CCISD to welcome Hedley grades 7-12

Hedley and Clarendon school officials are working together on how to serve seventh through 12th graders in the Hedley school district after the closure of its high school and junior high classes.

The Hedley CISD Board of Trustees met in called session for last Thursday, May 28, for meeting that lasted about three minutes. With about 18 members of the public in attendance, the meeting was called to order followed by the Pledge of Allegiance and a prayer. Board President Dana Bell asked if anyone had any public comments, and there were none. Trustees then unanimously approved a motion to make HCISD a Pre-K through sixth grade district and then adjourned the meeting.

The work of how to serve seventh through 12th graders in Hedley’s jurisdiction is now in the hands of the administrations of Hedley and Clarendon. Hedley also had to notify the Texas Education Agency and the Donley County Commissioners’ Court of the changes.

Hedley Superintendent Tracey Langford said she and Clarendon Superintendent Dr. Byron May have been in conversations and the agreements they reach will have to go through each district’s attorneys and be ratified by the respective school boards.

“The first thing is the student transfer and tuition agreement with Clarendon,” Langford said. “It basically says that Clarendon will take Hedley resident students (in grades seventh through 12th) into their district.”

Langford said the state allows Clarendon to charge a modest tuition fee to Hedley, but she and Dr. May do not see that happening. Clarendon will, however, get the Average Daily Attendance funding from the state that goes with those students.

May said the agreement will outline that Hedley students are entitled to all the same rights and privileges as students in the Clarendon school district academically and in extracurriculars.

“We want to make sure kids have a chance to be involved in everything our kids are involved in and feel included,” May said. “Even if they have never thought of themselves as Bronco, we are excited to have them and want them to be part of the family.”

May said Clarendon anticipates receiving four to five kids per grade and can do so without having to hire extra teachers. He said that the Hedley transfers will actually help fill some classes that were smaller already. Many of Hedley’s students were transfers from the Clarendon district, and May says this can be a chance for a fresh start with those families.

Transportation is also part of the agreement being worked out, and May said he foresees a bus running to Hedley to bring kids to Clarendon.

For Hedley, the reduction in classes means a substantial reduction in payroll. Langford said the current budget has about $1.2 million for payroll but it will be cut by more than half in the new fiscal year. The reduction in force from about 25 faculty down to 15 will come through attrition, Langford said.

“I had a large turn over, so we didn’t fill those positions and moved people around,” she said.

Even as the Hedley school turns its focus to providing a quality education for grades Pre-K through sixth, the district is not clear. Officials won’t know until late July what the elementary enrollment total will be, and Langford agrees that the next 12 months will be critical for the Hedley school.