New School Year Brings Another Increase in Roscoe’s Student Enrollment

Parents escort children to the first day of school on Monday morning.

Roscoe ISD’s enrollment gains of last year have essentially been replicated this year.  Student enrollment is once again up by a considerable margin, and, as it was last year, the increase is due primarily to the number of transfers from nearby towns. 

The following table indicates the growth experienced over the past two years:
                                         Grades           2011         2012         2013   
          Elementary       pre-K-6           234            284           338       
          Junior High         7-8                     31              53              78       
          High School         9-12                  98            110           110        
          Totals                pre-K-12           363           447           526       

The elementary grades now have 338 students compared to 284 last year and 234 two years ago.  That represents a gain of 54, or 16%, over last year and 104, or 31%, over two years ago.  In grades 7-8, this year’s total of 78 students is an increase of 25, or 32%, over last year and 47, or 66%, over two years ago.  The High School, grades 9-12, shows no increase over last year although it is still 12, or 11%, more than year before last. 

The total enrollment for all grades in 2013 is 526, an increase of 79, or 15%, over 2012 and 163, or 31%, over 2011.  

Enrollment was capped at 40 in most grades.  However, this year’s seventh grade has always been a large class, so it is over that amount by about ten students.  An extra third-grade teacher and a part-timer who teaches two classes a day have been added. 

Enrollment can still increase slightly by late-comers who have yet to register.

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CITY COUNCIL ADDRESSES SEVERAL ISSUES AT MONTHLY MEETING

City Manager Cody Thompson addresses the Council at last night's meeting.

At its monthly meeting last night, the Roscoe City Council dealt with a number of issues ranging from complaints about the wastewater plant to consideration of an ordinance permitting the use of golf carts on City streets. 

The meeting began with complaints from a group of people who live near the new wastewater treatment plant southeast of town.  They spoke of the proliferation of insects, rodents, and certain weeds, as well the unpleasant odors.  To the complaint that the plant might have been placed in another location on the property, Scott Hay, spokesman for eHT City Engineers of Abilene who oversaw construction of the plant, addressed their concerns and gave reasons for doing it as they had.  Mayor Pete Porter agreed that the City would do what it could to alleviate the situation.

City Manager Cody Thompson informed the Council that street patching will start this week and asks Roscoe residents who know of specific trouble spots to let the City know so they may be attended to.

The Council also approved a number of action items, among them the re-hiring of CPA Ricky Bowman as City Auditor for 2013-14, the sale of a City lot at 1103 Front Street to Jerry Williams, and the passing of an ordinance allowing the use of golf carts on City streets.  

Guidelines for usage of golf carts will follow the Texas Transportation Code.  For example, they may be driven only on roadways with a speed limit of 35 mph or less, which would rule out streets like Broadway, but they may cross such streets.  

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PLOWBOY PREVIEW TOMORROW AT PLOWBOY FIELD

Players and coaches introduced at last year's Plowboy Preview.

The annual Plowboy Preview will be held tomorrow, August 15, with a hamburger cookout behind the east stands starting at 6:00, with burger, chips, and drink costing $6.  Then at 7:00pm, this year’s football players, coaches, cheerleaders, and band will be introduced in front of the east stands.

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PLOWBOYS SCRIMMAGE AT HASKELL ON FRIDAY

Fans can get their first look at this year’s Plowboys in action at a scrimmage with Haskell in Haskell on Friday starting at 6:00pm.  Their first action in Roscoe will come next Thursday, August 22, with a three-way scrimmage involving the Plowboys, Roby, and Hawley.

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NOLAN COUNTY COMMISSIONERS BALK AT PRICE INCREASES FOR NEW JAIL AND SHERIFF’S OFFICES

At Monday’s Nolan County Commissioners’ monthly meeting, a spokesman for the contractors, Turner Construction and Wigington Hooker Jeffry Architects, informed the Commissioners that instead of the $9.8 million agreed upon last year and passed by the voters in the bond election in November, the price of the new jail and Sheriff’s offices would now be more like $11.9 million, an increase of over $2 million.  They said the general increase in the cost of construction was the principal factor.

The County was presented with three choices: 1) make cuts in what it wanted, 2) accept the additional cost, or 3) reject the price increase and open a new round of bids.

After much discussion and a closed executive session, the Commissioners discussed making some changes in what they wanted but still came out $964,000 over the original budget.  They said they could work toward more cuts, but they also want the contractors to explore more ways to lessen the overall price.

They asked the contractors to come up with their best and final offer at a specially called meeting this Monday, August 18.

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WEATHER REPORT

Rain in my driveway this morning.

A light rain began falling as a cold front moved in just about daylight this morning and is continuing to fall as I write this at 9:45am.  So far, I've got just over a half-inch of rain, and the temperature has fallen to 68°F.  

The forecast is for a continued chance of thunderstorms this afternoon with a high in the upper eighties and a low tonight in the upper sixties.  There is a 30% chance of precipitation tomorrow and Friday as temperatures return to the nineties.  On Saturday, the chances decrease to 20%, and by Sunday they will be gone. 

There was a also light shower in Roscoe last Wednesday evening.  I had .18” in my rain gauge here in town, but areas south of town got more.  Lake Trammell, for example, got a much needed .70”.  

High temperatures ranged from 102°F last Wednesday to 88° on Friday.  Then until this front moved in this morning, daily highs have been in the mid-nineties with lows in the mid-seventies. 

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