SCHOOL NEWS
Nocona ISD extends all principal contracts
Nocona Independent School District Trustees renewed all three principal contracts in a regular meeting on Feb. 20.
A Texas Academic Performance Report public hearing opened the first of three meetings of the night.
In a second special meeting, trustees named a committee that includes all three principals and a teacher from each campus to begin work on a local innovation plan. The committee will present the plan to board members in March as officials seek to make Nocona a District of Innovation.
Following an executive session of the regular meeting, the board voted to extend all principal contracts by one year.
Despite starting the year with new principals at each of the three campuses, Superintendent Dr. Vickie Gearheart said it was a quick and unanimous decision to extend the two-year contracts of Elementary Principal Rod Bailey, Middle School Principal Amy Murphey and High School Principal Stephenie Wright all by one year.
Read the full story on the meeting in the mid-week News.
SCHOOL NEWS
Nocona senior takes state feature writing title
Abigail Hill, Nocona High School valedictorian, is the 2026 UIL feature writing state champion. Nocona faculty have been looking through school records and UIL records to see when Nocona last had someone won state. UIL record archives only date back to 1983 and they didn’t see anyone listed as winning a gold medal in Academic UIL. According to Nocona records, she is the first UIL Academic Champion since 1973. (Courtesy photo)
SCHOOL NEWS
Bowie Kindergarten students graduate
Bowie Elementary kindergarten students entertained the huge audience that attended the graduation ceremonies at the high school gym on May 21. Each kindergarten class performed a song for the guests. They also were invited to dress as their future career choice such as a doctor or a police officer.

Each class entertained with a song.
SCHOOL NEWS
Gold-Burg grad serving NASA internship
By Andy Newberry, MSU Texas
Midwestern State University junior Rykir Evans is not only building his skills during a NASA internship—he’s creating memories that will last a lifetime.
Evans has been a remote student at MSU Texas this semester while completing the internship. During that time, he had the opportunity to meet American naval aviator and NASA astronaut Reid Wiseman, as well as NASA Chief Flight Director Gene Kranz.
“It definitely has been an amazing experience thus far, and meeting all of the super inspirational figures in flesh and blood was definitely surreal,” Evans said.
Read the full story in Thursday’s Bowie News.
(Top photo) Rykir Evans had a chance meeting with Reid Wiseman NASA astronaut and commander of the Artemis II lunar fly-by mission. He also met famed NASA chief flight director Gene Kranz, who directed the first lunar landing mission, Apollo 11.

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