MINERAL WELLS—When a couple of law enforcement officers heard about some Mineral Wells teachers spending their own money to buy clothing for students in need, they decided to play kickball.

And the 1st Annual Kick it for Kids fundraiser raised $2,885 which Mineral Wells police and Texas Department of Safety troopers presented to school board members at their regular meeting, June 11. The donation is specifically for purchasing clothing, jackets, shoes and other wearable items for underprivileged children within Mineral Wells ISD.

“It was a really fun time,” said Juan Saucedo, Mineral Wells Police Officers Association president. “Overall, I feel it was a huge success.”

Teams for the May 4 fundraiser at Ram Stadium included state troopers, police officers, sheriff’s deputies, firefighters, first responders, businesses, school officials, city representatives, Palo Pinto General Hospital employees and others. The Mineral Wells High School Volleyball team managed the concession stand.

The MWISD coaches team, or New Kicks on the Block, emerged winners of the kickball tournament. Cornhole Tournament champions included Miguel Hernandez and Howard Huffman, according to the MWPOA Facebook page.

Saucedo credited DPS troopers Trey Blue and Jobey French for coming up with the fundraising idea and coordinating the event.

Enrollment report
Superintendent David Tarver said end-of-year reports show attendance on an upswing and a slight decline in enrollment.

As of May 25, there were 3,220 students enrolled in MWISD, with a 93.57% attendance rate. This time last year the district reported 3,328 pupils and 93.26% attendance.

Tarver said he would like to see attendance improve.

“Ninety-five is a great mark to go by,” he noted. “We have not reached those numbers since COVID. But we do keep trending in a positive direction little by little.”