Updates from the October 2023 Board Meetings

Take a look at the most recent updates from the October 2, 2023, GCISD Special Board of Trustees Meeting and the October 23, 2023, GCISD Regular Board of Trustees Meeting.

Balanced Scorecard Priority Report

The GCISD Board of Trustees heard the first update from the Balanced Scorecard Priorities set by the Board back in the summer months. The presentation focused on three performance objectives within Priority 1: Student Achievement and Post Secondary Preparedness. 

The first two performance objectives shared were Academic Growth and Development, and Safety and Well-Being. Information regarding the GCISD Universal Screener Systems was presented and data was shared from the Beginning of Year (BOY) Universal Screeners at the various grade levels, along with the proactive and preventative measures, intervention, and intense remediation at Tiers I, II, and III. The system of support is multi-tiered and includes social and behavioral support based on individual needs.

College and/or Career and/or Military Readiness (CCMR) was up next. Background information was provided on this initiative and how points are awarded to students, as well as the refreshed A-F CCMR accountability standards and how that refresh impacts GCISD, along with other districts across the state. Plans for an increase in student opportunities across all areas in CCMR are underway and those were explained further in the discussion.

FIRST Report Superior Rating

A public hearing was held as part of the agenda to present the District's Financial Integrity Rating System of Texas (FIRST) Report for 2022-2023 based on Fiscal Year 2021-2022 Data. There are 20 base indicators that are related to financial, student and staff data, and the district must receive a score of 90-100 to receive a Superior Rating. GCISD received a score of 92, and the district has received the tip rating each year since the inception of the rating system 20 years ago.

Highlights from the President's Report

This is a new item, which will be on every agenda moving forward. For this first President’s Report, President Shannon Braun covered three items:

• Tarrant Appraisal District Board of Directors Nomination: On October 2, the GCISD Board of Trustees voted to nominate three individuals for the TAD Board of Directors. Nominations are optional. Once TAD receives nominations they prepare and distribute a ballot to each taxing unit. Ballots will be distributed before October 30. Once the ballot is received, it will be placed on an agenda to be voted during a Board meeting. 

• Property Tax Rate: A brief overview of how tax dollars are allocated was provided, giving the analogy of two buckets of money: Maintenance and Operations, which goes to pay daily operations of the district; and Interest and Sinking, which goes to pay for voter-approved bonds. She also made the following points:

  • GCISD last year paid $64 million in recapture, which is part of the school finance system that requires GCISD to send a portion of its local property-tax revenue to the state. 

  • In the past two years, the Board has given a 35 cent tax rate decrease. 

  • GCISD has saved taxpayers a combined total of $40 million over the past two years, which includes the maintenance side as well as the debt side.

  • This year, a fifth Golden Penny gave the district $2.2 million, which added resources to the classroom in the form of higher teacher pay. 

• State Legislative Session: School funding is not in the list of priorities for the Governor. GCISD has sent a letter to its community asking to please contact your representatives. There is a form letter included that anyone can copy, paste and edit as they see fit into a message to legislative representatives.