NEWS
Bowie ISD Trustees approve four-day school week for 2023-24
By BARBARA GREEN
editor@bowienewsonline.com
After two failed motions Monday night, Bowie Independent School District trustees finally approved a four-day school calendar for 2023-24.
The possibility has been in discussions for the last several months with the district’s calendar committee examining a variety of four- and five-day calendar options. BISD joins Nocona, Prairie Valley, Montague and Gold-Burg which all operate with some form of a four-day schedule. Forestburg and Saint Jo ISD each have committees looking into the options.
There were about a dozen people in attendance for this topic, and two parents were surprised when they found they were not allowed to ask questions in the discussion.
The board procedures require those wishing to make public comments to sign in and make those comments during that item early in in the agenda. Superintendent Blake Enlow said one of the administrators would be happy to call and talk with them the next day.
The board reviewed many of the pros and cons during its last meeting and during the public forum two weeks ago; however, they went through the major ones once more.
The basics of a four-day week would have the staff and students out of school on Fridays, with the staff coming in one Friday each month for professional development.
The exceptions would add one more day in October when parent-teacher conferences are required for kindergarten-fifth grades and in March when interim data is available. The school day would see 45 minutes added to the day on all campuses.
The early Wednesday release was eliminated from all calendar options. Students would only attend on Friday if invited for tutorials, attendance recovery or behavioral intervention. Based on the recommendation school would begin Aug. 7 and release on May 23. Staff would report on July 31.
The holiday schedule would remain the same except there is no Martin Luther King or President’s Day holiday. Curriculum Director Lee Ann Farris said the proposals mimic the present schedule, but on three-day weekends it is on a Friday not a Monday. When they return from Christmas break there would be one training/planning day.
Read the full story in the weekend Bowie News.
By BARBARA GREEN
editor@bowienewsonline.com
The staff of the Montague County Tax Appraisal District has fielded hundreds of phone calls since notices of appraised property value went out two weeks ago as owners question perceived possible losses in their homestead exemptions.
Chief Appraiser Kim Haralson said while the wording has been in place since 2019 when the Texas Legislature made sweeping changes in the way values are presented and documented, this has been the first year so many have questioned it or confused it with their homestead exemption.
That was the number one question to the staff: “Why has my homestead exemption gone down?” The chief appraiser said the confusion comes from the mandated wording calling what was previously called “capped value,” now called homestead savings, but does not apply to homestead exemptions at all.
Read the full story in the mid-week Bowie News.
These youngsters dive into the Bowie City Pool after it opened on June 6. The Nocona community pool also has opened this week. Watch for more photos in your weekend Bowie News. (Photos by Barbara Green)
A 60-year-old Bowie man was killed when the motorcycle he was driving collided with a trailer being towed by a pickup truck Tuesday afternoon southwest of Montague.
Texas Department of Public Safety Sgt. Marc Couch of media relations said the crash occurred at 1:55 p.m. on May 30 at the intersection of Lone Star Road and Hildreth Pool Road. 2.5 miles southwest of Montague.
The accident involved a 2006 Suzuki motorcycle driven by Raymond Melton Mills, Bowie, and a 2017 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 pickup towing a 2020 Easton Car & Construction utility semi-trailer.
According to the preliminary investigation, the DPS report the motorcycle was traveling north on Lone Star Road, while the pickup and trailer were going south on Lone Star Road at the intersection with Hildreth Pool. The truck was turning right onto Hildreth Pool when the motorcycle failed to yield half the roadway to the truck and trailer driven by Israel Lozano, 39, Decatur striking the towed trailer.
Mills was ejected from the motorcycle striking the trailer. He was transported by air ambulance to Medical City Denton for treatment of his injuries, but died under a doctor’s care due to the sustained injuries.
This accident was investigated by Trooper Bradly S. Slade, Nocona, who was assisted by several other troopers and county sheriff’s office deputies. The report states Melton was not wearing a helmet.
Correction- The print story stated the victim’s name was Raymond Melton, but it has been corrected to read Raymond Melton Mills. We apologize for this error.
-
NEWS7 months ago2 hurt, 1 jailed after shooting incident north of Nocona
-
NEWS2 months agoSO investigating possible murder/suicide
-
NEWS5 months agoWreck takes the life of BHS teen, 16
-
NEWS1 month ago
Sheriff’s office called out to infant’s death
-
NEWS5 months agoBowie Police face three-hour standoff after possible domestic fight
-
NEWS6 months ago
Driver stopped by a man running into the street, robbed at knifepoint
-
NEWS2 months ago
UTV driver killed in crash
-
BREAKING NEWS2 weeks agoPolice, sheriff investigate one possible suicide threat and one man who allegedly assaulted woman in a car