Wichita Falls Independent School District (WFISD) is a public school district based in Wichita Falls , Texas , United States and is accredited by the Texas Education Agency .
101-651: Wichita Falls ISD serves most of Wichita Falls (including portions of Sheppard Air Force Base ). Varying parts of north Wichita Falls are included in the City View Independent School District and the Burkburnett Independent School District . The Wichita Falls ISD was one of the few Texas school districts to offer a choice program that gives parents the choice of what secondary school they would like their child to attend. Wichita Falls ISD ended
202-451: A "phased restart of some 2020 census field operations in select geographic areas" and said they had "ordered personal protective equipment (PPE) for all field staff, including those that work in a field office. These materials will be secured and provided to staff prior to restarting operations." Publicly published procurement data shows that an award was signed on April 28, 2020, for non-medical, reusable face masks for area census offices in
303-596: A $ 5,001,393.60 contract awarded to Industries for the Blind and Visually Impaired, Inc. Around that time, two contracts for hand sanitizer were awarded to Travis Association for the Blind , one signed on May 9, 2020, in a $ 57,390.00 contract and the other signed on May 13, 2020, in a $ 557,251.20 contract, with both contracts listing the place of principal performance as Jeffersonville, Indiana. The agency decided that face shields were necessary to protect employees from COVID-19 exposure, but provided them only to personnel at
404-583: A July 15 list of media vendors showed only plans through the end of July. On August 3, 2020, the Census Bureau announced that field collection would end on September 30, rather than October 31 as planned in April. In a leaked internal document, Census Bureau career officials determined that starting Nonresponse Followup Operations in this Replan would put the health and safety of employees at risk, stating, "These ACOs will have to deploy staff regardless of
505-492: A June 5, 2020, press release, the U.S. Census Bureau announced additional area census offices (ACOs) would "restart" on June 8, saying that with "these additions, field activities have restarted in 247 of 248 area census offices stateside, all ACOs in Puerto Rico and the island areas, and 98.9% of the nation's update leave workload will have resumed." The June 5 press release was reissued on June 9, 2020, which included
606-471: A Republican, had held the senate seat since 2001, until Pat Fallon won election in 2018. Wichita Falls is part of Texas's 13th congressional district for the U.S. House of Representatives. Ronny Jackson , a Republican, has held this seat since 2021. The Texas Department of Criminal Justice James V. Allred Unit is located in Wichita Falls, 4 mi (6.4 km) northwest of downtown. The prison
707-617: A U.S. record not topped by an individual tornado until the F5 Moore–Oklahoma City tornado of May 3, 1999. Wichita Falls is about 15 miles (24 km) south of the border with Oklahoma , 115 mi (185 km) northwest of Fort Worth , and 140 mi (230 km) southwest of Oklahoma City . According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 70.71 square miles (183.1 km ), of which 0.02 square miles (0.052 km ) (0.03%)
808-548: A day in his schedule to give a deposition to the court related to the addition of the census question prior to the planned start of the trial in November. The Trump administration filed a writ of mandamus to the United States Supreme Court , requesting that they postpone the trial, and also to defer any involvement with Ross until the start of the trial. The Supreme Court issued an order that allowed
909-413: A dispute over whether this classification should be considered a white ethnicity or a separate race. According to the Census Bureau, 60.0% of all U.S. households had submitted their census questionnaire by May 22, 2020—either online, by mail or by phone. Most U.S. households were mailed an invitation letter between March 12–20 to self-respond. They account for more than 95% of all U.S. households. Prior to
1010-552: A matter related to a trial before evidence has been presented. Judge Furman ruled in January 2019 that the addition of the citizenship question to the census was unlawful, saying "the decision to add a citizenship question to the 2020 census – even if it did not violate the Constitution itself – was unlawful for a multitude of independent reasons and must be set aside." The Justice Department filed
1111-664: A number of semiprofessional, developmental, and minor league sports teams, including the Wichita Falls Drillers (bankrupt 2002), a semipro football team that won numerous league titles and a national championship; the professional basketball team Wichita Falls Texans (relocated 1994, bankrupt 1996) of the Continental Basketball Association ; Wichita Falls Fever (bankrupt 1992) in the Lone Star Soccer Alliance ;
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#17327865930681212-533: A petition for writ of certiorari before judgment to have the case directly heard by the Supreme Court and bypass the normal appeal which would have been heard by the Second Circuit , given the pending deadline of June 2019 to publish the census forms. The Supreme Court accepted the petition related to Furman's ruling on February 15, 2019, a separate matter from the question of Ross's deposition, and
1313-490: A potential bond election is proposed for 2027 to convert the campuses into middle schools. Wichita Falls Wichita Falls ( / ˈ w ɪ tʃ ɪ t ɑː / WITCH -ih-tah ) is a city in and the county seat of Wichita County, Texas , United States . It is the principal city of the Wichita Falls metropolitan statistical area , which encompasses all of Archer , Clay , and Wichita Counties. According to
1414-661: A project now underway to transform U.S. 277 into a continuous four-lane expressway between Wichita Falls and Abilene. The city operates a bus system, Falls Ride, which runs on an hourly schedule with seven routes (except on Sundays, when only one route is in operation). Greyhound Lines provides intercity bus service to other locations served by Greyhound via its new terminal at the Wichita Falls Travel Center located at Fourth and Scott in downtown. Skylark Van Service shuttles passengers to and from Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport on several runs during
1515-407: A resident population of 331,449,281 in the 50 states and the national capital of Washington, D.C. , reflecting an increase of 7.4 percent, or 22,703,743, over that of 2010. The growth rate was the second-lowest ever recorded, and the net increase was the sixth-highest in history. This was the first census where the 10 most-populous states each surpassed 10 million residents, and the first census where
1616-467: A river walk that goes to a man-made waterfall feature in lieu of the original falls for which the city was named (the original falls, located in the river, were destroyed in a 19th-century flood; the new waterfall attraction, located in the park and discharging into the river, were built in response to numerous tourist requests to visit the "Wichita Falls"). It is one of 37 parks throughout the city. The parks range in size from small neighborhood facilities to
1717-474: Is 117 °F (47 °C) on June 28, 1980. Snowfall is sporadic and averages 4.1 in (10 cm) per season, while rainfall is typically greatest in early summer. From 2010 through 2013, Wichita Falls, along with a large portion of the south-central US, experienced a persistent drought . In September 2011, Wichita Falls became the first Texas city to have 100 days of 100 °F (38 °C) or higher within one year. On every day from June 22 to August 12,
1818-537: Is Darron Leiker. Wichita Falls is located in the 69th district of the Texas House of Representatives . Lanham Lyne , a Republican , represented the district from 2011 to 2013; he was the mayor of Wichita Falls from 2005 to 2010. When Lyne declined to seek a second term in 2012, voters chose another Republican, James Frank . Wichita Falls is located in the 30th district of the Texas Senate . Craig Estes ,
1919-582: Is covered by water. Wichita Falls experiences a humid subtropical climate ( Köppen climate classification Cfa ), featuring long, very hot and humid summers, and cool winters. The city has some of the highest summer daily maximum temperatures in the entire U.S. outside of the Desert Southwest . Temperatures have hit 100 °F (38 °C) as early as March 27 and as late as October 17, but more typically reach that level on 28 days annually, with 102 days of 90 °F (32 °C) or higher annually;
2020-621: Is more accurate and far less expensive. However, Wilbur Ross , secretary of the United States Department of Commerce which oversees the Census Bureau, decided the administrative approach alone would not be sufficient. The Census Bureau announced in March 2018 its plan to add a question related to citizenship for the 2020 census: "Is this person a citizen of the United States?". For the 2020 census, Ross told Congress
2121-975: Is named for former Governor James V. Allred , a Democrat and a native of Bowie, Texas , who lived early in his career in Wichita Falls. The United States Postal Service operates the Wichita Falls Post Office, the Morningside Post Office, the Bridge Creek Post Office, and the Sheppard Air Force Base Post Office. Public primary and secondary education is covered by the following school districts: Wichita Falls Independent School District , City View Independent School District , Burkburnett Independent School District , and Iowa Park Consolidated Independent School District . Several private and parochial schools operate in
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#17327865930682222-505: Is prohibited by Title 13 United States code. It has been challenged, but the Supreme Court has always prevailed in reference to Title 13 to protect the confidentiality and privacy of information provided. Based on those questions and a subsequent executive order, the 2020 census asked: The United States Census Bureau proposed but then withdrew plans to add a new category to classify Middle Eastern and North African peoples, over
2323-550: Is seeking statutory relief from Congress of 120 additional calendar days to deliver final apportionment counts. Under this plan, the Census Bureau would extend the window for field data collection and self-response to October 31, 2020, which will allow for apportionment counts to be delivered to the President by April 30, 2021, and redistricting data to be delivered to the states no later than September 30, 2021. On April 24, 2020, Dillingham and other Census Bureau officials briefed
2424-427: Is the western terminus for Interstate 44 . U.S. Highways leading to or through Wichita Falls include 287 , 277 , 281 , and 82 . State Highway 240 ends at Wichita Falls and State Highway 79 runs through it. Wichita Falls has one of the largest freeway mileages for a city of its size as a result of a 1954 bond issue approved by city and county voters to purchase rights-of-way for several expressway routes through
2525-406: Is used to determine federal funds, grants, and support to states. The Census Bureau had included a citizenship question until 1950 when it was removed, though it continued to include a question asking about place of birth. In a January 2018 memo, an initial evaluation by Census Bureau officials advised against such a question, saying that compiling citizenship data from existing administrative records
2626-713: The 2020 census , it had a population of 102,316, making it the 43rd-most populous city in Texas. The city was named, in 1876, for a waterfall on the Wichita River , which was destroyed due to flooding in 1886. The city is home to the Newby-McMahon Building (otherwise known as the " world's littlest skyscraper "), constructed downtown in 1919 and featured in Robert Ripley 's Ripley's Believe It or Not! . The Choctaw Native Americans settled
2727-416: The 72-year rule is not changed before then. On census reference day, April 1, 2020, the resident United States population (50 states and Washington, D.C., excluding overseas territories and military members and civilian U.S. citizens living abroad) was projected to be 329.5 million, a 6.7% increase from the 2010 census . The results of the 2020 census determine the number of seats for each state in
2828-556: The Administrative Procedures Act (APA). They also agreed that the answers Commerce had provided at the time appeared to be "contrived" and pretextual, leaving open the possibility that Commerce could offer a better rationale. The case was remanded back to the District Court, to allow Commerce to provide a better explanation for the rationale of the question to the District Court, who would deem if that
2929-479: The Continental Oil Company (now ConocoPhillips ) until 1952 and Panhandle Oil Company (founded in Wichita Falls, sold to American Petrofina in 1965). Both firms continued to use a portion of their former refineries as gasoline/oil terminal facilities for many years. A devastating tornado hit the northern and northwestern portions of Wichita Falls, along with Sheppard Air Force Base during
3030-707: The House Committee on Oversight and Reform on the agency's response to the COVID-19 emergency. This briefing came after many requests from the committee since March 12, 2020, including a last-minute cancellation on April 20, 2020. In the briefing, Albert E. Fontenot Jr. , the associate director for decennial census programs, explained that the bureau was planning a "phased start to many of our census operations" rather than beginning field operations nationwide on June 1, 2020, as previously announced and said operations would resume at different times in different areas of
3131-980: The House of Representatives , hence also the number of electors for each state in the Electoral College , for elections from 2022 to 2032. The Census Bureau announced the apportionment figures on April 26, 2021. 13 states had changes in congressional seats: This represented a smaller number of seats shifting than was forecast by independent analysts. State and local officials use censuses to redraw boundaries for districts such as congressional districts ( redistricting ), state legislative districts, and school districts. Dozens of federal programs use census data to help direct funding to state and local areas. Census results help determine how more than $ 675 billion in federal funding are allocated to states and communities each year for roads, schools, hospitals (health clinics), emergency services, and more. The 2020 census
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3232-640: The TEA . In 2005, Hirschi High School IB World Topics teacher Sherry Lindemann was named Texas Secondary Teacher of the Year , and selected as a nominee for National Teacher of the Year. Ms. Lindemann represented the WFISD and thousands of Texas teachers at a formal ceremony held by President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush in the White House Rose Garden . In 2022, the school district
3333-733: The Texas Education Agency and the Magnet Schools of America Association. In 1999 and 2001 respectively, Washington/ Jackson Math/Science Center and G.H. Kirby Junior High were awarded the Ronald P. Simpson award, giving them the title of "Best Magnet School in America" for a year. The district also boasts that many of its schools have received the Texas Blue Ribbon award or have attained "Exemplary" status from
3434-901: The Texas Legislature issued a charter for WFISD. The city has a school for German children, Deutsche Schule Sheppard (DSS). Wichita Falls is home to Midwestern State University , an accredited four-year college in the Texas Tech University System and the only independent liberal arts college in Texas offering both bachelor's and master's degrees . Vernon College is the designated community college for all of Wichita County. A local branch nearby offers two-year degrees, certificate programs, and workforce development programs Wayland Baptist University , offering both bachelor's and master's degrees, has its main branch located in Plainview, Texas . Wichita Falls
3535-408: The U.S. Government Publishing Office said the agency failed to check the company's financial status and improperly allowed the company to lower its bid after other bids were unsealed. The coronavirus pandemic caused delays to census field operations and counts of the homeless and people living in group quarters. As of April 1, 2020 , Census Day, the Census Bureau still planned to complete
3636-851: The Wichita Falls Spudders baseball team (bankrupt 1957) in the Texas League ; the Wichita Falls Wildcats (bankrupt 2017) of the North American Hockey League , an American Tier II junior hockey league; and the Wichita Falls Roughnecks (bankrupt 2008) of the Texas Collegiate League . The Dallas Cowboys held training camp in Wichita Falls during the late 1990s. In 2015, it was acknowledged that
3737-522: The 10 most-populous cities each surpassed 1 million residents. This census's data determined the electoral votes' distribution for the 2024 United States presidential election . A subsequent review by the bureau found significant undercounts in several minority populations and in several states. As required by the United States Constitution , the U.S. census has been conducted every 10 years since 1790. The 2010 United States census
3838-542: The 1979 tornado. An F4 tornado struck the heavily populated southern sections of Wichita Falls in the late afternoon on Tuesday, April 10, 1979 (known as "Terrible Tuesday"). It was part of an outbreak that produced 30 tornadoes around the region. Despite having nearly an hour's advance warning that severe weather was imminent, 42 people were killed (including 25 in vehicles) and 1,800 were injured because it arrived just as many people were driving home from work. It left 20,000 people homeless and caused $ 400 million in damage,
3939-529: The 2020 census due to COVID-19 health and safety concerns. In the statement, it was explained that "steps [were] being taken to reactivate field offices beginning June 1, 2020", "in-person activities, including all interaction with the public, enumeration, office work and processing activities, [would] incorporate the most current guidance to promote the health and safety of staff and the public" including " personal protective equipment (PPE) and social distancing practices". This release stated "in order to ensure
4040-537: The 258 acres of Weeks Park featuring the Champions Course at Weeks Park, an 18-hole golf course. In addition, an off-leash dog park is within Lake Wichita Park and a skatepark adjacent to the city's softball complex. Also, unpaved trails for off-road biking and hiking are available. Wichita Falls is the home of the annual Hotter'N Hell Hundred , the largest single-day century bicycle ride in
4141-630: The Blind and Visually Impaired, Inc. and the other was a contract for $ 2,107,000.00 awarded to NewView Oklahoma for blue nitrile gloves, both with a place of principal performance listed as Jeffersonville, Indiana. A press release on May 22, 2020, announced May 25 "restart" dates for ten more states. An OSHA complaint was made from Concord, California , on April 3, 2020, that there were at least two confirmed cases of COVID-19 unrecorded on OSHA 300 logs and that employees were working in close quarters with no disinfection of shared equipment such as headsets, laptops, and tablets. The published restart date for
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4242-513: The COVID-19 emergency by March 20, 2020. The inspector general's memo asked how the Bureau would address staff and enumerator safety. Dillingham's April 15 letter: The Census Bureau is closely coordinating the acquisition of needed PPE materials for field and office staff through the Department of Commerce's Coronavirus Taskforce. Federal partners include the Department of Homeland Security and
4343-415: The COVID-19 risk in those areas to open on these dates." On September 8, 2020, Mark H. Zabarsky, Principal Assistant Inspector General for Audit and Evaluation published an alert on behalf of the Department of Commerce Office of Inspector General, which stated that the number of COVID-19 related safety issues raised by hotline complaints tripled between July 1 and August 21. The U.S. decennial census
4444-504: The Census Bureau stated 99.98% of addresses had been accounted for, with all but one state over a 99.9% rate. Paper responses postmarked on or before October 15 would be processed, as long as they arrived at the processing center by October 22. As in previous censuses, the 2020 census relied on a network of trusted voices nationwide to help raise awareness, answer questions, and encourage community members to participate. Hundreds of local "complete count committees" are dedicating resources to
4545-533: The Census Bureau's address list and interview households for the 2020 census, claiming "all census takers have been trained on social distancing protocols, and will be issued personal protective equipment (PPE) and will follow local guidelines for their use." The June 12 press release also shared that the communications campaign had been adapted due to the pandemic and would continue through October, "the end of 2020 census data collection operations", with additional paid media planned for July, August and September, though
4646-513: The Centers for Disease Control. We have generated and submitted estimates for equipment needs. On April 15, 2020, the Agency's internal task force met and discussed our estimates for needed equipment, potential delivery dates, and budget implications. We continue to monitor the situation and make adjustments as necessary. To ensure the completeness and accuracy of the 2020 census, the Census Bureau
4747-665: The Concord, California, Area Census Office was May 25, 2020. Offices were reopened in the areas of " American Samoa , the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands , Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands in preparation for resuming operations for the 2020 Island Areas Censuses" on May 22, 2020. On May 29, 2020, a press release was published announcing "restart" of operations in seven additional states and
4848-669: The DOJ letter which justified the policy by claiming it was needed to enforce the 1965 Voting Rights Act. Following this discovery, the United States House Committee on Oversight and Reform issued subpoenas for the Department of Justice to provide materials related to the census question and to question both Commerce secretary Wilbur Ross and United States Attorney General William Barr , seeking action to judge if they are in contempt. The Trump administration on June 12, 2019, asserted executive privilege over portions of
4949-579: The FW&;DC. This area is now referred to as the Depot Square Historic District , which has been declared a Texas Historic Landmark . The early history of Wichita Falls well into the 20th century also rests on the work of two entrepreneurs, Joseph A. Kemp and his brother-in-law, Frank Kell. Kemp and Kell were pioneers in food processing and retailing, flour milling, railroads, cattle, banking, and oil. Downtown Wichita Falls
5050-471: The Red River (opened 1964), and Interstate 44 from Old Iowa Park Road to U.S. 287/Spur 325 interchange on the city's north side along with Spur 325 from I-44/U.S. 287 to the main gate of Sheppard Air Force Base (both completed as a single project in 1960). However, cross-country traffic for many years had to contend with several ground-level intersections and traffic lights over Holliday and Broad Streets near
5151-443: The U.S. Census Bureau continued to pay 2020 census employees even though field operations were supposed to be suspended. On March 28, 2020, the U.S. Census Bureau issued another press release announcing 2020 census field operations would be suspended for an additional two weeks, through April 15, 2020. Census Bureau officials communicated to the media that on March 27, 2020, they learned an employee had tested positive for COVID-19 at
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#17327865930685252-634: The United States and one of the largest races in the world. The race started as a way for the city to celebrate its centennial in 1982. The race takes place over a weekend in August, and multiple events are hosted for people to participate. In 2014, the Wichita Falls Nighthawks , an indoor football team, joined the Indoor Football League but suspended operations after the 2017 season. The city has also been home to
5353-539: The United States; the market also has an average of 120,200 radio listeners ages 12 and over, making it the 250th-largest radio market in the nation. KERA-TV out of Dallas – Fort Worth serves as the default PBS member station for Wichita Falls via a translator station on UHF channel 44. Lucy Park is a 170-acre (69 ha) park with a log cabin, duck pond, swimming pool, playground, frisbee golf course, and picnic areas. It has multiple paved walkways suitable for walking, running, biking, or rollerskating, including
5454-526: The Washington, D.C., area starting from the week of June 1. An OSHA complaint was made from Austin, Texas , on May 27, 2020, complaining that CDC guidelines were not being followed, that employees were unable to practice social distancing, and that employees experiencing flu-like symptoms and positive COVID-19 test results continued to come to work, showing the office was open prior to the Census Bureau's published office restart date of June 1, 2020. In
5555-654: The Wichita River runs through the area and a waterfall was in the river's course in 1876. Just 10 years later in 1886, a flood destroyed the original waterfall on the Wichita River for which the city was named. After nearly 100 years of visitors wanting to visit the no longer existing falls, the city built an artificial waterfall beside the river in Lucy Park. The recreated falls are 54 ft (16 m) high and recirculate at 3,500 gallons per minute. They are visible to south-bound traffic on Interstate 44 . On
5656-629: The addition of a June 11 "restart" at the Window Rock, Arizona, Area Census Office. Days later, the Navajo Nation began reinstating lockdown restrictions and curfews due to a surge in new cases. A June 12, 2020, press release shared that the update leave (UL) operation had resumed, as well as fingerprinting of selected applicants. The agency announced that the update enumerate (UE) operation would restart on June 14 "in remote parts of northern Maine and southeast Alaska" where employees update
5757-731: The administration had been insisting for months the question needed to be settled by July 1. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has taken steps to introduce the Hofeller evidence into the New York case but it will not be heard until late 2019 after the census forms are to be published. The second suit over the census question came in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California under Judge Richard Seeborg , raised by
5858-452: The afternoon of April 3, 1964 (later referred to as "Black Friday"). As the first violent tornado on record to hit the Wichita Falls area, it left seven dead and more than 100 injured. Additionally, the tornado caused roughly $ 15 million in property damage with about 225 homes destroyed and another 250 damaged. It was rated F5, the highest rating on the Fujita scale , but it is overshadowed by
5959-619: The agency's National Processing Center in Jeffersonville, Indiana, which the agency kept open during the suspension, claiming they would "transition to the minimum number of on-site staff necessary to continue operations". The agency announced on April 10, 2020, that it took steps to make "more employees available to respond to requests" at the call centers. In a joint statement on April 13, 2020, U.S. Department of Commerce secretary Wilbur Ross and U.S. Census Bureau director Steven Dillingham announced further operational adjustments to
6060-475: The area in the early 1800s from their native Mississippi area once Americans displaced them after the Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek . The treaty was signed and proclaimed in 1830–1831. As late as 1841, a large Indian settlement was present in the area that is now the city of Wichita Falls. American settlers arrived in the 1860s, mainly as cattle ranchers. The city was named Wichita Falls on September 27, 1876, as
6161-470: The average window for the latter mark is April 9–October 10. However, 59 to 60 nights of freezing lows occur, and an average of 4.8 days where the high does not rise above freezing. The monthly daily average temperature ranges from 42.0 °F (5.6 °C) in January to 84.4 °F (29.1 °C) in July. The record low temperature is −12 °F (−24 °C) on January 4, 1947. The highest recorded temperature
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#17327865930686262-487: The bureau, its staffing, and its counting measurements, to handle the potential lack of responses due to the citizenship question. During these trials, documents released in May 2019 showed that the late Thomas B. Hofeller , an architect of Republican gerrymandering , had found that adding the census question could help to gerrymander maps that "would be advantageous to Republicans and non-Hispanic whites". Hofeller later wrote
6363-520: The campaign unveiled the 2020 census tagline: "Shape your future. START HERE." The tagline was based on research that demonstrated which types of messages will reach and motivate all populations, including segments of the population who are historically hard to count. The printing company Cenveo won the $ 61 million contract in October 2017 to produce census forms and reminders but went bankrupt less than four months later. The inspector general of
6464-577: The case's oral arguments were heard on April 23, 2019. The Supreme Court issued its decision on June 27, 2019, rejecting the Trump administration's stated rationale for including the question. While the Court majority agreed that the question was allowable under the Enumeration Act, they also agreed with the ability of the District Court to ask Commerce for further explanation for the question under
6565-541: The choice program for all schools beginning with the 2015-2016 year. Secondary schools in the WFISD offer Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate courses to students wishing to pursue a more challenging academic curriculum. The WFISD currently operates two schools with the International Baccalaureate program, covering two segments of the program: The school district has continuously been recognized for its overall academic success from
6666-664: The citizenship numbers were necessary to enforce the Voting Rights Act 's protection against voting discrimination. Ross was accused by Democrats in Congress of lying that the citizenship question was requested by the Justice Department and approved by him. Upon the bureau's announcement, several state and city officials criticized the decision, reiterating the concern about discouraging participation from immigrants, resulting in undercounting, and questioning
6767-554: The city and county, the first of which was opened in the year 1958 as an alignment of U.S. 287 from Eighth Street at Broad and Holliday Streets northwestward across the Wichita River and bisecting Lucy and Scotland Parks to the Old Iowa Park Road, the original U.S. 287 alignment. That was followed by other expressway links including U.S. 82–287 east to Henrietta (completed in the year 1968), U.S. 281 south toward Jacksboro (completed 1969), U.S. 287 northwest to Iowa Park and Electra (opened 1962), Interstate 44 north to Burkburnett and
6868-545: The city, as does an active home-school community. Many of the local elementary schools participate in the Head Start program for preschool-aged children. Two schools in the Wichita Falls ISD participate in the International Baccalaureate programs. Hirschi High School offers the IB Diploma Programme , and G.H. Kirby Junior High School for the Middle Years Programme . Other public high schools are Wichita Falls High School and S. H. Rider High School (Wichita Falls ISD) and City View High School (City View ISD). By 1879,
6969-411: The completeness and accuracy of the 2020 census, the Census Bureau is seeking statutory relief from Congress of 120 additional calendar days to deliver final apportionment counts" due to the COVID-19 emergency, and that "under this plan, the Census Bureau would extend the window for field data collection and self-response to October 31, 2020, which will allow for apportionment counts to be delivered to
7070-624: The count by the end of the year. On March 18, 2020, the U.S. Census Bureau issued a press release by Director Steven Dillingham announcing that 2020 census field operations would be suspended for two weeks until April 1, 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic . On March 27, 2020, the agency announced it would temporarily suspend in-person interviews for its on-going surveys. The agency claimed that staffing adjustments at its call centers due to implementing health guidance had "led to increases in call wait times, affecting different languages at different times". According to its own documentation,
7171-458: The country based on federal, state, and local public health guidance, as well as the availability of personal protective equipment, prioritizing reopening mail processing centers and census offices and said the bureau would notify Congress as it begins to restart operations. However, the National Processing Center and Area Census Offices had remained open. Starting on May 4, 2020, the U.S. Census Bureau began publishing dates as it claimed to begin
7272-688: The day all week long. The Wichita Falls Municipal Airport is served by American Eagle , with two flights daily to the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport . The Kickapoo Downtown Airport and the Wichita Valley Airport serve smaller, private planes. Although still in the planning phase, local officials are currently working to potentially bring an Amtrak stop to the city. Wichita Falls last had passenger rail service in 1967. 2020 United States Census The 2020 United States census
7373-472: The day the city was named in 1876, a sale of town lots was held at what is now the corner of Seventh and Ohio Streets – the birthplace of the city. The Fort Worth & Denver City Railway arrived in September 1882, the same year the city became the county seat of Wichita County . The city grew westwards from the original FW&DC train depot which was located at the northwest corner of Seventh Street and
7474-665: The downtown area for about 13 blocks between connecting expressway links until a new elevated freeway running overhead was completed in 2001. Efforts to create an additional freeway along the path of Kell Boulevard for U.S. 82–277 began in 1967 with the acquisition of right-of-way that included a former railroad right-of-way and the first project including construction of the present frontage roads completed in 1977, followed by freeway lanes, overpasses, and on/off ramps in 1989 from just east of Brook Avenue west to Kemp Boulevard; similar projects west from Kemp to Barnett Road in 2001 followed by Barnett Road west past FM 369 in 2010 to tie in which
7575-491: The efforts nationwide. VMLY&R (formerly Young & Rubicam ) secured the Integrated Communications Contract for the 2020 census campaign in August 2016. As the contract's primary agency of record, VMLY&R created an integrated team for this project, Team Y&R, which includes subcontractors specializing in minority outreach, digital media, earned media and more. In March 2019,
7676-426: The first school was established. The first public school was a log structure established in the 1880s; in 1885, it was replaced with a former courthouse. Wichita Falls High School opened in 1890. That year, a school district was created, but problems with the law allowing its establishment meant it was dissolved in 1894 and the city provided schooling until the second establishment of a school district in 1900. In 1908,
7777-526: The headquarters and national processing centers. An OSHA complaint was made from Oklahoma City on May 1, 2020, complaining that employees were not able to practice social distancing and were not provided with adequate personal protective equipment such as gloves and masks, showing the office was open prior to the Census Bureau's published office restart date of May 4, 2020. Additional "restart" dates starting May 18 were published on May 15, 2020, for other geographic areas in eleven states. An OSHA complaint
7878-473: The motives of Secretary Ross in adding the question. Three simultaneous separate federal lawsuits came out of this discovery, occurring at the district courts of New York, Maryland, and California. During the controversy over the census question, the Census Bureau ran a test census in June 2019 on about 480,000 households to determine what effects adding the census question would have on participation, and to prepare
7979-480: The next year by Hirschi High. The construction of two new high schools - Legacy and Memorial - were both on schedule and on budget as of January 2023, and are scheduled to open for classes in Fall 2024. The opening of these two new schools means the three existing high schools – Wichita Falls, Rider, and Hirschi – will close at the end of the 2023-2024 school year. All three old high school campuses will sit vacant until
8080-511: The ongoing coronavirus pandemic , the remaining 5% of U.S. households (mostly in rural areas) were supposed to be visited by census takers in April/May, dropping off invitation letters to owners. This was delayed, but most census offices restarted work again in mid-May. By July 14, 2020, the self-response rate was 62.1% or 91,800,000 households. The self-response rate was 66.5% in 2010 and 67.4% in 2000. In an update published October 19, 2020,
8181-402: The population. Of the 38,057 households, 30.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 27.4% had seniors 65 years or older living with them, 40.1% were married couples living together, 6.9% were couples cohabitating, 24.0% had a male householder with no partner present, and 29.0% had a female householder with no partner present. The median household size
8282-531: The president by April 30, 2021, and redistricting data to be delivered to the states no later than September 30, 2021." On April 15, 2020, U.S. Census Bureau director Steven Dillingham wrote to Department of Commerce inspector general Peggy E. Gustafson responding to a March 12, 2020, memo sent by the Office of the Inspector General requesting information about the Census Bureau's plans to respond to
8383-467: The requested documents. As a result, the House committee subsequently voted along party lines to hold both Ross and Barr in contempt that day. The full House voted to hold Ross and Barr in contempt on July 17, 2019, in a 230–198 vote along party lines. A lawsuit, led by New York state's attorney general Barbara Underwood and joined by seventeen other states, fifteen cities and other civil rights groups,
8484-489: The state of California and several cities within it. In March 2019, Seeborg similarly found as Furman had in New York that the addition of the census question was unconstitutional and issued an injunction to block its use. The government appealed to the Ninth Circuit before the Supreme Court remanded the case. A similar question related to the intent of the question was raised by several immigrants-rights groups in
8585-431: The sustainability of minor or rookie league sports franchises in the Wichita Falls region had a questionable future. The Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame relocated to Wichita Falls from Amsterdam, New York , in November 2015. The mayor of Wichita Falls is Tim Short, who was elected on November 7, 2023. Mayors are elected on a nonpartisan ballot. The Wichita Falls City Council has six members: The city manager
8686-592: The temperature reached 100 °F or higher, and from May 27 to September 3, the temperature reached 90 °F or higher. In addition, the all-time warm daily minimum of 88 °F (31 °C) was set on July 26, and June, July, and August of that year were all the hottest on record. During the 2015 Texas–Oklahoma floods , Wichita Falls broke its all-time record for the wettest month, with 17.00 inches of rain recorded in May 2015. Notes : As of the 2022 American Community Survey estimates, there were 102,659 people and 38,057 households. The population density
8787-417: The top employers in the city are: Wichita Falls' media market also includes the nearby, smaller city of Lawton, Oklahoma . According to Nielsen Media Research estimates for the 2016–17 season, the market – which encompasses 10 counties in western North Texas and six counties in southwestern Oklahoma, has 152,950 households with at least one television set, making it the 148th-largest television market in
8888-413: The trial United States Census Bureau v. State of New York to go forward, but agreed to postpone Ross's deposition until after the start of the trial. The Supreme Court also agreed to treat the writ of mandamus as a writ of petition, and granted certiorari to review the question raised by the government of whether a district court can request deposition of a high-ranking executive branch official on
8989-644: Was $ 31,730. Out of the 90,842 people with a determined poverty status, 15.2% were below the poverty line . Further, 21.4% of minors and 16.3% of seniors were below the poverty line. In the survey, residents self-identified with various ethnic ancestries. People of German descent made up 9.6% of the population of the town, followed by Irish at 6.5%, English at 6.3%, American at 5.1%, Italian at 2.7%, Swedish at 1.9%, Scotch-Irish at 1.1%, Dutch at 1.1%, Sub-Saharan African at 1.0%, Scottish at 0.9%, French at 0.9%, and Norwegian at 0.8%. According to Wichita Falls Chamber of Commerce,
9090-477: Was 1,421.2 inhabitants per square mile (548.7/km ). There were 42,641 housing units at an average density of 590.3 per square mile (227.9/km ). The racial makeup of the city was 72.1% White, 10.8% Black or African American, 3.6% some other race, 2.8% Asian, 1.0% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, and 0.6% Native American or Alaskan Native, with 9.1% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 22.4% of
9191-453: Was 2.39 and the median family size was 2.98. The age distribution was 22.9% under 18, 13.9% from 18 to 24, 27.0% from 25 to 44, 21.3% from 45 to 64, and 14.9% who were 65 or older. The median age was 34.4 years. For every 100 females, there were 114.6 males. The median income for a household was $ 56,091, with family households having a median income of $ 71,975 and non-family households $ 35,403. The per capita income
9292-493: Was filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York . During the discovery phase of the trial, new information came to light that Ross had had previous discussions with Steve Bannon before March 2018 with the intent to add the citizenship question, contradicting statements he had made to Congress in March. This led district judge Jesse M. Furman in September 2018 to ask that Ross clear
9393-434: Was for $ 1,502,928.00 awarded to Industries for the Blind and Visually Impaired, Inc. for hand sanitizer, and a contract for $ 7,053,569.85 for four-ounce (118 ml) hand sanitizers awarded to NewView Oklahoma, Inc. both with the place of principal performance listed as Jeffersonville, Indiana . May 22, 2020, saw two additional contracts, one was a disinfectant wipes contract for $ 3,137,533.00 awarded to Industries for
9494-592: Was given an overall accountability rating of 'B' (80) by the Texas Education Agency . The first high school in Wichita Falls was built in 1890, and the first graduating class was 1892. In 1908 the Texas Legislature issued a special charter for the Wichita Falls Independent School District. A new high school opened in 1910, and the original 1890 high school was converted into an elementary school. The A.E. Holland school, constructed in 1921, wasn't originally known as Holland. It
9595-425: Was named Barwise in honor of Wichita Falls pioneer J.H. Barwise. Because of segregation, white students attended Barwise, while black students went to school at Booker T. Washington. The Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court decision in 1954 ruled against school segregation, but like a lot of districts in the south, it took Wichita Falls many years to catch up to that decision. Rider High opened in 1961, followed
9696-547: Was recorded that same day from St. Louis , that desks remained close together with no physical dividers, improper sanitation practices were being used, and no remote work for high-risk employees. The published restart date for the St. Louis Area Census Office was May 11, 2020. On May 21, 2020, procurement information for two contracts was entered into the Federal Procurement Data System . One contract
9797-410: Was sufficient before allowing the question on the census. The question would be allowed on the census only if these steps can be completed before the self-imposed form printing deadline. On July 7, the DOJ announced that it was replacing its entire legal team dealing with that question, but on July 9, Furman rejected the DOJ action, saying reasons must be given for the withdrawal of each attorney and that
9898-463: Was the 1st U.S. census to offer a full internet response option and the 1st to extensively use technology instead of paper to manage and conduct fieldwork. Key design changes included: As required by the Census Act, the U.S. Census Bureau submitted a list of questions to Congress on March 29, 2018. The U.S. census will not share any participant's information with any government agency, as it
9999-482: Was the 24th decennial United States census . Census Day, the reference day used for the census , was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census , this was the first U.S. census to offer options to respond online or by phone, in addition to the paper response form used for previous censuses. The census was taken during the COVID-19 pandemic , which affected its administration. The census recorded
10100-506: Was the city's main shopping area for many years. Those shops lost ground to the creation of new shopping centers throughout the city beginning with Parker Square in 1953 and other similar developments during the 1960s and 1970s, culminating with the opening of Sikes Senter Mall in 1974. The city has been seeking funding to rebuild and restore the downtown area since 2010. Wichita Falls was once home to offices of several oil companies and related industries, along with oil refineries operated by
10201-538: Was the previous census completed. All people in the U.S. 18 and older are legally obligated to answer census questions, and to do so truthfully ( Title 13 of the United States Code ). Personally identifiable information is private and the Census Bureau itself will never release it. However, the National Archives and Records Administration could release the original census returns in 2092, if
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