NEWS
Ratings plan riles up ISDs- Provision ratings get massive backlash
By BARBARA GREEN
The release of provisional ratings for Texas school districts based on the proposed A-F Rating System has been greeted with a wave of anger and concern from school officials across the state.
When the ratings were released last Friday, Montague County superintendents were no different in their reaction to the “grades” they could receive in the new system.
All the districts in the county with the exception of one, Gold-Burg Independent School District, met standard in 2016 under the present accountability system where districts and campuses either “met standard” or “improvement is required.”
And as recent as two weeks ago, the districts learned about the final distinctions their campuses would receive only to find some of them were given “Ds” and “Fs” under the new system.
During the 84th Legislative session, House Bill 2804 changed the Texas school accountability system so every campus and district receives one of five ratings from A-F. The ratings will be issued for the first time in August 2018.
That bill also required the Texas Education Agency to present a preliminary work-in-progress report by Jan. 1, 2017, noting potential grades be sent to legislators and then released to the public.
Education Commissioner Mike Morath said the ratings in the report were for informational purposes, and the models are likely to change before they become effective in August 2018.
Read what Montague County school superintendents have to say about their provisional ratings and the proposed A-F rating system in your mid-week News. 
The Department of Public Safety has provided information on an auto vs. motorcycle accident that reportedly occurred on July 4.
James Lee Hilton, Nocona, was driving a 2019 Harley-Davidson motorcycle and Daniel Parra, Chico, was driving a 2018 Ford Fiesta. Both vehicles were north on State Highway 101 outside Sunset with the motorcycle behind the car.
Parra was attempting to turn left on Farm-to-Market Road 2265 when the motorcyclist attempted to unsafely pass to the left states the report. The bike struck the left side of the Fiesta. Both vehicles came to rest off the roadway on the northwest corner of SH 101 and FM 2265.
Hilton was transported to Denton Medical City with
A major crash on East Wise in front of the Second Monday parking on July 11 shut down traffic for several hours in the morning and sent two people to the Bowie emergency room.
The accident occurred at 9:53 a.m. Thursday at 1616 E. Wise involving a large sign installation truck and an SUV.
Briana Rollison, Bowie, was driving a 2001 Ford Expedition east in the 1600 block of E. Wise and the large truck from Turner Signs System of Richland Hills was traveling west on East Wise driven by Joshua Thompson.
The preliminary accident report states Thompson lost control of the vehicle crossing the double yellow line striking the SUV in front of the Parker Properties and Farm Services Building. The SUV was knocked into the ditch and later made it back on the roadway.
The truck rolled on the passenger side and slid about 50-100 feet west of the incident location. Skid marks from the truck were observed to start approximately 300-350 feet east of the crash location.
See the full story in the weekend Bowie News.
By BARBARA GREEN
[email protected]
Bowie City Councilors this week got their first look at the 2024-25 proposed budget seeing a balanced plan with a total operational budget of $23,296,885 in expenses, which is a little more than $1.4 million above the previous year’s budget.
Mayor Gaylynn Burris said Monday night the budget looks “eerily familiar” to last year, despite adding a few equipment purchases. City Manager Bert Cunningham said he had already slashed more than $300,000 from the department requests in order to get a balanced budget.
The utility fund is balanced with expenses of $12,595,995 and revenues projected at $12,601,000. In the general fund revenues are projected at $10,705,568 with expenses at $10,700,890. Total budget expenses are $23,296,885 and overall revenue projected at $23,306,568. Cunningham said it leaves a small margin to set forth a balanced budget.
Read the full story in the weekend Bowie News.
Top photo: New chip and seal was laid on Elba and Lamb this week repairing well-worn roads near the Nelson/Mill drainage project. (Photo by Barbara Green)
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