Saturday, September 7, 2024
The Granbury ISD school board meeting on July 15 commenced with a heartfelt tribute to retired GISD teacher Louise Hidalgo, who passed away recently. She was a beloved educator whose impactful career touched many students’ lives. The board highlighted her numerous contributions.
School board secretary Billy Wimberley led the invocation, focusing on community, purpose, and guidance.
Place seven trustee Karen Lowery led the Pledge of Allegiance to the United States and Texas flags.
Superintendent Jeremy Glenn introduced the district budgeting process report, expressing gratitude for the opportunity to present. He set the stage for a video about school funding.
The video, produced by Raise Your Hand Texas, detailed how school funds are allocated. Over half of every dollar spent goes toward instruction and teacher salaries, with a significant portion allocated to facility maintenance. The remaining funds cover additional staff, student needs, extracurricular programs, IT infrastructure, and safety provisions. The video emphasized the impact of inflation on school funding and called for legislative support to address rising operational costs.
Glenn discussed the upcoming 2024-25 budget, highlighting efforts to present a balanced budget and potentially lowering the school tax rate for the eighth consecutive year. He credited the finance team for its hard work and noted lower attrition rates and successful hiring efforts. The discussion also covered upcoming events, including teacher training and convocation, and praised the maintenance and transportation teams for their diligence.
Glenn presented the personnel report and recommended its approval; the board unanimously approved the report. During the consent agenda, Lowery requested the June 24 minutes be tabled to correct documentation discrepancies. Another board member proposed additional changes to the minutes, leading to a discussion and clarification on the amendments needed.
The board discussed amending the meeting minutes. The motion on the table was to strike specific lines that claimed insufficient documentation. After some discussion and agreement, the motion was amended to strike three specific lines from sections 11b, 11c, and 11d. One board member recused herself from voting as she was not present at the previous meeting — the amended motion passed with six votes in favor and one recusal.
GISD Board Vice President Courtney Gore, presented several community donations for various school funds. The donations included:
The total amount donated was $7,615.05. The board expressed gratitude to the community for its support. A motion was made and seconded to approve the consent agenda items with the noted amendments, and it passed unanimously.
Glenn presented the consideration for the approval of a warranty deed for 10.05 acres from the City of Granbury to the board of trustees for Granbury ISD. He provided background information about the property’s history, including its use by the school district and the city’s plans, which ultimately did not move forward. Due to a recall provision in the contract, the property is being reverted back to GISD. The board discussed the responsibilities of insurance, utilities, and property maintenance. A motion was made to accept the property back and authorize the board president to sign the deed. The motion was seconded and passed unanimously.
GISD Chief Financial Officer Emmett Whitefield and Glenn presented a proposal from Zonta Intelligence for a comprehensive demographic study for the 2024-2025 school year. The study would include:
The proposed contract price is $22,000, which is included in the budget. The board discussed the history and reliability of demographic studies and agreed to engage Zonta Intelligence for the survey.
The GISD board meeting concluded successfully, maintaining a high decorum throughout. The board addressed many important issues, and with just two weeks remaining before the teachers return for the upcoming school year, the atmosphere was notably light-hearted and optimistic.
