Brownwood ISD moved up to a B rating after improving its Texas Education Agency score from 78 to 83, one of several education updates shared Friday, August 21, at the annual Education in Brown County Luncheon.
The Brownwood Area Chamber of Commerce and Early Chamber of Commerce hosted the event at the Early Visitors and Events Center. Citizens National Bank served as presenting sponsor. Representatives gave brief presentations on behalf of 12 local schools and higher-education institutions serving Brown County and nearby communities.
Brownwood ISD reports higher ratings and lower budget
Dr. Joe Young, who is in his 11th year as Brownwood ISD superintendent, reported that East Elementary received an A rating with a score of 90. Brownwood High School improved from 78 to 89, earning a B rating and coming within one point of an A.
The district’s real estate tax rate remains the same this year. Its total budget is $37,122,931, down $1.97 million from last year’s $39,098,446.
Young also said all Brown County schools are good schools, ending his remarks with the phrase, “Ride for the brand!”
Other district leaders described progress across the county. Blanket ISD’s latest TEA score rose from 63 to 81, changing its rating from an earlier score to a B rating. The district also has a new superintendent, Nathan Moye, who previously spent 15 years with Ennis ISD, including five years as a high school principal.
Early ISD’s score improved from 80 to 82, also earning a B rating. Its middle-school score rose from 79 to 87. Superintendent Dr. Joan Otten credited middle-school principal Veronica Ballenger’s emphasis on student accountability and support for teachers.
Local schools highlight growth and different approaches
May ISD Superintendent Chad Dail described the district’s “WB4M” motto, meaning “We Before Me.” He said the district’s small size allows students to receive individual attention and emphasized that students should not limit their aspirations because the school is small.
Brown County Christian School has grown from 27 students six years ago to 80 students this year. The school is adding cross country and track athletics and operates a tutoring program that can work with other schools.
Cross Classical Academy, a private school in downtown Brownwood, is in its 16th year and has 63 students. The K-through-eighth-grade school uses a collaborative schedule: students attend on Mondays and Wednesdays and receive homeschool instruction on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. Its low-tech classical program uses the Trivium approach, emphasizing knowledge, critical reasoning and persuasive expression. Students begin Latin in third grade and Latin and Greek in fifth grade.
Academy principal Jade Austin said graduates later attend local schools for grades nine through 12 and that several former students have graduated as valedictorian or salutatorian.
Colleges report enrollment, investment and workforce goals
Howard Payne University President Dr. Cory Hines said enrollment has increased for three consecutive years and that the university has its highest on-campus residential enrollment in eight years. Howard Payne reported a $52 million local economic impact.
Over the past seven years, the university has operated in the black each year, raised more than $42 million, increased its endowment from $64 million to just under $99 million and invested $38 million in campus development projects.
Ranger College is marking its 100th anniversary in Texas. Senior Vice President Dr. Dayna Prochaska said enrollment has reached a record level over the past three years. The college recently received $3.5 million in grants for health care, construction and security programs, along with a Silver Certification for Caring Campus. That certification makes money available for nonacademic student needs including food, clothing, child care and automobile repairs.
Texas State Technical College representative Taylor Harriman said TSTC provides short-term training in manufacturing, energy, health care, construction and information technology. The college reports a 94% job-placement rate and offers eligible graduates a money-back guarantee if they do not receive a job offer within six months.
Harriman said TSTC hopes to create a “Brown County boomerang effect,” with local students eventually working in Brown County.
Visit Early was the event’s Empower Sponsor. Supporting sponsors were Andy’s Pest Troopers, Hendrick Medical Center, Howard Payne University, Kohler, TSTC, Smile Doctors Orthodontics and CMS Kinder Health.