This Week

Clarendon and Hedley schools have beefed up security measures this year as state officials step up pressure in the wake of the Uvalde school shooting May 24, which killed 19 students and two teachers.

Superintendent Jarod Bellar said while most things haven’t changed at Clarendon CISD, the school has made a few changes and is being more vigilant about campus access.

“Your heart goes out to the people in Uvalde for the tragedy they are having to deal with,” Bellar said. “I feel like some of the stuff coming from Austin is knee jerk reaction but it’s not necessarily a bad thing.”

Some parents have already noticed changes in the way students are picked up and dropped off in the elementary school, particularly classes in the school’s D-Wing. Bellar said those changes were implemented because of how that building is isolated from the main campus.

“We’re just trying to limit access, and we want parents to understand that we’re just trying to take care of their kids,” he said. “Our first responsibility is to take care of those students and staff within our walls.”

Clarendon officials are considering putting phones in all classrooms so teachers will have better access to communications in the event of an emergency. Bellar said the proposed phone system would also be tied into the bell system and could be used for alerts such as severe weather developments.

Parents at this time are also not being allowed to eat with their children in the cafeteria, but Bellar said he hopes to relax that rule as the year progresses.

“I don’t want to be impersonal, but I do want safety to be first and foremost,” he said.

The state performs safety audits of schools every three years; and although Clarendon is not up for a full audit, it has already had some mini-audits and an intruder audit will be coming later this year.

Bellar said someone with TEA will come and test the school’s security in a non-threatening way; and if they can get in, they will see how school personnel react to a stranger in the building.

Bellar himself is checking exterior doors daily and other personnel are checking exterior access points throughout the day.

In Hedley, Superintendent Garrett Bains said officials are doing more of what was being done already and paying close attention to access to the campus.
Bains said school officials are also looking at installing “auto lock” doors throughout campus that are already in Clarendon.

“Right now everybody in the state is trying to beef up security during a supply shortage,” Bains said.

Hedley is due for its three-year safety audit this year, and both superintendents expect the Texas Legislature to make more security requirements next year.

The Hedley School made the state’s ‘A’ list last week when the Texas Education Agency (TEA) released 2022 A–F accountability ratings for districts and campuses.

The state accountability rating was the first to be issued since 2019 due to two years of COVID-related pauses.

Hedley improved their rating from a high B in 2019 to an overall score of 95 this year, and Clarendon CISD maintained the B it received three years ago.

Hedley Superintendent Garrett Bains said the school received an A rating in every domain, including Student Achievement, School Progress, and Closing the Gaps.

“The kids and teachers did an awesome job, and we are very proud of them,” Bains said.

Hedley also received Distinction Designations in six categories – English, Language Arts & Reading (ELAR), Math, Science, Social Studies, Top 25 Comparison in Closing the Gaps, and Top 25 Comparison Post Secondary Readiness.

As a smaller school, Hedley received one rating for its entire district. Clarendon schools received a district rating as well as individual ratings for each campus.

Clarendon CISD received an overall 84 with B ratings in Student Achievement and School Progress and a C in Closing the Gaps. Clarendon High School also had an overall B with B ratings in Student Achievement and School Progress and a C in Closing the Gaps. Clarendon Junior High had a overall high B with an 89 and B ratings in Student Achievement and School Progress and an A in Closing the Gaps. Clarendon Elementary received an overall C and C ratings in all categories.

Clarendon Superintendent Jarod Bellar said he was proud of what the students have done in terms of accountability and said the state is constantly modifying its standards.

“It’s an ever-changing system,” Bellar said. “When they come out with the rules, we have to adjust – sometimes on the fly.”

Bellar also said last year’s fourth graders had never tested before due to COVID, and he said he believed the pandemic had definitely had an impact on the scores.

“This is the most normal year we’ve had since I’ve been here, and now we’re being inundated with safety requirements,” Bellar said.

Going forward both Bellar and Bains said their schools would look at areas for improvement and ways to boost students ahead of next spring’s state tests.

Statewide, 1,195 districts and 8,451 campuses were rated this year, with returns showing promising signs of progress in Texas’ efforts to catch students up academically. Driven by significant gains in student academic growth, 2022 saw 25 percent of districts and 33 percent of campuses improve their letter grade from 2019. Eighteen percent of high-poverty campuses in Texas were rated an A, continuing to prove that demographics do not equal destiny.

“These results show our state’s significant investment in the post-pandemic academic recovery of Texas public school students is bearing fruit,” said Texas Education Commissioner, Mike Morath. “I’m grateful for the driving force behind this year’s success: our teachers and local school leaders. Statewide policy in Texas continues to remain focused on meeting the needs of students, with an accountability system that supports high expectations, robust tutoring supports, rigorous curricular resources, and an investment in evidence-based training for our teachers.”

Established by House Bill 22 during the 85th Texas Legislature, the A–F accountability system provides educators, parents, and communities with a transparent view of the academic performance of Texas public schools based on three domains: Student Achievement, School Progress, and Closing the Gaps.

This year, to align with Senate Bill 1365, districts and campuses received an A, B or C rating or were assigned a label of Not Rated: Senate Bill 1365, both overall and in each domain. This Not Rated: Senate Bill 1365 label was applied when the domain or overall scaled score for a district or campus was less than 70. 42 districts and 564 campuses received this label.

To view the 2022 ratings for schools, visit TXschools.gov.

Jeremy Matthew Blackwell, 36, from Clarendon, was sentenced to 21 years in prison August 17 after he pleaded guilty to the first degree felony offense of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

District Attorney Luke Inman, along with Assistant District Attorney Harley Caudle, prosecuted the case for the State of Texas, with the Honorable Judge Stuart Messer presiding with the court sitting in Memphis.

“At the time of the plea, this defendant had a couple of other pending indictments in Donley County,” said Inman. “This plea prevents our victims from having to relive the traumatic events of the crimes at a trial, saves Donley County taxpayers the expense of a trial, and puts Blackwell in prison for a couple of decades.”

Blackwell was arrested in Donley County by Sheriff Charles “Butch” Blackburn on March 28, 2022. Blackwell was later indicted by the Donley County Grand Jury on August 15, 2022. Blackwell was also ordered to pay $290 in court costs.

“Blackwell has been nothing but a thorn in the side of the Donley County community for years,” said Caudle following the hearing. “He will not be missed.”

Under Texas law, the nature of Blackwell’s crime means that he must serve fifty percent of the 21-year sentence before even becoming eligible for parole.

The Clarendon Aquatic Center will hold a late-night Bronco Splash this Friday, August 19, following the football scrimmage with Childress. The center will be open from 8 p.m. to midnight, and the price of admission will be lowered to just $2 per person for that event.

Clarendon College Regents will consider a $10.2 million budget for fiscal year 2023 following a public hearing this Thursday, August 18.

CC President Tex Buckhaults says the proposed budget is slightly higher than the current $9.95 million budget and is supported by a proposed tax rate of $0.252535, which will generate about $57,000 in new revenue.

The college tax levy in Donley County is expected to collect about $705,000. The remainder of the budget is funded by the state, student tuition and fees, and other sources.

The new tax money raised in Donley County will go into physical improvements on the Clarendon campus, Buckhaults said.

The new budget includes a three percent raise for most college employees and a $1 per hour raise for any employees not making at least $15 per hour. The new budget does not raise tuition or fees since regents already approved raise those revenue items earlier this year.

In other recent college news, the CC Board of Regents met June 24 for a regular meeting. Among the agenda items at that meeting, the board evaluated the performance of the board itself and of President Buckhaults. Following his evaluation, the president’s contract was extended through June 2024.

In July, Brittney Word was appointed to fill a vacancy on the board of regents, and the board heard a presentation from Gordian regarding development of a master plan for campus improvements.

Buckhaults said regents approved a three-year agreement totaling $68,000 with the company to help prioritize needed campus improvements. The company would also help the college develop funding solutions or financing for those improvements.

Regents also accepted a bid on atheletic insurance at a savings of about $17,000 over last year.

Local taxing units continue to announce public hearings for their tax rates and budgets for the coming fiscal year.

Among the public notices in this week’s Enterprise, the City of Clarendon will hold a hearing on tax increase with a proposed rate of $0.607285 per $100 valuation. The hearing will be September 8 at 6:30 p.m.

Clarendon CISD will also hold a public meeting August 29 at 6:30 p.m. on its proposed budget and a possible tax rate of $0.9901.

Previously advertised hearings included the county, the city, the appraisal district, and the college district.

Donley County is holding public hearings on its tax rate and its proposed budget on Monday, August 29, at 1 p.m. in the Courthouse. The county is proposing a tax rate of $0.595644 per $100 valuation.

The City of Clarendon will hold a public hearing on its proposed budget for the coming year on Thursday, August 25, at 7 p.m.

The Donley County Appraisal District will take public comments on its proposed budget August 24 at 7 p.m.

Clarendon College Regents will meet for a hearing on its proposed tax rate of $0.252535 on August 18 at 5:45 p.m. and will also have a budget hearing on August 18 at 5:30 p.m.

Read more about these hearings in the Public Notices throughout the Enterprise. The public is invited and encouraged to attend these meetings.

The Donley County Community Fund is now accepting applications from qualified non-profit organizations for up to $1,500 grant to be awarded this fall.

Those eligible to apply for the grants include local governments, schools, and non-profit organizations holding a 501(c)(3) status with the Internal Revenue Service. All grant applicants must be from Donley County.

Grant applications for any amount up to $1,500 must be received by Friday, September 30, at 5 p.m., and the grant recipient will be selected in October.
To receive a grant application and determine your organization’s eligibility to apply, contact Jacob Fangman 806-206-5737 or jacobfangman@yahoo.com. Applications are available from Fangman at Herring Bank or at the Clarendon Visitor Center.

The Donley County Community Fund is an affiliate fund of the Amarillo Area Foundation (AAF) with the focus of building an Endowed Legacy for the entire county for the benefit of future generations.