Educational Legislative Update: May 1, 2019
The school finance reform bill made it one more round Wednesday, passing through the formal Senate Education Committee hearing. This bill addresses funding for basic allotments, full-day pre-kindergarten programs, teacher and librarian salary raises, school finance calculations and school and certain property tax rates.
As substituted in committee, the bill:
- Increases the basic allotment from $5,140 to $5,880. The House version raises it to $6,030.
- Creates an early education allotment for certain students in kindergarten through third grade to assist districts in funding full-day prekindergarten.
- Recognizes how poverty differently affects students by creating a sliding scale of weights in the compensatory education allotment that will reflect varying levels of poverty.
- Includes a $5,000 across-the-board salary increase for teachers and librarians.
- Creates outcomes-based funding programs for third-grade reading based on STAAR and college-, career-, and military-readiness in high school based on SAT, ACT, TSI and ASVAB.
- Establishes a dyslexia weight of 0.12.
- Increases the special education weight to 1.15.
- Provides dual-language weights for English language learners (0.15) and English speakers (0.05).
- Uses current-year values in school finance calculations.
- Creates a 0.1 weight for campuses implementing accelerated campus excellence (ACE) turnaround plans.
- Prohibits districts of innovation from starting prior to the third Monday in August.
- Requires districts to administer kindergarten reading assessments to determine kindergarten readiness.
- Requires state assessments to be administered electronically, in smaller chunks, and not on Mondays.
- As introduced in the Senate Education Committee, the bill compresses tier I school property tax rates by 8 cents in the first year and 15 cents in the second year (second year cut contingent upon passage of a sales tax increase) and, in the third year, caps school district property tax revenue growth at 2.5 percent. It was suggested during the hearing Wednesday that there were changes to the property tax reform section of the bill that would provide alleviation to the rollback rate in the event that inflation grew to certain levels.
- Creates a $40,000 homestead exemption, up from $25,000 in current law if the sales tax increase bill passes.
- Calls for a 60×30 progress report tracking the postsecondary outcomes of students enrolled in school districts or charters and by each high school.
- Requires districts to create plans on 60×30 goals and early childhood literacy plans.
- Requires that students complete a FASFA or TASFA before graduating.
- Creates a blended learning program grant managed by the commissioner of education.
Sen. Paul Bettencourt expressed his inability to vote in favor of the bill because of the lack of study surrounding the complex tax changes the bill was introducing. The committee passed the bill on an 8-0 vote with Sens. Bettencourt, Bob Hall (R-Edgewood), and Angela Paxton (R-McKinney) registering as present but not voting for the bill.
Committee Chairman Larry Taylor Taylor expects for the Senate to consider the bill on Friday.
To watch the committee proceedings, visit http://tlcsenate.granicus.com/M
Wildcats Baseball Team Comes From Behind to Defeat Hallsville, 3-2 in Bi-District Series Opener
Wildcats Baseball 3, Hallsville 2
The Wildcats’ baseball team got three clutch RBI singles in the top of the sixth inning to defeat Hallsville, 3-2 Wednesday in game one of their best two out of three bi-district series at Mike Carter Field in Tyler. Hallsville had scored the game’s first two runs in the bottom of the fifth to take a 2-0 lead. The Bobcats utilized a single, a sacrifice bunt, a walk and two RBI singles in the inning. The Wildcats began their come from behind inning with one out walks to Kolson Hale and Jaxon Chaney. After a second out, the Wildcats got three straight RBI singles to go ahead 3-2. Austin Dodd’s single scored Hale to make it 2-1. Jase Thompson’s base hit scored Chaney with the tying run. Will Sims’ single put the Wildcats ahead 3-2 as Dodd scored. Sims shut the door on Hallsville over the last two innings to secure the pitching victory. Sims earned the pitching win going seven innings allowing only five hits and two runs while striking out five and walking only one. He constantly threw his big breaking curve ball for strikes. Kaden Argenbright went 2 for 4 for the Wildcats. Chaney hit a double. Kamren Harrison and Jake Davis also had base hits. The Wildcats won their sixth straight game and they improved their season record to 16-10. Game two in the series takes place Friday at 5:30 p.m. back at Mike Carter Field in Tyler.
Lady Cat Track Regional Meet Review
Lady Cats Track Coach Talks About Sadavia Porter and Other Lady Cats at Regional Track Meet
Lady Cats Track Coach Derek Tyson discussed Sadavia Porter’s incredible weekend at the Class 5A Region II Track Meet at UT Arlington. Porter finished second in the 100-meter dash to qualify for the State Track Meet in Austin. Coach Tyson said that feat fulfilled a statement Porter made when she signed with UTA months ago. She said she was going to qualify for the state meet. Coach Tyson said at the time he was glad he’d be going to Austin adding that Sadavia would be taking him there. In preliminaries for the 100-meter dash, Porter qualified for the final recording her personal best, an 11.88, the best time recorded all day in the event. In Saturday’s final, Porter ran a 12.02 to finish second. Coach Tyson said Savadia leaned at the finish line to get second. The third place girl was also timed at 12.02 but lost out by hundredths or thousandths of a second. Coach Tyson said if Porter runs a personal best at state she should earn a medal. Coach Tyson also predicted a bright future for freshman pole vaulter Clare Bybee who finished fourth at regional with a personal best of 11-feet. She already has set the school’s girls’ record for the pole vault. Coach Tyson said pole vault Coach Clark Cipoletta was masterful in getting athletes mentally prepared to compete. Coach Tyson told Bybee she would spend the next three years breaking her own record and added she well could be a state qualifier for the next three years. Coach Tyson said Abbi Baier ran in the finals of both the 100-meter hurdles and 300-meter hurdles. She also competed in the 4×100-meter relay. He said she was really gassed at the end of all of the events. Coach Tyson said Baier finished somewhere from fifth to seventh in both hurdle events and the relay team was sixth. He called Baier one of the most accomplished track athletes ever at Sulphur Springs High School.
North Hopkins Baseball Wins District Title
North Hopkins Downs Como-Pickton to Win District Baseball Title
The North Hopkins Panthers won the third and deciding series game over Como-Pickton Monday night (April 29) at Wildcat Park to take the district championship. The Panthers got off to a good start scoring single runs in the first three innings to go ahead 3-0. The Eagles scored a run in the fourth but the Panthers got three of their own to go up 6-1. Como-Pickton fought back to within 6-3 with single runs in the fifth and sixth innings. North Hopkins added three more runs in the sixth to go up 9-3. The Eagles scored one more in the seventh but could do no more. North Hopkins outhit the Eagles nine to six. Como-Pickton committed four errors and the Panthers two. Caleb Wyatt got the pitching win for the Panthers working six innings and allowing only 2 earned runs and six hits with 11 strikeouts and three walks. Geoffrey Stewart pitched the last inning striking out two and walking one. Blaine Flemens took the pitching loss for the Eagles going six innings allowing six earned runs and nine hits with two strikeouts and three walks. For North Hopkins, Brycen Gillespie scored a run, hit a double and drove in three runs. Colby Cameron was 2 for 4 with a run scored, a double and an RBI. Wyatt was 2 for 3 with a run scored and an RBI. Branson Thomas was 2 for 3 with a run scored and an RBI. Stewart had a hit. Victor Rojo had a hit and an RBI. Easton Lewis scored two runs and Wyatt Wharton, Jessie Rivera and Kevin Clement scored one run each. Six different Eagles got hits: Caemon Wilburn hit a double and Andrew Rasgado, Jackson Monk, Kris Mayfield, Blaine Flemens and Dylan Wiggins had singles. Rasgado, Wilburn, Wiggins and Micah Flemens all had RBI’s. Panthers Coach Tim Henderson said the Panthers would play Rivercrest in a bi-district playoff series. Game one is at Chisum Friday at 2 p.m. Game two will follow right after game one. Game three, if necessary, will be at Bells Saturday at 3 p.m.
Dinner Bell Sponsors
The Wednesday April 1st, 2019 Dinner Bell lunch was sponsored by Bill and Charlotte Zahn. The free community meal, served each Wednesday, was well attended. Volunteers from all over the area come together to serve the community.
The mission of the Dinner Bell is to end hunger in Hopkins County. Fresh, hot, nutritious meals are prepared by volunteers each Wednesday and served to our guests at the First United Methodist Church. Through the generous support of church and community members and corporate sponsors we have been able to serve over 20,000 meals to those in need since opening our kitchen in 2012.
If you or your business would like to sponsor a Dinner Bell meal, give them a call at 903.885.2185
No Tents Seen
No tents… and no campers seen as of Wednesday 1PM. The siren song of free chicken sandwiches (with 2 pickle slices) has apparently not been heard.
KSST will be monitoring the area in the days to come… not because we plan on being one of the first 100 customers… because we all have to drive by the store to get to work.
Avoid Gilmer at Main
Work is ongoing at a building at the intersection of Gilmer and Main. The Southbound lane was blocked Wednesday afternoon, and traffic is being diverted.
The work is focused on a building that suffered structure damage in a fire, and an exterior wall was recently braced.
Vehicle Pursuit Ends In Crash, 2 Arrests
Two men were jailed Tuesday evening for allegedly leaving a minor crash and leading authorities on a high speed chase that ended in another crash.
Stefan Anderson Neal, 26, of Greenville and Andrew Ray Williams, 19, of Bonham were both arrested on League Street around 7 p.m. for evading arrest or detention with a vehicle.
Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office was first contacted at 6:22 p.m. April 30 about a minor two-vehicle crash on State Highway 19 south near FM 1567 west. The occupants of a white Chevrolet Traverse reportedly drove off instead of stopping to exchange information and request a crash report. The sport utility vehicle was seen turning onto FM 1567 west toward Arbala.
The person reporting the crash claimed to be following the sport utility vehicle on FM 1567, but with difficulty because the SUV was travelling at high rates of speed, The motorist reported completely losing sight of the vehicle at the FM 1567 west and FM 2297 intersection, deputies noted in arrest reports.
Deputies Thomas Patterson and Tanner Steward began traveling south on FM 2297 in an attempt to locate the SUV. One officer reported seeing the vehicle traveling north on FM 2297 through the Birch Creek area.
The deputies reported when the SUV sped past them, they turned around to try to catch up to and stop the vehicle. They had trouble catching up.
Deputy Kevin Lester and Sgt. Shea Shaw also responded. One headed to FM 2297 at Wildcat Way to try to intercept the SUV. From just south of the intersection, a deputy reported seeing the SUV travel north through the intersection at a high rate of speed, never slowing or yielding to the red light or emergency vehicle, and appeared to the deputy to be completely airborne as it crossed the intersection.
As the vehicle landed, it struck a southbound vehicle, went off the road and struck a tree on League Street between Wildcat Way and Interstate 30, deputies alleged in arrest reports.
A deputy reported seeing the driver trying to jump over a fence, but was unable to do so and was taken into custody. He was alleged to have in his possession of a glass pipe of the kind commonly used to smoke methamphetamine on him, however, no charges were filed in connection with the drug paraphernalia, according to arrest and jail reports.
The other man also allegedly fled as soon as the crash occurred, running across an open pasture and across the interstate, where he was apprehended.
Williams and Neal were jailed for evading arrest or detention in a vehicle. Both remained in the county jail Wednesday morning. Bond was set at $30,000 each on the felony charge, according to jail reports.
SSHS UIL State Update
Three SSHS UIL Theatrical Design Students Compete at State Last Weekend
SSHS Theatre Technical Director Desi Pharis took three students to UIL Theatrical Design competition this part weekend. Senior Belinda Flores and senior Hagen Hunt competed in set design and freshman AllieGrace Woodard was in hair and makeup design. Ms. Pharis said Flores is responsible for the local interest in the competition. She said Flores was new to theater when she was placed in a technical theater class her freshmen year. Ms. Pharis said Flores thought of getting out of it but decided to stick around. Over time, the student said theater became something she felt drawn to. Flores finished fourth in the UIL contest her sophomore year. Ms. Pharis said that success caused other students to become interested. The UIL also has categories for costuming and marketing. Ms. Pharis said a UIL judge visited last week to study the students’ projects. The students also had 90-seconds to explain why they designed what they did. Ms. Pharis said none of the three got a top six ranking to earn a medal. She said despite the students not receiving a chunk of medal, they remain #1 in her book. Ms. Pharis said the students spent nine months working on their projects. She said students are already working to compete in the competition next school year.
Water loving weeds in lawns and pastures By Mario Villarino
Last week I share some information related to moisture loving weeds known as buttercups and Senecio. Another common weed in wet lawns and pastures are the Kyllingas. During a recent field day in Sulphur Bluff I notice even waterlogged pastures covered with them. According to North Carolina Extension, green kyllinga and false green kyllinga are very similar in appearance, and both are referred to as green kyllinga. Both species are native to Asia and are spreading rapidly in turfgrasses in the southern United States. Both are perennial species with well-developed rhizomes. Kyllingas tend to have a finer leaf texture and are shorter growing than other sedges. They thrive under close mowing situations (inch or less) and are very prolific in areas that are poorly drained or frequently wet. These two species are mat-forming sedges and have been observed to take over turfgrasses in the southeastern United States. Green kyllinga is very difficult to control once the large mats form. The range of these two species is somewhat misleading because they are spreading rapidly. It is believed that spread of these two species may be due to a change in crabgrass control practices in recent years. Green kyllinga and false green kyllinga are both perennials that tend to thrive under close mowing (inch or less) and are very prolific in areas that are poorly drained or frequently wet. Green kyllinga is very difficult to control once the large mats tend to form. There are several chemical recommendations to help control Kyllingas. Please call the Hopkins County Extension Office for more details.
Coming Up:
The Northeast Texas Beef Improvement Organization (NETBIO) will host its 2019 Beef Up Cattlemen’s Conference scheduled for May 10, 2019 starting at 2:00 PM. The session starts with Registration and Exhibitors Displays, followed by Animal ID: new perspectives, Hank Hayes- Texas Animal Health Commission, Knowing Your Customer, Chris McClure Private Consultant, Creating native grasslands Christian Ebel- Hopkins County, Fifty shades of cattle health, Kevin Gray- 4G Veterinary Care and The Beef Industry Today, Randy Harp—Texas A&M Commerce followed by a Q&A portion and ends with a Steak Dinner. The program will be held at the Hopkins County Regional Civic Center Arena. The program is free for beef producers but registration is required by calling 903-449-6079 or email [email protected] to secure meal.
For more information on this or any other agricultural topic please contact the Hopkins County Extension Office at 903-885-3443.
