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Glenn Heights funds Close‑Up student trip; council to decide representative after retreat
Summary
The city announced eight students selected for the 2026 Close‑Up Foundation trip to Washington, D.C.; council members raised concerns about prioritizing Glenn Heights residents and agreed to table appointment of a city representative until the Jan. 31 retreat, with final action set for Feb. 3.
Mayor Sonya A. Brown briefed council on the Close‑Up Foundation program and the city’s second year partnering with the foundation to send students to Washington, D.C.
"Eight exceptional students have been selected to participate in the program," Mayor Brown said, and the city explained coordination with DeSoto ISD and Red Oak ISD. Brown said the city selected seniors so participants would be of voting age where possible and described plans to hold at least one more informational meeting for parents and scholars.
Councilmember Hobbs raised concerns that past participant lists have included students who are not city residents and argued the city should prioritize Glenn Heights children because the program is supported by local property tax dollars. Mayor Brown said staff are exploring an expansion to reserve slots for Glenn Heights residents (proposing an eventual 12‑student roster) and discussed a possible application process the city could run in parallel with partner ISDs while noting Texas Education Code constraints on discriminating by ZIP code for public‑school students.
Councilmember Bridal introduced an item to appoint a city representative (single point of contact) for the trip; Council then moved to table that appointment to the Jan. 31 council retreat with a final vote planned for Feb. 3. The motion to table passed 7–0.
