Langford presents BISD Board with check for $1,500

Ronnie Langford, Loan Officer at Graham Savings, presented a check for $1,500 to Superintendent Allen from the Buckaroo School Card Program, which earns five cents from every transaction by the Buckaroo Debit Card. Graham Savings donates five cents every time their customers used their Buckaroo Debit Card.

Graham Savings hopes to get more Breckenridge residents to take part in the program to help our local school district.

The BISD Board approved “to drop the use of masks.” Superintendent Allen said, “Faculty and parents are free to continue the use of masks at school, but BISD will no longer require the wearing of masks. If parents want to continue the use of masks for their children who attend BISD schools that is their option to do so.”

The board also recognized the Students of the Month for March at East Elementary, South Elementary and Breckenridge Junior High School.

First, principal Barbara Collinsworth recognized kindergarten student, Raileigh Stinnet, as the Student of the Month of March for East Elementary School. She is in Ronda Martin’s kindergarten class. Next, Kenna Rainey, principal at South Elementary, recognized their Student of the Month for March as Delilah Garcia. Both those students were in attendance with their parents.

Laura Gibson, principal at BJHS recognized Nicolas DeLaCruz as their Student of the Month for March. He was not present because he was participating as a seventh-grader at a Junior High Track Meet.

Mark Wilcox, Maintenance and Transportation Director, recognized Mr. Richard Grisham as the 2021 District Bus Driver of the Year, who received a jacket. Wilcox said, “Mr.Grisham drives the longest route of 68 miles twice a day and helps transport students for a variety of competitions.

Each school gave their report on whatever was on their school agenda for March with reports on when they had scheduled student assessments. Ms. Collinsworth from East Elementary said she was using all available staff for student intervention for student reading. She also uses the “Thought for the Day” with many comments from students who are challenged by that statement each morning. Mrs. Rainey reported that the fourth-grade math scores are up 85 points and the kids are working hard to improve. Mrs. Gibson reported that she was doing the junior high assessments after Spring Break. She also said that Award Ceremonies at the end of each six weeks appears to be working well instead of a big one at the end of each semester. “It appears to be more impactful at the end of each six weeks,” said Gibson.

Prairie Farmer, the Chief Learning Officer for BISD, reported on staff development training that would be available in June instead of August. The superintendent and the board had taken into consideration what type of training teachers and staff had requested. Most of that focused on how to deal with student behavior in the classroom. Additionally, summer school for elementary students will be designed like a camp with challenges for the students. This is viewed as much more appealing than doing worksheets every day.

Coach Casey Pearce reported that there have been seven basketball playoff games hosted at the Breckenridge facilities. “It is centrally located, which makes it convenient for competing schools and it is an outstanding facility,” said Pearce. There had been four other play-off events in addition. Pearce reported that the Boy’s Baseball Team was 8-2 and the girl’s softball all was 10-2. The Golf, Tennis and Track teams are all busy competing and he and his coaches are preparing to assess the athletes for off-season athletes. Pearce also announced District competitions for the various sports.

Pearce said, “This year we have to conduct physicals for all students in 9th, 10th and 11 and all seventh graders.” He is working on how to have a doctor in the house and funnel the students through the process.

Coach Pearce also announced the students who have been selected to participate in the Big Country FCA competitions on June 1. For the football team, it will be Jonas Arellano and Jonathan Trejo. Evan Moore was selected for baseball and Caroline Turner for softball. Savannah Hinton will be in the Cheerleading group.

The superintendent said that enrollment was down at 1384. He hoped that the school would recover most of the students this fall that we have lost in the COVID event. The school district will not be penalized for students they have lost in total enrollment due to the COVID event.

He commended Mark Wilcox for having buses available to transport people to the motel who needed a warm place and hot showers during the recent winter storm, which has been portrayed as a 100-year event or a generational event. The biggest problem was busted pipes at East Elementary, with ankle-deep water in the northern part of the building. Collinsworth said, “Mark Wilcox and his people did a tremendous job pumping out thousands of gallons of water and getting the rooms back to smelling good with no musty smell.”

Mr. Allen said, “He thought whatever COVID relief money they might receive, it would be used to improve air quality on the campuses by cleaning out the systems and make any upgrades that are necessary.”

At present, there is no staff or students who have tested positive for COVID. There are 13 students who are due back any day after a quaran tine because they were exposed to COVID.

The superintendent called attention to some education-related bills that are working their way through the Texas State Legislature at this time. They include HB 434, HB 547, HB 690 and HB 773.

He also called attention to the school board election for Place 7, recently vacated by Ardis Johnson, with Chad Townson and Tammy Wimberley-Anderson as candidates and Place 2 with a challenge to incumbent Paul Lippe by Jimmy McKay.

The Board adopted the BISD Calendar for 2021-2022. Homecoming will be early this year, Sept. 3, which will be the Ballinger game.