Year-in-Review

Editor’s Note: The first four months of the year can be found in the Wednesday, Dec. 21 issue.

May

A number of area track athletes qualified for the State Track Meet in Austin on May 12-14. Jacksboro’s Kylie Tullous qualified in the long jump after a regional win. Bryson’s 400-meter girls relay team of Allie Orr, Windsor Godfrey, Hanna Perez and Tracy Hauger quali _ed after a regional win as well. Perrin’s Abby VanBuskirk quali_ed after _nishing 2nd in the triple jump.

Perrin ISD announced it was going to a fourday school week this Fall. Things have been going very well for the district with the change.

Sara Mathis, who was Jacksboro Middle School Principal, was promoted to Assistant Superintendent. The promotion came after Brad Burnett was moved up to Superintendent. She began her position July 1.

Jacksboro’s softball and basketball teams moved deep into Class 3A playoffs, the girls being knocked out by Holliday in the regional quarter_nals with the boys losing in the area round.

After weeks at local churches and Jacksboro Middle School, students were allowed back in to Jacksboro Elementary School with remediation work complete and the damaged areas being shored up. Work on the roof began June 1. All summer activities, including ESL classes and summer school were moved to the middle school and came off without a hitch.

To accommodate having the Class of 2022 graduation ceremony outside, temporary lighting and bleachers were brought in. With press box damage, the ceremony was moved to the visitors side.

Bryson held its athletic banquet May 3. Sophomore Chance Hand and junior Tracy Hauger were named outstanding athletes for the school year.

A tornado long-term recovery group was formed. City councilman and retired teacher Joel Hood was named chairman of the group which consisted of community members trying to move the area along after the tornado. It took several months to get the ball rolling, people hired but the _rst homes to go through the process were worked on before Christmas.

The city opted to replace its water meter system with a new automated system that was expected to save time and money for city employees. The system is being installed presently and is expected to be complete in January 2023.

June

Jacksboro city staff begin preliminary talks about the budget, which would go into effect Oct. 1. Preliminary values, were up about $3 million from a year ago.

Perrin-Whitt CISD lost its appeal with the Texas Association of Tax Assessors. The district had been _ghting a battle with local values for years, Superintendent Cliff Gilmore said. The district believing local valuations were coming in to low to the tune of about $40 million, which affected the amount of state money coming in. Since houses in the area were selling at State valuation and not local, attorneys told the district that was the reason the district lost .

The district used a budget surplus and ESSER funding to make payroll. Preliminary valuations for the 2022-23 school year were up $66 million across Jack and Parker County, which serve the district.

Trinity Habitat for Humanity came to Commissioners Court to talk about giving area aid. Some families were able to qualify for the program which relies on some volunteer work.

New activities were announced for TNT Fest, including a non-motorized parade and a kids safety program where bike helmets and life jackets were passed out. Both new programs were very popular.

Long Term Recovery Committee members received their first bit of training from the national office during a June 2 meeting. Communication was said to be very important in letting those affected know what was going on.

Jacksboro Lions Club members made a $4,000 donation to Jacksboro Elementary School for playground equipment no longer usable due to the tornado.

Jacksboro Lions also had a successful fish fry despite numbers of people being down slightly.

Summer camps of both sports and other activities were in full swing with increased numbers being seen across the board, particularly at the sports camps.

After the city gave an initial three month disaster declaration after the tornado, the declaration was extended an additional 30 days at the council’s June 13 meeting. The extension which expired July 26, gave city staff time to see if another extension would be needed.

The Small Business Administrationgaveout home loans to 13 owners worth $1,093,700 with two businesses receiving an additional $50,000 total.

Also at the meeting, TXDOT agreed to provide better lighting around the high school to increase safety. Four lights around the highway going by the school were expected to be installed.

Slade Egan resigned as Bryson AD to take a position at Mineral Wells. A month later, Principal Gary Kirby was named Athletic Director with former Bryson Coach Bill Reed named football coach. Replacements for Kirby as Athletic Director were expected to be interviewed in December.

July

Jacksboro officials worked on a food truck vendor ordinance to start the month. Once a food truck lot is full, vendors must go find another lot. Right now, the city had just one food truck lot in the former Garlic’s parking lot.

In a related item at the same meeting the council denied a zoning change for a smaller lot for a food truck business. In a unanimous vote, the council voted not to set a precedent by varying from the minimum 100’ by a 100’ lot for a business.

Vacation Bible Schools were also very popular during the summer, most pastors announcing increased attendance this year.

LTRC members accepted more than $17,000 in donations thanks to a concert and the annual Famous for Serving event where local celebrities receive tips for working at local restaurants for an evening.

JHS’ chapter of FCCLA won three national titles at the national conference in San Diego. The Chapter In Review Display Level 2 trio of Rayann Conner, Allie Robinson and Emily Rodgers took first place, as did the CIR Portfolio Level 2 team of Chrystyn Arnold, Michelle Barron and Brailyn Tullous. Also taking top honors nationally were Chapter In Review Display Level 3 team of Lilli Gonzales, Jenna Herd and Savannah Thompson.

Bryson 2022 graduate Windsor Godfrey was elected State FFA President at the State Convention in Fort Worth, the first president and the third officer from Jack County in the organization’s history. She is only the 10th female president of the organization since 1969.

She delayed her first year in college this school year to go speak at schools around the state about FFA and the positives it gives youth.

M&F Littken of Wichita Falls was selected as the JISD’s Construction Manager At Risk after the recent tornado. They will ensure the work is getting done and on time, Superintendent Brad Burnett stated.

August

City officials received an update on what the Friends of the Animal Shelter had been doing since the tornado and was interested in how progress was going for construction of a new shelter. The group had raised nearly $43,000 since the March tornado. City Manager Mike Smith said the city was looking into getting a seven year tax note which would speed up the time where construction would begin. The cost would be around $70,000 a year for seven years to pay off the note. Smith asked County Judge Keith Umphress if it would consider assisting in payment. Umphress said if the city would pick up animals in the county it would.

Bryson ISD hired a financial advisor. John Blackburn with Live Oak Public Finance explained how the district’s I&S tax rate could drop if Hecate Energy filed an application to put a solar energy plant on the district’s tax rolls. Solar plants depreciate more quickly than wind farms so it was important for the district to jump in while “the iron was hot”.

Former Jacksboro AG Teacher Joe Ray Burkett was inducted into the Texas Ag Teachers Hall of Fame.

Case workers for the Long Term Recovery Committee hit the ground running late July, splitting the list of about 300 people who said they needed assistance. Initial screenings have been done with people to determine how best they can be helped.

Jacksboro aldermen received a budget update, City Manager Mike Smith saying several hundred thousand dollars still needed to be cut to ensure a balanced budget. The city’s net taxable values were $303,665 below 2021 numbers.

Major changes were in store at Jacksboro High School during the school year. One was a 30-minute period customized for each class, including a Tiger Time 101 for the freshmen with juniors and seniors preparing for life after JHS, including test preparation.

A Junior Tiger/Tigerette program was developed to help the younger students have someone older to look up to. Students were able to bond with their player during events like Meet the Tiger and pizza parties, and stand with their player at games. The program has been hugely successful.

JISD developed a new website. One of the main reasons was to allow teachers an easier way to update positive things going on in their classrooms and in the district as a whole. Teachers can shoot video and update content. Once approved by their campus administrator, it goes onto the site and also the campus’ social media platform.

JISD officials also workedoncuttingteacher absences. In 2021-22 the district had 2,041 absences which cost the district $153,000. More than half were classified as discretionary. Giving five day notice on personal leave. At the same need, a facilities needs committee was put together to discuss a possible bond issue for May 2023.

Jacksboro Police and Jack County Sheriff’s Department officials worked together on a pay scale during the county budget talks. Deputies and jail personnel were leaving because of what was considered to be low pay.

School districts received their TEA ratings with both Bryson and Perrin receiving ‘A’ grades. Jacksboro received a ‘B’ rating.

September

The North Texas Conference of the United Methodist Church came to tow putting together a series of videos to show the impact the tornado had on Jacksboro. Through the “Close to Home” program, the videos will be shown and donations taken. One church, FUMC Richardson, is donating $5,500 and bringing a group to help rebuild in 2023.

A First Responder Memorial was opened on Sept. 11, the 21st anniversary of the World Trade Center bombing. Christian Missions Pastor Eugene Weldon, who was instrumental in developing the nearby Veteran’s Memorial, worked for several years in getting the memorial built. A crowd of about 125 attended the ceremony.

Jacksboro police started a program to make sure its older and less socially savvy residents are safe. The R-UOK and Operation KINdness programs were combined. Residents are called daily to ensure they’re okay.

Oncor Cares Foundation, wanting to help JES students, gave a $10,000 donation for reading materials. It was one of several donations to the school. Two donations from ONCOR and Phillips 66 went to providing new playground equipment as well.

The initial JISD facilities meeting was held Sept. 19. The district has been working with two other companies to provide an overview of the needs of the district schools. Growth in recent years is one of the main reasons for the upgrades. Over the next few months, committee members received costs and are presently working on a proposal to go before the board in January for a possible May vote. The board is expected to make a decision in February 2023.