The proposed fiscal year 2026-27 municipal budget projects total expenditures of $178.66 million across all city funds. This is meant to balance local infrastructure investments, public services and financial sustainability.
Central to the discussions was the proposed tax rate of 44.12 cents per $100 of assessed property value. Under this proposed rate, the owner of an average homestead valued at $605,309 would see an estimated annual tax bill of $2,670.42.
The proposed tax structure allocates 37.54 cents towards operations and maintenance, while 6.58 cents supports the city’s debt service obligations.
Due to the proposed budget, changes to the community services could take effect.
“Changes to the community experience include the removal of the farmers market and community gardens for the community experiences of the Community Engagement Division Budget,” Coppell Director of Strategic and Financial Engagement Kim Tiehan said.
One proposed cost-cutting measure discussed was closing The CORE Recreational Center at 8 p.m. rather than the usual 10 p.m. on weeknights, as introduced in the city’s fiscal budget planning. This also eliminates childcare services, such as the Sunshine Room, an on-site service at The CORE.
Public speakers in the open forum spoke against changes in community services due to its support for mental health and families.
“The Sunshine Room gives my kids the ability to socialize, and lets me have a breather throughout the summer,” Coppell High School Ninth Grade Center math teacher Alexander Harris said. “It is also a valuable resource for my wife, who is a working mom.”
Though the decision for The CORE closing hours is ongoing, council member Brianna Hinojosa-Smith thinks the hours should remain the same.
“I will be supporting The CORE staying open at its current hours; I will be supporting the Sunshine Room continuing to stay open,” Hinojosa-Smith said. “I will continue to also support health and wellness as much as I can.”
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]]>With a 12-5 overall record, the Cowgirls have been continuously evolving this season. Coppell coach Robyn Ross sees improvement in their gameplay.
“We have gotten much smarter and much better at serving and passing,” Ross said. “Our serve receive can rival anyone’s.”
As one of the smaller teams in District 7-6A, the Cowgirls heavily rely on strategy. This is what differentiates them from their competition.
“We will have to serve aggressively and have great ball control to beat anyone in this new district,” Ross said.
Ross emphasizes a precise approach is key against the Panthers.
“Plano East is a good team with good athletes,” Ross said. “We will have to execute our game plan perfectly to upset them.”
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]]>Transitioning into the new school year, the summer heat is not going away. What can students and teachers do to avoid heat exhaustion? There are many methods to make this uncomfortable heat tolerable.
Outdoor practices
Band and athletic practices have been in session, making the heat a part of it. It is vital to bring an electrolyte pack or Gatorade to stay hydrated.
“Our season starts in March,” junior track runner Layla Khalil said. “So pushing through the heat right now makes it harder to push through and you get tired faster.”
Rather than going straight into practice in the sweltering heat, build up endurance through 15 minute walks.
“When October hits, that is when the kids are running onto the field and enjoying practice instead of the slow jog and energy that is happening right now in this heat,” Coppell football coach Zachary Gonzalez said.
Staying Hydrated
Athletes should consume around 200-300 milliliters of fluid every 15 minutes during exercise. Prior to practice, the average amount of water consumed should be 16 to 24 ounces of water or sports drinks.
“Hydration is key,” Coppell High School nurse Brittany Logan said. “Most students are not drinking near enough water on a regular basis.”
Longer water breaks are set when the temperature rises. Find a shaded area under pop-up tents if available during breaks. Consider consuming more electrolytes if exercise is greater than 60 minutes in intense heat.
Dress appropriately
Parking in the CHS student parking lot can require a long walk to the air conditioned building. Rather than wearing that sweater to be comfortable in a cool classroom, dress in layers and wear lighter colors other than black.
“I am going to wear things to help me with the heat,” Khalil said. “When it comes to being in school, I like to bring a jacket and because of track I bring a second outfit in my bag.”
Wearing breathable tops and shorts offer the best reliability in the August heat.
Heat symptoms
Heat cramps cause muscles to tense up and ache from exercise in the hot weather and lack of water consumption. Be sure to rest when you are experiencing muscle contractions. To alleviate the pain, massage the extended muscles and apply ice.
“With athletes it is important to have something in your stomach before you work out,” Logan said. “Eating easily digestible carbohydrates provides enough energy to get through workouts.”
Heat exhaustion is caused by a lack of blood transmitted to the heart causing headache, nausea, dizziness and chills. To treat this, elevate your legs to regulate blood flow and use cold towels to cool off.
“For morning practices it is still in the lower 90s and it is lethargic,” Gonzalez said. “We take 10 minutes to slowly ramp up practice.”
Exertional heat stroke (EHS) is when the body reaches a temperature of 104 degrees fahrenheit causing dizziness, fainting and confusion. This is a medical emergency that has to be treated right away.
The hazards of extreme heat require careful preparation, symptom awareness and immediate action to prevent severe medical emergencies. Limit outdoor exposure during peak hours, maintain proper hydration and recognize the warning signs of heat-related illnesses to stay safe.
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]]>The Coppell football team gave it to Waxahachie. Waxahachie handed it back. For four quarters at Lumpkins Stadium, three points bounced between sidelines as quickly as possession did.
Then Taylen Strange decided to keep them.
The Waxahachie junior running back broke free, diving into the end zone for an 18-yard touchdown with 1:55 remaining, giving the Indians the one lead Coppell would not have time to take back.
28 seconds remained when the ball returned to Waxahachie for good.
This time, so did the lead.
The final score on the Lumpkins Stadium scoreboard reads 27-24 as Waxahachie defeated Coppell on Friday in a highly–anticipated ranked matchup this season.
The matchup put two of the state’s top ranked teams against each other, with Coppell attempting to knock Waxahachie from the No. 1 spot in Class 6A. Instead, the Indians survived the Cowboys’ attempts to take control and held onto their place on top of the rankings.
“They made plays that we didn’t,” Coppell coach Antonio Wiley said. “Plain and simple. When they made plays that we don’t, they came out with the win.”
Coppell struck first when sophomore wide receiver Zavier Kichan rushed two yards into the end zone for a 7-0 lead with 5:07 remaining in the first quarter.
Waxahachie responded in the second when Strange scored to tie the game. Coppell senior kicker Caden Mechsner put the Cowboys ahead with a ten-yard field goal, making the score 10-7, before the Indians scored with 19 seconds before halftime to take a 14-10 lead.
The back-and-forth continued after the break.
Coppell junior quarterback Carter Zingelmann connected with junior wide receiver Jacob Anene for a 16-yard touchdown to put the Cowboys back ahead, 17-14. Zingelmann completed 22 of 29 passes for 255 yards and a touchdown.
Waxahachie responded again, reclaiming a 21-17 advantage late in the third.
“It was just a battle between who could make the least amount of mistakes,” Kichan said. “There were a mistake or two that we made that they didn’t.”
Coppell had another response.
Zingelmann broke free for 27 yards late in the third quarter to bring the Cowboys near the goal line. On the opening play of the fourth, Kichan, scoring his third touchdown of the season, finished the push with his second rushing touchdown, returning the lead to Coppell, 24-21.
“I was pretty hyped up,” Kichan said. “I feel like it was a good run, but I’m thankful for my line.”
For most of the fourth quarter, that touchdown looked as though it might be the difference.
Then, with 1:55 left, Strange struck again.
His 18-yard touchdown gave Waxahachie a 27-24 lead and forced Coppell into one final drive. Zingelmann was sacked twice, leaving the Cowboys facing third-and-24 with 42 seconds remaining. Coppell fell short of the first-down marker, allowing Waxahachie to run out the final 28 seconds.
The Indians relied heavily on its ground game, rushing for 215 yards on 35 carries while attempting just 20 passes. Coppell countered through the air behind Zingelmann’s 255 passing yards, but neither offense created much separation.
Coppell leaves Waxahachie at 1-1, while the Indians remain undefeated.
After a night of trading leads, three points separated the teams. For Wiley, those three points came down to the details.
“We’ve just got to live better in detail,” Wiley said. “Just the next key.”
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From the beginning, the Coppell volleyball team impressed on its home floor against Nolan Catholic. Senior Addison Howard started and ended the match strong, keeping the ball in play multiple times, and the Cowgirls won the match 3-0 (25-13, 25-16, 26-24) against Nolan Catholic on Tuesday at CHS Arena.
“I’m very happy with how they executed the game plan,” Coppell coach Robyn Ross said.
The first set started the Cowgirls off with a strong lead. From the beginning, Coppell was energized and ready to play a great game.
“What motivated me is doing my best and proving myself,” sophomore middle blocker Lauren McSpadden said.
The Cowgirls momentum continued through the second set.
“I like playing my best for the whole team and getting to support each other,” senior libero Haley Chew said
The third set brought a shift. The Vikings had a final chance to get ahead. From the beginning, every point from the Cowgirls was followed by a scoring response from Nolan Catholic. Close to the end, the Vikings were ready to win the set and extend the match. The score was 23-22. Then, the Cowgirls powered through and scored three points, resulting in the win.
“My favorite part of the game was watching all of the amazing players and getting to beat them since we lost to them last year,” McSpadden said.
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Although the CHS9 Auditorium, also known as the dome, renovations were scheduled to be completed by the beginning of the new school year, unforeseen circumstances pushed the completion date to late October.
When revamping the dome ceiling, CORE Construction found small cracks and discoloration caused by water penetrating in the shell. These findings temporarily paused construction.
If unexpected issues arise during construction, CORE must go through an approval process, which includes identifying available contractors, determining the repair costs, selecting the best value and presenting proposed changes to the Coppell ISD Board of Trustees for approval.
“Any kind of change in construction takes longer than you might think,” CHS9 Principal Dr. Greg Axelson said. “It’s a little bit of a slow process, but they’re back at work now.”
CORE is patching and resealing the exterior of the dome and soon will work on the interior as well.
The renovation delay caused CHS9 theater classes to adjust their rehearsal space. Musical theater classes meet in the band hall because they need more space, while other classes alternate between the choir room, lobby and hallways.
CHS9 Theatre Company is also rehearsing for its University Interscholastic League (UIL) One-Act Play in November and due to continuing renovations, students shuttle to Coppell High School’s Black Box Theatre for rehearsal, creating less rehearsal time to adjust to the renovated CHS9 Auditorium prior to competing.
“The auditorium gives a unique challenge because we don’t want to block anyone’s view,” CHS9 theatre director Colin Thomas said.
The CISD Honor Choir event, scheduled for Oct. 27 in the CHS9 auditorium for selected elementary and middle school students, may also be impacted due to the date falling close to the estimated renovation time.
“We are currently planning to have that in the auditorium, but it’s right around that kind of late October timeline,” Dr. Axelson said. “It might have to either get delayed or move to a different location, but currently our fingers are crossed that we’ll be able to still have it here.”
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