Roger Estlack

A group of Clarendon High School students are advancing after competing for the first time in the UIL film competition.

The CHS students decided to put their filming and acting skills to good use during the fall semester by being the school’s first group of students to compete in UIL film.

Mrs. Zongker’s ninth period class scripted and produced three films for submission to University Interscholastic League film competition for judging that began mid-January with 1A-3A competing in the same division.

Each film had a seven-minute time limit and had to be fully produced by students with the sponsor only acting in a supervisor role. Of the three films submitted – two were submitted as documentaries and one was a narrative.

The title of the documentaries were “Snack Pak 4 Kids” and “Gem of the Texas Panhandle.” The narrative was submitted with a title of “___Did It!”

The two documentary films advanced to the state semi-final round and are awaiting the State Finalist announcement on February 12.
The UIL State Film Festival is scheduled to be on the University of Texas campus on February 28.

The following students had roles in the film competitions with two teacher interviews: Rowdy Bebout, Kyler Bell, Kashlyn Conkin, Zane Cruse, Benjamin Estlack, Avery Halsey, Ronan Howard, Toby Leeper, Jacob Murillo, Zakary Roberts, Cutter Seay, Kate Shaw, Wes Shaw, Koltyn Shields, Presley Smith, Kase Zongker, Cutter Ashbook, Mrs. Bessent, and Mrs. Benson.

The students who have advanced to the state semi-final round were Estlack, Halsey, Howard, Leeper, Murillo, and Seay.

Voters in the Clarendon Consolidated Independent School District will most likely see a bond election this spring, but school officials have not yet determined how much money to ask for.

During a called meeting of the CCISD Board of Trustees last Tuesday, figures ranged from under $8 million to $12 million as discussion focused on needed facility improvements, security enhancements, potential new construction, expanded transportation capabilities, and other issues.

Greg Decker of Gallahger Construction presented the results of a facilities assessment performed last semester along with cost estimates for the district. Decker and other speakers repeatedly said the district has been doing a good job maintaining its buildings, which are mostly 60 or more years old.

Decker’s presentation highlighted several deficiencies related to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) through out the school’s facilities, issues with sidewalks, security issues, and roof leaks in some areas. Lighting and plumbing issues in the Bronco Gym were brought up, and the aging conditions of the agriculture building and the field house in Bronco Stadium.

Decker then moved into the estimated costs to address the facilities assessment as well as the costs for some things the district has considered, including $2.3 to 2.5 million for a new vocational ag building, $3.3 to 3.5 million for to replace the field house, $600,000 to address ADA issues and other facility deficiencies, $100,000 in accessible parking and striping, $500,000 for a new press box, and $500,000 for new visitor stands at Bronco Stadium, which would not include any sidewalks to those stands.

The district also wants to address security concerns, which were not discussed in detail at the meeting. Officials did mention the possibility of a wall along the south side of the breezeway connecting the high school and junior high buildings and some as yet undetermined work to address visitors coming into the main door of the high school so they have to check in a the office.
That amounts to about $8 million in improvements not including the security work.

School officials also mentioned the possibility of buying additional buses for the district, and there was discussion about having extra bond money approved that could be used for other purchases going in the near future.

Decker’s firm performed the facility assessment, estimated the costs for the districts, and will put together a marketing plan that will lobby voters for the passage of the bond.

John Blackburn of Live Oak Public Finance discussed the district’s bond capacity and the additional tax rate that would be needed to finance the bonds. Blackburn said that the with the school districts’ ad valorem tax rate being compressed by the State Legislature and the new $100,000 homestead tax exemptions, there will likely be a record number of school bond elections this May.

Clarendon CISD’s tax rate, according to Blackburn, has been compressed to about 83 cents per $100 valuation, which is down from $1.17 just a few years ago. That leaves less for the school to work with to address facilities but also means property owners are paying less tax. Combined with the new homestead exemption, officials believe the time is right to ask voters for a bond.

Blackburn presented options showing CCISD could finance a $9.6 million bond with 25 cents more tax, an $11.5 million bond for 30 cents, or a $13.5 million bond for 35 cents.

With the new homestead exemption, citizens with homes valued at $100,000 or less pay no school tax.

A 25-cent tax hike would increase taxes on a $150,000 by $125 per year. A 35-cent tax hike would raise taxes on that same home by $175 per year.

The CCISD Board of Trustees will meet again on Monday, February 12, to call for the bond election and will have to set an amount they want to ask the voters for at that time.

Also in last week’s meeting, the board approved a motion to selection Corgan Architects for the proposed bond projects and authorized Superintendent Jarod Bellar to select a Construction Manager Agent after running the required advertisement for the Request For Qualifications.

Donley County presented the City of Clarendon with two new proposed agreements last week after the city declined to move forward with a sales tax-funded district to support the sheriff’s department.

During a called session of the Donley County Commissioners’ Court last Friday, Judge John Howard said it could be argued that the city breached its law enforcement contract with the county after a January 11 vote of the city council reversed a December vote to put the creation of a County Assistance District before city voters this spring.

“I don’t mind if the city doesn’t want to participate in the County Assistance District,” Howard said, “but we need multi-year agreement.”

Howard said the city’s contract has historically covered about 20 percent of the sheriff’s budget, the current agreement for $140,000 in fiscal year 2024 only provides 13.4 percent of the sheriff’s budget. He also said he had made clear to the city council in December that the $140,000 contract was inextricably linked to the city putting the assistance district before the voters.

In order for a County Assistance District to be created in the city, Clarendon would have to give up five-eights of a cent of its two-cent sales tax. Howard said he understands if the city doesn’t want to give up its sales tax, but he reiterated that a multi-year agreement is needed and said the cost must reflect the expense the county incurs.

The county had wanted the city to pay $170,000 in fiscal year 2024, but as negotiations went on last spring and summer, no multi-year agreement could be reached, which led to the $140,000 deal in December.

Sheriff Butch Blackburn asked the court to pull out of the contract with the city by giving 30 days’ notice and start negotiations at $170,000. The sheriff says the city’s support is necessary to keep four deputies employed and provide 24-hour police protection. Without the agreement, Sheriff Blackburn said he would not be able to have two nighttime deputies and night calls would have to be called out to an officer not on duty.

Three commissioners – Daniel Ford, Mark White, and Dan Sawyer – agreed the county should give the city 30 days’ notice, but Commissioner Neil Koetting urged the court not to take that action but instead let the city meet again first.

“There’s no question they want to fund the police,” Koetting said. “They have to serve their voters just like we do.”

Clarendon Mayor Jacob Fangman said he didn’t think anyone on the city council did not want to pay the sheriff but that it was just a matter of how and how much.

Sheriff Blackburn said to the mayor, “Let’s get our Big Chief tablet out and figure something out.”

The court approved two agreement proposals for the city council to consider. The first would increase the city’s cost for the current fiscal year from $140,000 to $170,000, and the second would start fiscal year 2025 in October at $180,000 with a two-percent increase each year after that through fiscal year 2029.

In other business, the court voted to change the wording on its documents related to creating an assistance district in Howardwick, setting the sales tax rate at one cent instead of three-quarters of a cent.

Editor’s Note: Last week’s article about the proposed County Assistance District for Clarendon stated that Donley County had agreed to cap the revenue from that district at $165,000 per year. The county actually proposed a $165,000 cap for just three years. We regret that error and any confusion it may have caused.