Birdville High theater director asks council for help sending students to international festival

Hayden Casey, technical director at Birdville High School, asked the North Richland Hills City Council during the Feb. 10 public‑comment period to consider any financial assistance the city could provide to help 14 students and their chaperones attend the International Thespian Festival in Bloomington, Indiana.

Lede: Casey described that Birdville High’s one‑act play—an original piece selected through a statewide showcase—earned top honors and a regional invitation to the International Thespian Festival, making Birdville the sole representative from Texas at the festival this year. He asked the city to consider donations, grants or other assistance to offset travel, housing, registration and food costs.

Nut graf: The estimated cost per student before the boosters’ donations was about $2,000 (Casey said the Stage Hawks booster club has reduced the net cost to about $1,500 per student so far). The group plans additional community fundraisers (partner restaurants, a spring gala, month‑long campaigns in March) and has already held multiple community nights to raise money. District funds were not available, Casey said, and the booster has pledged $3,800 so far to lower student costs.

Council response and next steps: Councilmembers thanked Casey and the students for representing the region and asked staff to identify any small grants or sponsorship options the city could consider; staff did not promise a specific funding amount during the meeting. Casey provided a contact email for follow‑up and said the fundraising calendar includes March events and partner restaurants including Chick‑fil‑A, Panera and others.

Ending: The request will be treated as a public‑comment appeal; staff and councilors signaled support in principle and said they would explore options but did not commit city funding during the Feb. 10 meeting.