Following an enrollment decline over a six-year span and a state funding loss of roughly $7 million, the Carroll ISD board of trustees voted to close Don T. Durham Intermediate School ahead of the 2027-28 school year at a Jan. 12 work session.

What you need to know: The vote follows a recommendation from a committee of district staff and parents, CISD Executive Communications Director Jeff Brady said. The committee was part of the Budget Reduction Advisory Committee, which began considering consolidation last September, Brady said. The district has lost 655 students since the 2019-20 school year, according to a Dec. 15 presentation from Brady.
The district is roughly 2,000 students under capacity, per Brady’s Dec. 15 presentation.

By the numbers: Board President Cameron Bryan said the district plans to sell the building and the 30-acre property that houses the campus. Deputy Superintendent of Finance and Operations Chase Park expects the sale to yield the district between $20 million to $25 million.

When John Dougherty opened Conquer Fitness in Frisco in January of 2019, he wielded a doctorate in physical therapy, two personal loans and five credit cards which he maxed out to make his dream a reality.

Six years later, his business has expanded to five additional locations across the metroplex, using a model focused on clients aged 40 and older to help them achieve their health goals.

Dougherty and his business partner Prasanna Singaraju opened the Trophy Club location in April of 2024.

The setup: Semi-private sessions, which are capped at six people, last one hour and are led by a trainer who demonstrates each of the moves that comprise a full-body workout.

Sessions run throughout the day starting at 5 a.m. and ending at 7 p.m. Each session has options for beginner, intermediate and advanced clients.

• 2550 Bobcat Blvd., Ste. 110, Trophy Club

See five transportation projects happening around Dallas Fort Worth. 

Collin County

Lebanon Road widening in Frisco

Project: Lebanon Road will be widened from a four-lane roadway to a six-lane divided roadway from FM 423 to Todd Drive. Improvements include pavement reconstruction, bridge repair, drainage improvements and street light replacement, among others.

Update: Construction was anticipated to begin in December 2025.

Timeline: October 2025-late 2027

Cost: $22.99 million

Funding sources: city of Frisco, external funding

Denton County My Health My Resource Center announced it was targeted by a data breach by an “unauthorized party” on or around Dec. 24, 2024, which affected 108,967 patients, the center confirmed.

In a nutshell: Denton County MHMR Center stated in a news release Dec. 30 that officials took “immediate action” when they noticed unusual activity on the center’s network. After hiring a third party to investigate the activity, it was determined that the breach occurred between Dec. 24 and Dec. 25, 2024.

The center received official results after a more in-depth investigation Oct. 10 that determined nearly 109,000 former and current patients’ information was possibly impacted, including names, addresses, dates of birth, medical history and medical records.

What’s next? The center stated it has partnered with a third party to ensure additional security is being taken and that its policies and procedures related to data protection are being reviewed.

Hundreds of Texas private schools have been approved to participate in the state’s new education savings account program, per a map released by the state comptroller in early January.

The overview: As of press time, 775 private schools and prekindergarten providers had been approved to accept education savings accounts, or ESAs. There are over 1,300 accredited private schools in the state, according to the Texas Private School Accreditation Commission. 

Of the approved schools, there are:

• 233 schools in the Houston area
• 195 schools in the Dallas-Fort Worth area
• 94 schools in the San Antonio area
• 70 schools in the Austin area