumbo braids, cornrows and crochet braids, according to the website. • Opened in mid-July • 888 S. Greenville Ave., Ste. 121, Richardson • www.merabsalon.net 9 Meraki Head Spa The spa will offer a number of services such as scalp massages, shampoo and conditioning, hair masks and more. It will also offer scalp massage and hair wash for children. • Scheduled to open in August
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Richardson • www.richardson.stopngogyros.com
Now open
1 Dona Maria Mexican Restaurant The restaurant offers a variety of tortas, burritos, tacos, enchiladas, gorditas and more. • Opened July 10 • 101 S. Coit Road, Ste. 84, Richardson • https://doa-maria.res-menu.com 2 Stop-N-Go Gyro The restaurant offers beef, chicken and falafel gyros, salads and plates, which is served with rice, lettuce, hummus and sauce. • Opened Aug. 11 • 2050 E. President George Bush Highway, Ste. 110,
3 Grain & Berry The business offers granola and fruit bowls, smoothies and juices. Patrons can design their own bowl or pick one from the menu. It also serves flatbread, quesadillas and toast. • Opened Aug. 2 • 1389 W. Campbell Road, Richardson • www.grainandberry.com 4 Cherie Lane The boutique’s flagship Richardson store sells apparel, shoes, accessories and more. • Opening Aug. 23
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• 1310 W. Campbell Road, Ste. 123, Richardson • www.merakiheadspatx.com
in Richardson will begin soon, a district representative said. Improvements costing about $40 million include rehabilitation of the station and installing a second ground water storage tank at the site.
Coming soon
Coming soon
Worth the trip
10 Manny’s Mexican Kitchen The restaurant offers a number of Tex-Mex dishes such as tacos, enchiladas, nachos and more. It also has a number of vegetarian and vegan options. • Opening in fall • 1250 State St., Ste. 100, Richardson • www.mannystexmex.com 11 Bora Bora Smoothie Cafe The business will offer smoothies, milkshakes and energy drinks. It will also offer juice and coffee. The menu includes sandwiches and croffles, a mix between croissants and waffles. • Opening in mid-September • 730 E. Campbell Road, Richardson • www.boraborausa.com
12 Zaza Thai The restaurant recently opened a second Plano location near the Richardson border, a company representative said. The eatery’s menu features pho, dumplings, fried rice, wings and more. • Opened July 16 • 3421 E. Renner Road, Ste. 106, Plano • www.zazathai.com
14 Haraz Coffee House Construction on Yemeni coffee shop Haraz Coffee House started in August. The shop located has work planned to finish Nov. 30, according to a project filed with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. The coffee house will serve Yemeni-style coffee drinks with beans sourced from Haraz, a village in Yemen. The menu will also include a variety of pastries and desserts. • Opening TBD • 508 Centennial Blvd., Ste. 100, Richardson • www.harazcoffeehouse.com
Closings
13 Staycation Coffee The coffee shop will not relocate as originally planned and instead is expected to close its doors. Staycation Coffee serves coffee, tea, specialty drink and pastries. • Closing Sept. 28 • 201 S. Texas St., Richardson • www.staycationtx.com
In the news
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RICHARDSON EDITION
Government
BY DUSTIN BUTLER
City manager: new state laws limit city operations, budget
More than 2,000 bills coming out of Texas’ 89th legislative session will have an impact on city operations and budgets, City Manager Don Magner said. The bills are expected to create a “challenging” budget season, Magner said, because they will affect the city’s revenue sources. Richardson Police Chief Gary Tittle gave an overview of several bills city staff tracked through the session during the June 23 council meeting. The legislation Senate Bill 924 disallows cities from charging franchise fees for streaming services, such as Netflix and Hulu, as they can for cable services. Magner said the expected impact is about $450,000 of revenue loss. House Bill 9 changes the exemption for Business Personal Property taxes from $2,500 to $125,000. The budget impact is expected to be about $1.5 million, Tittle said. For the bill to go into effect, voters must approve it as an amendment to the Texas Constitution during the November election. It would go into effect Jan. 1, 2026. “This is something we’re going to have to be mindful of during this budget cycle,” Magner said. Tittle said city staff supported House Bill 500, which allows unused balances from the Texas Semiconductor Innovation Fund to be used for programs within the Texas Semiconductor Innova- tion Fund Consortium. What else Other bills will affect the budget in less direct ways, Magner said. Senate Bill 1567 restricts cities with universities from limiting the unrelated
occupants that can reside in a property. “Things like that are going to generate more complaints,” Magner said. “They’re going to necessitate more staffing to investigate those complaints.” House Bill 1522 will impact operations by requiring cities to post City Council agendas three business days before the meeting. Currently, cities must post the agenda 72 hours before the meeting. Under the new law, Magner said the agenda must be posted by Tuesday for the following Monday’s meeting. Once an agenda has been posted, it cannot be changed, and cities are not allowed to include general language that would permit last-minute additions, Magner said. Looking ahead During the first called session of the 89th Leg- islative Session, State Senator Paul Bettencourt, R-Houston, filed Senate Bill 9, which would cap property tax revenues for cities and counties with populations of 75,000 at 2.5%. Currently, property tax revenue growth is capped at 3.5%. Bettencourt refiled the bill, now as Senate Bill 10, in the second called session. During an Aug. 4 Richardson City Council bud- get workshop, City Manager Don Magner said if SB 9 becomes law, property tax collections would be reduced by about $750,000. Magner said Aug. 4 that about 42%, nearly $77 million, of the fiscal year 2025-26 budget comes from property taxes. “The city opposes any measure that com- promises its ability to responsibly manage the resources entrusted to it by Richardson residents and businesses,” Magner said in an email.
Other impacts from the state Several additional bills passed during the Texas legislative session will affect Richardson and surrounding cities.
House Bill 30 Allows incorporation of a disaster debris rate when calculating their voter-approval tax rate Senate Bill 15 Caps minimum lot size for small lots. Also disallows ordinances requiring a lot size larger than 300 square feet. Senate Bill 1851 Establishes an annual financial audit and property tax rates cannot be higher than the no-new revenue tax rate Senate Bill 840 Allows mixed-use and multifamily and single-family conversions in non-residential areas in cities near Richardson House Bill 24 Zoning protests must have at least 60% of property owners in the affected area to trigger a super majority vote.
SOURCE: CITY OF RICHARDSON/COMMUNITY IMPACT
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BY DUSTIN BUTLER & ADAM DOE
Charter election pushed to May 2026 Richardson voters will not have the pro- posed charter amendments on their ballot in November. Council decided to wait until the May 2026 general election to call for the amend- ments to be on the ballot, citing cost savings. What happened City Manager Don Magner said council could call an amendment election for the November ballot, but if bond election is called in May 2026, it would cost an addi- tional $175,000 that is not budgeted. Magner said if council wanted to call the elections today, it could call a combined charter amendment and bond election for the November, May 2026 or November 2026 election. New warehouse gets OK for zoning change Part of the campus at 2801 Telecom Parkway is expected to be demolished and a new warehouse will be built in its place following Richardson City Council approving a zoning change. The zoning change was approved during the July 28 council meeting and was recommended for approval by the City Planning Commission during the July 1 meeting. The details The property owners intend to demolish the three-story o ce building on the south side and con- struct a single story, 343,624 square-foot warehouse building. The current zoning for the property allows indus- trial uses, which includes warehouses, City Planner Derica Peters said. However, a special permit is required to increase the allowed height requirement allowed for a one-story building from 25 feet to 50 feet. The request also would allow a reduced parking lot ratio and installation of landscaping to screen a truck court with 74 loading docks. The new warehouse would expand the logistics
88 townhome project to nish next summer Dallas-based residential developer Bridge Tower Homes broke ground on Park Hollow, a new subdivision in Richardson, the com- pany announced in a June news release. The gist Bridge Tower started development on the new 88-unit townhome community in early May and plans to deliver the rst homes in summer 2026, the release says. The 6.5-acres previously housed the Sting Soccer Club. Some background The Richardson City Plan Commission initially approved the new neighborhood in May, 2024 and City Council approved the site plan in June 2024.
A new warehouse will be built after a zoning change was approved by the Richardson City Council.
RENDERING COURTESY CITY OF RICHARDSON
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operations on the campus, meeting documents state. What else Council approved the zoning change unanimously with the condition that the property owner plant additional trees between the facilities and nearby residential neighborhoods to block noise. Any semi-trucks delivering or picking up products will be required to follow an established route with minimal impact on residential tra c, per the leasing agreement, Michael Schack, principal for Dayton Street Partners real estate development based in Chicago, said. Trails, medians could be priorities with budget Richardson’s Assistant Director of Parks and Rec- reation Shohn Rodgers presented potential priority projects for scal year 2025-26 during the July 14 City Council meeting. The overview Priority projects for FY 2025-26 include applying roll coat, a binder that reduced wear and tear on concrete surfaces, at the Ann Eisemann Inclusive Playground at Cottonwood Park and replacing the outdated restroom at Yale Park with a prefabricated restroom building, according to a sta presentation. Other projects include upgrading the median on Yale Boulevard between Centennial Boulevard and Collins Boulevard and upgrading medians on Waterview between Spring Valley Road and Belt Line Road. Improvements include removing concrete and replacing it with river rock bands that will give the
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Priority items include
Tennis court resurfacing
Installing pre-fabricated
Heights Recreation Center sauna
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Trail, way nding signage
Cloud-based ball eld light conversions
iPads for maintenance sta
SOURCE: RICHARDSON CITY COUNCIL COMMUNITY IMPACT
medians a modern appearance, Rodgers said. “It improves the look of our city so much,” Rodgers said. Lastly, Rodgers said the department intends to replace cracked segments of concrete at Campbell Ridge Park Trail. The projects would be funded through the city’s parks maintenance fund. Council will vote to approve the budget in September.
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RICHARDSON EDITION
Transportation
BY DUSTIN BUTLER & MICHAEL CROUCHLEY
U.S. 75 lane construction project begins in Richardson Crews with the Texas Department of Transpor- tation began construction Aug. 4 in Richardson for the next phase of the U.S. 75 Tech Lanes Project, according to a news release issued by the city. The details DNT TOLL 5
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The project intends to expand U.S. 75 into five lanes by converting existing High Occupancy Vehicle lanes into “technology lanes,” which will have designated time periods for HOV travel. Crews will first restripe the southbound and northbound HOV lanes during overnight hours, then begin building a permanent barrier between the northbound and southbound lanes, which is expected to be completed in summer 2026. What else Once construction is complete, the lanes will only be limited to HOVs, low-emission vehicles and motorcycles during high traffic hours— 7-9 a.m. southbound and 4-6 p.m. northbound.
Richardson roads to see lane closures Lanes on Campbell Road and Renner Road are closed. Campbell’s closure will be for fiber optic work, and the right lane of east- bound Renner closed for a gas leak repair. What’s next
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Education
BY DUSTIN BUTLER
Education Edition
2025
Welcome to Community Impact’s annual education edition. With school starting back up, now is the perfect time for this special section which features the latest updates on K-12 public education in your community. All of the stories were written by our team of local journalists and all of the advertisements are from nearby business who support our mission to provide free, useful news—please show them your gratitude by supporting them. In this guide section, make sure to check out our latest updates from Richardson ISD and Plano ISD, including accountability ratings from the Texas Education Agency, cell phone bans and more. Also make sure to dig into our front page story, which features information about RISD’s $1.4 billion bond election on the horizon. While our public education edition comes around only once a year, we work diligently to cover local schools daily. Keep up to date on our website and in our free daily newsletter.
What's inside
Dobie Pre-K Center to transform into community center (Page 12)
Michael Crouchley Editor mcrouchley@ communityimpact.com
Richardson ISD calls a $1.4 billion bond (Page 14 15)
Check out public education updates from the Texas legislature (Page 16)
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For relevant news and daily updates, subscribe to our free email newsletter!
Richardson ISD earned a C rating for the 2023-24 and 2024-25 school year from the Texas Education Agency’s accountability report, according to the agency website. The 2023-24 ratings were delayed because of a lawsuit led by 33 districts, which argued the agency’s revamped guidelines did not follow state law. Richardson ISD earns ‘C’ for 2023 24, 2024 25 school year progress, which measures the number of students who grew academically and the achievement of economically disadvantaged students, earned a B. For closing the gaps, which uses data to nd dif- ferentials between ethnic groups, socioeconomic backgrounds and other factors, the district earned a C. In addition, campuses were also scored by the TEA. Individual campus ratings can be found online. For the 2023-24 school year, the district earned a C in all categories. Some context Student achievement School progress Closing the gaps Richardson ISD TEA scores*
18% of districts would have received an A rating, while 23% did for the 2024-25 school year. Addi- tionally, 31% of campuses across the state had an increase to their rating.
In August 2024, a Travis County district court blocked the release of the ratings; however, the Texas Courts of Appeals ruled in July that the 2023-24 ratings can be released. The details The A F system gives districts four grades: overall, student achievement, school progress and closing the gaps. Overall, the district earned a 79, or C, rating for the 20254-25 school year. It earned a B in student achievement, which measures student performance across all grades and subjects. School
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At an Aug. 18 news conference, TEA Commis- sioner Mike Morath said the A F accountability system “fundamentally starts with a basic belief system in Texas that we think that all children can learn and achieve at high levels, ... as long as we, the adults, support them appropriately in our schools.” He said that according to the 2024 results, only
78 78 77
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*NOTE: CATEGORIES ARE AVERAGED TO PROVIDE THE DISTRICT'S OVERALL RATINGS.
SOURCE: RICHARDSON ISD COMMUNITY IMPACT
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RICHARDSON EDITION
Education
BY DUSTIN BUTLER & MICHAEL CROUCHLEY
Plano ISD receives B rating from TEA
Dobie Pre-K Center to transform into Esperanza Community Center Richardson ISD staff have partnered with Dallas County and the city of Dallas to transition Dobie Pre-K Center into a community center, Assistant Superintendent Mike Jasso said. The details Once open, the new Esperanza Community Center at Dobie, located at 14040 Rolling Hills Lane in Dallas, will offer after-school care, adult education, Women, Infant and Children, or WIC, resources and more. The center will also continue to offer the Rich- ardson ISD Family Literacy program, Jasson said. The context Dobie Pre-K Center was one of five cam- puses that closed in 2024 because of declining
RISD now requires badges for bus riders As of the start of 2025-26 school year, a bus badge is required for all Richardson ISD students who ride a school bus to and from
PISD adopts cell phone ban
Plano ISD accountability ratings
Student achievement School progress
Closing the gaps
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Plano ISD received an overall B rating, 82 out of 100 points, from the Texas Education Agency’s 2024- 25 accountability ratings. The ratings for both the 2024-25 and 2023-24 school years were released Aug. 15 following a delay due to a lawsuit. PISD also received a B for the 2023- 24 school year. The gist The score measures “how much students are learning in each grade and whether or not they are ready for the next grade,” according to TEA’s website. The rating is broken into three categories. PISD received a B in student achievement in 2024-25, which measures whether students met expectations on the STAAR test along with graduation rates, and how prepared students are for success after high school. The district was given a C in both of the other
Plano ISD has banned the use of cell phones and other “personal communication devices” for the 2025-26 school year. What you need to know The new policy requires all cell phones and other personal telecommunication devices be off and out of sight during school hours. Students must keep phones out of sight in classrooms, passing periods, restrooms and at lunch. They are permitted access to devices after the school day in the school parking lot. Superintendent Theresa Williams said the district required “around 140 policies to be updated as a result of the 89th legislative session.”
campuses. The details
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The new requirement is part of district staff’s ongoing effort to prioritize student safety. The measure is designed to help ensure students are on their assigned bus route and provide a quick response in the event of delays, route changes or emergen- cies, per a news release from the district. What else The district has issued one badge for students in third through 12th grade. Pre-k through second graders were issued two badges.
enrollment, Jasso said. Around the same time, Dallas County elected officials were looking for a location for a new community center. An open house is scheduled for Sept. 27. The other four closed RISD campuses were all elementary schools: Greenwood Hills Elementary, Springridge Elementary, Spring Valley Elementary and Thurgood Marshall Elementary. All five campuses were nearly 60% under capacity and had high maintenance costs because of their age.
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SOURCE: TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCY/COMMUNITY IMPACT
categories. PISD got a 79 out of 100 in “school progress,” which shows how students perform over time. It received a 78 in “closing the gaps,” which measures how well a district is ensuring that all student groups are successful. Of PISD’s 71 campuses that received a rating, 23 received an A from the TEA while two received Fs, in 2024-25.
DALLAS 9500 N Central Expy (214) 369-2800 ADDISON 15055 Inwood Rd (972) 239-5891
$1.4B on the ballot From the cover
Zooming in
The gist
It will also fund environmental center renova- tions, special education services and more. Proposition B would allocate $54 million to replace tablets for teachers and students and Proposition C would provide $7.4 million to add Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant stadium seating and improve access to the stands. Branum said, per state law, funds for technology and the stadium must be a separate proposition.
Per the steering committee’s recommendation, the bond will have three propositions. The first, Proposition A makes up a majority of the ref- erendum at $1.338 billion . The proposal covers completing the middle school transformation for the remaining six junior high campuses, refreshing elementary school restrooms and furniture across the district and construction of a Career and Technical Education center.
Richardson ISD voters have been asked to decide on three bond propositions totaling about $1.4 billion . The board of trustees called the bond during the Aug. 7 meeting following the recommendation of the district’s bond steering committee. Amanda Clair, a RISD parent and bond steering committee member who presented recommendations to the board in a July 24 workshop, said the district has used bonds since 1951 and is currently on a five-year bond schedule. Based on the current schedule, a bond was expected in May 2026; however, in anticipation of potential changes in the legislature requiring bonds to be called in November, the committee recommended moving the schedule up by six months. Committee member Chelsea Jeffery said the 2021 bond has made progress but did not address the district’s need. The 2021 bond was a $750 million bond package split into two propositions.
Proposition A funding breakdown
CTE Center 86.25M
Facilities $184.49M
Accountability $16M
Construction $755M
Other improvement $296.26M
SOURCE: RISD/COMMUNITY IMPACT
The local impact
Estimated annual tax increases
If the bond is passed by voters, a $0.04 increase would be applied to the debt services portion of the property tax rate beginning in fiscal year 2026- 27, assistant superintendent David Pate said. “No one took a potential increase for tax lightly,” Branum said. “We know right now with the state of where the economy is, every dollar matters.” According to the 2025 certified value summaries released by Dallas County Appraisal District, the average taxable value for a home in the Richard- son’s portion of RISD is $281,267, which would be an increase of about $52 a year, or about $4.33 per month. Individuals 65 and older will not be affected by the increase.
Prop A allocated $694 million for facility renovations and Prop B was for $56 million technology needs.
WHY A CATHOLIC CLASSICAL EDUCATION? Encouraging children to seek truth, goodness and beauty in all things will ultimately lead them to walk with Christ. At SPCCS, our fundamental tenets are faith, wisdom and virtue; the development of these tenets in our students helps build a foundation in Christ while providing them an enriching education. foundation in Christ while providing them an enriching education. As you walk through the halls and visit our classrooms, you will see beautiful works of art on the walls, the great books on our shelves, and thriving gardens outside our windows. The Catholic Classical student is curious, asks questions, and approaches the foundation in Christ while providing them an enriching education. As you walk through the halls and visit our classrooms, you will see beautiful works of art on the walls, the great books on our shelves, and thriving gardens outside our windows. The Catholic Classical student is curious, asks questions, and approaches the exciting journey of learning with a sense of wonder. In addition to the pursuit of goodness, truth and beauty, a classical curriculum includes the liberal arts, grammar, logic, rhetoric, arithmetic, geometry, music, astronomy, and Latin. a classical curriculum includes the liberal arts, grammar, logic, rhetoric, arithmetic, geometry, music, astronomy, and Latin. Encouraging children to seek truth, goodness and beauty in all things will ultimately lead them to walk with Christ. At SPCCS, our fundamental tenets are faith, wisdom and virtue; the development of these tenets in our students helps build a Why a CATHOLIC CLASSICAL EdUCATION? Why a CATHOLIC CLASSICAL EdUCATION? $400K $500K $300K $200K Encouraging children to seek truth, goodness and beauty in all things will ultimately lead them to walk with Christ. At SPCCS, our fundamental tenets are faith, wisdom and virtue; the development of these tenets in our students helps build a $900K $800K exciting journey of learning with a sense of wonder. In addition to the pursuit of goodness, truth and beauty, $700K $600K
$16
$52
$85
Bond breakdown Voters will see RISD’s $1.4 billion bond on the November 4 ballot.
$124
$160
Total: $1.4B
$196
Proposition C: $7M Proposition B: $54M Proposition A: $1.3B
$232
$268
Property tax increase
SOURCE: RISD/COMMUNITY IMPACT
SOURCE: RISD/COMMUNITY IMPACT
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BY DUSTIN BUTLER
Going forward
What they’re saying
Committee member Eric Stengal also said at the meeting he is supportive of a bond, but is concerned about how the tax increase could affect low-income families. Jeffery said the $1.4 billion package is needed to ensure facilities get the upgrades needed and students remain safe and secure while on campus. Additionally, the proposed CTE center could help ensure RISD students have high-wage and high-demand career training and earn certifica- tions before graduating high school, she said. “Another equally important aspect in this bond is our district’s commitment to middle school transformation,” Jeffery said. So far, four campuses have been transitioned and the 2025 bond would provide funding to transition the remaining junior high schools to middle schools.
Clair said the needs of the district were a driver for recommending such a large bond, adding that the average age of a school in RISD is 58 years. Because the district isn’t a fast-growth district like Celina or Prosper ISDs, it is not eligible for additional funding from the Fast-Growth Allot- ment created by state lawmakers during the 87th Legislative Session, Branum said. During the Aug. 7 board meeting, Euan Black- man, a resident within RISD boundaries and former teacher for the district, said he is support- ive of a bond, but said the $1.4 billion price tag is too high. “I’m a big fan of CTE … but is the right move an $85 million CTE center right now?” Blackman said. Additionally, Blackman said the bond should be broken out into more than three proposals, giving voters a greater chance to voice their opinions. He said he wanted a bond closer to $1.2 billion, which he said wouldn’t have increased the tax rate.
If voters do not approve the 2025 bond, the district would be unable to fund the vast majority of projects in the proposed package, a district representative said. District staff and the board of trustees would review whether projects could be funded from reserve funds. Some urgent needs, such as unanticipated HVAC replacements, could be funded through emergency withdrawals. Should voters decide not to approve the bond, district staff would look at calling another bond election in May 2026.
Last day to register to vote: Oct. 6
Early voting: Oct. 20-31
Election day: Nov. 4
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15
RICHARDSON EDITION
Education
BY HANNAH NORTON
Teachers now have more disciplinary authority House Bill 6 gives public school teachers more discretion to remove students from the classroom if they are repeatedly disruptive or threaten the safety of others. The change comes after nearly half of Texas public school teachers cited discipline issues as a top workplace chal- lenge in 2022, according to the Texas Education Agency. What you need to know The law, which took effect immediately when Gov. Greg Abbott signed it on June 20, allows schools to suspend students of any age who engage in “repeated or signi icant” disrup- tions, reversing a 2017 state law that generally prohibited schools from suspending students in pre-K through second grade. If students in kindergarten through third grade are sent home for behavioral issues, schools must provide
Districts to level-set high school GPAs Texas school districts will soon be required to use a standard system to calculate high school students’ grade point averages. At a glance Senate Bill 1191, which became law June 20, directs the Texas Education Agency to create a new GPA standard “as soon as prac- ticable.” The system must give equal weight to advanced placement, international baccalaureate and dual enrollment courses. “It most likely won’t impact kids that are currently enrolled in high school, … because it’s going to take a while to make sure everyone is on the same page,” said Bob Popinski, who leads the policy team for public school advocacy group Raise Your Hand Texas.
“A lot of the problems we see with our kids in high school is because they did not have consequences, none whatsoever, when
they were younger.” BILL AUTHOR REP. JEFF LEACH, R PLANO
documentation explaining their decision. HB 6 gives schools the option to place stu- dents in an in-school suspension for as long as they see it. State law previously mandated that students could not be suspended for more than three school days, whether they were inside a school building or at home. The three-day time limit on out-of-school suspensions remains unchanged.
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COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM
Events
BY MICHAEL CROUCHLEY
September
CityLine Fall Music Lineup Listen to some live music at CityLine every Friday and Saturday through the month. Attendees are encouraged to grab a patio seat at a State Street restaurant or bring lawn chairs to enjoy the performances. This month’s performers include guitarist Emsy Robinson, country artist Kirk Holloway, R&B singer Bobby Dade, pop singer
Carly Carroll and more. • Sept. 5-27, 6-9 p.m. • Free • CityLine Plaza, 1150 State St., Richardson • www.citylinedfw.com/events/ cityline-live-fall-musician-lineup
‘Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Jersey Lily’
Catch a performance of the mystery “Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Jersey Lily” put on by the Repertory Company Theatre. • Sept. 5-6, 12-13, 7:30 p.m.; Sept. 7, 15, 2 p.m. • $20 (youth), $37 (adult) • The Promenade Theatre, 770 N. Coit Road, Richardson • www.rcttheatre.com
Sixtiesmania The performance will feature iconic music from the 1960s including the Beatles, The Beach Boys and “everything in between.” The performers will be wearing period-accurate suits from England, and the show will feature costume changes and vintage
instruments. • Sept. 13, 7:30 p.m. • $55-$90 • Eisemann Center, 2351 Performance Dr., Richardson • www.eisemanncenter.com/event/?i=11228
Modern Calligraphy and Pumpkin Lettering for Beginners
CityLine is partnering with Sip & Script for a beginner- friendly workshop on lettering. Attendees will be provided with a beginner’s calligraphy kit and a faux pumpkin to practice on. Drinks are BYOB, but most restaurants in CityLine offer cocktails to go. • Sept. 8, 6-7:30 p.m. • $65 • CityLine Plaza, 1150 State St., Richardson • www.citylinedfw.com/events/class-series-sip- script-summertime-modern-calligraphy-for- beginners-sept-2025 Embroidery Extravaganza StitchHouse is hosting a two-day hands-on embroidery event for beginners. Attendees will have access to all tools, machines and materials needed, and they will complete five different projects during the event. Lunch
Richardson Barktoberfest Head to Lockwood Distilling Co. for Barktober, which will feature a dog costume contest, local vendors with pet-friendly shopping, food and craft cocktails. • Sept. 28, noon-5 p.m. • Free (admission) • Lockwood Distilling Co., 506 Lockwood Dr., Richardson • www.facebook.com/events/lockwood-distilling-co/ richardson-barktoberfest/1291593035637366
• $149 • Stitchhouse Texas, 1002 North Central Expressway, Richardson • www.shopstitchhouse.com ‘Wild Chocolate’ lecture and book signing The 2025 Richardson Reads One Book program is hosting author Rowan Jacobsen to sign copies of and speak about his book “Wild Chocolate.” The book tells the story of farmers, activists and chocolate makers journey to “revive ancient cacao.” • Sept. 16, 7:30 p.m. • Free • First United Methodist Church, 503 N. Central Expressway, Richardson • bit.ly/474QWTU
will be provided both days. • Sept. 12-13, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Your Social Calendar, Simplified! Visit Community Impact’s new events calendar to attend local happenings, explore hobbies, and meet people.
Start Exploring Today!
17
RICHARDSON EDITION
Community
BY DUSTIN BUTLER
In an e ort to preserve the Prairie Creek eco- system, Richardson resident and Texas Master Naturalist Julia Koch has organized a volunteer group to remove invasive plants and restore native vegetation. The background Koch became a certi ed master naturalist in 2021 and soon began leading monthly workdays at Prairie Creek, located behind the Hilton Garden Inn at 101 President George Bush Tollway. The goal, she said, is to remove invasive species that crowd out native plants, allowing the local ecosystem to thrive. The master naturalist program intends to create “citizen scientists” who share their knowledge and promote the importance of native plants and wildlife. Classes run from February to May, Koch said, and consist of three-hour classes on Tuesdays. To maintain certi cation, master naturalists must complete 40 hours of volunteer work and 14 hours of advanced training annually. Although funding is not provided from the city, the Parks and Recreation Department often provides trash bags and litter pickers to help clear trash and other debris from the area. Why it matters Along with removing invasive plant species and supporting native species, the volunteer group holds annual trash pickups, collecting and casting native seeds to promote growth of desired plants. Additionally, those visiting the area are encour- aged to use the iNaturalist platform to document plants and animals they see. To date, over 700 species have been documented. Prairie Creek serves as a refuge for wildlife within the urban environment of Richardson and surrounding communities, Sam Kieschnick, urban wildlife biologist with Texas Parks and Wildlife said. Kieschnick, who advises the North Texas Master Naturalist Chapter, said the area supports a large variety of species, including birds, dragon ies, toads, insects and diverse plant life. “Plant diversity feeds a diversity of bugs, and a diversity of bugs feeds a diversity of birds,” Kieschnick said. The bene ts extend beyond conservation, Kieschnick said, adding that vegetation along the creek helps lter and clean the water through a Volunteers seek to remove invasive species in Prairie Creek
The city does not provide funding for the preservation and cleanup but does provide trash bags.
PHOTOS BY DUSTIN BUTLER COMMUNITY IMPACT
N
Julia Koch is a Texas Master Naturalist.
Volunteers meet regularly to help.
process called phytoremediation. Plants can also help keep urban areas cooler, Kieschnick said, because they absorb heat rather
PLANO PKWY.
than re ecting it back. What you need to know
IDENT GEORGE BUSH HWY.
Koch said the group meets on the third Saturday of every month. No experience or knowledge is necessary and tools are provided. “You don’t have to have knowledge, you don’t have to know anything,” Koch said. “Come on out. We’ll show you.”
W. RENNER RD.
WATERVIEW PKWY.
1001 George Bush Turnpike, Richardson https://ntmn.org
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