SCHOOL NEWS
By BARBARA GREEN
editor@bowienewsonline.com
Joanne Keeler says education has always been fun for her and she can even vividly remember her kindergarten classroom. This week as she begins her new job as principal at Bowie High School, Keeler says she will continue to follow a simple philosophy of trying to do what’s best for the students and teachers.
Keeler comes to Bowie after five years as an assistant principal at 5A Denton High School. With 2,000 students DHS had a principal, associate principal and five assistant principals.
While she loved her time at Denton High and raising her family in Krum, she decided it was time for a change to get to a smaller school and a place where she could be in the same district as her two boys.
“I couldn’t cheer on the Denton team Friday night, while my eighth grader was playing at the same time in Krum,” said Keeler when she got the BHS job.
Krum is exploding with people and after growing up in the country in Pennsylvania, she felt it was time this past spring to start looking around before her oldest got into junior high. With the support of her husband, Scott, and sons, Kyle, eighth grade and Kinsler, fourth, she began watching for opportunities. Bowie’s job came up and within two weeks she had a new job.
The new principal was raised in Charleroi, PA on a rural 100-acre farm with an older sister and younger brother. As a child she remembers lining up her baby dolls to play school, so she always knew part of her wanted to be a teacher; however, with a dad who was not only a rancher but a nurse, and a sister who became a nurse, she had an interest in health care.
Read about how this experienced educator found her path in education in your weekend Bowie News.
Members of the Mighty Marching Maroon Band of Bowie High School crowned its royals during halftime ceremonies on Oct. 16. Band Sweetheart is Lilli Zilfo and Band Beau is Adam Hofbauer. Congratulations to the marching band for its work at UIL contest Saturday. While the band did not advance to area Director German Torres said he was very proud of their work this year.
Autumn has arrived in Montague County, and local school districts are gearing up for a full lineup of family-friendly fall festivals throughout the month of October.
From games to coronations, residents will have plenty of opportunities to support local students and celebrate the season.
Forestburg Independent School District starts its festival at 3 p.m. on Oct. 24, featuring games, a silent auction, gift baskets and a coronation of festival royalty.
Bowie Elementary will have its fall festival from 5 to 7 p.m on Oct 24. The event features both live and silent auctions along with carnival games.
Tickets are on presale at five for $1, or at the festival four for $1. Unlimited game wristbands also can be purchased for $20.
The seasonal celebrations wrap up on Halloween.
Saint Jo Elementary Parent Teacher Organization hosts its fall fest from 12 to 2 p.m on Oct. 31, in the Saint Jo Cafeteria, featuring various activity booths and local vendors.
Gold-Burg ISD follows from 2 to 4 p.m. on Oct. 31, on the GISD campus.
Attendees can enjoy games, a haunted house, food and a pie-in-the-face booth. Tickets may be purchased with cash or check only.
Other fall events include a family fun night hosted by Calvary Baptist Church at 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 31, at 204 Decatur St. The event will include food and a trunk-or-treat.
The Bowie Independent School District Board of Trustees celebrated student achievements and reviewed a perfect school security audit at its Oct. 19 meeting.
The meeting opened with recognitions. High School Principal Dr. Dean Johnson recognized teacher April Word and her theater students, Adryana Torres, Aowyn Word and Lilliana Zilfo, for excelling at Theaterfest 2026.
Johnson said the students earned the title of featured performers, placing them in the top 15 performers in the state. Word also got an award for exemplary campus theater director at the event.
Read the full school board story in the Thursday Bowie News.
Top photo- The school board recognized the Bowie Junior High cross country boy’s team after they won district runner-up at the recent meet. (Photo by Caroline Crain)
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