With school districts around the state preparing to begin the 2024-2025 school year, the annual school sales tax holiday will take place this weekend.
The sales tax holiday begins Friday, Aug. 9 and continues through midnight Sunday, Aug. 11. The holiday provides sales tax exemptions for school-related items priced $100 or less.
With the new school year starting Wednesday, Aug. 7 and work underway for the 2025 Breckenridge ISD budget, the BISD Board of Trustees discussed a compensation and stipend package for the district’s faculty.
Texas Association of School Boards Assistant Director of Human Resource Services Zachary Hobbs led a presentation during a special meeting Tuesday, July 30.
He also discussed how the district fared compared to other area districts and gave ideas on how BISD can better compete with those districts for hiring teachers.
When 90th Judicial District Judge Phillip Gregory was officially sworn in last October, he took the bench with some idea in mind of how he could improve the judicial process in Stephens County.
Although all the taxing entities in Stephens County continue to wait for certified values from Stephens County Tax Appraisal, the Stephens Memorial Hospital Board of Directors continued work on determining a tax rate and budget for the upcoming year.
SMH CEO Brian Roland spoke with directors Thursday, July 25 and said although he did not have final numbers, the hospital district needed to propose a budget and tax rate so that it can prepare a public notice for next month’s public hearing.
The public received its first look at the proposed 2025 budget for Stephens County last week.
The first draft version of the proposed budget was released online and discussed by county commissioners during their meeting Monday, July 22.
Stephens County Treasurer and Budget Officer Kelsey Cornwall presented the first version of her draft budget. Cornwall said the budget is financially solvent.
The Texas Department of Criminal Justice’s Walker Sayle Unit is one of the largest employers in the county. The unit’s warden recently gave an update on the facility and what it does for the community.
Brian Pollock serves as the senior warden of the substance abuse felony punishment facility, located five miles northeast of Breckenridge.
He has worked for TDCJ for 28 years, having also worked in units located in Wichita Falls, Gatesville, Navasota and Houston. He was hired as the senior warden at Walker Sayle in November 2023.
One part of a project led by a group of Breckenridge High Schools students was recently completed.
As part of the project, a new mural resides in the heart of the “Mural Capital of Texas.”
The new mural, which proclaims Breckenridge as “the place to B,” is located in the empty space in between the Security Title and the old Bealls building that has been used as a parking lot in recent years. The Bealls building is currently being renovated into a restaurant.
As with other taxing entities across the state, budget and tax rate season is underway for Breckenridge ISD.
The district held a budget workshop session last week to give an update with a guest speaker to give further insight into what will be in store for the district as it plans its 2024-2025 budget and tax rate.
BISD Interim Superintendent Prairie Freeman and Stephens County Chief Appraiser in Training Will Thompson gave the school board an update on what to possibly expect during the BISD Board of Trustees meeting Monday, July 15.
A Breckenridge man will likely spend the rest of his life behind bars after a jury handed down a life sentence after being convicted of indecency with a child by sexual contact.
Norman Acosta, 60, was found guilty of the charge after just over 30 minutes of jury deliberations Tuesday, July 16.
The following day, Acosta pleaded true to two charges listed in the habitual felony offender enhancement paragraphs during the punishment phase of the trial and was sentenced just over an hour after closing statements.
A familiar face has stepped up to fill big shoes at the Breckenridge Fine Arts Center.
Five months after the sudden passing of previous director Shalon Wilson, Rhonda Crawford will step up to lead the center with big plans for the future.
Crawford is no stranger to the city of Breckenridge and has served several roles in the community in recent years.
Currently, she serves as Executive Director of Breckenridge Convention and Visitors Bureau.
