Wednesday, January 25, 2017
Volume 118, Number 60 8 Pages $1.00 www.HerefordBRAND.com
Herd turnaround upsets Dogs;
Start, injuries hobble Lady Whitefaces, Sports, pg. 7
Make Newspapers Great Again
County entities report smooth opening to new year By John Carson BRAND Managing Editor A year ago, the January meeting of Deaf Smith County’s joint entities was dominated by the aftermath of Snowstorm Goliath that created a bit of a shaky start to 2016. The quarterly gathering of representatives from Deaf Smith County, Hereford, Deaf Smith County Hospital District (DSCHD), Hereford Independent School District (HISD), Hereford
Economic Development Corpora- have people coming in from ev- a good problem to have.” tion (HEDC) and Amarillo erywhere – HerAs AC begins its spring College (AC) on Jan. 16 eford, Dimmitt, semester, Esquivel rewas almost a 180-degree Friona and even ported that all 19 classdifference. Amarillo. Sturooms on the local camWhile minor situations dents are looking pus are full. and problems were upfor empty seats, With a capacity of acdated, as a whole, repand they are findcommodating 340 sturesentatives across the ing them here. dents at a time, he added board revealed that 2017 “This is a bit of that school officials are is off to a much better a double-edged taking a look at possibly overall start. sword because expanding AC’s footprint ESQUIVEL O'CONNOR “We are amazed at our Amarillo students in Hereford. growth,” Hereford AC diare taking seats “We need the extra rector Daniel Esquivel said. “We away from local students, but it’s space,” Esquivel said. “We don’t
have enough computer lab space.” HEDC executive director Michael Kitten provided updates on commercial construction around town, as well as alterations in the group’s marketing strategy. He highlighted his presentation with the local success story that Merrick Pet Foods has become through the investment of some $80 million into its Hereford facility and the ongoing PLEASE SEE JOINT | 2
HISD getting ducks in row to call bond
By John Carson BRAND Managing Editor
have done in Texas and within the specific Panhandle and northwest Texas The refloating of a bond areas. issue continued inching “We have a unique state closer to reality after ac- and region when it comes tion by the Hereford In- to bond issues,” Ingram dependent School District said. “Any of the top four (HISD) Board of Trustees [on the list] will work fine, during Monday’s regular but we were clearly more meeting. impressed with the top The meeting’ final action two.” item was discussion and Specialized Public Ficonsideration of a finan- nance topped HISD’s list cial advisor that officials with FirstBank Southwest have and continue not far behind. to say is a veritable On the table for requirement if a trustees was a denew bond is to be cision to allow Incalled. gram and HISD Su“If you call for a perintendent Sheri bond, you will need Blankenship to a good financial negotiate with proadvisor on board,” spective advisors HISD business about fees and exmanager Rusty Inpenses associated INGRAM gram said. “This is with a bond issue. going a little quick“At the advice of er than I would like, but it our attorney, we need to is still working out.” have [an advisor] in place Trustees have been mull- before a bond is called,” ing refloating a bond issue Blankenship said. since a $42.3 million meaHowever, school officials sure was rejected by voters are staring a Feb. 17 deadin 2015. line to call a bond for inDiscussions on the mat- clusion in May 6 elections ter have heated up during for several trustee seats. the past several months Another reality Ingram and prompted Ingram to quickly pointed out was begin an information-gath- if negotiations took place, ering process that could they must begin with the allow trustees to avoid let- top of the list – and if no ting bids for financial advi- agreement is reached, that sors. company is disqualified Putting out a request for from the process. data on companies inter“We do need to get movested in the bonds, Ingram ing on this,” Ingram said. expected at most three “We want someone in place responses, but instead re- before a bond is called. ceived seven. I would have like to have School finance officials started this process two have since ranked those months ago. companies after specifi“We do need people with cally looking into several experience and expertise to aspects – including how many bonds companies PLEASE SEE BOND | 3
BRAND/John Carson
Above, the Marching Maroon brass ensemble performs the National Anthem prior to Friday's basketball game, including, right, senior Triana Sierra pulls double duty as cheerleader and trumpeteer. Below, during the game, Hereford's Dodge DeLozir (4) levitates a ball on the baseline.
'More than a letter grade’
Proposed state A-F rating system not inclusive of total education By John Carson BRAND Managing Editor (EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the second of a two-part series into the recent release of preliminary results for a proposed state A-F grading system for school districts and their individual campuses.) School officials through Texas have spent much of the past fortnight coping with unfavor-
able accountability results released by the state earlier this month. A proposed A-F, report cardstyle system is awaiting final alterations and approval from the state legislature, however, results of the accountability system have created alarm and concern among lawmakers, communities and parents. Hereford Independent School District (HISD), like most of its counterparts in Texas, must deal
with what school officials said are “incomplete results” that show seemingly unsatisfactory results across the board. After seeing all its campuses achieve 2016 Texas Education Agency (TEA) met-standards recognition for the first time in more than decade, HISD received two Ds and two Cs as a district under the proposed new system. Aside from the actual grades, alarm has been raised because the four criteria – called domains
– used for the assessment are, by title, identical to those used for the TEA accountability – Domain I (student achievement), Domain II (student progress), Domain III (closing the gaps) and Domain IV (postsecondary readiness). For TEA’s 2016 accountability rating, only one of HISD’s nine campuses did not meet standard in all four – and that one achieved the benchmark in the required three-of-four to meet standard.
However, under the A-F system, Domain I grades for HISD individual schools included five Cs, two Ds and two Fs. Domain II featured two As, a B, three Cs and three Ds. Domain III saw one A, two Bs, two Cs and four Ds. Domain IV had three Bs, five Cs and a D. School officials statewide are bemoaning the results – not because of low grades, but because the criteria used to determine PLEASE SEE GRADES | 2
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