Ben Estlack

Hedley CISD trustees adopted a deficit budget Monday night following a public hearing as the school continues to look for ways to increase enrollment.

“We had a good meeting and good discussion, and we adopted a deficit budget due to a lack of enrolment,” Superintendent Tracey Langford said.

The shortfall of about $500,000 will be made up from the school’s reserves. Langford says Hedley has suffered a decrease in state funding with enrollment being below 90 students for the last two years. Hedley’s enrollment is 86 this week.

Langford says if they can boost enrollment back above 90, the state funds will increase. School officials continue to consider programs and incentives that might interest kids and families to help boost enrollment, and the school’s adoption of a hybrid calendar this year might draw some interest also. Under the hybrid calendar, Hedley will go to a four-day week following the Thanksgiving break.

Langford said the hybrid calendar was adopted for this year after a survey of teachers, kids, and parents. Classes will be held from 7:40 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. with the school year ending on May 21. Once a month teachers will have to stay an extra day to fulfill contract obligations, and students will be able to use those days for tutoring.

“We’re going to try it and see what it looks like,” Langford said. “We will survey again in the spring to see what people think about it.”

Langford said one thing trustees have not talked about going for another Voter-Approved Tax Ratification Election (VATRE). Last November, Hedley ISD voters said “no” to a proposed 12-cent increase in the school’s tax rate.

The VATRE rate could have brought in about $257,000 in new revenue but was turned down at the polls 108-135.

Hedley trustees Monday approved a tax rate of $0.65610 per $100 valuation, which Langford said is about 2.98 increase over the current rate.

Langford said the school is looking forward to a positive year.
“We have a good staff and good group of kids, and we’re off to a good start,” Langford said.

The Clarendon City Council and Republic Services worked on their franchise agreement last Thursday as the company prepares to take over the city’s trash collection October 1.

Republic representative Matthew Peterson said his company is working now to bring in new and refurbished Dumpsters to replace those now owned by Waste Connections.

Peterson again discussed his company’s intention to get involved in the community, noting that they are joining the Chamber of Commerce and highlighting his employees participating in Friona’s big cheeseburger cookoff. Republic won that cookoff this year and donated the winnings back to the community in the form of backpacks and school supplies.

Peterson asked what his company could do for Clarendon, and Alderman Brittany Wolfe replied, “Just pick up our trash regularly.” To which Peterson replied, “We are really excited to show you how it’s done.”

As the transfer day get closer, residents may notice new Dumpsters showing up in their alleyways before the old ones are removed.

In other city business, aldermen appointed Paula Lowrie as the city’s tax code officer and voted to plan for the voter approval rate of $0.560241 per $100 valuation.

Action was taken to set garbage rates according to Republic’s rates plus $1.50 per residential account and $3 per commercial account and top increase water and sewer rates by three percent.

The council also approved the lease of a dump truck and F-250 pickup truck.

Following a 24-minute closed session to evaluate City Administrator Brian Barboza, the council approved extending his contract to September 2027 and an increase in pay.

Clarendon CISD has reorganized its administrative team while it reboots its search for a new superintendent.

After none of its three superintendent finalists were selected for the job, a new search will be undertaken.

Interim Superintendent Rick Teran said the three finalists just weren’t the right fit for the school and so the board decided to conduct a new search.

The Texas Association of School Boards (TASB) will continue to handle the search at no extra cost to the district, Teran said. The school will re-advertise the position beginning in October.

In addition, another school administrator is leaving the district. Clarendon High School Principal John Moffett has accepted the job of superintendent at Hart ISD effective August 18, Teran said.

Elementary and junior high counselor Erin Shaw is taking the job of being principal for both CHS and Clarendon Junior High, and CJH Principal Jenifer Pigg is moving to the elementary principal position.

The school has also dealt with an issue of mold in the high school building over the past week. Teran said two classrooms and the auditorium were locked up after carpets were cleaned but not before the carpets were dry, which resulted in a mold outbreak. Remediation of the mold has already been conducted, and Teran said the district was awaiting results of a second test for mold before moving forward with installing new carpet in those rooms this week.

Teran said all work should be completed in time for classes to start. CCISD students return next Wednesday, Augsut 13, with registration this week on Thursday and Friday, August 7 and 8.

The National Newspaper Association has recognized The Clarendon Enterprise for outstanding journalism during the NNA’s annual Better Newspaper Contest.

The Enterprise was recently notified that it has received a second place award and two honorable mentions from the NNA, awards that will be presented during the association’s annual conference this October in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Editorials focused on anti-abortion activist Mark Lee Dickson’s efforts to pass an ordinance in Clarendon won the Enterprise Second Place Best Editorial in the Non-daily Division for papers with print circulations less than 2,000. The paper also received Honorable Mention in the same division for Best Reporting on Local Government for its coverage of the Clarendon City Council during Dickson’s efforts.

The Enterprise was also recognized with Honorable Mention for Front Page Design.

There were 1,546 entries in the Better Newspaper Editorial Contest and 196 entries in the Better Newspaper Advertising Contest for a total of 1,743 entries. There were 712 awards won by 102 newspapers in 33 states.

Judges praised the publications for engaging their community, keeping them informed, and providing commentary that keeps a paper at the heart of the community.

The Wyoming Press Association was awarded the sixth annual “Best of NNA” Award for their 119 winning entries, beating out California with 88 wins and Texas with 56 wins. This is their fifth award for excellence in editorial and advertising.

The winner’s book and a list of awards by newspaper are available here: https://www.nnafoundation.org/better-newspaper-contest.

Judging was performed primarily by active community newspaper editors and publishers, as well as retired university journalism professors and retired or former newspaper professionals. A judge said, “Stories like this remind readers why newspapers continue to play an important role in their daily lives.”

Established in 1885, the National Newspaper Association (NNA) is the voice of America’s community newspapers and is one of the largest newspaper associations in the country. The NNA Foundation (NNAF) is the educational arm of the NNA. Its mission is to promote news literacy, protect the First Amendment, and enhance the quality, role and capabilities of community newspapers and community journalists.

The Donley County Senior Citizens will hold their 50th Anniversary Celebration and Fundraiser Saturday, August 16, from 5 to 8 p.m. at 115 E. 4th.

Activities will include dinner and a show, music, cowboy poetry, comedy skits, a 50/50 raffle, and a quilt raffle.

Cookbooks will be for sale also.

Bring your chair, appetite, and a sense of humor to celebrate this milestone.

The Clarendon CISD Parent, Family & Community Back to School Bash will be held Monday, August 11 in coordination with Meet the Teacher Night and Meet the Broncos.

Clarendon Elementary School parents and students will meet at the Colt Gym at 5:00 for a brief Title I meeting prior to meeting their teachers. Students with last names beginning with N-Z will meet their teachers immediately following the meeting until 5:35. Students with last names beginning with A-M will meet their teachers from approximately 5:40 -6:00.

All elementary students and their parents are invited to go over to the stadium after meeting their teachers.

Clarendon JH teachers will be in their rooms to greet and meet their students from 5:00-5:30 and then students and their parents can go over to the football field.

All parents, students and community members are invited to the Back to School Bash at the stadium from 5:45 – 6:45. Everyone is invited to come out and eat a BBQ sandwich beginning at 5:45.

Organizations will be selling homemade ice cream, tea, and lemonade. Those in attendance can sign-up that night for Adopt-A-Bronco, Little Miss Cheer and Donley County 4-H. Games will be available for kids to play until 6:45.

The District will hold its annual Title I meeting that evening at 6:30. The evening will wrap up with the annual Meet the Broncos event starting at 6:45.