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March 29, 2017 | Printed on recycled paper
Hereford BRAND Volume 116 | Number 78 WHAT'S INSIDE
Proudly Serving The High Plains Since 1901
Bond public meeting set for Thursday By John Carson BRAND Managing Editor
Police Blotter Page 2
Lady Herd finds sticks at Dumas Page 9
Officials with Hereford Independent School District (HISD) get their first chance to go face-to-face with the public at-large over the upcoming bond during an open meeting Thursday at Amarillo College. The 6 p.m., meeting is the first of three HISD bond public meetings has slated. The
others are set for 7 p.m., to attend a meeting that Thursday, April 13 meets their needs and at Hereford Senior at a place within the Citizens and 7 p.m., community outside Thursday, May 4 at of the HISD school Hereford Community setting.” Center. At stake are plans “The purpose of the designed to address public meeting is just a number of pressing that – to inform the district needs – most public,” HISD Superof which revolve intendent Sheri Blan- BLANKENSHIP around facilities with kenship said. “This an early childhood gives people an opportunity development center, multi-
purpose activity centers at elementary schools and dressing and trainers learning facility at Whiteface Stadium accounting for $37 million of the bond’s $45 million total. The remaining $8 million is earmarked for safety and security upgrades at all 10 HISD campuses. The crux of HISD’s message for the public meetings is simple. “Register to vote, and go
By John Carson BRAND Managing Editor
FORECAST
Today
Showers/Wind High: 47º Low: 35º Sunrise: 7:40 a.m. Sunset: 8:08 p.m. Wind: N 25 MPH Precipitation: 60%
Thursday
Sunny High: 72º Low: 39º Sunrise: 7:38 a.m. Sunset: 8:09 p.m. Wind: WNW 13 MPH Precipitation: 0%
Friday
Sunny/Wind High: 80º Low: 41º Sunrise: 7:37 a.m. Sunset: 8:10 p.m. Wind: S 25 MPH Precipitation: 0%
HEREFORD HISTORY 17 years ago • March 29, 2000
Placement of Hagar Family windmill - The HISD board chose to erect the windmill in Building II of the Career and Technology buildings. The windmill was placed as close as possible to the original state. BRAND/John Carson
Flanked by granddaughter Beth Garcia, left, grandson-in-law Benito F. Garcia and 2-year-old great-grandson Zion Garcia, lone surviving Deaf Smith County Museum co-founder and lifetime Deaf Smith County Historical Society member Johnnie Turrentine makes her exit after the museum’s silver anniversary celebration Sunday.
Obits 2 Opinion 4 Police Blotter 2 Religion 8 Sports Sked 9 Sports 9-10 Sudoku 7 Weekly Pet 5
© 2017 Hereford BRAND A division of Roberts Publishing Group
PLEASE SEE MEETING | 2
HISD approves '17-18 calendar
Page 10
Bulletin Board 6 Calendar 2 Classifieds 7 Community 5-6 Crossword 2 Crossword Sol. 6 Fri. Night Lights 9 News 3
vote,” Blankenship said. “But most importantly, vote informed.” The bond, which goes before voters May 6, is the second in three years that HISD has attempted to float. The first, in 2015, was for $42.6 million and soundly defeated at the polls by an almost 2-1 majority (765-403). Already pledging the cur-
On to the centennial DOI in place,
Whitefaces host annual track meet
INDEX
10 pages | $1.00
The Hereford Independent School District (HISD) Board of Trustees took care of one piece of business during its regular meeting Monday in order to take care of another. To approve a 2017-18 proposed school calendar, the board first had to give its OK for HISD to become a District of Innovation (DOI). The reasons rested upon what becoming a DOI allows school system to do and a looming situation concerning state mandates on when a school year can start. The DOI effort began in January and became official with Monday’s approval of a district DOI plan that was compiled by school administrators and leaders. “[Becoming a DOI] will give greater local control over the education and instruction process for HISD students and increase flexibility while maintaining accountability for student achievement and success,” HISD Superintendent Sheri Blankenship said in January. One of the special DOI caveats that HISD officials eyed – and only three of the 10 “allowable exemptions” Blankenship said would be utilized – was scheduling of the first and last day of school. That was a potential issue because state mandates require public school systems to start a school year on the fourth Monday of August – which in 2017 would fall on Aug. 28 and subsequently push the last day of school into June. “No one wants to be going to school in June,” Blankenship said at the Jan. 23 board meeting. “Students don’t. Parents don’t, and teachers don’t.” With the DOI plan approved Monday, trustees were able to give a thumbs up to the 2017-18 calendar that utilized the scheduling flexibility to open the school year before the state-mandated date. The 2017-18 year is set to start on the third Monday in August – Aug. 21 – with the final day of classes on Thursday, May 24. “Being a DOI allows us to start on that date [Aug. 21] instead of Aug. 28,” Blankenship said Monday. “Overall, most of the calendar is the same as this year’s.” For students, there are 20 holidays in next year’s calendar – Monday, Sept. 4 for PLEASE SEE HISD | 10
Age, need behind dressing, trainers facility in bond By John Carson BRAND Managing Editor
(EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the fourth of a four-part series looking at the individual segments – safety and security, multi-purpose activity centers, early childhood development center, and dressing and trainers learning facility – of a $45 million bond issue called by Hereford Independent School District. The bond goes before voters on May 6.)
BRAND/John Carson
Without renovations since construction in 1962, the Whiteface Stadium fieldhouse is a $6.8 million part of the plans for a $45 million HISD bond issue to go before voters on May 6. As Hereford Independent
School District (HISD) officials have made it clear, the specif-
ics contained in an upcoming $45 million bond issue are
not a district “wish list” but genuine “needs” to maintain and improve instruction. While one of the bond’s four segments – dressing and trainers learning facility – might appear as relatively unnecessary or even frivolous, reality is just the opposite. “Our current dressing facility [fieldhouse] was built in 1962,” HISD Superintendent Sheri Blankenship said. “While PLEASE SEE BOND | 6
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