SCHOOL NEWS
Saint Jo ISD ranks 1st in equitable funding study
A survey of equitable funding for school districts found Texas has the 25th most equitable school districts; however, the study also placed Saint Jo Independent School District at the top of its category for most equitable districts.
While the U.S. is one of the most educated countries in the world, it doesn’t provide the same quality elementary school or secondary school education to all students. In many states, more affluent school districts receive a greater amount of funding per student than poorer districts.
Discrepancies between the rich and poor have been exacerbated even more this year by the COVID-19 pandemic. As states decide whether their school districts will have in-person learning this fall, studies show that low-income students will suffer the greatest “learning loss” due to partial or total remote learning.
Texas has the 25th most equitable school districts in the U.S. overall, but some districts within the state are fairer than others.
In the Wallethub survey Saint Jo ISD received a score of .04 showing expenditures for public elementary and secondary schools per pupil of $11,049 and income by school district of $54,922.
Read the full story in the weekend Bowie News.
Bowie school trustees began the arduous task of creating a 2024-25 budget during a lengthy workshop this week.
The board also reviewed some possible changes in the student/employee handbooks and codes of conduct.
Superintendent Blake Enlow said the board spent about two hours in discussion Monday night and began crunching numbers; however, many factors still remain unknown including state funding and local ad valorem tax revenue.
Trustees examined where the district stands for the rest of the fiscal year that ends in August. Finance Director Paula Peterson said the district is catching up on the arrival some state revenues, which she hopes will help offset the expect shortfall. The 2023-24 budget adopted with a half-million deficit, but Enlow said they hope to keep that down as much as possible.
Read the full story in the weekend Bowie News.
As the Bowie School District launches into its summer projects, several department heads offered their year-end reports to the trustees last Thursday.
Annual reports
Wayne Walker, support services director, told the board the management team for all his departments set a goal to reduce budget expenses this year and so far they are below budget projections as the school year winds down and summer projects kick off.
As of June 6, child nutrition was $235,678.46 below budget; transportation, $217,942.20 below budget and custodial $312,277.44 below budget, for an overall projected amount of $765,898.10 below budget.
“We hope to finish August 2024 under budget to help out the district in recouping some of the adopt deficit budget for 2023-24. We are projecting in the right direction to end the fiscal year,” said Walker.
Read the full story in the mid-week Bowie News.
Bowie High School’s Mighty Marching Maroon Band will host a fundraiser paint party from 6-8 p.m. on June 18 in the high school cafeteria.
Cost is $30 to paint an 11 X 14 pre-traced canvas with $15 of each prepaid ticket going to the boosters. The band boosters will be providing snacks, and all supplies such as paint, brushes and canvas are provided.
Host will be Shannon Adkins of Texas Gals Creative Studio.
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