Morgan Wheatly

Clarendon and Hedley schools met the state’s expectations during standardized testing this spring, according to information released by the Texas Education Agency (TEA) last Tuesday, August 15.

The state released the 2017 state accountability ratings for more than 1,200 school districts and charters, as well as more than 8,700 campuses statewide. The ratings reveal that approximately 95 percent of school districts and charters across Texas have achieved the rating of Met Standard, including Clarendon and Hedley ISDs.

Clarendon exceeded the state’s target scores in all indices as a district as whole as well as on its high school, junior high, and elementary campuses.

In the Student Achievement Index with a target score of 60, CISD scored 82, CHS received an 82, CJH was an 81, and Clarendon Elementary earned an 83.

The Clarendon school district and each campus also exceeded the state targets for three other measured indexes.

“We’re very proud of our staff and students,” CISD Superintendent Mike Norrell said. “It is evidence that hard work pays off. This is a measure of us based on one test and you always want to do the best you can and look for areas to improve.”

Norrell also noted that CISD campuses earned several distinctions this year.

Clarendon High School earned distinctions for Academic Achievement in ELA/Reading and Social Students, Top 25 Percent in Student Progress, Top 25 Percent of Closing Performance Gaps, and Postsecondary Readiness.

Clarendon Junior High received distinctions for Academic Achievement in ELA/Reading and Mathematics, and Top 25 Percent Closing Performance Gaps.

Clarendon Elementary received distinctions for Academic Achievement in ELA/Reading, Mathematics, and Science as well as for Top 25 Percent Student Progress, and Postsecondary Readiness.

Hedley ISD is scored as a whole instead of by campuses, and that school received a score of 81 in Student Achievement and also exceeded the state targets in the other three areas.

To earn a rating of Met Standard or Met Alternative Standard, a campus or district must meet the target on either Student Achievement (Index 1) or Student Progress (Index 2) – plus meet the targets on Closing Performance Gaps (Index 3) and Postsecondary Readiness (Index 4).

To view the 2017 state accountability ratings, visit http://tea.texas.gov/2017accountability.aspx

Changing people’s lives was the main theme at Clarendon College Tuesday morning as faculty and staff assembled to prepare for the fall semester which starts next week.

CC President Robert Riza addressed employees during All College Day to remind everyone the purpose of the college.

“What we do is relevant, and it is more relevant today than it was a year ago,” Dr. Riza said. “The number one predictor of success at a university is the possession of an associate’s degree.”

Riza said CC graduates finish at Texas Tech University and West Texas A&M University at a rate of about 70 percent, twice the rate of incoming freshmen at those institutions. He also reiterated statements made by WT President Walter Wendler who has said if student must borrow money for their first two years at WT, they should go to a community college instead.

CC continues to develop programs to meet the needs of area students, and Riza discussed the college’s new horse judging program, an honors program for students with dual credit hours, and the new CDL program.

Clarendon College’s innovative approach to developmental education is now a requirement for other colleges around the state. Riza said HB 2223 that was approved by the 85th Legislature now requires every college to teach developmental education using the co-requisite model pioneered by CC in 2014 in which students with remedial needs are immersed in traditional college classes with added tutorial help rather than having to spend multiple semesters in developmental classes.

“The state has given colleges four years to adopt this,” Riza said. “Clarendon College did it in one year and changed whole lot of lives.”

As another measure of success and hard work, Riza pointed again to the recent Legislative session. The governor’s office said to prepare for a four percent reduction in state funds, but Clarendon College received a ten percent increase in state appropriations.

Riza said that due to that good news, along with enrollment growth, college employees who were in their current positions as of June 1 will receive a three percent raise and adjunct faculty will receive a raise of $25 per credit hour.

The president also said dual credit continues to be an important part of CC, and those class offerings are expanding this fall to Canadian High School. Clarendon College has a 90 percent success rate in its dual credit program, and that number is 95 percent in Clarendon and Hedley high schools.

“What we do changes lives,” Riza said.

The mayor of Hedley has resigned his office after becoming frustrated with a growing rumor mill in that community.

Lonnie Roby turned in a letter of resignation on August 8, and the city council accepted it during a called meeting last Thursday, August 17.

In a copy of the letter obtained by the Enterprise, Roby wrote that it had been a privilege to serve the community for several years as a council member, mayor pro-tem, and mayor, but that he felt “a good mayor needs to spend more time being a mayor than I am able to give.”

Following Roby’s signature, he also wrote that he had asked City Secretary Ginger Burnett to go with him and his wife to take a drug test for herself. He wrote that she would do this, but then changed her mind after speaking to Mayor Pro-tem Carrie Butler.

Burnett told the Enterprise that she felt like Roby’s request was unusual, so she had talked to Butler who advised her that this was not how Hedley’s city policy was written. Burnett then refused Roby’s request.

Roby told the Enterprise that he was tired of constant rumors about Burnett and the city and that in his mind the quickest way to clear up the matter was for Burnett to take a drug test.

“I didn’t believe she was doing drugs,” Roby said. “I still don’t believe it. All I wanted to do was clear her name. We need to stop this rumor because it’s running the City of Hedley down.”

Roby said he still supports Burnett; but when she wouldn’t help him clear her name, he no longer wanted to serve the city.

“I don’t want to put her down,” Roby said. “I think she does a good job for the city.”

Burnett says the Hedley council will meet in called session this Friday to appoint someone to fill Roby’s seat.

The Clarendon ISD Board of Trustees will consider adopting a $5.6 million budget for fiscal year 2018 when they meet next Monday, August 28.

Superintendent Mike Norrell says expenses in the proposed budget are 0.26 percent higher than the current budget. The school’s proposed operating budget will be $5.379 million plus approximately $240,000 for food services.

“We saw a decrease in payroll expense because we lost seven longtime teachers who were replaced with new teachers at lower pay step,” Norrell said.

Even though payroll expenses will be down overall, the budget does include step raises for district teachers and instructional aides as well as a 2.25 percent increase for at-will employees.

Norrell said the budget is based on an average daily attendance of 440 students, just as last year’s budget was. Clarendon ISD’s enrollment Monday afternoon morning was sitting at 474.

Clarendon ISD will maintain its current tax rate of $1.17 per $100 valuation as approved by voters four years ago. Due to higher property values, that tax rate will generate about $1.79 million in revenue.

Payments in lieu of taxes from the Salt Fork Wind Project are expected to bring in more than $40,000, and the remaining funds to support the fiscal year 2018 budget will come from state appropriations and other sources. State revenues are up about $7,000, Norrell said.

The fiscal year for Clarendon ISD begins on October 1. Public tax and budget hearings will be held August 28 prior to trustees voting on the measures.

In other CISD business, trustees met in regular session August 14 and accepted a bid from Gandy’s Dairies for the milk for the cafeteria as presented. Proposals were also accepted from Apple for computers and accessories for the Elementary Computer Lab to be expensed out of the 2017-2018 budget and from CDWG for Chromebooks and licenses to be expensed out of the 2017-2018 budget.

Two bids were accepted on tax delinquent properties Clark and Belinda Teague for lots in Howardwick.

The board also met in closed session for 17 minutes to discuss personnel, but no action was taken when the board reconvened in open session.

The Clarendon City Council is holding the line on taxes and fees as it prepares to hold a public hearing on its proposed $2.126 million budget for fiscal year 2018 during a regular session this Thursday, August 24.

The budget is about 9.6 percent lower than the current budget due largely to drainage improvements done on Third Street in the current fiscal year.

“We had about $341,000 on street repairs in fiscal year 2017,” City Administrator David Dockery said, “but now we are planning no extensive street repairs until the USDA-funded water system project is completed.”

Dockery said no service fee increases are proposed in the new budget, and the city intends to adopt the effective tax rate, which will bring in the same tax revenue as this year and yet lower the actual tax rate by about one penny per $100 valuation. The new tax rate will be $0.733821, and the city expects to receive about $260,000 in ad valorem taxes.

City employees will receive a 2.5 percent raise under the new budget, but they will be required to pick up about ten percent of their health insurance premiums going forward. Previously, the city paid the entire cost of employee premiums.

The budget includes $17,000 earmarked to help replace storm sirens on the east and west sides of town. Funds are also set aside for $25,000 worth of improvements to City Hall as the first phase of a three-year plan to bring the 1918 municipal building into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.