Region 16 Education Service Center proudly announces Monty Hysinger, Superintendent Emeritus of Dumas Independent School District, as the 2026 Region 16 Superintendent of the Year.

Mr. Hysinger will represent Region 16 in the Texas Association of School Boards' annual Superintendent of the Year award program, which has recognized exemplary superintendents for excellence and achievement in educational leadership since 1984.

“Superintendent Hysinger is a phenomenal educator whose passion for student success makes him the perfect choice for Region 16 Superintendent of the Year,” said Tanya Larkin, Ed.D., Region 16 Executive Director. “He has poured his heart into Dumas ISD, driving innovation and leaving a profound mark on our entire region. We are honored to have him carry the banner for Region 16 on the state stage; he represents the very best of what public schools can be.”

Candidates are chosen for their exemplary and visionary leadership toward improving student performance, strong leadership skills, dedication to improving educational quality in their districts, and commitment to public involvement in education. Superintendents from any of the state’s 1,200 school districts are eligible for nomination by their school boards. Local nominees are submitted to a regional selection committee, which chooses one nominee to send to a state selection committee.

The TASB state selection committee will interview all regional winners in August and select five state finalists. The Superintendent of the Year will be announced in October at txEDCON25.

UPDATE: Five individuals have been identified including one that was arrested for UUMV. The Dumas Police Department will continue investigating this series of incidents by these individuals and will file appropriate charges. We still ask the community to check their vehicles in the event there are more victims still out there.

Also, please take the time to secure your belongings. Criminals are opportunistic and often times will go after easy targets.

Last night, the City of Dumas experienced a significant amount of vehicle burglaries. Due to these incidents occurring over a large area of the city, it is highly likely that there are more potential victims that have yet to discover their vehicles being burglarized.

The Dumas Police Department is asking citizens to check their vehicles and properties to ascertain if any property is missing. We are also asking citizens to check their surveillance cameras in hopes of identifying the offenders.

If anyone has any information, please contact the Dumas Police Department and ask to speak to any officer.

Over 130 Texas cities recently received letters from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s office accusing them of failing to be transparent with taxpayers over tax increases. 

Pictured left Pictured left to right: Connie Flores and Zoraida Arroyos

Congratulations to Zoraida Arroyos, who is the recipient of a Service Excellence Award! Here is her story:

Recently, a Family Health Clinic patient with advanced Parkinson’s disease, who depends on a wheelchair and consistent medication management, went nearly a month without a critical prescription. As a result, the patient experienced a significant decline, including increased weakness, worsening symptoms, and reduced ability to function.

Recognizing the urgency of the situation, Zoraida Arroyos took immediate action. After contacting the patient’s neurologist and identifying an insurance delay on the medication, she located a temporary supply of the medication in Amarillo to bridge the gap in care.
Understanding that the patient had no transportation, Zoraida went above and beyond. She personally traveled to Amarillo to pick up the medication and delivered it directly to the patient’s home, ensuring timely treatment and continuity of care.

This act reflects more than clinical excellence. It demonstrates deep compassion, personal accountability, and a commitment to doing what is right for the patient, no matter the effort required.

Zoraida Arroyos exemplifies the very best of patient-centered care, and it is with great pride that we recognize and celebrate her outstanding service.

Thank you, Zoraida, for your incredible act of compassion for your patient! We are incredibly proud that you are a part of our team!


Recently, a Family Health Clinic patient with advanced Parkinson’s disease, who depends on a wheelchair and consistent medication management, went nearly a month without a critical prescription. As a result, the patient experienced a significant decline, including increased weakness, worsening symptoms, and reduced ability to function.

Recognizing the urgency of the situation, Zoraida Arroyos took immediate action. After contacting the patient’s neurologist and identifying an insurance delay on the medication, she located a temporary supply of the medication in Amarillo to bridge the gap in care.

Understanding that the patient had no transportation, Zoraida went above and beyond. She personally traveled to Amarillo to pick up the medication and delivered it directly to the patient’s home, ensuring timely treatment and continuity of care.

This act reflects more than clinical excellence. It demonstrates deep compassion, personal accountability, and a commitment to doing what is right for the patient, no matter the effort required.

Zoraida Arroyos exemplifies the very best of patient-centered care, and it is with great pride that we recognize and celebrate her outstanding service.

Thank you, Zoraida, for your incredible act of compassion for your patient! We are incredibly proud that you are a part of our team!
Pictured left to right: Connie Flores and Zoraida Arroyos

PICTURED LEFT TO RIGHT: Casey Barter and Yessenia Longoria

Congratulations to Casey Barter, who is a recipient of a Service Excellence Award and the very first (and hopefully ever) NASCAR Award! Here is his story:

On the evening of 02/16/26 around 11pm at night, MCHD EMS was dispatched to transfer a patient from the MCHD emergency room to BSA in Amarillo for an inter-facility transfer. While in route, the ambulance, driven by Casey Barter, encountered multiple large pieces of debris in the roadway that had fallen from the flatbed of a semi trailer. These large objects were in the middle of the highway just inside the Potter/ Moore County line. While Casey was able to effectively avoid the first object, the next object in the middle of the road was unavoidable.

The ambulance, still being corrected after missing the first object, impacted the second object (later identified as a semi-truck front axle attached to a frame rail) and tipped towards the passenger side, resulting in the ambulance being driven on only two wheels. Casey’s quick responsiveness was able to control the ambulance and guide it back down, keeping the ambulance upright. However, once the ambulance came back down, it had to be further controlled, as the driver side tire had been torn from the wheel during the collision.

Casey continued to steer the ambulance, originally at highway speed, down to a stop. His quick responsiveness resulted in the vehicle remaining upright and no harm coming to the patient, nor to his partner James Hewett, who were both in the back of the ambulance.
Although EMS operates on the highways on a regular basis, this is an example of an extremely rare situation, and Casey’s exceptional response to the situation resulted in no injuries to the occupants inside the ambulance that most certainly could have rolled over given the size of the debris in which was impacted at highway speed.

Thank you, Casey, for safeguarding your patient and coworker through your expert and exceptional skill! We are incredibly proud that you are a part of our team!

PICTURED LEFT TO RIGHT: Jeff Turner and Ricky Ward

Congratulations to Ricky Ward, who is a recipient of a Service Excellence Award! Here is his story:

During the early morning hours of 04/12/26, a patient’s family member became highly agitated on the Women’s Services Unit. This individual became aggressive, raised their voice, made threats, and attempted to force entry into an operating suite while a procedure was in progress.

Understandably, staff felt threatened and contacted the Dumas Police Department for assistance. They also notified Ricky Ward, the Plant Operations on-call team member for the night.

Ricky arrived at the Women’s Services Unit before law enforcement and immediately stepped into an extremely tense situation. Remaining calm and professional, he skillfully deescalated the confrontation, guided the individual away from the unit, and escorted them to the front entrance before officers arrived.

Ricky is commended for his prompt, courageous, and professional response. This was a stressful and potentially dangerous situation that was resolved through his calm leadership and effective actions.

Thank you, Ricky, for restoring order, protecting your fellow employees, and helping ensure uninterrupted care for the patient! We are incredibly proud that you are a part of our team!

PICTURED LEFT TO RIGHT: David Hernandez and Jeff Turner

Congratulations to David Hernandez, who is a recipient of a Service Excellence Award! Here is his story:

While leaving work recently, David witnessed a community member experience a hard fall while walking in the neighborhood around the hospital. Without hesitation, David stopped to assist, and quickly recognized that the individual needed medical evaluation as they had sustained visible head and hand injuries.

David calmly encouraged the individual to seek care, and personally offered to transport them to the hospital to ensure they received prompt attention for their injuries. After speaking with them and learning that the individual was alone and without immediate available support, David remained at the hospital to offer any needed assistance and reassurance while the individual was treated. After treatment was complete, the individual was discharged, and David made certain that they returned home safely by taking the time to drive them home himself.

David’s willingness to step in, stay present, and place the needs of another above his own reflects the very best of our organization. His actions not only helped prevent a potentially more serious outcome, but also demonstrated genuine humanity, empathy, and service beyond expectation.

Thank you, David, for exemplifying the true meaning of service excellence through compassion, attentiveness, and commitment to others!