SCHOOL NEWS
BISD accepts audit, hears concerns about new rating system
By BARBARA GREEN
Bowie School Trustees met for the final session of 2016 Tuesday accepting the 2015-16 audit and hearing about possible issues pending in the 2017 State Legislative session.
The district received a “clean audit,” with no deficiencies reported Stephen Gilland, local certified public accountant who prepared the audit. He touched on the highlights.
The district’s total revenues decreased 14.9 percent ($2.8 million) resulting mostly from a decline in tax revenues and state foundation aide offset by an increase in state and federal funded special revenue programs.
Local tax revenues decreased 5.6 percent ($737,000) state foundation aide decreased by 50.5 percent ($1.5 million. State and federal funded special revenue fund programs increased 27.9 percent $600,000.
The total costs of all programs and services increased 3.4 percent ($594,000) due to increases in costs in several areas with the largest in instruction.
The cost of all activities this year was $18.15 million. Gilland pointed out that $12.47 million was financed with local property tax dollars.
Superintendent Steven Monkres told the board about two major issues discussed at last week’s Texas Association of Mid-size Schools legislative conference in Austin: A-F rating system and vouchers.
The new rating system has not been well-received in the education community and the association is opposed to its implementation. Monkres said the system has no adjustment for different demographics of students.
“We don’t know the rules yet but it appears to be a system set up for failure. It compares districts, noting no difference between Bowie and Southlake ISDs. Any changes will have to come from citizens not just the education community,” said Monkres.
The rating system looks like it will operate on something of a bell curve comparing districts, but not on an equal basis.
Read the full story in the weekend News.
By BARBARA GREEN
editor@bowienewsonnline.com
Bowie Independent School District Trustees began plowing through the 2026-27 budget at its first workshop on Aug. 3.
The center of discussion was presentation of the salary study commissioned by the district through the Texas Association of School Boards. Laura Wurman of TASB explained how the data was gathered and developed into recommendations for the district.
Purpose of the study is to assess competitive pay levels for common jobs. Wurman said they analyses market data to determine where the district is at risk and identified priorities for pay system improvements.
Read the full story in the Thursday Bowie News.
Diana Calderon will join the Bowie High School staff as assistant principal in the new school year.
She comes to Bowie from Lake Dallas Elementary School where she served as assistant principal since 2024. Her prior positions include administrator at Decatur High School from 2022-2024, and English as a second language director at Ponder High School and Middle School from 2017 to 2022.
Calderon’s educational background began with a bachelor of business management in 2007 from the University of Phoenix. She earned her master degree in bilingual education from Southern Methodist University in 2018 and a master’s in educational leadership also in 2018.
The educator is working on her doctorate of educational leadership.
By BARBARA GREEN
editor@bowienewsonline.com
New Bowie High School Principal Dean Johnson brings 15 years of experience as an educator to the campus and he is looking forward to settling down in his new town.
The 38-year-old comes to Bowie from Farmersville Independent School District where he was junior high principal since 2022 and prior to that he was assistant starting in 2019. In 2023 he was named Texas Association of Secondary School Personnel’s Region 10 Assistant Principal of the Year.
Born and raised in Sherman, Johnson always knew his career path was coaching/teaching. He followed in his mother’s footsteps as she worked 30-plus years as a high school math teacher. His sister is a middle school math teacher and her husband is a teacher/coach both at Bells ISD, along with a cousin who is elementary principal at Burkburnett.
And dad can’t be left out, Johnson said while his father did several jobs, for many years he drove a bus for Sherman ISD, including those athletic team trips.
“I would often go with him on those trips with the football team and at seven or eight years old you look up at the players. I also was a ball boy. My path was set early,” said the new principal.
Read the full feature in the Thursday Bowie News.
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