We recognize our responsibility to use data and technology for good We may use or share your data with our data vendors The Weather Channel is the world's most accurate forecaster according to ForecastWatch, Global and Regional Weather Forecast Accuracy Overview Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has sued leaders of the Coppell Independent School District for allegedly flouting state restrictions on teaching “critical race theory” in public schools based on an undercover video published by a conservative activist group In the lawsuit filed last week in Dallas County, Paxton’s office accused Coppell ISD administrators of violating a state law that prohibits schools from teaching that “one race or sex is inherently superior to another” or requiring students to understand the New York Times’ 1619 Project a Pulitzer Prize-winning report that examined U.S history from the date when enslaved people first arrived to America The school district has about 13,000 students, according to state data most of whom are Asian and Hispanic while about a quarter are white which tracks hate and bigotry targeting marginalized communities An Accuracy in Media spokesperson described the group as a watchdog organization with no political affiliations The two-minute-long video depicts an undercover representative of Accuracy in Media talking to Evan Whitfield Coppell ISD’s director of curriculum and instruction “Our concern is more that they’re going to and I don’t know where you are politically learn a [Make America Great Again] version of history instead of an accurate depiction of real world events,” the undercover person told Whitfield “One thing that I love about this district is that despite what our state standards say and despite what we do what’s right for kids,” Whitfield responded in the video The remarks are among the ones cited by Paxton’s office in the lawsuit “Liberal administrators who want to ignore state law and unlawfully push divisive and racist CRT curriculum in classrooms will be held responsible for their actions,” Paxton said in a statement Wednesday that drew attention to the suit “Texas children deserve to receive the best education in the world A request for comment sent to Coppell ISD spokespeople Wednesday returned an automatic response that the school system is closed this week for spring break Gov. Greg Abbott signed in 2021 legislation that prescribes how teachers in Texas classrooms can talk about American racism history and current events The state joined a short list of those across the nation that sought to ban the teaching of “critical race theory” in K-12 public school classrooms — an advanced academic concept that discusses systemic racism and is more often found in law school and college syllabi The discipline is not taught in public schools but the term has become shorthand for some conservatives’ criticism of how children learn about race and racism As the 2021 measure was debated in the Legislature proponents argued they were trying to rid public education of personal biases Educators and education advocates expressed worries that politics were dictating instruction for the state’s 5.5 million public schoolchildren The video of the Coppell ISD administrator was first published by Corey DeAngelis a senior fellow at Accuracy in Media and self-described “school choice evangelist.” according a spokesperson for the group who disputed being characterized as "right-wing." Accuracy in Media touted its undercover video and celebrated Paxton’s office citing it in the suit “This lawsuit proves why investigative journalism matters,” the group said in a statement “Accuracy in Media has repeatedly exposed how school districts violate state laws and mislead parents about what is being taught in classrooms Disclosure: Southern Poverty Law Center and New York Times have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. Find a complete list of them here We can’t wait to welcome you to the 15th annual Texas Tribune Festival Texas’ breakout ideas and politics event happening Nov Step inside the conversations shaping the future of education Hear from our CEO, Sonal Shah, on TribFest 2025. TribFest 2025 is presented by JPMorganChase Choose an amount or learn more about membership Out of an abundance of caution and due to inclement weather and possible unsafe road conditions Coppell ISD has made the decision to close all schools and administration buildings on Thursday The inclement weather is anticipated to begin during the morning of Jan 9 and we do not want to dismiss early during severe weather for the safety of our students athletic and fine arts activities are also canceled due to the inclement weather.  Since the district and schools are closed parents/guardians do not have to submit a School Absence Note for Jan 10 will be announced once determined.  The district is assessing how this day will be made up which could include the use of a bad weather day or by using extra instructional minutes already built into the district’s calendar this decision will be shared with our staff and families Coppell Cowgirls defeated Austin Lake Travis 6-2 in the Championship Game CLICK HERE to enroll including the regular board meeting on Monday will be held at Coppell Middle School West in the Large Gathering Instruction (LGI) room Coppell Middle School West2701 Ranch Trail All CISD schools & admin buildings are closed on Thursday All CISD schools & admin buildings are closed on Friday We've been the Bible of Texas football fans for 64 years By joining the DCTF family you'll gain access to all of our exclusive content and have our magazines mailed to you Attorney General Ken Paxton sued Coppell school officials for teaching "critical race theory" in response to an edited video by a conservative activist that appears to show a school administrator discussing how to circumvent state education standards a person identified as the district's director of curriculum and instruction is seen talking about how Coppell had “gotten around” prohibitions on the use of so-called CRT in state policies and curricula is at one point asked whether Coppell schools are forced by Texas to teach an inaccurate despite what our state standards say and despite what we do what's right for kids," the man can be heard saying "Critical race theory" — the idea that racism is systemic and engrained in the law and public policy — is a legal framework that goes back to the 1970's and is almost exclusively taught in post-graduate and law schools But in recent years, the term has been used beyond its original definition. Texas' law banning "CRT" in classrooms, for example, limits how teachers can talk about current events in the classroom The man identified as Whitfield can also be heard discussing “Next Generation Science Standards” curriculum which is used by at least 20 states in the U.S but has not been approved by the Texas Board of Education The curriculum, which was rejected by the state for its environmental education content, focuses on the gravity of climate change KERA reached out to the district for a comment and will update this story with any response “Liberal administrators who want to ignore state law and unlawfully push divisive and racist CRT curriculum in classrooms will be held responsible for their actions,” read a statement from Paxton Wednesday My lawsuit aims to put an immediate end to this illegal and hateful curriculum and immediately stop the blatant refusal to follow state law by certain officials at Coppell ISD.” In 2021, Gov. Greg Abbott signed a controversial bill that limiting how Texas teachers talk about current events and America’s history of racism in the classroom. The legislation aimed to ban the teaching of “critical race theory” in K-12 public school classrooms The suit claims district officials acted as government officials and violated state law “by using state or local funds or other resources of the district to develop and distribute for teaching CRT curricula.” Paxton is seeking injunctive relief which would prohibit future teachings of critical race theory Penelope Rivera is KERA’s breaking news reporter. Got a tip? Email Penelope at privera@kera.org KERA News is made possible through the generosity of our members. If you find this reporting valuable, consider making a tax-deductible gift today Coppell is the third best place to live in Texas The Dallas-Fort Worth mid-city of Coppell has been ranked the third best place to live in Texas in 2025 by rankings and review website Niche.com The survey determined the best places to live in based on crime rates This isn't the first time Coppell has entered the limelight for its livability: Travel + Leisure ranked the city among its top five best American suburbs to live in for 2024 In Niche's national rankings of the best places to live in the U.S. The city is situated less than 30 miles northeast of downtown Fort Worth directly north of Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport The suburb boasts a population of more than 42,000 residents, and Niche gave it an "A-plus" rating thanks to its family friendliness, its high-ranking public schools "Living in Coppell offers residents a dense suburban feel and most residents own their homes," Niche says "In Coppell there are a lot of restaurants Many families live in Coppell and residents tend to have moderate political views." Coppell is also home to a shiny brand new Trader Joe's which is the newest location from the national cult-favorite grocery chain to open in Dallas-Fort Worth since 2012 many residents praise the city's close-knit community feel quiet and crime free suburb out of Dallas," one reviewer wrote "Very close to all kinds of amenities and restaurants Dallas is close by and couple of other colleges which is wonderful for us since we are a family of 6 The rush hour traffic could be nuisance at times." which is far higher than the national median home value of $303,400 Median rent prices land are just under $1,900 per month Coppell was the only Dallas-Fort Worth suburb to make it into the top 10 best places to live in Texas with several others earning spots among the top 25: University Park (No 13); Frisco's Preston Highlandsneighborhood (No 20); and Richardson's Canyon Creek North (No 24) and Sherrill Park North/Foxboro Addition (No The top 10 best neighborhoods to live in Texas in 2025 are: One Fort Worth-area city took the top slot on a new list of "the 100 Best Places to Live in 2025." The list — from relocation marketing platform Livability.com — put Flower Mound at No 1 for its appealing size and affordability The list was restricted to small and mid-size cities with populations between 75,000-500,000 residents And it also considered only cities with a median home value of $500,000 or less Keeping their list centered around "affordability," they considered factors such as average rent and home prices relative to income And while Flower Mound is listed as No. 1, the site encourages users to create their own ranking based on personal priorities Flower Mound earned the highest score out of all the cities on the report with a LivScore totaling 875 out of 1,000 possible points Flower Mound is 32 miles northeast of Fort Worth, with a population of more than 77,000 residents and a median household income that's well into the six-figures These affluent residents have median home values of $476,609 the suburb ranked the highest for its health (88) The report said Flower Mound has a "diverse and robust" economy bolstered by more than 2,000 locally based businesses in tech Rheudasil Park is a great place for families to enjoy the outdoors.Town of Flower Mound Livability's profile of Flower Mound praises its safe neighborhoods "Local residents (and their pets) have all kinds of fun ways to enjoy the great outdoors thanks to more than 1,000 acres of parkland," the profile says with amenities galore — including a splash pad 18-hole disc golf course and bronze statues of animals native to the area Flo-Mo is a repeat award winner: In 2024, the city was found to be the 29th most livable small city in America in a separate study by SmartAsset Seven other Texas cities were also included in the list of best places to live in the U.S.: Sugar Land (854 points) The top 10 cities that earned the most points on Livability's list are: 2025 7-on-7 State Qualifying begins on Saturday in Coppell at the Coppell SQT.  This tournament will send two entires to the 2025 Texas State 7-on-7 Tournament June 27-28 in College Station Stepp's Picks To Qualify: Lewisville By Milla Surjadistaff writer arguing school officials broke state law by teaching students critical race theory and pushing “woke ideology.” Paxton’s office announced the lawsuit with agency officials referring to a hidden-camera recording that appeared to show a Coppell school administrator evading the state’s “prohibitions on the use of CRT in state policies and curricula.” not have woke ideology forced upon them,” Paxton said in a statement “My lawsuit aims to put an immediate end to this illegal and hateful curriculum and immediately stop the blatant refusal to follow state law by certain officials at Coppell ISD.” Coppell ISD officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment over phone and email The Education LabReceive our in-depth coverage of education issues and stories that affect North Texans GoogleFacebookBy signing up you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy Critical race theory is a framework that explores how policies and laws uphold systemic racism. It was largely debated in academia. In recent years, many conservatives conflated it with work aimed at making schools more equitable. In 2021, Gov. Greg Abbott signed a law that sought to eliminate critical race theory from schools. Paxton’s lawsuit comes after a group called Accuracy in Media used hidden cameras to record a Coppell administrator in 2022. In the video, a person is heard asking whether Abbott’s orders, seemingly referring to the CRT ban, will affect what students learn. Another person identified as a district leader is heard saying that he does not believe so because school administrators have “gotten around” the ban by not classifying curriculum and “tap dance around calling it anything.” He is heard explaining how Coppell schools use the Next Generation Science Standards, but doesn’t publish that on its website. If it did, district officials would “get a call” from the Texas Education Agency, he says in the recording. Paxton noted in his release that the Next Generation Science Standards materials, which highlight that climate change is real and primarily caused by human activity, are not approved by the State Board of Education. The state’s curriculum standards require eighth graders to learn about climate change and how human activities “can” influence it. In 2023, the board approved five science textbooks that adhere to the standards and added it to the state’s adoption list. However, school districts are not required to use those materials and may choose their own as long as it complies with the state’s standards. “Liberal administrators who want to ignore state law and unlawfully push divisive and racist CRT curriculum in classrooms will be held responsible for their actions,” Paxton said in a statement. His office recently launched probes into multiple school districts regarding policies on transgender student athletes after Accuracy in Media published similar hidden-camera videos. Adam Guillette, the group’s president, previously told The Dallas Morning News that his team of “undercover journalists” has investigated more than 100 districts across the state. “This once again makes the case for school choice,” he said. “When you have administrator after administrator in district after district caught breaking or ignoring multiple laws on a variety of issues, it’s clear that these people think that they’re above the law.” Abbott has said he will sign a law creating education savings accounts this year. The Texas Senate has signed off on a voucher-style bill, while the House recently held public hearings on its version. Meanwhile, at least one state representative from North Texas previously urged caution when responding to such hidden-camera recordings. “This is a clear example of how manufactured controversies distract from the real work of educating our students,” said state Rep. Terry Meza, D-Irving. The DMN Education Lab deepens the coverage and conversation about urgent education issues critical to the future of North Texas. She has previously reported for The Wall Street Journal She is a recent graduate of Duke University district officials provided details about affected neighborhoods and the impact to middle school feeder patterns and trustees discussed any possible changes Jonathan is a features reporter covering businesses and restaurants across the northern Dallas-Fort Worth region He joined Community Impact in July 2023 after earning a journalism degree at The University of Texas at Arlington and writing for the college newspaper Coppell ISD Board of Trustees Place 2 candidates were asked to answer questions ahead of the May 3 elections Coppell ISD officials are pushing back against accusations they're violating laws against teaching critical race theory saying an undercover video used as the basis for Attorney General Ken Paxton's lawsuit against the district was misleading and taken out of context a person identified as the district's director of curriculum and instruction appears to be seen talking to an undercover activist about how Coppell had “gotten around” prohibitions on the use of so-called "CRT" in state policies and curricula attorneys for the district officials called the video — posted by conservative activists Accuracy in Media — "heavily edited and manipulated so to be grossly misleading." the petition does not allege a single verified instance where CISD has previously taught CRT or is about to teach CRT," the complaint noted in a footnote the only basis for the Attorney General’s lawsuit is the re-posted heavily edited video created by Accuracy in Media." The video was first released in February 2023 before it was reposted this year. The suit claims Whitfield and others acted as government officials and violated state law “by using state or local funds or other resources of the district to develop and distribute for teaching CRT curricula,” citing the Accuracy in Media video In the school officials' answer to Paxton's complaint — which also seeks sanctions against the AG — they characterized the suit as baseless harassment They claim in part Whitfield's comments were taken out of context and played out of sequence to the questions he was responding to which they say were not related to questions about teaching critical race theory The district's response also accused Paxton of waiting until March to file the suit in order to use it as part of an argument for a Texas bill that would allow parents to use public funds to pay for private schools. Accuracy in Media President Adam Guillette called the officials "lying bureaucrats." "If the district had reached out to us for the entire videos we would have gladly sent the videos to them," Guillette said they can't with a straight face make any sorts of claims about the context These are liars who are doubling down on their law-breaking lies." He agreed to send over longer portions of the video "without any notable edits," but said they could not be released until at least early next week because the group's editors are working on "a number of other releases all weekend." Among the defendants in the suit is Coppell Superintendent Brad Hunt, who on Thursday announced his retirement at the end of this school year after eight years leading the district "Working alongside such outstanding educators has been the most rewarding experience of my career," Hunt said in his announcement we’ve reached milestones that have propelled our students to incredible heights CISD has become a shining example of what education can and should be — a true destination district." The superintendent didn't give a reason for his retirement or what his next plans may be KERA News reached out to Coppell ISD and the defendants' attorneys and will update this story with any response "Critical race theory" — the idea that racism is systemic and engrained in the law and public policy — is a legal framework that goes back to the 1970s and is almost exclusively taught in post-graduate and law schools There's been no evidence it's being taught widely in elementary opponents of "CRT" have pointed to lessons about racism and other social justice topics as examples Texas' law against teaching critical race theory, which was signed by Gov. Greg Abbott in 2021, has been criticized as censorship by limiting how teachers can talk about current events in the classroom Paxton's suit against CISD also alleged Whitfield’s reference to Next Generation Science Standards — which is used by at least 20 states in the U.S but has not been approved by the Texas Board of Education — shows a “continuing pattern for disregard for state law and executive direction." The curriculum was rejected by the state for its environmental education content, which focuses on the gravity of climate change the updated Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills — or TEKS — does require eighth graders to learn about climate change Coppell school officials said they also sent Paxton the district's approved curricula for all grades and subjects and policies after it was requested by Paxton's office the curricula plans produced by CISD before this lawsuit was filed show unequivocally that CISD follows the state’s TEKS mandated curriculum and does not teach CRT," the document read "A reasonable inquiry by the Attorney General into the petition’s allegations would have shown that the factual and legal allegations that CISD is knowingly teaching CRT in violation of state law have no evidentiary support," the complaint said did not make a reasonable inquiry and/or ignored the available facts." Officials allege in their counterclaim filed Tuesday that efforts to discredit Coppell and other public schools’ educators are being made to influence debates over school choice To provide the Attorney General with political fodder against public school districts such as CISD during the current debate and upcoming votes in the Texas Legislature about private school vouchers and public school funding,” the filing read Coppell ISD officials said they could not comment on pending litigation when reached Friday Superintendent Brad Hunt addressed the suit and wrote the district is “committed to providing a high-quality education that follows the state curriculum.” The attorney general’s office did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment Paxton accused Coppell school officials of breaking state law by teaching students critical race theory and pushing “woke ideology.” The attorney general’s office referred to a hidden camera recording filmed by a group called Accuracy in Media that appeared to show a Coppell ISD administrator evading the state’s “prohibitions on the use of CRT in state policies and curricula,” according to a statement from his office announcing the suit Critical race theory is a framework that explores how policies and laws uphold systemic racism many conservatives conflated it with work aimed at making schools more equitable for students Greg Abbott signed a law to eliminate critical race theory from schools “Liberal administrators who want to ignore state law and unlawfully push divisive and racist CRT curriculum in classrooms will be held responsible for their actions,” Paxton said in a statement district officials deny teaching CRT in classrooms They argue the lawsuit was filed to “harass public school districts and their officials” as lawmakers debate a school voucher-style program that would allow public money to pay for a private education The filing notes that the video of the Coppell administrator was online for more than two years, yet Paxton filed the suit on March 13, days after the House began work on its version of a school choice bill Supporters of education savings account proposals say they would allow families to leave failing public schools and choose a setting that best suits their children. Opponents say they funnel money and resources away from public schools. Coppell school officials insist the video recording is more than two years old and “heavily edited and manipulated so to be grossly misleading.” In the video, a person is heard asking a Coppell school administrator whether Abbott’s orders will affect what students learn. The video does not detail what order is being referenced. The district leader responds that he does not believe so because school administrators have “gotten around” the ban by not classifying curriculum and “tap dance around calling it anything.” District officials say the Coppell administrator’s comments “were not related to questions about teaching CRT.” The filing notes that some of the Coppell administrator’s comments were recorded in May 2021, before the law banning critical race theory went into effect that September. The video is edited to include a recording from September 2022, according to the district’s response, which adds it was first published online in February 2023. A month before filing suit, Paxton’s office requested Coppell’s curriculum as well as the district’s policies regarding compliance with state law regarding CRT. Coppell provided the information, according to the filing. Paxton “knew prior to filing this lawsuit that CISD is not violating” state law, the district officials argue. Adam Guillette, president of Accuracy in Media, previously told The Dallas Morning News that his team investigated more than 100 districts across the state with “undercover journalists.” Abbott made creating an education savings account his top legislative priority this year. The latest version of the proposal was passed out of a committee Thursday and goes to the House for a vote soon. CISD enrollment for the 2024-25 school year was 13,209 and could fall to 13,049 by next year Brad Hunt Announces Retirement After 35 Years in Public EducationCoppell ISD After 35 years in public education and eight years leading Coppell ISD effective at the end of the 2024–2025 school year who began his career in Coppell ISD in 1990 described his time with the district as "an incredible honor and privilege." He joined CISD as a teacher at Coppell High School later serving as principal and becoming superintendent in 2017 I was immediately struck by the extraordinary students "I thought CISD was a utopia — and I still feel that way today Coppell ISD has earned recognition as one of the top school districts in Texas thanks to a collective effort by its exceptional educators and committed families He praised the district’s staff and teachers for their tireless dedication and passion for student success “Working alongside such outstanding educators has been the most rewarding experience of my career,” Dr CISD has become a shining example of what education can and should be — a true destination district.” Hunt also expressed gratitude to the CISD Board of Trustees He gave special thanks to former board members Judy Barbo and Amy Dungan for their belief in his leadership Hunt has dedicated 35 years to public education and Coppell ISD serving the last eight as our Superintendent He leaves an enduring legacy of steady leadership and a passion for public education that has shaped generations in our community I want to express our heartfelt gratitude for his service and wish him the best in his well-deserved retirement." “Coppell ISD and this community have been integral to my life and my family’s journey.  From my wife starting her teaching career here CISD is deeply woven into the fabric of my family.” “CISD will always hold a special place in my heart,” Dr CHS Testing Website Coppell Cheer teams win 2 NCA National Champion titles at the same time Photos by CHS and New Tech advisers and by Manasa Borra — courtesy of The Sidekick and New Tech High @ Coppell showcased their business expertise at the District 11 DECA Career Development Conference on Jan With more than 2,100 competitors — double the previous year due to the addition of Ellis and Kaufman counties — CISD students stood out A total of 207 Coppell High School students and 50 New Tech students advanced to the State DECA Competition scheduled for March 6-8 at the Dallas Anatole Hotel CHS junior Driti Gajjela was elected District 11 DECA President marking the fourth consecutive year a CHS DECA student has held this prestigious position Congratulations to all qualifiers and their advisers: This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page District officials began focusing on declining attendance in the 2023-24 school year and developed supports for implementation in the 2024-25 school year with the goal of raising attendance rate to 97% The change switches dates for April 2026 professional development day and a bad weather day Coppell ISD Board of Trustees Place 1 candidates were asked to answer questions ahead of the May 3 elections The last day to register to vote for the May 3 election is April 3 and early voting will take place April 22-29 Coppell ISD has produced a district record-breaking 51 National Merit Semifinalists for the 2024-2025 school year with 50 hailing from Coppell High School and one from New Tech High @ Coppell This incredible achievement places CHS as the high school with the second highest number of National Merit Semifinalists in the state of Texas and as one of the top high schools in the nation in terms of the number of semifinalists according to the 2025 National Merit Semifinalist Scholarship Program Westwood High School in Round Rock ISD had 51 National Merit Semifinalists Being named a National Merit Semifinalist is a significant honor and a testament to a student's outstanding academic progress and success Selection is based on student scores on the 2023 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test National Merit Semifinalists represent less than one percent of U.S The 50 National Merit Finalists from Coppell High School are 5.3 percent of the senior class of 936 students which means that CHS has more than five times the number of National Merit Finalists than the national average "This accomplishment showcases the hard work and dedication of our students as well as the exceptional education provided by our outstanding teachers from elementary through high school,” said CISD Superintendent Dr “The success of these students also reflects the unwavering support of their parents We are incredibly proud of our 51 National Merit Semifinalists and I cannot wait to see what they do next.” The following 50 National Merit Semifinalists from Coppell High School exemplify the school's commitment to rigorous academic programs and its commitment to fostering student success: which emphasizes project-based learning and innovative approaches to education is also celebrating its outstanding National Merit Semifinalist This record-breaking achievement showcases the strength of the educational opportunities within Coppell ISD This year’s 51  National Merit Semifinalists breaks CISD’s last record of 49 National Merit Semifinalists for the 2023-2024 school year — 48 for CHS and one for New Tech High @ Coppell.  These 51 National Merit Semifinalists will now proceed to the Finalist stage where they will compete for prestigious National Merit Scholarships.   Coppell City Council members approved a zoning change to allow a Jason's Deli to open in a 4,618-square-foot space along North Denton Tap Road Colby joined Community Impact in July 2022 He covers transportation and real estate for the Dallas-Fort Worth metro he worked for student newspapers at Del Mar College and The University of Texas at Arlington while attending school Get the best experience and stay connected to your community with our Spectrum News app. Learn More DALLAS — On Wednesday, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit against Coppell Independent School District for allegedly teaching “critical race theory.” The lawsuit stems from a video published by a conservative watchdog nonprofit an undercover representative speaks with Evan Whitfield Paxton’s office claims Coppell ISD broke a state law forbidding schools from teaching that “one race or sex is inherently superior to another race or sex,” and “requiring an understanding of the 1619 Project,” which is a New York Times project that claims that the arrival of enslaved Africans in 1619 The attorney general says that Whitfield noted the district’s use of “Next General Science Standards” (NGSS) curriculum which Paxton’s office is accusing the district of employing Texas is one of six states that doesn’t use the NGSS curriculum The NGSS K-12 science standards are based on a K-12 science education framework These standards cover climate change education emphasizing actions to curb atmospheric greenhouse gases Concerns over the environmental education content caused the state to reject these standards “one thing that I love about this district is that despite what our state standards say and despite what The lawsuit against the district includes this statement “Liberal administrators who want to ignore state law and unlawfully push divisive and racist CRT curriculum in classrooms will be held responsible for their actions,” said Paxton My lawsuit aims to put an immediate end to this illegal and hateful curriculum and immediately stop the blatant refusal to follow state law by certain officials at Coppell ISD.”  A Texas bill signed by Gov. Greg Abbott in 2021 dictates how teachers discuss current events and the history of racism in schools The bill bans the teaching of “critical race theory” in K-12 public schools Critical race theory examines the influence of race and racism on the social and legal systems of the United States Those who opposed the law said its implementation would restrict honest discussions of race and racism in the United States’ past Accuracy in Media also went undercover at Dallas ISD and Irving ISD in February where Paxton’s office said that employees at both districts were filmed “advising parents as to how the school district would consider a change of sex on a birth certificate for a student in determining eligibility to participate in sports.” The National Weather service has issued a winter storm watch for the Dallas-Fort Worth area starting the night of Jan Trustees reviewed budget updates at the Jan Coppell Cowboys will take on North Crowley in the 2024 UIL Regional Football Playoffs on Saturday at the Vernon Newsome Stadium in Mansfield CLICK HERE to purchase Tickets | CLICK HERE to purchase Parking Pass Parking Lots will open at 12:00 p.m.Gates to the Stadium will open at 12:30 p.m Editor's note:It's time to look back at the top Dallas news of the week, beginning with a ranking of Texas' best places to live. Plus, a Korean fried chicken chain roosts in the area, new happy hours abound, and more. Get the details on our five most popular Dallas stories below, and then check out this guide for some weekend fun 1. Dallas-area suburb ranks as 3rd best place to live in Texas in 2025 The survey determined the best places to live in based on crime rates 2. New Korean fried chicken chain opens 2nd U.S. location in Carrollton A new name in Korean fried chicken has made its Texas debut in Carrollton: Called Puradak it’s a chain that originated in South Korea in 2014 and claims to offer a "luxury" fried chicken experience featuring a unique oven-fried method that results in a juicy 3. Acclaimed BBQ restaurant in Arlington makes Diners, Drive-ins & Dives A Dallas-Fort Worth barbecue spot will get its ray of Guy Fieri sunshine: Smoke 'N Ash the "Tex-Ethiopian" BBQ restaurant in Arlington will appear on Food Network in late May in an episode of Diners the series starring mesmerizing host Guy Fieri 4. Where to drink in Dallas right now: 5 new happy hours for April but a drink often makes the weather better This edition of where to drink boasts four new or notable happy hours and one hotel offering a special themed cocktail menu 5. Dallas' West Village welcomes 2 new well-known local restaurants is adding two new restaurants to its roster both from Dallas-based Vandelay Hospitality 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 The unofficial results from the November 5 Voter-Approval Tax Ratification Election VATRE) are in I do want to thank those in our community who voted and participated in this process The Board of Trustees will certify the election results at their meeting on Monday and also plan to discuss the budget implications The VATRE was a crucial component of the CISD 2024-2025 Budget the district will have to make more cuts to address the budget deficit These cuts could include additional school closures and program consolidations secondary schedule changes and other significant measures to maintain financial stability and operational efficiency We will continue to inform the community about our budget challenges and the next steps in this process at the November 18 Board Meeting (event) => {\\n if (window.location.pathname.includes(\\\"events\\\")) {\\n addCalendarButton();\\n }\\n});\\nwindow.addEventListener(\\\"resize\\\" () => {\\n toggleCalendarButtonVisibility();\\n});\\nvar oldOpen = XMLHttpRequest.prototype.open;\\nfunction onStateChange(event) {\\n toggleCalendarButtonVisibility();\\n}\\nXMLHttpRequest.prototype.open = function () {\\n this.addEventListener(\\\"loadend\\\" arguments);\\n};\\n$(\\n \\\"div.event-cal-content div.event-cal-content-toolbar div.events-toolbar-actions div.actions-right div div.list-views-container button\\\"\\n).click(function () {\\n setTimeout(function () {\\n addCalendarButton();\\n } alwaysOnChatBot);\\n\\n/* ----------- END ADD ALWAYSON CHATBOT ----------- */\\n\\n\",\"css_code\":\"#app,body,html h4 {\\n\\tfont-family: franklin-gothic-urw USA\",\"end_at\":\"2025-02-05T20:00:00.000-06:00\",\"address\":\"1301 Wrangler Cir TX 75019\"}],\"header\":\"Address\",\"hasHeader\":true,\"showSchools\":false},{\"items\":[{\"type\":\"FooterTextField\",\"content\":\"Phone: (214) 496-3800\\nEmail: shaugh@coppellisd.com\"},{\"type\":\"FooterHeader\",\"content\":\"School Times\"},{\"type\":\"FooterTextField\",\"content\":\"8:50 a.m Coppell Road\",\"fax_number\":\"\",\"phone_number\":\"Phone: (214) 496-7500\",\"showOnCmsPublic\":true}],\"additionalText\":\" li h2,\\nbody.cs-monument-template #gb-mobile-social-media-icons h2 {\\n font-family: 'Open Sans' The new development will be located north of SH 121 in Coppell Pilates is a popular fitness class at Coppell Senior and Community Center 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 CISD Trustees approved a modified boundary realignment for the 25-26 school year impacting students at Pinkerton These changes were approved due to the consolidation of both Pinkerton Elementary to Wilson Elementary and the Dual Language Immersion (DLI) program from Wilson Elementary to Denton Creek Elementary. The boundary realignment plan approved impacts approximately 497 students through the following: Moving 150 IB Choice students from Pinkerton and 141 zoned students from Pinkerton to Wilson Elementary and then to CMS North; Moving 38 students zoned to Pinkerton to Austin Elementary; and  Moving 168 Wilson Dual Language Immersion students from Wilson to Denton Creek Elementary.  The realignment also returns the Cypress Water apartments that were moved to Cottonwood Creek Elementary for 24-25 back to Richard J Lee Elementary for the 25-26 school year.  This modified boundary realignment proposal, referred to as “Scenario 2," was recommended by CISD leadership to minimize disruption to our elementary and middle school students based on community feedback It also allows for the possibility that the district may consolidate another elementary school in the future The middle school feeder patterns have not changed as a result of this boundary realignment and remain as follows: CMS East  — Austin (with the newly zoned Pinkerton students) Mockingbird and Lakeside Elementary Schools  Town Center* and Wilson Elementary Schools (with the newly zoned Pinkerton students now at Wilson Elementary)  *Students from the Townlake Apartment Complex at 215 N Moore Road attend Town Center Elementary and feed into Coppell Middle School East Families at the schools impacted by this boundary realignment will receive additional communication from the district and information about the transfer application process, which is also available at www.coppellisd.com/transfer.  If you have any questions, please email input@coppellisd.com.  Enter through the Auditorium/Gymnasium entrance in the large student parking lot of Coppell High School at 185 W function () {\\n if (window.location.pathname.includes(\\\"events\\\")) {\\n addCalendarButton();\\n }\\n});\\n\\nwindow.addEventListener(\\\"resize\\\" toggleCalendarButtonVisibility);\\nwindow.addEventListener(\\\"clientWorkEvent\\\" toggleCalendarButtonVisibility);\\n\\ndocument.querySelectorAll(\\n \\\"div.event-cal-content div.event-cal-content-toolbar div.events-toolbar-actions div.actions-right div div.list-views-container button\\\"\\n ).forEach((button) => {\\n button.addEventListener(\\\"click\\\" function () {\\n setTimeout(addCalendarButton USA\",\"end_at\":\"2025-01-28T20:00:00.000-06:00\",\"address\":\"185 W Parkway Blvd USA\",\"end_at\":\"2025-01-30T19:00:00.000-06:00\",\"address\":\"400 Mockingbird Ln USA\",\"all_day\":false,\"latitude\":\"32.9611714\",\"start_at\":\"2025-01-30T17:30:00.000-06:00\",\"longitude\":\"-96.9688233\",\"recurrent\":false,\"city_state\":\"\",\"recurrency\":null,\"description\":\"Theatre C performace of \\\"Haters\\\" Coppell ISD residents will consider a tax rate election on the ballot TX 75019\"}],\"header\":\"Address\",\"hasHeader\":true,\"showSchools\":false},{\"items\":[{\"type\":\"FooterTextField\",\"content\":\"Phone: (214) 496-7300\\nEmail: jbransom@coppellisd.com\"},{\"type\":\"FooterHeader\",\"content\":\"School Times\"},{\"type\":\"FooterTextField\",\"content\":\"7:40 a.m District officials expect to complete the Coppell Middle School North project before July 29 and the Coppell High School project in early summer 10 for both districts are still undetermined and will be announced through one of multiple LISD and CISD platforms He joined Community Impact in July 2023 after earning a journalism degree at The University of Texas at Arlington and writing for the college newspaper.