The University of North Texas is facing a roughly $45 million budget deficit for fiscal year 2025-26 after a drop in international graduate student enrollment and changes to the state funding formula, UNT president Harrison Keller said at a Feb. 19 board of regents meeting.

The gist: Changes to the funding formula in the last legislative session and a drop in international graduate student enrollment caused a state funding loss of about $32 million in instruction and operations funding for UNT.

The board of regents previously approved a $32 million deficit for FY 2025-26, but the international graduate student enrollment drop was higher than UNT officials expected, causing the funding loss to exceed the $32 million deficit the board approved, Keller said.

A budget report from Greg Anderson, the deputy chancellor for finance, shows international student enrollment has dropped from 6,200 students in fall 2024 to 3,400 students in fall 2025, giving the university a total deficit of about $45 million.

Atlanta-based auto shop Classic Collision opened its first North Texas location in mid-December, General Manager Craig Bingham said.
 
The details: The shop offers collision and dent repairs, detailing services, autoglass repair, calibrations and diagnostic scans. The company currently operates 368 locations across the United States, Bingham said.

The company website allows customers to track their vehicle's repairs, as well.

• Opened Dec. 15
• 3008 S. I-35, Denton

Stellar Energy Americas will bring a new manufacturing facility to Fort Worth.
The Fort Worth City Council approved a 10-year tax abatement reinvestment zone for a location at 15060 Blue Mound Road.

The details: Council reviewed the request at a Jan. 27 work session and approved it at the Feb. 10 meeting.

The proposed facility would produce modular cooling equipment for the domestic hyperscale data center market and would be located at Westport 24 in the AllianceTexas development, according to documents.

According to a city news release, Stella Energy provides innovative solutions to accelerate the energy transition for the future, offering customers tailored solutions that provide more dispatchable power, increased liquefied natural gas production and greater data center efficiency at lower costs with lower emissions.

By the numbers: Stellar Energy must provide 1,420 full-time jobs by the end of Dec. 31, 2027, with a minimum average salary of $78,000. 

Dallas Fort Worth International Airport’s Founders’ Plaza has reopened after being closed for more than three months.

According to previous reporting, the area was closed for soil remediation around the observation area in Grapevine.

Zooming in: The area at the intersection of Texan Trail and North Airfield Drive is open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. It is used by photographers and visitors to the airport to take photos or videos of planes, according to the airport website.

Visitors can watch planes take off and land and listen to air traffic control communications from the Federal Aviation Administration tower.

The background: DFW’s Founders’ Plaza was dedicated in 1995 as a tribute to the founders of DFW Airport, which opened in 1974, according to the airport website.

• 1700 N. Airfield Drive, Grapevine

Renovations at local medical facilities are some of the new projects filed recently with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation.

Here are five of the most expensive permits filed with TDLR for North Texas projects in the past week.

1. Parkhill Junior High and North Junior High at Richardson ISD

2. Alliance Embraer MRO

3. Garage and helipad for Medical City Fort Worth

4. Legacy ER and Urgent Care Frisco West

5. McIntyre Industrial Phase I buildings 1, 2 and 3