DTX-GCS: Impact 10/29/2025

Grapevine-Colleyville ISD may close multiple campuses as part of a plan to address financial shortfalls caused by declining enrollment, according to a committee of district staff and community members.

The district's Education Master Planning Committee, or EMPC, recommended exploring campus consolidation as part of a broader effort to stabilize finances, Chief Operations Officer Paula Barbaroux said at an Oct. 27 trustee meeting. Enrollment in GCISD has dropped by about 1,500 students since 2019, resulting in more than $10 million in lost state funding, district documents state. EMPC projections show combining campuses could save the district up to $3 million through staffing and operational cuts.

The gist: While the committee recommended closing campuses, no action has been taken, and the committee has not decided how many or which campuses should close, Barbaroux added.

"They [the EMPC] believe that consolidation on some level is clearly necessary," Barbaroux said. "Combinations of scenarios are still under review."

The multisensory and immersive experience, Bubble Planet, is now open at Grapevine Mills.

The gist: Bubble Planet offers 11 rooms with interactive experiences like virtual reality, ball pits, an infinity room and more.

• 3000 Grapevine Mills Parkway, Grapevine

Three candidates are running for the Senate District 9 seat during the Nov. 4 election. Two Republicans from Southlake and a Fort Worth Democrat will be up for election to represent Tarrant County in the Texas Senate. The seat became vacant this summer when former Sen. Kelly Hancock resigned from the Legislature to lead the state comptroller’s office.

What you need to know: Candidates running for the seat were asked to complete a questionnaire from Community Impact. They were asked to keep responses under 50 words, answer the questions provided and avoid attacking opponents. Answers may have been edited or cut to adhere to those guidelines, or for style and clarity.

Dallas Area Rapid Transit’s $1.89 million commuter rail that connects Plano, Richardson and five other North Texas cities to the Dallas Fort Worth International Airport is open.

The big picture: The Silver Line launched on Oct. 25. The 26-mile commuter rail has been in DART’s plans for nearly two decades.

To celebrate the Silver Line’s launch, the train is free to ride through Nov. 8.

What they're saying: DART CEO Nadine Lee called the Silver Line’s opening the “realization of a promise kept to our riders and our region.”