Lawsuit looks at equality in RISD

Says single-member district would be more fair

By CAROL TOLER

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Recently Filed Lawsuit

isn’t just an indictment of the Richardson ISD’s system of governance, but of the board members as decision makers. Filed by former trustee David Tyson, Jr., it seeks no monetary damages, but does name each trustee individually.

Tyson says decisions made by the “perpetually monolithic board,” particularly since the federal desegregation order was lifted in 2013, “contribute to an egregious performance gap between affluent, white students attending favored schools and everyone else.”

The current system is unfair, Tyson says, because “minority-preferred candidates face a white voting bloc.” The remedy he seeks is an immediate, permanent shift from at-large to single-member districts to make the election of minority candidates more likely. His suit specifically mentions Hamilton Park as an area likely to elect a minority trustee.

Tyson is the only minority member ever to serve on the board, despite RISD being a “majority-minority” district. About 40 percent of RISD students are Hispanic, 30 percent are white and 20 percent are black.

Tyson isn’t just saying poor schools underperform affluent schools — that’s easy to prove by test scores. At the lowest-performing eight elementary schools (including Audelia Creek, Forest Lane, Northlake, Skyview, Stults and Thurgood Marshall in Lake Highlands), only 30 percent of students are meeting grade level in more than one subject. At the top eight (most of which are in the Pearce feeder pattern), more than 80 percent meet grade level in all subjects.

Tyson claims the RISD system of electing trustees favors affluent schools and students, and decisions made by trustees perpetuate that unfair system.

Tyson’s attorneys and others have been successful in similar lawsuits against Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD, Grand Prairie ISD, Irving ISD, the City of Farmers Branch and the City of Irving. These entities either lost in court or were forced to settle and now have single-member districts.

RISD has not said if they will fight the lawsuit.

The next school board election is set for May 5. Incumbent Kim Caston has announced she will run for re-election and Lake Highlands resident Jean Bono is expected to run again, as well.

No other candidates have announced intentions to challenge the incumbents as of press time.

Chris Harrison

CHRIS HARRISON’S name is now synonymous with roses and manufactured romance. As the host of “The Bachelor” and its female-focused spin-off, “The Bachelorette,” he has been traveling the world and breaking hearts since the series began in 2002. But before that, he was a Lake Highlands soccer player, the son of Mary Beth, a Realtor, and Steve, who previously worked at Ken’s Man Shop in Garland. He wanted to be a Dallas sportscaster before a wayward trip to California turned into the job of a lifetime.

Three things to know:

1 Harrison’s first hosting job was on the stage of Lake Highlands High School, where he explored his comedic chops as the emcee of a talent show.

2

He has a lot of heart for the contestants who are eliminated on the show. “It’s a great study in human behavior. After the girls are rejected and leave, I have the choice to go see them and say goodbye. If I have had a chance to get to know them a little, I usually say something to them,” he told the Advocate in 2003. “The best part is I always get to play the nice guy.”

3

In a very meta moment in 2013, Harrison presented a Webby Award to “Burning Love,” a Ben Stiller-produced web series that parodies his “Bachelor” franchise.

PH LW LH Lakehill x PH LW LH Our Redeemer x PH LW LH St. John x

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On The Field

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More than 60 Lake Highlands High School graduates showed up suited-and-booted, ready to play in the first ever Wildcat Baseball Alumni Classic. The weekend of events invited players of every era to come back to their home field for a series of games alongside the current Wildcat lineup. “The parents loved our boys having the opportunity to spend some time around so many fantastic men over the weekend,” said Wildcat Baseball Parent Advisor Chris Klemme, father of team captain Kyle. “They didn’t just hear and laugh along with the great war stories, but really got some great character examples as well. We are hopeful that some of the alums’ winning traditions will rub off on our kids, and that this weekend was the beginning of what will be a great season for Lake Highlands baseball.”

The University Interscholastic League announced new realignments recently, and Lake Highlands High will play in a new district beginning fall of 2018 – 8-6A instead of 9-6A. UIL added Molina (enrollment 2,220) and Duncanville (4,451) and removed Jesuit and Coppell, leaving LHHS with eight teams in our district. The Wildcats will continue to compete against Skyline (4,568), W.T. White (2,241), Richardson (2,775), Berkner (2,659) and Pearce (2,400). The changes leave some hoping Head Coach and Athletic Coordinator Lonnie Jordan will find a way to add Jesuit to the Wildcat non-district schedule in 2018. Jesuit have become one of LH’s leading rivals in multiple sports — especially football, where Jesuit Head Coach Paul Maturi is an LHHS grad and former coach.

Signed And Sealed

Some of the Wildcats’ most talented athletes recently took part in National Signing Day, committing to play for universities all over the country. Terrance Clark and Quinton Freeman will play at West Texas A&M University, Nathan Hall signed with Northwestern Oklahoma University, Quinntodd Craine-Lewis will play at Cisco Junior College and Brandon Anderson signed with Friends University.

“We are very proud to call these young men Wildcats,” said Head Football Coach and Athletic Coordinator Lonnie Jordan, “and are excited to see what they will accomplish in the next chapter of their lives.”