NEWS
Bowie ISD Trustees approve four-day school week for 2023-24
By BARBARA GREEN
editor@bowienewsonline.com
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.
Bowie fire and police emergency personnel responded to this structure fire call around 10:30 a.m. Friday morning. No details were available at this time on a possible cause, possibly from trash inside the station or inside a vehicle. (News photo by Barbara Green)
Gregory Bell, 58, Saint Jo, was found guilty of the murder of Tia Hutson, 50, also of Saint Jo after less than an hour of jury deliberation Thursday afternoon.
She was found beaten and raped in her home in August 2022 and six days later never regaining consciousness. The jury also deliberated Bell’s sentence giving him the maximum life in prison and a $10,000 find. It took them less than half an hour to make the decision. A deadly finding also determined a large flashlight was used as a deadly weapon.
As the jury left the courtroom some members were seen hugging Trevor Riley, Tia Hutson’s son. His sister Kami Taylor, read a powerful victim’s statement to the court.
Staff and volunteers at the Bowie Mission continue to be plagued by people who dump their unwanted furniture and other items at their gates and doors. Despite having signs stating this is illegal and that there are surveillance cameras on scene, dumpers don’t seem to be phased.
This past week several large pieces of furniture were dumped right in front of the gate where the trailer used to go pick up food bank items is stored. Cynthia Brewer, director said most of the volunteers are older and it is difficult to get these large items moved out of the way. She is at her wit’s end trying to get people to stop dumping and while she hesitates to file police charges the situation is getting untenable as people continue to violate the policy.
Anyone who observes illegal dumping at the mission is urged to call the police 872-2251.
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