6 December 11 -17, 2025 dallasobserver.com DALLAS OBSERVER Classified | MusiC | dish | Culture | unfair Park | Contents increased by 27%, from 618 to 785. Between January and September of this year, there were 511 assault offenses. But DART officials maintain that vio- lence, particularly homicides, remains iso- lated events. “We’re not immune to the ills of society to- day,” Chief Cato said to FOX4. “We’re vio- lence and easy access to firearms, and the willingness to use them takes place in schools and churches and other public places, and so while we’re diligent and work very hard ev- ery day, bad things, tragic things do happen.” Safety Precautions This isn’t the first time DART has had to form a reactionary plan to an increased string of vio- lence on its services. In 2023, the organization contracted 100 armed security officers to sup- port its 252-person enforcement department. However, critics argue that they still don’t see enough enforcement. “I will never get on board a DART train ever again unless there is [a] major improve- ment,” Colton Miller wrote on DART’s Facebook post. “I just simply don’t feel safe… There needs to be a DART police officer in every car and at every train station and they need to actually enforce the rules.” With 65 rail stations and 163 light-rail ve- hicles, and not accounting for the bus fleet or on-demand rideshare services, it’s im- probable to have an enforcement officer on each car with the current force size. Aside from overhauling the camera sys- tem, DART also runs an anonymous report- ing system, called the DART Say Something App, that allows riders to report concerning behaviors and provide visual and written ev- idence. The app also allows riders to call the emergency line within the DART police de- partment, and will complete connectivity even in stations with low reception. Convenient Timing Some less-than-empathetic Facebook users noted that it’s oddly ironic that DART has in- vested a significant amount of money into their security, just as disgruntled member cit- ies get closer to abandoning their contracts with the system. In a press release from Plano Mayor John Muns regarding his city’s poten- tial departure from DART, he emphasized the need to establish an alternative. “Plano is committed to ensuring safe, re- liable mobility options that serve the best in- terests of our residents,” said Muns. “We want our council and community to feel em- powered to choose what transportation op- tions work best for us.” At Dallas City Hall, DART safety has been a concern for some of the system’s more out- spoken opponents. Council member Cara Medelsohn has regularly requested that the transit service supply the council with monthly crime and police updates, as op- posed to the current quarterly schedule. “I think the public deserves the transparency of knowing what is happening in terms of safety incidents at DART,” Mendelsohn said to The Dallas Express. “The sense I get from constituents who talk about DART is that there’s a security problem, and even with their initiative to hire more law enforce- ment, it’s still problematic.” ▼ EDUCATION IT’S NOT A THING EXCHANGE STUDENTS ARE NOT TAKING ROSTER SPOTS FROM LOCAL ATHLETES. BY EMMA RUBY W hen representatives of the Uni- versity Interscholastic League’s (UIL) legislative council gath- ered earlier this fall to vote on a new policy that will bar foreign exchange students from participating in varsity sports across the state, you would have thought that Texas’ airports are being flooded with international teens carrying little more than a football hel- met and an appetite for a letterman jacket. The UIL governs the competitive activi- ties in which Texas high schoolers compete. Everything from jazz competitions to debate tournaments to sports falls under the UIL umbrella, and policy decisions that affect these leagues are made by the Legislative Council, which is composed of 32 public school administrators from across the state. In late October, the legislative council unanimously passed a new rule that will bar non-U.S. citizen student-athletes from ap- pearing on varsity rosters across all sports starting in the 2026-2027 school year. The policy will allow exchange students to com- pete on junior-varsity or freshman-level teams and will not prohibit participation at the highest level in music, theater or aca- demic competitions. Aaron Hood, the superintendent of Rob- ert Lee ISD near San Angelo, urged the com- mittee to approve the change, stating that the issue has been a recurring one. “Our Texas kids are not allowed to go to a neighboring town without moving there and play at a Varsity level. But [exchange stu- dents] are allowed to get on a plane, come to our state, and play immediately, taking the place, many times, of a community kid who has worked hard to get a place on that team,” Hood said. “I do not understand why we al- low that to happen.” Another administrator, Barbers Hill ISD Superintendent Greg Poole, commented that, while “politically unpopular” to say, “you can tell” when a team has a “higher percentage of foreign exchange students” on it. Currently, foreign exchange students must obtain approval from the UIL to compete on varsity sports teams. The change must still be approved by State Ed- ucation Commissioner Mike Morath to take effect. If Morath rejects the plan, the council will have to amend the suggested rule change. One thing missing from the conversation was actual data on the scale of the problem. The Texas Education Agency does not track enrollment of foreign exchange students. Private groups, like NAFSA, the Association of International Educators, track interna- tional enrollment at the collegiate level but not high school. Some estimates suggest that as many as 20,000 exchange students are placed in high schools across the U.S. each year. The Inter- national Student Exchange states on its website that in the last decade, the agency has helped more than 2,080 international students enroll in Texas high schools. That’s around 200 exchange students a year, com- pared to Texas’ 3,553 high schools, accord- ing to GreatSchools data. The International Student Exchange did not respond to the Observer’s request for comment. Out of the 11 Dallas-area school districts we contacted regarding foreign exchange enrollment data, only five responded. Dallas ISD stated that it does not have a foreign ex- change student program and hasn’t for many years. Grand Prairie ISD said that there are no foreign exchange students en- rolled in the district this school year. Mes- quite ISD reported that one international student is attending classes this fall, and that student is not on a varsity team roster. Frisco and Allen ISDs said the number of exchange students enrolled in the districts was not readily available information and would require a Freedom of Information Act request to obtain. An Allen High School informational website suggests that the school limits the number of exchange students to 10 each year, and an online flyer from Mansfield ISD states that the district caps foreign enrollment at five students per high school per year. Quentin White, athletic director for Mc- Gregor High School, just outside of Waco, said that in 30 years, he has seen only a few international students express interest in athletics, and a majority did not make it onto a varsity roster. At least in high school foot- ball, he “hasn’t really seen foreign students make a big impact,” the coach told KCEN. Still, in an interview with The Texas Tri- bune, Traci Zavala, a district representative for International Cultural Exchange Services, acknowledged that a few bad apples may have gotten involved with sports recruitment when placing international students. “I know there are coordinators that will place kids just because,” she said. “There are coaches that will say, ‘Hey, I need this kid.’ … Unfortunately, those few that do those things mess it up for everyone else.” ▼ TRANSPORTATION ‘THE HUMAN FACTOR’ ADDISON BREAKS TREND OF CITIES TRYING TO LEAVE DART. BY ALYSSA FIELDS B reaking a recent trend, Addison’s city council rejected a motion to place the fate of the city’s contract with the Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) on the upcoming May general election ballot. Four other cities, Farmer’s Branch, Highland Park, Irving and Plano, approved adding a similar measure to their city’s ballots in spe- cial sessions in the last few weeks, present- ing significant funding questions for the transit service’s future. Last month, Addison became the fifth city to schedule a special session to discuss placing the decision before voters in mid- 2026. Before then, Addison had remained relatively quiet compared to the other four cities, which have been outspoken critics of DART and the way it collects financial con- tributions from member cities since the start of the 2025 state legislative session. While Irving and Plano’s mayors are ready and willing to cut ties with DART, Ad- dison’s mayor, Bruce Arftsen, is hesitant to back out of the contract. “A lot of what we hear about the whole situation it’s about the numbers, it’s about the dollars,” Arfsten said during the Dec. 2 meeting. “Those numbers are compelling. I don’t disagree with what’s being said about the level playing field, the unfairness... I don’t disagree with any of that. That’s just part of the story, though. The other part of the story is the human factor.” However, several of the city’s council members are dissatisfied with the quality of service provided by DART, given the high costs of remaining in the contract for city residents. Council member Darren Gardner pointed out that, based on the amount Addi- son residents pay to DART through the one- cent sales tax deal, calculated at $16.3 million for the 2023 fiscal year, compared to the city’s population, roughly 17,000, each resident is paying about $1,000 per year for DART, whether they use it or not. “Something has to change,” Gardner said. “If it means that we’re going to stand up with Plano, Farmers Branch, Highland Park and Irving, I’m all for that.” The council member warned his col- leagues that similar moves were rumored to be expected from the seven remaining member cities, excluding Dallas, which had remained mostly silent on the issue. Gardner implored the council to delay their decision to the sec- ond week of January, following a Unfair Park from p4 Christopher Durbin Women’s soccer is huge in North Texas high schools. >> p8
