The Double-Edged Blade of Magnet Schools

The big news out of the May 31 school board meeting was that the Richardson ISD decided to build two new elementary schools in Lake Highlands, one at Walnut Hill Rd and White Rock Trail and another to serve the area bounded by I-635, Abrams Rd and Royal Ln.

But something else was in the announcement, the ninth of nine bulleted action items, that deserves more attention than it will probably get: "Expand Northlake Elementary to include magnet programming if evaluation determines demand exists."

OTBR: A Free, Self-Service Guesthouse in Estonia

Latitude: N 59° 05.892
Longitude: E 025° 32.268

A child on a road trip with his family asks, "Where are we?" and the father answers, "Let's check the map. We're off the blue roads [the Interstate Highways marked in blue on the road atlas]. We're off the red roads [the US and state highways]. We're off the black roads [the county highways]. I think we're off the map altogether." It was always my dream to be off the map altogether.

After the jump, a few of the random places (and I mean random literally) that I visited vicariously last month that are "off the blue roads".

POTD: Shave and Haircut, Two Rupees

From 2016 02 09 Jaipur

Today's photo-of-the-day is from Rajasthan, India, where sidewalk barbers are common. Sometimes the barber sets up literally on the sidewalk, sometimes (like in this instance) his barbershop is open to the sidewalk. I don't know the standard rate for a shave in India (I had my own Mach 3 razor along), but I know it's not two rupees (worth about three cents). The equivalent of two bits, like the jingle says, is probably a better budget guideline for travelers.

What Does Lake Highlands Get?

The last time we checked in on the drama surrounding enrollment growth in Lake Highlands schools, we asked, "What Does Lake Highlands Want?" The answer was impossible to discern. It was easier to say what was not wanted. Some faction or other rejected pretty much any and every proposal that would relieve overcrowding in the area's elementary schools.

The way things go in situations like this, when a community can't decide for itself, someone is going to decide for them. In this case, the burden is on the Richardson ISD administrators and school board. Although a final decision hasn't been made about the exact grade configuration, the RISD is planning to build a new elementary school on Walnut Hill Ln at White Rock Trail.

At the May 31 school board meeting, it was also announced that the RISD is pursuing land acquisition for a second new elementary school in the area bounded by Abrams Road, Royal Lane and I-635.

Repeat Tweets: Cruz's Last Days as Presidential Candidate

Repeat tweets from May, 2016:

• May 1 2016: RT @NBCPolitics: "Cruz Defends Fiorina's Business Record." Who'd have guessed that Cruz would spend the days before Indiana this way?
  
• May 2 2016: Spare Parts: Poor Hispanic kids in Phoenix enter an underwater robotics contest. Inspiring, infuriating. A call for immigration reform. B-
  
• May 3 2016: Try to get people's attention about urban planning. Crickets. But watch them go all ape-shit over a new standalone, drive-thru Chick-fil-A.
  
• May 3 2016: Run, Ted, Run. Don't come back to Texas. Head to California and Oregon and then back to Canada. Please?
  

After the jump, more repeat tweets.