Planting Summer Annual Grasses Can Help Farmers Overcome Forage Shortages
By Mario Villarino, Hopkins County Extension Agent for Agriculture & Natural Resources, [email protected]
The recent dry period followed by torrential rain lately has put many ranchers and farmers needing to make hard decisions quickly. Planting summer annual grasses can help you overcome summer forage shortages.
According to Dr. Vanessa Corriher-Olson, Texas AgriLife Extension in Overton, summer grasses can be very useful because they grow rapidly, tolerate drought, respond well to fertilizer and water, and are more nutritious than perennial warm season forages. They are, however, not a permanent solution for meeting summer forage needs. They can be expensive to produce, are difficult to manage, and could poison livestock with nitrates and/or prussic acid. Despite these inherent drawbacks, summer annuals can be an excellent option in dry years.
Summer annual grasses that can be grown in Texas include: Pearl millet (Pennisetum americanum) Forage sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) Sorghum sudangrass hybrids, Sudangrass (Sorghum bicolor) and Crabgrass (Digitaria sanuinalis). These forages can be valuable in an overall forage system. Each of these grasses has unique growth characteristics and must be managed appropriately for optimum production.
Pearl millet is adapted to sandy, acidic soils. It can be planted in the spring by broadcasting or by drilling seed ½ to 1 inch deep into a prepared seedbed. The shorter varieties such as Tifleaf I, II, and III are leafier and have fewer stems. Under grazing, these shorter grasses can be easier to manage than the taller types. The taller varieties may produce more dry matter per acre than the dwarf types. Avoid grazing or mowing pearl millet too short, as that can kill the stand. If you leave 4 to 6 inches of plant stubble after harvest, pearl millet will regrow. The stand can be harvested again in about 4 to 6 weeks. You can graze livestock on Tifleaf cultivars until frost because pearl millet does not contain harmful levels of prussic acid. However, it can cause nitrate poisoning.
Grain sorghums grow 3 to 5 feet tall and are not normally considered for forage because they yield relatively little dry matter. However, several types of forage sorghum have been developed. Forage sorghums can grow 8 to 13 feet tall and produce a substantial amount of dry matter. Forage sorghums grow best in fertile, well-drained soils that have Good water-holding capacity. It is the most drought tolerant of the warm-season annuals listed here. Forage sorghums are best used in a single hay cutting when plants are in bloom or early dough stage. These sorghums have large stems; crushing them with a mower/conditioner will make them dry faster.
Sorghum-sudan hybrids grow 4 to 7 feet tall, have smaller stems, and dry faster than the forage sorghums. Sorghum-sudan hybrids can yield more than any other summer annuals. These hybrids can be used for grazing or silage, but they are difficult to dry for hay. If used for grazing, allow sorghum sudans to regrow to 24 inches tall before reintroducing livestock. Do not allow horses to graze sorghum-sudans because they contain an unidentified toxin that can cause spinal cord degeneration and even paralysis. Some sorghum-sudan hybrids and forage sorghum cultivars are sensitive to day light duration. These photosensitive varieties can sustain more consistent growth over a longer growing season because they remain vegetative into September—until day length is less than 12 hours.
Sudangrass is a fast-growing warm-season annual that can produce good forage, though usually not as much as the sorghum-sudangrass hybrids. True sudangrass has fine stems and regrows rapidly after being grazed. Sudangrass needs fertile soil that drains well. Two plantings 4 to 6 weeks apart will provide forage throughout the summer. Brown midrib varieties are preferable because they have less lignin and are more digestible than other varieties. In general, sorghums have total digestible nutrients values from 53 to 60 percent and crude protein concentrations of 9 to 15 percent.
Silage or hay is easiest to cure when the plants are in the boot stage (have not produced a seed head); however, yield and the sugar content that ferments silage rapidly are greater at the soft dough stage (when the seed is soft). Use a conditioner to crush the stems to ensure that the hay dries quickly.
Crabgrass is commonly considered a weed, but it can be a high-quality summer forage. Crabgrass grows best in well-drained soils and, if allowed to reach seed stage, can reseed itself year after year. Crabgrass forage has excellent quality and palatability, but the yield varies according to soil fertility and rainfall. Crabgrass hay normally cures more slowly than bermudagrass but more quickly than sorghum-sudan hybrids or pearl millet. It is best to use this forage in a rotational grazing system.
Summer annuals need appropriate fertilizers to produce well. Add lime, phosphorus, and potassium according to soil test recommendations. Nitrogen is also important; apply at 60 to 100 pounds per acre at green up. If you plan additional harvests, you may apply 40 to 60 pounds of nitrogen per acre after each harvest. Warm-season annuals require that you prepare the soil, plant seed, and fertilize each year. Given the price of diesel, seed, fertilizer, and irrigation, it might not be economical to plant and manage annuals. If there is not enough rain during the summer to produce sufficient hay, winter annuals may be an option. Warm-season annual forages work well in open land situations when you want to plant winter annual forages for grazing. The growing periods for cool- and warm-season annuals are complementary and allow for slight overlap in seasonal production.
Both millet and sorghum-sudan plants can accumulate nitrates during drought. When conditions are dry, test the grass before allowing livestock to graze. Millet and sorghum-sudan plants can be harvested as green chop, silage, or hay; nitrates will persist in forages cut for hay. As with grazing, you must test green chop to prevent prussic acid and/or nitrate poisoning. If you suspect that hay has high nitrate levels, have samples tested. Recent experiences with Johnson Grass as forage grown under severe dry conditions this year has also raised concerns about its toxicity. It is always recommended to test it before using it or allowing cattle to graze it.
For more information on this or any other agricultural topic, please contact the Hopkins County Extension Office at 903-885-3443.
City Of Sulphur Springs Reaches Land Sale Agreement With Ashoka Steel Mill LLC
August 23, 2022 – A land sale agreement was struck between the city and Ashoka Steel Mills LLC for development of 250-acres out of the total 4,857-acre former Thermo/Luminant mine property Tuesday. The deal marks commitment of Ashoka to invest a minimum of $300 million into business and creation of 315 additional jobs in Sulphur Springs.
According to Sulphur Springs-Hopkins County Economic Development Corporation Executive Director Roger Feagley, this is the same program utilized when Lowe’s opened in Sulphur Springs; it simply opens up additional incentives which may be offered to the nominated entity, in this case Ashoka Steel Mills.
The zone is the first of two legal steps needed for Ashoka Steel Mills LLC to build a facility in the old Thermo mine property. The second step is agreement to terms of a Chapter 312 agreement for a tax abatement on all or part of the property.
Sulphur Springs City Manager said Tuesday’s actions are notable for three reasons: this will be the largest single industry recruited to the community, it is the first development in the Thermo property and has the potential to attract other companies it serves to the area as well.
Ashoka Steel Mills LLC is being developed in collaboration with Melwa group and Ashoka Capital Group. Melwa, headquartered in Sri Lanka, is an international conglomerate that operates 3 steel mills in Asia and Africa. Ashoka Capital Group, which is headquartered in the United States, will be working with Melwa group to establish steel mills across the United States.
Sulphur Springs and Tulsa, Oklahoma were in competition to be among Ashoka’s first US plants. Sulphur Springs officials signed the deal Tuesday, with the agreement for the tax incentive pending. Three others are planned in the US, according to the EDC official.
Ashoka plans to to invest an initial $300 million into 250 acres on the old Thermo mine property, providing 315 jobs at an average salary of $75,000.
The proposed electric arc furnace steel mill would produce approximately 350,000 tons of rebar annually. The Ashoka Steel Mills, Inc., facility, according to documentation in a Chapter 313 application submitted in April 2022 to Sulphur Springs ISD, would use an electric arc to heat metals instead of a blast furnace. In That means no smoke stack emitting into the air. The mill estimates 402,500 tons of scrap metal from local areas would be used to produce the rebar; the steel recycling, according to the application, would reduce carbon emissions, further making it a clean green manufacturer. The scrap metal would be brought in mainly by rail, amounting to an estimated 8,000 railcars a year, and about 40 trucks.
A spur would be built off of the current shoreline rail that runs through the old Thermo mine property, now owned by the City of Sulphur Springs.
This is Phase 1 of the Ashoka Steel Mill LLC development. Business officials will have the option to expand an additional 150 acres if they so choose within 5 years of the agreement, which starts Aug. 23, 2022, which would be Phase 2 for Ashoka. The agreement stipulates that the business will get the 250 acres with strings: there will be a $6 million lien on the property until the plant is complete and productions begins. If that does not occur, the property would go back to the city.
The section of land in particular is on the main east haul road. Part of the terms of the agreement are for the city to build the road. The City of Sulphur Springs has applied for grant funding, which local officials anticipate they should be receiving notification regarding the status of that grant in the very near future. The City of Sulphur Springs will also have to replace a water line. There’s an 8-inch line to the site, but it needs help, possibly replacement with a larger line.
Feagley said the SS-HCEDC office has been working with Ashoka and the company consultant for more than a year. He described the company as the least polluting due tot he process that is used to heat and shape the metal rebar. The metal is heated with a gas and moved to a kiln to be shaped from liquid form. All the process in the units will be robotic, to reduce the potential hazard for workers, who will still oversee robotics and other operations. He said it’s anticipated 30-40 engineers would be needed, which Sulphur Springs and Hopkins County is not believed to be able to fully staff, requiring some engineers to move from other areas.
Ashoka Steel Mills LLC would establish headquarters or at least corporate facilities in Sulphur Springs with the facility, officials said.
Sulphur Springs ISD Board of Trustees in April did agree to review an application from Ashoka Steel Mills LLC for an appraised value limitation on qualified property for completion, then to send it to the state for review for Chapter 313 compliance, then, if approved, to consider the request from business considering establishing a Sulphur Springs facility.
According to the Comptroller’s website, Deputy Comptroller Lisa Craven composed in a certification packet a letter to SSISD Superintendent Michael Lamb on Aug. 5, notifying the school district that based on the office’s review of the application, assuming the accuracy and completeness of statements contained within it, the Comptroller was issuing a certificate for a certification for a limitation on appraised value . The certificate, whoever, is contingent on SSISD’s receipt and acceptance of TEA’s determination. If the Chapter 313 agreement is granted by SSISD by Dec. 31, 2022, Ashoka would be required to follow the Texas Economic Development Act Agreement provisions.
The Chapter 313 agreement submitted to the Comptroller shows Ashoka plans to request abatements from the county, city, school and hospital district from 2025-2034.
Sulphur Springs City Council during their June and July meetings agreed to establish a reinvestment zone for Ashoka Steel Mills. A reinvestment zone is required for a business to apply to certain taxing entities for tax incentives. For instance, Ashoka Steel Mills wouldn’t be able to apply for a tax abatement from the hospital district without a reinvestment zone being established. The business also indicated plans to ask for a tax incentive from Hopkins County as well, according to Feagley.
Winnsboro Police Department Media Report — August 15-21, 2022
Winnsboro Police Department each week provides a media report with information about department activity. WPD activity for the week Aug. 15-21, 2022, included:
Arrests
- Garrett Amason, 27 years of age, of Winnsboro, was arrested on Au. 15, 2022, on a Wood County Warrant – Release Violation Motion to Adjudicate.
- Ana Dominguez, 38 years of age, of Winnsboro, was arrested on Aug. 15, 2022, on a Winnsboro Municipal Court Warrant for Driving While License Invalid and Defective Head Lamp.
- Miranda Collins, 36 years of age, of Winnsboro, was arrested on Aug. 15, 2022, on a Wood County Warrant for Criminal Trespass and evading arrest with previous convictions.
- Christopher Tilson, 33 years of age, of Winnsboro, was arrested on Aug. 18, 2022 for Assault-Family Violence, Impede Breath/Circulation.
- Rachael Hamberg, 37 years of age, of Winnsboro, was arrested on Aug. 18, 2022, for Driving While Intoxicated.
- Slade Whitson, 22 years of age, of Pittsburg, was arrested on Aug. 19, 2022, for Driving While License Invalid with Previous Convictions.
- Kyle Owens, 21 years of age, of Winnsboro, was arrested on Aug. 20, 2022, for Possession of less than 2 ounces of Marijuana.
- Neal Brown, 37 years of age, of Henderson, was arrested on Aug. 20, 2022, for Possession of 1 gram or more but less than 4 grams of a Penalty Group 1/1-B Controlled Substance.
- Brandan Hollis, 49 years of age, of Lindale, was arrested on Aug. 21, 2022, for Possession of less than 2 ounces of Marijuana .
- Brandan Escobar Salas, 22 years of age, of Mount Pleasant was arrested on Aug. 21, 2022, for Theft of a Firearm.
Calls for Service
The Winnsboro Police Department responded to a total of 120 calls for service during this reporting period.
Citations
The Winnsboro Police Department issued 37 citations and 49 warnings during this reporting period.
Wildcats Tennis Coach Discusses Busy Two Weeks Leading In To Start of School
Like Lady Cats volleyball, team tennis has remained busy through the month of August.
Believe it or not, Sulphur Springs, with last Saturday’s contest versus Kaufman, team tennis has passed the halfway point on their fall season.
Coach Tony Martinez, head coach for tennis in Sulphur Springs, spoke on his team’s month as their fall season keeps chugging along.
Prior to the start of school, team tennis were scheduled to play four contests in six days leading up to the start of school. In fact, they played three matches in as many days.
On Tuesday, Aug. 9 Sulphur Springs headed to Tyler taking on Bullard, but team tennis could not dethrone a tough program that features a talented girls team.
Coach Martinez’s team lost a tough match in a tiebreaker, yet still managed some good wins from Ella Sand, Brody Emmert, and sophomores Iain Westland and Malachi Negrete.
Sophomores Westland and Negrete won some big matches for Sulphur Springs, allowing team tennis to trail slightly after doubles.
Coach Martinez applauded his squad for their competitive nature, saying there is never match that his players are out of.
The next day team tennis headed back on the road, this time to Denison. Sulphur Springs won the contest just south of the Red River for their first win on the season. Coach Martinez loved what he saw from his squad that day.
“Everybody played well. We’re very happy with the results,” the team tennis coach said.
Not only did the Wildcats win their contest at Denison, they returned home and the next day hosted Greenville at the Tennis Center, winning their second straight contest.
Coach Martinez said he was thrilled his team could not only win two straight contests in as many days, but that they were able to do so while the coaching staff continues to play with different combinations of players as the team approached the halfway point on the season.
An 0-3 start followed by two straight wins gave team tennis a respectable 2-3 record after a busy two weeks to start their season.
His team’s resiliency and competitive nature have the coaching staff pleased with the team’s results.
A match in Longview against Pine Tree on Monday, Aug. 15 was postponed and later cancelled due to rain.
With that, Sulphur Springs had just a contest at home against Kaufman until they took a week off prepping for the second half of the fall season.
The Lions played Texas High that morning, taking eight matches against the Tigers. Seeing that, Coach Martinez knew his kids were in for a tough fight.
Sulphur Springs lost a number of matches, some of which had the Wildcats on the wrong side of tiebreakers.
Even so, the team tennis coach knew that contest was good for his team. Coach Martinez believes Kaufman is a team that the Wildcats could play in Bi-District or area after the conclusion of the regular season.
The coach commended Kaufman for their tough play, a vocal squad who perhaps caught the Wildcats off-guard with their desire to cheer on their teammates.
“We did a good job on supporting our players but Kaufman is one of these top teams out here in East Texas that they’re constantly yelling, constantly cheering… and it’s all positive. There’s nothing wrong with that… I admire it, I respect it, but [it made our players realize] we gotta be the same way,” Coach Martinez said Monday following the loss.
Team tennis takes the week off prior to their next contest, Thursday, Sept. 8 in Wills Point. The first contest in the month of September for Sulphur Springs tennis begins that day at 4 P.M.
KSST is proud to be the official Wildcat and Lady Cat Station. We broadcast Sulphur Springs ISD games year round live on radio. When allowed, we also broadcast games via our YouTube channel.
Fall Semester at Paris Junior College Sulphur Springs Begins August 29
Advisor and Counselor Elizabeth Joslin is helping returning student Rudy Murillo of Sulphur Springs complete his paperwork to begin the fall semester, which begins August 29.
Paris Junior College — located in Paris, Texas, about 100 miles northeast of Dallas — has been a part of the Lamar County community since 1924.
Paris Junior College offers Associate in Arts, Associate in Science and Associate in Applied Science degrees, as well as Certificates of Proficiency in technical/workforce fields. The college has expanded its academic curriculum through the years to encourage associate degree and university transfer candidates. Since establishing its first vocational program — jewelry and watchmaking in 1942 — the college has been aggressive in adding technical/workforce programs that will benefit students entering the workforce.
The campus of 54 tree-shaded acres includes 20 major buildings and residence halls and provides students a unique and pleasant environment for learning.
Paris Junior College also operates centers in Sulphur Springs, Texas, and in Greenville, Texas.
Vision
To be the educational provider of choice for the region.
Mission
Paris Junior College is a comprehensive community college serving the region’s educational and training needs while strengthening the economic, social and cultural life of our diverse community.
Tailgate Time: Spirit Rally and Tour Of CHRISTUS Mobile Athletic Training Room Planned Aug. 26
It’s Tailgate Time!
By Jennifer Heitman, Senior Market Development, CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital – Sulphur Springs, [email protected]
Please join us for a spirit rally and tour of the CHRISTUS Mobile Athletic Training Room (MATR) before the Sulphur Springs Wildcat Football team’s first home game, this Friday, August 26, at 6:30 p.m. We will be set up on the Northeast side of Gerald Prim stadium. CHRISTUS Orthopedics and Sports Medicine Institute proudly supports SSISD and surrounding schools by offering athletic injury care for all sports athletes under the direction of Orthopedic Surgeon, Christopher Meltsakos, MD.
FREE Athletic Injury Clinic
FREE Saturday Athletic Injury Clinic for student athletes is back this month! The athletic injury clinic will be held every Saturday from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., on August 27 through November 12. Student athletes in Hopkins County from 7th grade to college age will be able to get a free exam and x-ray to determine a plan of care to treat their injury. The clinic will be held at our CHRISTUS Trinity Clinic Orthopedics, Medical Building 5, at 103B Medical Circle in Sulphur Springs. For more information about our Sports Medicine program, or Orthopedic services, please call 903.885.6688.
Beat the Heat Challenge!
In the month of August, Cardiac and Pulmonary Rehab patients participated in a “Beat the Heat” challenge: walk five miles or go 10,000 steps on the NUstep. Several students have completed the challenge: Charli Romanant, Yvonne Parker, and Perry Johnson. We are proud of their dedication. Stay tuned for more to come!
Our Hearts Are Here For Yours
Advanced Heart Care and CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital Health System have delivered heart care in Northeast Texas for over 40 years. Together, we will continue providing leading-edge heart care to the communities in which we serve. Available right here in Sulphur Springs hospital is our team of heart specialists at Advanced Heart Care made up of Cardiologists and Electrophysiologists, our state-of-the-art Cath lab, Pulmonary Medicine, Cardiac and Pulmonary Rehabilitation, and Heart Attack Care 24-hours a day, 7-days a week. We look forward to helping you take an active role in your heart health with our team approach for your care. For more information on the Cardiology group, and their capabilities to see patients in person or via telemedicine, go to www.advancedheartcare.com.
COVID Vaccine Clinic Open This Week
Net Health COVID Vaccine clinic is open this week (August 22- 26) offering Adult and Pediatric vaccines and boosters at the clinic on 100 Medical Circle in Sulphur Springs. They will be here every 3 weeks, for the following dates: September 19 – 23, and October 17 – 21. You may walk in from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily. No appointment is necessary.
CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances Health System includes CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospitals – Tyler, South Tyler, Jacksonville, Winnsboro and Sulphur Springs, the CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances Louis and Peaches Owen Heart Hospital – Tyler, CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances Rehabilitation Hospital a partner of Encompass Health, Tyler Continue CARE Hospital at CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital, a long-term acute care facility, and CHRISTUS Trinity Clinic. CHRISTUS Trinity Clinic is the area’s preferred multi-specialty medical group, with more than 400 Physicians and Advanced Practice Providers representing 36 specialties in 34 locations serving Northeast Texas across 41 counties. For more information on services available through CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances Health System, visit christustmf.org
- Bed count – 402 – CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital – Tyler
- Bed count – 8 – CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital – South Tyler
- Bed count – 25 – CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital – Jacksonville
- Bed Count – 96 – CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital – Sulphur Springs
- Bed count – 25 – CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital – Winnsboro
- Bed count – 94 – CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances Rehabilitation Hospital
- Bed count – 96 – CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances Louis and Peaches Owen Heart – Tyler
- Bed count – 51 – Tyler Continue CARE Hospital at CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital
Burn Ban Lifted For Hopkins County
Hopkins County Judge Robert Newsom and Fire Marshal Andy Endsley issued an order Tuesday morning which officially lifted the burn ban for Hopkins County, following several days of with appreciable rain which moved the county from very high/severe fire danger range to very low fire danger range on drought and predictive indexes.
The Hopkins County burn ban was enacted by Hopkins County County Commissioners Court on July 11, 2022, as drought conditions spread across the area, worsening, resulting in rapidly spreading fires across dead grass and vegetation. Sulphur Springs received only 0.53 of an inch of rain during the entire month of July, when temperatures peaked at 106 on July 20, 2022, and the monthly average temperature was 99.9 degrees. All outdoor burning, except cooking in a covered grill was banned. Those welding in construction trades were required to file paperwork notifying county officials when and where they would be working, and have a spotter and take precautions should a spark ignite. No burning was allowed in a trash barrel even with a covered grill was allowed during the ban.
From 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 21 to 10 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 23, 2022, Sulphur Springs received just over 5 inches of rain, according to the National Weather Service and NOAA. With 30-60% chances of rain predicted every day for the next 9 days, the threat of serious fire danger is down to low, and likely to stay in the low fire danger range. The clouds and potential rain are also expected to keep temperatures below 90 degrees for the next 10 days for the first time in about 2 months.
The amount of rainfall has made travel on some low roads difficult, especially those near creeks, lakes and rivers. Some school official reported buses having difficulties Monday morning getting down some county roads to reach students due to the water on roads.
Those traveling are reminded to be caution when approaching roads with water on them, especially those near bodies of water — including roads across and around Cooper Lake State Park and the Sulphur Sulphur River.
When traveling on wet roads, motorists should adjust speed appropriately in order to avoid hydroplaning off the roadway, potentially into higher water or vegetation.
Local officers responded to calls in which vehicles were reported to have slid off of State Highway 154 south near Restlawn Cemetery in a tree at 12:33 p.m. Monday (no one was reported to have sustained major personal injuries), Interstate 30 west at mile marker 119 at 7:21 a.m. Monday, hydroplaned into a guardrail on I-30 west at mile marker 119 at 2:29 p.m. Sunday and a rollover on I-30 west at mile marker 125 at 5:05 p.m. Sunday.
County Road 2329 in Como was reported to be washed out at 9:41 a.m. Monday. A tree also was reported to have fallen on a power line on County Road 4763, knocking out the power just before 5 p.m. Sunday, and debris had to be removed from State Highway 11 east at FM 2560 at 2:08 a.m. Monday.
With the large amount of rainfall experienced across the region, the county officials issued the order around 10 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 23, 2022, officially lifting all burning restrictions for Hopkins County.
Proposed $81.5 Million Bond Would Fund New Travis Campus; Bowie, SSHS Additions
10 New Buses; Updates At Bush, SSES Also Included In Nov. 8, 2022 SSISD Bond Proposal
The $81.5 million bond election called for Nov. 8 by Sulphur Springs ISD includes some of the same proposals outlined in the $93 million bond proposal which failed on May 7, but some notable differences, according to a press release distributed by SSISD Superintendent’s Office Monday afternoon, Aug. 22, 2022.
Several projects in the prior plan, according to school administrators, are being postponed due to inflation. The district, however, would take advantage of “potential improved bond capacity” if the bond passes in November.
The $81.5 million SSISD bond election called for Nov. 8 still calls for a new campus for Travis Primary, but the notice did not specify where the new campus would be located or approximate cost. In the May 7, 2022, bond election, officials and the building improvement committee proposed updates at SSES, as well as constructing a new campus to serve elementary students on the site of what currently serves as a track at the far end of the SSES campus. The spring bond proposal allocated $35 million for the new Travis Primary Campus.
The Nov. 8 bond proposal calls for 8 additional classrooms, additional cafeteria space to accommodate campus needs, as well as improved pick-up and drop-off areas at Bowie Primary. During community meetings for the prior May 7 bond election, officials reported the campus was one of the few that has room to expand out further onto the property across or near the current playground and open field often used by community leagues for sports activities. The campus was allocated $6,000 for improvement on the May bond proposal.
Under the Nov. 8 bond plan, security would be updated by reconfiguring the entrance and front office area at Sulphur Springs Elementary; the building would also get a new roof and upgrades as needed. The prior plan allocated $3 million to SSES for renovations.
On the Nov. 8, 2022 election ballot, as proposed, will be improved parking and upgrades to Barbara Bush Primary, including an improved intercom system. Previously, the district had allocated $1 million to Bush Primary for improvements.
The $81.5 million bond proposal includes upgraded security at Sulphur Springs High School, which would be achieved by creating new front office space; SSHS has also been tabbed in the Nov. 8 election for additions to fine arts spaces, a new roof, as well as painting and parking upgrades as needed. The prior May 7 bond proposal allocated $10 million in renovations at SSHS, as well as a $12 million CTE Center (to house culinary arts, auto shop, health science technology, construction trades and robotics programs) and $12.5 million for fine arts.
As proposed in the Nov. 8 election, the district would finance 10 buses over 5 years, which is half the number proposed in the spring, when costs were projected at $2 million for buses.
Also listed separately in the spring bond proposal as capital improvements across the district was $9 million for roofing and HVAC work. In the fall bond proposal which voters will determine on Nov. 8, roofing work is included in plans listed for SSES and SSHS.
Among the items proposed on the May 7 ballot that the Nov. 8 proposal does not include were $2 million in renovations at Douglass ECLC and $500,000 in renovations to Austin Academic Center/DAEP.
The bond would add 1 cent per $100 property value to SSISD taxes. That would go onto the I&S indebtedness side of the tax rate. The district on Monday, prior to calling for the Nov. 8 bond election, also approved a tax rate of $1.1651 per $100 property valuation. The tax rate is composed of two parts, the maintenance and operations tax rate or M&O tax rate, which is used for salaries and daily operations. The second part of the tax rate is the issuance and sinking or I&S which is the amount levied to pay of bonded indebtedness.
The M&O tax rate passed by the school board on Monday, Aug. 22, 2022, for tax year 2022-2023 was set at $0.85460, which is actually a 1.7 cent ($0.017) per $100 property valuation decrease in the M&O tax rate, in accordance with the state set formula. The I&S tax rate adopted Monday, Aug. 22, 2022, was $0.3105 per $100 property valuation. Should the Nov. 8 $81.5 million bond proposal pass, that 1 cent would be added to the I&S tax, increasing it to $0.3205 per $100 valuation, which would still be a $0.007 per $100 property valuation decrease in the overall tax rate, Superintendent Michael Lamb explained Monday, when presenting the scaled back bond proposal to the school board for consideration.
Lady Cats Volleyball Continues Busy Two Weeks, Playing Four or More Contests
Sulphur Springs fans for the second straight week have plenty of opportunities to see her varsity volleyball team, as Coach Bailey Dorner’s squad plays in their final tournament of the fall season, along with a non-district match on the road Tuesday.
The conclusion of this week could see volleyball wrapping up their busiest time of the year, where they play a dozen games over the course of 10 days.
Last week saw Sulphur Springs playing seven games in five days.
Coach Dorner’s team picked up some impressive wins on Thursday to begin the Wills Point tournament, sweeping both Mesquite (25-13, 25-19) and Brook Hill (25-17, 25-18).
Sulphur Springs ended Thursday though with a hard-fought loss to Sanger, which saw the Lady Cats fall in set one 25-19 before tying the match up after a tight 25-23 victory in set two. Sanger would go on to win set three though and thus the match, ending a 2-1 first day for volleyball in the Wills point tournament.
Friday had Coach Dorner’s team traveling again, this time to Commerce, for a non-district game sandwiched between their second tournament. Sulphur Springs came back to win in five sets, 3-2.
The Lady Cats quickly found themselves trailing in Commerce down two sets. The Lady Tigers won both by only a two-point margin, 25-23 and 27-25.
Sulphur Springs, rallying from down 2-0, won two straight sets in impressive fashion (25-17, 25-18) to set up a winner-takes-all fifth set, one which the Lady Cats also won 15-10 to complete the comeback win.
Saturday, returning to the Wills Point tournament, Coach Dorner’s volleyball team was playing in the championship bracket.
The Lady Cats fell in two straight contests, first to Ranchview after falling in sets one and three, then getting swept by Rains to end their time in Wills Point.
Sulphur Springs went 2-3 over the two day tournament, their second of three on the fall season. Including their win over Commerce and a home loss to Greenville, a 3-4 week brings volleyball’s season record to 9-5.
The final tournament for Coach Dorner’s squad in Edgewood is played Thursday and Saturday, Aug. 25 & 27.
Before that though, the Lady Cats look to snap their two-game losing streak Tuesday when they travel to Quinlan to take on Ford HS.
That game begins Tuesday, Aug. 23 at 6 P.M.
KSST is proud to be the official Wildcat and Lady Cat Station. We broadcast Sulphur Springs ISD games year round live on radio. When allowed, we also broadcast games via our YouTube channel.
Sulphur Springs ISD Trustees Call For $81.5 Million Bond Election
Maintenance Portion Of Tax Rate Is 1.7 Cents Lower; Bond Would Increase Debt Service Part Of Tax Rate 1 Cent
Sulphur Springs ISD Board of Trustees Monday morning called for an $81.5 million bond election to be held on Nov. 8, approved budget amendments, a tax rate that is 1.7 cents lower on the maintenance, for the upcoming tax year as well as a balanced budget.
The school board first approved a total tax rate of $1.1651 per $100 property valuation, that includes a maintenance and operations (M&O) rate of $0.85460 and an issuance and sinking rate (I&S or the amount raised to cover district indebtedness also called debt service portion of the tax rate) of $0.3105. The M&O rate is set by the state the state, and is 1.7-cent lower for the 2022-2023 tax year than the 2021-2022 tax year, but the I&S tax rate is not impacted by the state compression.
If approved, the bond would pay for facilities improvements and be paid back over 30 years using the 1 cent per $100 property valuation collected on the debt service potion of the tax rate. Overall, that’d still be a decrease in the overall tax rate of 0.7 of a cent.
“We’ve had different conversations since our last bond to get to this place where we’ve trimmed it down. As you realize inflation has taken its toll. when you look at some things and the prices go up, but we’ve trimmed some things out. As far as the bond goes, there’s just buildings we fell like we have to have to move forward,” SSISD Superintendent Michael Lamb said. “We feel like we’ve listened and heard from our community based on what we tried in May, and this one I feel like is much more palatable.”
Lamb said some of the needs still exist, but they were removed from the $93 million bond proposal which included construction of a new elementary campus as well as CTE at the classroom and improvements throughout the district. The first bond proposal was voted down by district residents 54.47% (1,191 votes) to 44.51% (956 votes) on May 7, 2022.
“We are just trying to bite as much of this apple as we can at a time and get down the road, this being 81.5 million dollars; its supposed to have a 1 cent tax impact,” Lamb said.
So essentially, while the overall tax rate decreased $0.017, if the new proposed $81.5 million bond is approved by voters during the Nov. 8, 2022, election, it would increase the I&S tax by $0.01 to $0.3205. That’d still be a reduction of $0.007 in the overall tax rate, Lamb noted, when presenting the $81.5 million proposal to the school board for consideration.
Travis and other elementary campuses would all receive upgrades with the bond money. The front of Sulphur Springs Elementary would undergo safety improvements and front entrance of Sulphur Springs High School security improvements, Lamb said.
All of the matters proposed were approved by unanimous approval of the six board members present at the Monday morning meeting; John Prickette was not in attendance.
The district was expected to post a release later in the day Monday with additional information regarding the bond proposal.
