The following letter from Board President Shannon Braun and Superintendent Dr. Brad Schnautz was shared with GCISD parents and staff on Tuesday, September 9.
GCISD Family,
Over the past few days, there's been a lot of conversation happening about the work of the district’s Education Master Planning Committee (EMPC). We wanted to reach out to you directly to share information.
It’s no secret that like many districts in Texas, we continue to face significant financial challenges. With no increase in state funding since 2019 and a steady decline in student enrollment, we simply cannot avoid making hard decisions. This will be necessary to ensure our district can continue to offer competitive pay for our employees, maintain our facilities, and provide the resources our students need to succeed.
No recommendations have been made yet, but we will be clear when they are, and they will be difficult. We know that these decisions will directly impact our families. We are not taking this lightly.
We are so fortunate to have a dedicated group of community members, parents, and employees serving on the EMPC. They were given a difficult, but vital, task – to analyze data and make recommendations that will shape the future of our district. This process required not only many hours of commitment, but also a great deal of vision and leadership, and it's essential that we rely on them to do this work thoroughly and with compassion. By allowing the committee to complete its charge, we are honoring their commitment and ensuring their final recommendations are the result of thoughtful consideration. Our shared goal is a sustainable path for the future of GCISD, and we must respect the tough position this committee is in as they work to make that a reality.
The committee has explored a range of options to address these challenges. This does include, but is not limited to, the potential for elementary school consolidation. The committee is tasked with evaluating all possible solutions to ensure our district’s long-term sustainability. They are also evaluating whether to repurpose other facilities to potentially generate revenue or create new opportunities, and if the current grade-to-building alignment is still the most efficient model, while possibly aligning feeder patterns in the future.
We want to ensure we keep you informed as we have reached a point where these initial decisions are inevitable, and recently compiled the information the committee has studied on the EMPC webpage. You'll find data on campus utilization, enrollment projections, previous board discussions and meeting documents here. The committee is expected to present its recommendations to our Board of Trustees later this fall.
This year, we kicked off by reflecting on the GCISD Journey. This particular part of our journey is about facing challenges together and making tough decisions that create a stronger future for our students. Wherever the changes land, they will not change who we are. We are still GCISD, committed to serving our students, and we will get through this together, just as we always have.
Thank you for your partnership during this crucial time. Together, we are committed to making the best decisions for our students and our district's long-term success.
Dr. Brad Schnautz
Superintendent of Schools
Shannon Braun
Board President