Breckenridge Texan

By Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan

Enrollment changes, facility updates and student achievements took center stage at the Breckenridge Independent School District board meeting on Nov. 18, where trustees also approved key purchases and heard a presentation by members of the Breckenridge High School FFA Public Relations team.

The FFA students presented a look at their chapter’s 91-year history, drawing parallels between the organization’s founding members and current students.

The presentation team, consisting of MacKenzie Cloud, Sylee Mitchell, Kadynce Kennedy, and Kaitlyn Wright, shared what they called discoveries from a historical scrapbook found very deep in a forgotten closet in the Breckenridge High School building. During their presentation they displayed old, framed black-and-white photos, trophies, plaques and the scrapbook they discovered. The students also projected both old and more current photos and newspaper clippings of stories about the local FFA chapter on the screen behind them.

They said that in late 1933 FFA members Wallace Cope, Ross Walker, Ray Walker and Glen Covington were asked to put together a presentation for the Stanford Texas Rotary Club by local rancher and Rotarian A.J. Swenson. During the presentation the four Breckinridge boys convinced the Rotarians that their organization held great value to their young people and now, through the presentation, the PR team wanted to show the Rotarians today, 91 years later, that it still does.

The team highlighted how the organization has evolved while maintaining its core values. “Today, there are over a million members across the 50 states, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. 176 of those members call Breckenridge home,” one team member noted.

The presentation emphasized the chapter’s long-standing tradition of excellence in both livestock showing and competitive events. They said the Breckenridge FFA has always been a formidable opponent in the contest arena, as well as the livestock arena, noting historical victories in meats identification, farm shop team, and soil conservation.

Cloud, a current FFA Lone Star Degree recipient, connected her achievements to the chapter’s pioneers Ross Walker and Ray Walker, who were among the first in Breckenridge FFA members to earn their Lone Star degree in 1933. “Today, 91 years later, I am proud to say I’m one of the 162 Breckinridge FFA members to earn my Lone Star Degree,” she said.

The team concluded by highlighting the chapter’s longstanding tradition to community service.

“The story told in this scrapbook is captivating. These photographs and letters show our beginning. It’s set the standard of excellence we strive to achieve still today. Members like Wallace Cope and Ross Walker and Glenn Covington and Ray Walker started something more powerful than they may have realized 91 years ago. It is their footsteps we follow, their traditions we keep. And even today, we still share one common goal, to practice brotherhood, to honor agricultural opportunities and responsibilities and develop those qualities of leadership which a FFA member should possess,” the students said.

After their presentation, Ag teacher and FFA sponsor Cheyenne Cansler said the team’s presentation placed fifth in the district contest earlier in the day. She said the organization also had several other teams competing in the district contest, including two of the skills teams, Senior Skills and Junior Skills, that earned district champion titles and will advance to area competition on Monday, Nov. 25, as well as the Junior Chapter Conducting team, which won second place and will also be going to the area contest.

Enrollment Changes

During the meeting, the school board discussed enrollment fluctuations across campuses, with East Elementary experiencing a notable decline of “about 30 something kids since the first (of the) year,” according to the discussion.

BISD Superintendent Prairie Freeman explained that some of the decline was due to families who had been living together and have since left the area. “We’ve had some that have that moved in last year, that have left. So they were living together. We had some families that were all living together, and they’ve left,” she said.

During her report, Freeman addressed the district’s attendance goals, targeting a 94% attendance rate. She noted that administrators are working on new incentive programs, stating, “I know spring is always the hard time for attendance, so I kind of want to start something before then.”

Athletic updates

Despite a challenging football season, BISD Athletic Director and Head Football Coach Casey Pearce said Breckenridge High School’s athletic program celebrated several individual achievements and is transitioning into winter sports.

He said they had their all-district meeting and can’t release names yet, but that Breckenridge had seven football players with first-team all-district honors, nine made second team, and 13 received honorable mentions. Additionally, nine students achieved academic all-district recognition.

“Had nine Academic All-District kids, a sophomore through senior, with 90-plus grade point,” Pearce said.

The basketball programs are showing early promise he said. “Girls are playing competitive basketball, again, probably with lesser talent, but different, different mojo,” he said.

Pearce said the Lions Club Basketball Tournament is scheduled for Dec. 5-7, followed by the start of district play. The athletic department is also preparing for powerlifting, track, baseball, and softball to begin in January.

Other Business

In other business the board also approved Parker Wiley’s reappointment to the Stephens County Appraisal District Board of Directors for a two-year term beginning January 1, 2025.

The board approved two purchases, including a 2025 Malibu from Bayer Chevrolet and a new HVAC unit for the AFA building. The HVAC replacement contract was awarded to Herrington Heating and Cooling with a bid of $17,248.24, will replace a 17-year-old unit that had required ongoing maintenance.

Click here to see the Students of the Month and Staff Members of the Month from each of the district’s four schools.

Looking ahead, Freeman mentioned plans to monitor the upcoming 89th legislative session, with a legislative conference scheduled for Dec. 5-6.

Cutline, top photo: At the Nov. 18 BISD school board meeting, MacKenzie Cloud, Sylee Mitchell, Kadynce Kennedy and Kaitlyn Wright, the Breckenridge High School FFA Public Relations team presented a look at their chapter’s 91-year history, drawing parallels between the organization’s founding members and current students. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)