September 29, 2025 Newsletter

Home  ============ Teachers' Salaries ============ potential AISD employee child care benefit ============ Taxpayers' Funds at Risk ============ Open Letter to AISD Taxpayers ============ Citizens Defending Freedom vs. AISD Lawsuit ============== October 13, 2025 Newsletter ============= Arlington City CouncilGrades ============= AISD Board Grades ================ October 6, 2025 Newsletter ============ September 29, 2025 Newsletter =========== September 22, 2025 Newsletter ============ September 15, 2025 Newsletter ============ ================  Jim Ross, Mayor ============= Mauricio Galante, District1 ============= Raul Gonzalez, District2 ============= Nikkie Hunter, District3 ============= Andrew Piel, District4 ============= Rebecca Boxall, District5 ============= Long Pham, District6 ============= Bowie Hogg, District7 ==============  Barbara Odom-Wesley, District8 ============= Sarah McMurrough, AISDPlace1 ============= Melody Fowler, AISDPlace2 ============= Larry Mike, AISDPlace3 ============= David Wilbanks, AISDPlace4 ========== Justin Chapa, AISDPlace5 ============= Brooklyn Richardson, AISDPlace6 ============= Leanne Haynes, AISDPlace7 ============= Fact Sheet - November 8, 2022 Election ============ ++++++++++++  ============= Kennedale Observer Homepage =========== Kennedale Senior Tax Freeze ============== Kennedale City CouncilGrades ========== Texas Open Meetings Act Violations??? ============== The Bridge ============== Kennedale Observer - Latest Newsletter ============ Prior to That Newsletter ================ Brad Horton, Kennedale Mayor ============ David Glover, Kennedale Place 1 ============= Thelma Kobeck, Kennedale Place 2 =========== Ken Michels, Kennedale Place 3 ==============P3 Chris Gary, Kennedale Place 4 =========== Jeff Nevarez, Kennedale Place 5 ============ Kennedale City Council Compare ========== 1083 Bowman Springs Road Kennedale ============ What to Know About the Texas Raceway Project ================ Kennedale EDC MMA contract information ==============



 September 29, 2025 – Volume 19 Number 39

Highlights:

* Mayor's Town Hall is on Tuesday.

* The Field Square redevelopment boondoggle is still tabled and refuses to die.

* AISD Board meeting on Thursday.

 

Teachers' Salaries

http://arlspectator.mysite.com/rich_text_97.html

 

Taxpayers' Funds at Risk:

http://arlspectator.mysite.com/rich_text_83.html

 

City Council grades:

http://arlspectator.mysite.com/rich_text_39.html

 

AISD Board grades:

http://arlspectator.mysite.com/blank_1.html

 

Citizens Defending Freedom vs. AISD

http://arlspectator.mysite.com/rich_text_14.html

 

Open Letter to AISD Taxpayers

http://arlspectator.mysite.com/blank_11.html

 

Arlington is a city where citizens are relegated to being spectators, rather than players on the field. The SPECTATOR helps citizens know what is happening on the field. Only a few of the in-house team members are allowed to play ball in Arlington. The SPECTATOR helps citizens understand the game.

 

GAME SCHEDULE:

Tuesday, September 30: Mayor's Town Hall meeting, Boles Junior High School, 3900 S.W. Green Oaks Blvd.

Thursday, October 2: AISD Board meeting, AISD Administration Building, 690 E. Lamar Boulevard, 6:30pm. (You must be signed up online by 3:00pm if you wish to speak.)

Wednesday, October 8: P&Z meeting, 101 W. Abram Street, 5:30pm. (Work session at x:xxpm.)

Tuesday, October 14: City Council meetings, 101 W. Abram Street, 6:30pm. (You must preregister by 5:00pm to speak during citizen participation.)

Thursday, October 16: AISD Board meeting, AISD Administration Building, 690 E. Lamar Boulevard, 6:30pm. (You must be signed up online by 3:00pm if you wish to speak.)

 

From THE LOCKER ROOM

Arlington City Council Update

The city council will meet next on Tuesday, October 14.

 

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Leftovers: On August 26 the powers at large tried to get the Arlington Tomorrow Foundation to fund the Field Square redevelopment project. It required a ¾ majority vote to modify the grant agreement in existence. They only got a 6-3 majority. So, at the September 2 meeting those council agenda items for this project were tabled. They remained tabled for the September 9 and September 16 meetings as the “powers” continue to look for funding [from our pockets].

 

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Economic Development Corporation (EDC)

We do not know the date of the next EDC Board meeting. Best guess, October 21.

 

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Upcoming Public Hearings

On Tuesday, October 14, the city council will hold a public hearing on PD25-12 at 700-odd Dugan Street/302 Weeks Avenue/ 700 South Street. They wish to update/change their planned development on the 1.605 acres.

On Tuesday, October 14, the city council will hold a public hearing on zoning case ZA25-3 at 1225 California Lane. They are requesting a change from Landmark Preservation Overlay-Planned Development (LPO-PD) to Light Industrial (LI) at the rear of the property.

On Tuesday, October 14, the city council will hold a public hearing on Z03-56/PD03-56R1 at 915 E. Randol Mill Road. They wish to revise their development plan on the 3.750 acres for light industrial uses.

On Tuesday, October 14, the city council will hold a public hearing on PD15-05R1 at 5301 W. Pioneer Parkway. They wish to revise their development plan on the 7.168 acres for light industrial uses.

 

P&Z Commission

P&Z met last Wednesday, September 24. The agenda/packet can be found at: https://www.arlingtontx.gov/files/assets/city/v/1/planning-and-development-services/documents/planning-amp-development-boards-amp-commissions/planning-and-zoning-commission/posted-agenda/planning-and-zoning-regular-session-9-24-2025.pdf . There were two zoning case public hearings on the agenda. The meeting may be viewed at: https://arlingtontx.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=10&clip_id=5251 .

(3:53) Public hearing #1 was for Z03-56/P03-56R1, a revision to the existing development plan at 915 E. Randol Mill Road (staff report). It appears that Wal-Mart wishes to add solar panels. It was approved, 9-0.

(22:01) Public hearing #2 was for PD15-05R1, a revision to the existing development plan at 5301 W. Pioneer Parkway (staff report). The original plan called for Phase II to add 9788 sq. ft. of building space. The applicant wants to increase Phase II to 23,000 sq. ft. It was approved, 8-0.

 

AISD School Board

The AISD School Board will meet this Thursday, October 2. The agenda should be posted on Monday.

 

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Last month there was a decision made in the Citizens Defending Freedom lawsuit. The judge dismissed the lawsuit with prejudice, see: https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/district-courts/texas/txndce/4:2024cv00585/391344/81/ .

 

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Now there is an anti- “Ten Commandments” lawsuit against most Tarrant County ISDs, including Arlington and Mansfield. Jacob Sanchez of the Fort Worth Report has an article at: https://fortworthreport.org/2025/09/22/tarrant-county-schools-sued-over-texas-ten-commandments-law/ .

 

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The release of the new accountability numbers for 2024 and 2025 became public on Friday, August 15. In an article by Chris Moss of the Arlington Report/Fort Worth Report he reports on the A-F Accountability scores for the past two years. His report is for the AISD, MISD, and KISD and can be found at: https://fortworthreport.org/2025/08/15/heres-how-arlington-area-schools-fared-in-texas-a-f-ratings/ . The AISD article on the new numbers: https://www.aisd.net/district-news/accountability-update-arlington-isd-doubles-a-rated-campuses-and-reduces-f-ratings/ .

 

TEA Accountability Data:

2025 Accountability

2024 Accountability

2023 Accountability

2022 Accountability

2021 Accountability

2019 Accountability

 

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In 2020, the AISD was tied for the highest M&O rate of all the school districts in Tarrant County. Since then, there has been NO tie. The AISD HAS the highest M&O rate in Tarrant County. [school district tax rates]

 

Top 5 of Tarrant County's 21 ISDs M&O Rates

1. Arlington ISD $0.812800

2. Birdville ISD $0.786900

2. Fort Worth ISD $0.786900

2. Godley ISD $0.786900

2. Mansfield ISD $0.786900

 

Teacher Salaries

http://arlspectator.mysite.com/rich_text_97.html [Arlington ISD easily pays the highest salaries, thus creating ISD inflation.]

 

AISD Declining Enrollment

Chris Moss of the Arlington Report has an article: https://fortworthreport.org/2025/05/28/arlington-isds-enrollment-could-shrink-by-2032-heres-whats-driving-the-decline .

 

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Other News

JPS Lower Tax Rate Approved

Two weeks ago, two county commissioners [including our commissioner, Alisha Simmons] were not present for a vote on the JPS (hospital) tax rate causing a delay on voting for that lower tax rate. This week that tax rate was approved, 3-1, as one of the two absent commissioners attended the specially called meeting. Miranda Suarez of KERA News has an article at: Tarrant County commissioners pass tax rates after Democrats broke quorum last week | KERA News .

 

HELPFUL CONTACTS

The Spectatorwww.ArlSpectator.mysite.com

 

to be added/deleted to/from the mailing list e-mail: ArlSpectator@yahoo.com

 

We can be found on Facebook at ArlSpectator.

 

Teachers' Salaries

http://arlspectator.mysite.com/rich_text_97.html

 

Taxpayers' Funds at Risk

http://arlspectator.mysite.com/rich_text_83.html

 

City Council grades:

http://arlspectator.mysite.com/rich_text_39.html

 

AISD Board grades:

http://arlspectator.mysite.com/blank_1.html

 

City of Arlington website: www.arlingtontx.gov

 

e-mails of mayor and council:

.................... first.last@arlingtontx.gov

mayor = jim.ross

district 1 (north) = mauricio.galante

district 2 (sw) = raul.gonzalez

district 3 (se) = nikkie.hunter

district 4 (west) = andrew.piel

district 5 (central/east) = rebecca.boxall

district 6 (all) = long.pham

district 7 (all) = bowie.hogg

district 8 (all) = barbara.odom-wesley

 

AISD website ....................... www.aisd.net

McMurrough............ - sarahforaisd@gmail.com

Fowler ................... - fowler.aisd@gmail.com

Mike .................. - larrymike.aisd@gmail.com

Wilbanks .......... - dwilban.aisd@gmail.com

Chapa ...................... - chapa.aisd@gmail.com

Richardson ... - brooklyn.richardson.aisd@gmail.com

Haynes ................... - haynes.aisd@gmail.com

 

TEA Accountability Data:

2025 Accountability

2024 Accountability

2023 Accountability

2022 Accountability

2021 Accountability

2019 Accountability

 

ARC Political Watch Committee Reports

includes coverage of Mansfield ISD and national, state, county, & city

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1jPy7MXPo6Obwb3Dbu_6rIApKxC85_dgtfXglA-TVCN4/edit?pli=1#heading=h.rubf4ztg5jdb

 

Texas Legislative Online:

http://www.legis.state.tx.us/Home.aspx

 

To be added to/deleted from our mailing list please e-mail your request to: ArlSpectator@yahoo.com