SCHOOL NEWS
Bowie Band Show returns to stage Saturday
An old-time favorite, the “Bowie Band Show,” returns to the stage on May 5 as the Bowie Band Boosters bring back this musical variety showcase.
The show will be at 6 p.m. at the Bowie Junior High Auditorium. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for those age 12 and under.
Janet Monkres, boosters president, said the band show was around for 50 years before it was stopped several years ago. The club thought it would be a wonderful community event. Monkres, herself a Bowie graduate, recalls her own performances in the show when her mother, Barbara Winingham, was boosters president.
“When I was in it we had football players and cheerleaders doing skits, singers, dancers, it was based on a variety show with a stage band in the background. It was always the largest fundraiser, but it also required the most work. Traditionally, it also was not just band members on stage, but it was opened to all the school,” explained Monkres.
This year’s theme will be “No business like show business,” highlighting one musical from each decade. It begins with a movie clip of “The Jazz Singer” from 1927. It jumps to “The Wizard of Oz,” “Meet me in St. Louis,” “Singing in the Rain,” “Mary Poppins,” “Grease,” “Phantom of the Opera” and “Pitch Perfect.”
Monkres said it was hard to find shows that provided opportunities for an ensemble to perform, but they feel this is a great selection. The Bowie Jazz Band will be the stage band under the direction of Kendel Hickenbottom.
The Band Boosters hope the return of the band show draws the community to get involved.
“Back then the Band Boosters were huge and whole families were doing skits, it was tradition, so we hope to get more involved. Band Boosters are vital to a program that can be one of the most expensive in a district due to equipment and one that can be cut back. The boosters try to help,” concluded the president.
Tickets for the show will be available at the door. The Band Boosters welcome anyone who supports the band program to join and take an active role. Visit the Facebook page for meeting details.
SCHOOL NEWS
BISD trustees work to incorporate salary study with budget needs
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.
SCHOOL NEWS
Calderon joins BHS team as assistant principal
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.
SCHOOL NEWS
‘Do what’s right’ philosophy guides new principal
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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