Polk County News - Breakout

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Onalaska ISD ag students had an extremely successful day recently when they competed at Texas A&M University’s AggieFest Invitational Leadership Development Event. The students brought home lots of beautiful hard-earned hardware, including the AggieFest 2022 Overall Sweepstakes Winner plaque. Capturing first place in Ag Issues were Katy Stolley, AJ Pinkert, Rylee Taylor, Samantha Valdez, Lilith Maichetti and Kaleigh Park. Also winning first place was the Senior Skills team made up of Madalyn Green, Aidan Roberts, Thad Lille and Kierstyn Cox. Jillian McKendree earned first place for Greenhand Creed. Earning first place in FFA Broadcasting were Bri Sabino, Katie Boyce and Lilith Maichetti. The Public Relations team made up of Bri Sabino, Savanna Benningfield, Madalyn Green and Nikki Burchurt won second place. Also winning second place for Ag Advocacy were Nikki Burchert, Kierstyn Cox, Katy Stolley and Peyton Brooks. The Senior Quiz team came in third place with Jaykob Lowrie as 10th place high point individual, Brody Hoover as 11th place high point individual, Jerrett Purkeson as 15th place high point individual and Brylie Tieskoetter as 18th place high point individual. The Greenhand Quiz team came in fifth place with Ashley Byrd as 5th place high point individual, Wyatt Fraga as 10th place high point individual and teammates Kaydence Talbot and Jackson Stolley. AJ Pinkert placed seventh in Job Interview. Courtesy photo

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The Goodrich ISD board heard an audit report and maintenance updates last week in their monthly regular meeting for October.

Eric Carver of Axley and Rode gave an audit report on Goodrich ISD, saying the district is in good financial shape and very healthy.

“You all have a good, solid fund balance. We are giving you a clean, unmodified opinion. There are no material issues and no problems,” Carver said. 

This year, the district’s total assets were over $9.2 million. It is a $1.1 million increase from the year prior, with most being cash. 

“What you have seen in the last several years with the ESSER grants, you have received this federal money in several stages now,” Carver said. “You have been able to replace expenditures you would normally have in the general fund with some of this ESSER funding. It has allowed the general fund to build up a higher cash fund balance reserve.”

Liabilities were down $130,000, which Carver said was routine with what the school district is paying on their bond. Overall, the school’s position increased about $1.2 million, which he called a “very healthy position.”

Revenues were up $276,000, and that is a $500,000 increase from two years ago. Additional funding has been received in child nutrition, Covid, and security grants. Expenditures were down around $114,000.

Carver warned that an impending legislative session, increased costs across the board and covid funds drying up would likely mean additional expenses for all school districts.

The school district has about $4.7 million in general fund assets, with around $4.3 million of that in cash investments. The report reflected that the amount was good for operating reserves that can be accessed anytime.

Around $2.1 million have been set aside for future capital projects, which is about 75% of annual operations. There are also about $2.1 million in unassigned money.

Revenues for the past year were around $86,000 below what was expected, however, expenditures were around $600,000 below what was anticipated.

A waiver must be granted from the Texas Education Agency for any class size ratio above 22 students to one teacher. Goodrich ISD has filed waivers for kindergarten, second grade and fourth grade. Currently, there are 23 students in kindergarten, 26 in second grade and 23 in fourth grade. A few students have transferred from Goodrich and kindergarten is now down to 22 students. In fourth grade, there are also 22. Regardless of numbers, once filed, the waivers are good throughout the year.

All windows at Goodrich ISD have now been installed and all entrances and exits are labeled for safety.

In action items, the board approved new hires of a custodian and paraprofessional. 

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A huge turnout showed up early Saturday to participate in the 5K Costume Color Run at The Bradford at Brookside to benefit Making Sports Possible (MSP). MSP is a local 501(c)3 non-profit that provides financial assistance to children ages 3-19 to participate in league sports throughout Polk County. Photo by Emily Banks Wooten

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From Enterprise Staff

As of 5:40 p.m. Tuesday, 2,359 ballots had been cast for the Nov. 8 general election – 1,484 in Livingston, 208 in Corrigan and 667 in Onalaska.

Early voting for the Nov. 8 general election began Monday at three locations and will be available until 5 p.m. Nov. 4. The three locations are the Polk County Judicial Center located at 101 W. Mill St. in Livingston, the Onalaska Sub-Courthouse located at 14111 U.S. Hwy. 190 West in Onalaska and the Sechrest Webster Community Center located at 100 W. Front St. in Corrigan.

There is extended weekday and weekend early voting from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Polk County Judicial Center only, as well as from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, also at the Polk County Judicial Center only.

Voters heading to the polls will select the following:

• U.S. Representative, District 8

• Governor

• Lieutenant Governor

• Attorney General

• Comptroller of Public Accounts

• Commissioner of General Land Office

• Commissioner of Agriculture

• Railroad Commissioner

• Justice, Supreme Court, Place 3

• Justice, Supreme Court, Place 5

• Justice, Supreme Court, Place 9

• Judge, Court of Criminal Appeals, Place 5

• Judge, Court of Criminal Appeals, Place 6

• Member, State Board of Education, District 8

• State Senator, District 3

• State Representative, District 9

• Justice, 9th Court of Appeals, Place 2

• Trustees, Livingston ISD School Board