NEWS
Bowie ISD Trustees approve four-day school week for 2023-24
By BARBARA GREEN
After two failed motions Monday night, Bowie Independent School District trustees finally approved a four-day school calendar for 2023-24.
The possibility has been in discussions for the last several months with the district’s calendar committee examining a variety of four- and five-day calendar options. BISD joins Nocona, Prairie Valley, Montague and Gold-Burg which all operate with some form of a four-day schedule. Forestburg and Saint Jo ISD each have committees looking into the options.
There were about a dozen people in attendance for this topic, and two parents were surprised when they found they were not allowed to ask questions in the discussion.
The board procedures require those wishing to make public comments to sign in and make those comments during that item early in in the agenda. Superintendent Blake Enlow said one of the administrators would be happy to call and talk with them the next day.
The board reviewed many of the pros and cons during its last meeting and during the public forum two weeks ago; however, they went through the major ones once more.
The basics of a four-day week would have the staff and students out of school on Fridays, with the staff coming in one Friday each month for professional development.
The exceptions would add one more day in October when parent-teacher conferences are required for kindergarten-fifth grades and in March when interim data is available. The school day would see 45 minutes added to the day on all campuses.
The early Wednesday release was eliminated from all calendar options. Students would only attend on Friday if invited for tutorials, attendance recovery or behavioral intervention. Based on the recommendation school would begin Aug. 7 and release on May 23. Staff would report on July 31.
The holiday schedule would remain the same except there is no Martin Luther King or President’s Day holiday. Curriculum Director Lee Ann Farris said the proposals mimic the present schedule, but on three-day weekends it is on a Friday not a Monday. When they return from Christmas break there would be one training/planning day.
Read the full story in the weekend Bowie News.
By BARBARA GREEN
[email protected]
The Bowie City Council accepted a $1.38 million bid for phase two of the sewer line replacement program and received an engineer’s update on Nelson Street drainage.
Council members met Monday night and opened the evening with the presentation of proclamations for Emergency Medical Services Week and National Travel and Tourism Week. Members of the Bowie EMS service accepted the first proclamation and Cindy Roller of Bowie Community Development accepted the second.
City Manager Bert Cunningham reported the city received one bid for phase two of the sewer line project that will replace the Glenn Hills lift station and sludge pumps at the wastewater plant. While the bid came in above the original estimate, Mike Tibbetts of Hayter Engineering, said there are several things that can be removed to lower the costs.
Read the full story in the weekend Bowie News.
Pictured – replacing a manhole in phase one. (Courtesy photo)
By BARBARA GREEN
[email protected]
In its six-month financial report for fiscal 2024-25 Bowie City Council members saw budget revenues were not coming in as high as projected, despite the budget using conservative figures.
During the Monday meeting, Finance Director Pamela Woods reviewed the numbers at the half-way point of the year. She said all the department heads are doing well keeping their expenses within budget just below the 50% level or 49.26% overall. Despite that, expenses are above revenues in the utility fund by almost $100,000.
In the utility fund revenues are 46.11% of budget in water; 53.19% in sewer and 43.74% in electric. The total utility fund revenue is at 46.42% of the budget or $5,572,694.
(Pictured above) Carol Moore also addressed the council on disrepair at the Pelham Park walking track urging it to make repairs and maintain it.
Read the full council story in the weekend Bowie News.
Two people were transported to the hospital with possible injuries from a three-vehicle crash Tuesday afternoon in a highway department work zone on State Highway 59.
The accident occurred on Hwy 59 near Allison Road at 4:09 p.m. on May 14. There were three vehicles containing a total of six people.
Vehicle one driven by Carlin Jaster, Bowie with his passenger Zana Lara, Bowie, were traveling south on Hwy. 59. Two other vehicles driven by Kjersti Compton, Sunset and Edward Meadows, Grapevine were also southbound but stopped in a construction zone.
Jaster failed to control his speed and a chain-reaction crash occurred as he struck Compton who then hit Meadows.
Jaster and Lara were transported to Nocona General Hospital with non-incapacitating injuries. The others were uninjured. Tuesday was the first day for road construction along State Highway 59. Digital signs were posted for delays.
(Pictured above) Bowie Rural Fire Department and Bowie EMS responded to this three-vehicle chain reaction crash on State Highway 59 near Allison Road on Tuesday afternoon. There were a total of six people in the three vehicles, and two were transported to Nocona General with possible injuries. (Courtesy photo)
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