Summer is the time school districts around the country normally address maintenance and repair projects along with capital improvements around campuses while students are enjoying a well-earned break. But last summer was anything but normal, which put the Hobbs Municipal Schools behind on needed repairs and upgrades to school facilities, said Zeke Kaney, director of operations for the district. There’s …

By the Associate Press The U.S. Education Department said Wednesday it’s erasing student debt for thousands of borrowers who attended a for-profit college chain that made exaggerated claims about its graduates’ success in finding jobs. The Biden administration said it is approving 18,000 loan forgiveness claims from former students of ITT Technical Institute, a chain that closed in 2016 after …

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Amid pressure from some parents and teachers, public schools across New Mexico have rejected tens of millions of dollars in state funding for extra learning days. Each “no” vote from local school boards is a blow to the state Legislature’s signature education initiative. Based on years of research about how best to improve academic outcomes …

Brevin McCool not only is a fierce competitor in baseball, but for most of his educational career he has also been in competition for the  Hobbs High salutatorian or valedictorian spot with classmate Shelly Driskill. Even though competition plays a big part in his day-to-day life, service to others also takes center stage often, though he humbly doesn’t like to …

For the second consecutive year, New Mexico Junior College graduates received their degrees, certificates or high school equivalency diplomas through a virtural ceremony. The ceremony took place Friday, May 7, with a broadcast from inside Watson Hall. The graduates, their parents and friends were able to watch the commencement via Facebook or Livestream. It was the school’s 53rd consecutive graduation. Director of …

The Covid-19 interruption of normal school activities means summer learning opportunities in Hobbs will be stepped up. In addition, the Hobbs Online Learning Academy (HOLA) designed for an entire district of at-home learners will remain in place next year for a small group of students who found they excelled at independent study. Hobbs High School will offer a traditional credit …

EUNICE — Smiles abounded at Mettie Jordan Elementary School as a state-of-the-art science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) center was unveiled recently. The project was a joint effort between longtime partners Devon Energy and the Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation — it was the first new STEM center installed by the organizations since the COVID-19 pandemic hit in March 2020. Devon …

Workmen smooth out concrete at the site of the new Hobbs Municipal Schools Career and Technical Education Center (CTECH) near Hobbs High School. When completed, the Hobbs CTECH will be the premiere vocational education facility of its kind in the state and region. Video by Blake Ovard/News-Sun

Last year, the traditional Hobbs High School Senior Bash was cancelled due COVID-19 restriction but organizers still handed out bags full of gifts and prizes to seniors at a private community prom event held in Texas. As Lea County continues to return to the normal way of life, this year’s HHS Bash committee is hoping to return to the more …

NEW YORK (AP) — Students can safely sit just 3 feet apart in the classroom as long as they wear masks but should be kept the usual 6 feet away from one another at sporting events, assemblies, lunch or chorus practice, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday in relaxing its COVID-19 guidelines. The revised recommendations represent a …