Voters will elect a Celina City Council member at the May 3 election Samantha is the editor for the Frisco and Prosper-Celina editions She joined Community Impact in 2021 as the editor for the Lewisville-Flower Mound-Highland Village editions She graduated from The University of Texas at Arlington in 2018 with a degree in journalism she reported on education for the Victoria Advocate Celina voters considered 10 charter amendments at the ballot box May 3 By Hojun Choi and Lilly KershStaff Writers Northward development in Collin County prompted two school districts in the region to put forth the largest bond proposals in their history which covers parts of Collin and Denton counties asked voters in the district for about $2.3 billion through two bond propositions An overwhelming percentage of voters approved the bonds — 72% for proposition A and about 70% for proposition B according to unofficial final results posted Saturday night Celina ISD officials have said the bonds will fund 11 new campuses over the next five to six years and improvements to its seven existing campuses The district’s student enrollment is expected to balloon from about 5,300 to 16,000 Breaking NewsGet the latest breaking news from North Texas and beyond GoogleFacebookBy signing up you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy “We‘re going to have to have these school facilities on the ground to support the growth,” Celina ISD Superintendent Tom Maglisceau said last month Celina grew from just over 16,000 residents in 2020 to more than 43,000 in just over three years, according to U.S. Census estimates. In just one year, from 2022 to 2023, Celina added 9,000 new residents and was among the fastest growing cities in the country School officials have said the bonds will not increase tax rates but property values in the school district have continued to rise along with the growth of the region Celina Mayor Ryan Tubbs told The Dallas Morning News about 200 new families are moving to the town each week “The main two reasons that anyone moves to an area are good schools and public safety,” Tubbs said This year‘s election also decided the future of two seats on the Celina ISD board Unofficial voting results showed Place 1 incumbent Chuck Hansen poised to win reelection with about 47% of the ballots cast Michael Wagoner also held a narrow lead over Cameron Riggs Two races for contested seats on the Prosper school board were close The races have been mired in controversy — two challengers up against the incumbent trustees are backed by tens of thousands of dollars from a donor whose identity is unclear incumbent Kelly Cavender won 53% of the vote to defeat challenger Scott Bray incumbent Garrett Linker defeated challenger Janette Church In northeast Collin County, voters in Blue Ridge ISD, which had a student population just above 1,000 in the 2023-24 school year, approved about $59.5 million in bonds. The district’s school enrollment is expected to more than double in the next five to seven years according to the district About 69% of voters supported Blue Ridge ISD’s bond proposal Most of those funds — $45 million — would be used to build a new intermediate school campus for grades 3-5 Its lone elementary school is currently over capacity Blue Ridge ISD Superintendent Darrell Floyd said The bond will also pay for improvements throughout the district including new roofing at the district’s high school HVAC replacements and upgrades to its agricultural education facilities Floyd said the district is expecting nearly 5,500 new homes to be built in its service area in the next several years “We have a number of new housing additions coming to our school district and this is the next step in Blue Ridge ISD being able to accommodate the growth of students that will come with those additional homes,” Floyd said totaling $875 million also passed with more than 65% approval also held elections to fill seats on their respective school boards Frisco ISD voters rejected more than $1 billion in bonds for a new middle school building They also rejected a tax hike that school officials say would have funded future teacher raises Dealing with the district’s budget woes was among the top concerns of candidates seeking seats on the Frisco school board Renee Sample led her race against Melanie Barrios-Jones for Place 2 with about 48.2% of the votes Place 3 Incumbent Stephanie Elad got 53.8% support in her race against Stuart Shulman Sam Johnson was leading in Place 2 with 86% of votes Nancy Humphrey was leading for the Place 3 trustee seat with 71% of votes followed by Dash Weerasinghe with 30% and Andrew Rettke with 13% Place 1 Trustee Lauren Tyra ran unopposed and will serve another term on the board Kenneth Ussery was leading against Deborah Klosky for the school district board of trustees Corey Homer was leading against Chad Green Larry Jagours and Harvey Oaxaca ran unopposed and will serve another term on the board Five people are vying for two seats on the Allen school board Amanda Campbell had a lead over Kit McKee in the race for Place 5 with about 62% support by the end of election day She graduated in 2024 from the University of Georgia with a degree in journalism and was born and raised in Atlanta Celina ISD voters will decide if the district can have $2.3 billion in bond funds She joined Community Impact in June 2022 as the reporter for Grapevine Hannah holds a degree in journalism from the University of North Texas and began her journalism career at the North Texas Daily Voters in the Celina (Texas) school district have approved a record bond package of nearly $2.3 billion to build and renovate facilities The Celina Record reports that Proposition A which sought $20 million for technology and security upgrades,  passed with 69.79% The bond package will provide funds for construction of the district's second high school as well as renovations and additions to the existing Celina High School Bond funds also will pay for two new middle schools; seven elementary schools; a new operations center to centralize transportation food services and maintenance resources; and development of a safety command center The Celina district projects that its enrollment will increase by more than 7,000 students over the next five years Mike Kennedy has been writing about education for American School & University since 1999 He also has reported on schools and other topics for The Chicago Tribune The Kansas City Times and City News Bureau of Chicago He is a graduate of Michigan State University North Texas voters on Saturday appear to have approved several major bond packages in growing districts Voters in Celina ISD appear to have approved a massive $2.3 billion bond package that will go toward nearly a dozen new schools in the fast-growing district It was among a total of more than $4.5 billion in bonds on Saturday’s ballots and add upgrades across the entire district The district said more than 800 people move to Celina every month - on average - and enrollment could roughly quadruple over the next decade from the current 5,500 students to nearly 22,000 the district called the referendum's approval "a pivotal step forward in addressing the District's rapid growth and commitment to educational excellence." Melissa ISD put forward an $875 million bond package Unofficial results show voters approved Prop A Melissa ISD officials said the student population has doubled over the last five years and they predict it’ll grow by 67% over the next 10 years Prop B — $75 million for tech upgrades — passed with 69.2% of the vote After rejecting a larger bond package last year voters in Argyle ISD appear to have approved a pared-down package worth $423.2 million It will go toward new and upgraded buildings passed with 56.8% of the vote to pay for a new baseball/softball complex After rejecting a larger bond package last fall voters in Argyle ISD approved a pared-down package worth $423.2 million passed with 56.8%% of votes to pay for a new baseball/softball complex according to preliminary unofficial results It would fund campus renovations and improvements $38.5 million for a new athletic center and other renovations Unofficial results show voters also support Proposition C It’ll fund renovations to the high school stadium Voters approved a package worth $134.7 million "The outcome of this vote is a major step in our efforts to improve educational facilities and resources for our students," the district said on Facebook Saturday night according to preliminary unofficial results late Saturday night the consolidation of two elementary schools a new Pre-K center and campus maintenance and improvements worth $21.5 million for instructional technology and upgrades also appears set to pass unofficial results show a $273.4 million package passed with 60.9% of the vote It’ll go toward district-wide safety enhancements renovations and additions at seven campuses the construction of a new elementary school and the purchase of land for a future new middle school and community of Terrell ISD,” school board President Dena Risinger said in a statement posted to the district's website Saturday "This bond election isn't just an investment in Terrell ISD; it is an investment in the future of Terrell." Bill Zeeble is KERA’s education reporter. Got a tip? Email Bill at bzeeble@kera.org. You can follow him on X @bzeeble KERA News is made possible through the generosity of our members. If you find this reporting valuable, consider making a tax-deductible gift today Celina ISD voters will decide the Place 1 and Place 2 positions on CISD's board of trustees during the May election Desi District offers a veggie cheese burger that is made with homemade spread and served with chips The city of Celina is getting its first mega Walmart: According to a release, it will be a Walmart Supercenter located at the northwest corner of Preston Road (Highway 289) and the West Outer Loop The store has been in the works for a few years but the Celina Economic Development Corporation celebrated the opening in a groundbreaking on April 16 Mayor Ryan Tubbs called it a "significant moment" for Celina The store will be a whopping 199,402 square feet That puts it on the high side: According to AI Walmart Supercenters can range from 100,000 to 200,000 square feet and average around 180,000 to 187,000 square feet although some larger Supercenters can exceed 250,000 square feet So it's not the biggest Walmart Supercenter ever but it's still a pretty big store It'll serve as the anchor on a mixed-use development featuring urban residential The city is also on track to get its first Costco by the end of the year. Will there be no end to the new shopping options? Not any time soon, as the community is now one of the fastest-growing cities in the U.S Celina residents currently have a Brookshire's for their grocery and pharmacy needs The closest Walmart Supercenters are in Anna with a total of nine in the Dallas-Fort Worth area In the Celina area, this puts Walmart ahead of that slacker H-E-B which so far only has stores in Allen although two more H-E-B stores are currently under construction in Melissa and Prosper “This Supercenter represents more than just a new store - it’s an investment in Celina’s future,” says Anthony Satarino Executive Director of the Celina Economic Development Corporation in a statement The store is expected to open in spring 2026 The City of Dallas has unveiled a new system designed to streamline business-y tasks such as obtaining permits and inspections. Called DallasNow it's a cloud-based application for "land management" — incorporating services such as permitting used by developers and businesses who need city permission before they start doing what they do the City of Dallas will use DallasNow to submit and review applications and schedule inspections all on one platform According to Dallas' director of Planning & Development Emily Liu the project has been in the making for two years "We heard from our customers that things needed to be changed Some have been steady incremental changes and with DallasNow this will be a monumental change in the way we will do business with much improved transparency and customer service,” Liu says but it grinded to a halt during the pandemic causing many developers to raise flags about the effects on business City personnel hope that some of the benefits will include: They're anticipating a transition and from May 5-16 will be hosting open house sessions with hands-on support to assist customers with setting up new accounts and navigating DallasNow These sessions will be held at Oak Cliff Municipal Center from 8–11:30 am and 1:30–4:30 pm Self-serve stations are set up in the Permit Center at Oak Cliff Municipal Center during regular business hours Sign In Register A sea monster has emerged from the depths of history and no It’s the fossilized remains of a plesiosaur discovered during a housing development project in Celina.  “It could be another 50 years before one like this shows up,” says Dr the Perot museum’s vice president of science and curator of vertebrate paleontology is providing scientists with a rare opportunity to study a creature that once swam the oceans of North Texas when it was covered by a warm The challenge in North Texas is that most fossils remain hidden beneath dense vegetation disturb the land that these fossils can be uncovered.  In a turn of events that could only be described as a paleontologist’s dream a local amateur fossil hunter spotted bones protruding from the ground at a Pulte Group development site after asking if he could hunt for shark’s teeth belonged to an ancient reptile: a plesiosaur As exciting as finding a needle in a haystack this discovery has attracted the attention of the Perot Museum of Nature and Science led the excavation team through difficult conditions: snowstorms the team has uncovered a remarkably well-preserved skeleton offering a glimpse into the past when the area was covered by a vast sea sea-dwelling creature with a long neck (think Loch Ness Monster) Plesiosaurs were marine reptiles that lived during the Mesozoic Era but — don’t be fooled — they’re not dinosaurs.  “Everyone thinks every big extinct reptile is a dinosaur These ancient sea reptiles were highly successful roaming the oceans for nearly 200 million years before they went extinct about 66 million years ago Tyoski believes this creature lived between 90 and 93 million years ago.  the team managed to extract a significant portion of the skeleton all remarkably well-preserved and articulated the excavation process was anything but high-tech Tykoski and his team carefully exposed the bones with the finesse of a dentist with a pickaxe.  dental-tool-like picks and garden trowels to follow the bones and track how far they went," says Dr Once they identified the full extent of the skeleton they made the bold decision to transport it in one massive block was wrapped in plaster and burlap and reinforced with 2x4s After carefully flipping the block over and removing excess rock it was transported back to the museum in a truck Finding such a complete and articulated skeleton is rare and exceptional “The last time I saw one this well-preserved was at SMU The specimen offers invaluable insight into life in the prehistoric seas that once covered North Texas during the Cretaceous period helping scientists understand the marine ecosystem that existed here millions of years ago Fossils like this are a crucial part of paleontological research and provide us with a tangible connection to the distant past we would be sitting on a sea floor with 300 to 500 feet of water above our heads," Dr While most of us are busy with modern-day developments this fossil serves as a reminder of what was here long before we built houses and roads — dinosaurs may not have lived in North Texas The team is eager to fully uncover the plesiosaur’s skeleton the specimen will be carefully cleaned and analyzed giving researchers a clearer picture of the creature's life the Perot Museum will display the findings for the public to marvel at offering a rare opportunity to witness a piece of history that once swam in the waters of what is now North Texas “They swam and lived and died in your backyard,” says Dr in these folks' new backyards in the amenity center in their community Don't miss anything Local. Sign up for our free newsletter More Partner Content > © 2025 Local Profile is a registered trademark of Community Profile LLC Please select what you would like included for printing: Copy the text below and then paste that into your favorite email application to Jerry Lee and Janet Carol (Hefflefinger) Morrow and Christian Morrow of Dayton; eleven cherished grandchildren Steve Jutte; and special friends Lonnie (Jami) Rader Brian was a proud 1985 graduate of Meadowdale High School in Dayton He honorably served his country in the United States Army and continued his military career with the Army National Guard Following his retirement from military service he found a second career as a truck driver for Walmart Distribution Center in Gas City recently earning the distinguished Master Truck Driver award from the state of Indiana He was a loyal member of the Celina Moose and a lifetime member of the Celina VFW Post #5713 His children and grandchildren brought him endless joy and pride He was an avid supporter of the Cincinnati Bengals and the Cincinnati Reds never missing a chance to cheer on his favorite teams A celebration of Brian’s life will be held at the convenience of his family The Morrow family extends their heartfelt gratitude to the staff of Cisco Funeral Homes in Celina and St Marys for their compassion and care during this difficult time This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply Service map data © OpenStreetMap contributors Celina City Council unanimously approved its consent agenda April 8. (Jacob Vaughn/Community Impact) Celina ISD students will return to school Aug. 12, 2026, for the 2026-27 school year. (Hannah Johnson/Community Impact) Hannah covers education for Frisco, McKinney, Prosper and Celina ISDs. She joined Community Impact in June 2022 as the reporter for Grapevine, Colleyville and Southlake. Hannah holds a degree in journalism from the University of North Texas and began her journalism career at the North Texas Daily. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Ashley Sykes - North Dallas Realtor (@ashleylsykes) The new Dan's Fresh & Local location in Celina is currently under construction Celina ISD received a "B" rating from the Texas Education Agency for the 2022-23 school year passed away peacefully surrounded by his loving family on April 26 and John (Carolyn) Patch of Geneva; and numerous nieces and nephews Roger was a 1980 graduate of South Adams High School in Berne He worked as a brick mason for over 45 years and started his own masonry business about six years ago Roger loved the outdoors and felt closest to God while hunting He treasured every moment spent with his children and grandsons and was blessed by the love of his family and church family He was a devoted follower of Jesus Christ and a faithful member of Abounding Grace Ministries in Celina He was also a proud member of the Bricklayers Union with Pastors Rick Brosher and Steve Bratcher officiating The family will receive friends at the church prior to the service from 10:30 a.m Memorial contributions may be made to the Cancer Association of Mercer County The Patch family would like to extend their heartfelt gratitude to the staff of Cisco Funeral Homes in Celina and St They would also like to offer a special thank you to Everheart Hospice for the loving care they provided to Roger during his final days Add to Calendar Add to Calendar Early voting for the May 3 election will run from April 22-29.(Courtesy Adobe Stock) passed away peacefully at home on Thursday in Celina to the late Ralph and Ruth (Ford) Canary Chris (Penny) Canary of Celina and Traci (Kevin Day) Canary of Celina; five cherished grandchildren and Mason Temple of Celina; and ten beloved great-grandchildren Donna (Troy Drake) Riley of Rockford; his brother Keith (Cindy) Canary of Rockford; and numerous extended family members and friends A proud 1965 graduate of Parkway High School Terry dedicated his career to running Canary Brothers Concrete Tile Company in Tama Funeral services will be held at 2:00 PM on Tuesday Carmel Church of God (2493 Carmel Church Rd Family and friends may gather for visitation at the church on Tuesday morning from 10:00 AM until the time of service at 2:00 PM A graveside service will take place at Friends Cemetery in Rockford at 11:00 AM on Wednesday morning In honor of Terry’s kind and giving spirit memorial contributions may be made to CHP Home Care & Hospice or Mercer County Senior Citizens The staff at Cisco Funeral Homes of Celina and St Marys is honored to care for the Canary family please visit www.ciscofuneralhome.com or the Cisco Funeral Home Facebook page Add to Calendar Add to Calendar Add to Calendar Two candidates are running for Celina City Council could bring some 311 single family homes to the city Celina ISD board members unanimously approved to place a $2.3 billion bond on the May 3 ballot during a Feb By Hojun ChoiReporter which includes parts of Collin and Denton counties amounting to the largest bond package in the district’s history The bonds will pay for 11 new schools as well as districtwide technology upgrades at its seven existing campuses Early voting for this year’s election began Tuesday The town’s population grew from just over 16,000 in 2020 to more than 43,000 in just over three years, according to U.S. Census estimates. In just one year, from 2022 to 2023, Celina added 9,000 new residents and was among the fastest growing cities in the country The new schools would be built over the next five to six years when the district expects the student population to push near 16,000 — about triple its current enrollment of 5,300 children Celina ISD Superintendent Tom Maglisceau said and we’re now starting to see the same progress that all the districts just below us were experiencing,” Maglisceau said Proposition A asks for more than $2.275 billion to build seven elementary schools a high school and an early childhood school About $200 million of that amount will be used for land purchases “We’re going to have to have these school facilities on the ground to support the growth,” Maglisceau said school officials have said the funding would also pay for a new center for transportation and other needs Proposition B would authorize $20 million in bonds for technology upgrades including student devices and improvements to districtwide communications systems the school district created a facilities planning team including community leaders students and their families to discuss what facilities the Celina school district would need to address the projected growth the district learned that the community wanted elementary schools with 750-student capacity middle schools that can accommodate 1,500 students and high schools that can support 3,000 students School officials have stressed the bonds would not lead to hikes in the tax rate “We wanted to make sure that we could do all this work without needing to increase the tax rate by any stretch,” Maglisceau said the values of homes in the district have been increasing the total taxable value of all properties in Celina ISD increased from about $2.9 billion to just under $5 billion In the same time period the average market value of homes in the district increased from about $510,00 to $612,000 according to Collin Central Appraisal District data Celina Mayor Ryan Tubbs, who was on the school district’s 2025 bond steering committee said he sees the bond propositions in this year’s election as “meat and potatoes.” “The district didn’t want to ask for an admin building They didn’t want to ask for an agriculture facility There’s not a fine arts facility included,” Tubbs said “It is just schools and an operations facility.” grew up in Celina when the town was still a small bedroom community her family’s home is still here and she feels a deep connection to the town a graduate student at Texas Woman’s University She recently embarked on a project to establish a historical marker at the district’s current administration building “It’s nice that history is being preserved here and that it still has that small town feel because I’ve watched Celina grow since I grew up here,” Briscoe said said she is aware of the needs that come along with fast-growing communities including the pressures school districts face to handle the growth “I get maybe 10 new students a year; that level of growth feels crazy,” Briscoe said “And it feels like it’s coming to Celina next.” he was a breaking news reporter for The Dallas Morning News He is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin 'The Rookie' airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m There will be a shared dog park between the Yardly Sutton Fields and Yarldy Frontier developments There's a sprawling new dining destination in Celina in a space rich with history: Called The Silos it’s a grand three-in-one concept that opened in late March in the town's iconic century-old grain silos at 300 N The Silos concept is a stunning repurposing project that has been in the works since 2021 The Silos were founded by Michael and Kim Arani and director of operations and co-creator Eric Harnett a hospitality veteran with 30 years experience who previously owned Destinations Their goal was to create a family-friendly space with food "We like to say that Silos in Celina is truly an authentic Texas experience there's nothing else like it bringing together restaurant and the only cigar lounge in Celina," Harnett says "It's kind of an adult playground." They executed a meticulous restoration of the 115-year-old silos and an outdoor TV wall fixed in front of one of the silos for game days and other events FoodLeading the culinary team is chef Tony Sanchez who's worked with Michelin-ranked chefs and has 20 years of experience in the industry ranging from hotels to upscale restaurants Each of the three venues at The Silos has its own dedicated menu The restaurant boasts an upscale dining flair and beef tips with truffle mac & cheese and a spicy twist on hush puppies with crab and jalapeno There are steakhouse-style sides such as creamed corn and five steakhouse-style salads including a Caesar and a wedge; plus pizzas; sandwiches including a burger and a hot chicken has a more casual menu of sharable bites like wings The cigar lounge has a limited menu of bites — cigars and cocktails are the main attraction — such as Wagyu mini dogs and chili roasted pistachios mixed with dried cherries and The Silos just screamed out for an opportunity to put a cool whiskey bar in what will become the city’s entertainment district,” Harnett says “We also added a large wine collection for those that prefer a red or white.” Editor's note: The top Dallas news of the week is chock-full of happenings in the restaurant scene. Exciting openings include a burger joint's new location, BBQ hidden gem, and the new Gas Monkey IceHouse from Richard Rawlings. Get the details on the most popular Dallas stories of the week below, and then head to our event planner for some weekend fun 1. Award-winning Dallas burger joint opens location in Forney An ambitious burger restaurant from Dallas has debuted in Forney Blues Burgers is from Howard and Catherine Baldwin who opened the original Blues Burgers near Love Field in Dallas in 2014 2. Family Tex-Mex shutters and more Dallas restaurant news This roundup of Dallas restaurant news has one tragic closure but also some upbeat reopenings and relocations 3. Hidden gem BBQ spot in Grand Prairie boasts up-close golf course views There’s a hidden gem for BBQ now open in Grand Prairie 4. Dallas celeb Richard Rawlings opens Gas Monkey IceHouse at The Colony The day has arrived for the opening of Gas Monkey Icehouse the new concept from automotive icon and DFW native Richard Rawlings 5. Dallas foodie fave restaurant Cris and John relocates after 7 years A major Dallas foodie favorite is on the move Cris and John Vietnamese Street Food is leaving its location in Far North Dallas at 5555 Preston Oaks Rd. and moving yet further north to 6090 Campbell Rd. in a shopping center at the corner of Preston Road Candidates for Celina ISD's Place 2 answered questions ahead of the upcoming May 3 election Karen joined Community Impact as a full time features reporter in December 2023 after working as a freelance reporter since 2011 she enjoys checking out local wineries with her husband and going on family vacations Celina ISD's second middle school will be named after the Willard family Hannah holds a degree in journalism from the University of North Texas and began her journalism career at the North Texas Daily.