001now 6:00 p.m. I call this meeting of the Granberry Independent School District to order. Let the record show that a quorum of board members is present, that this meeting has been duly called, and that the notice of this meeting has been posted in accordance with the Texas Open Meetings Act, Texas Government Code Chapter 551. >> Is your mic? >> Can you hear me? >> Y. >> I can. We can. >> Okay. >> But I'm not buying a hearing aid. >> Sure. Okay. Uh the subject should be discussed or considered or upon which any formal action may be taken are as listed below. Items do not have to be taken in order shown on the meeting notice. Um we are not taking any action tonight because this is just our community open forum. So we will
002begin by having the invocation. Please bow your heads and pray with me. Dear heavenly father, as we gather here this evening, we pause with grateful hearts. In this season of thanksgiving, we thank you for the privilege of serving our students, our families, and this community. We are grateful for the opportunities before us, the wisdom to lead, and the trust placed in our hands. Bless our time together tonight, guide our conversations, and keep us mindful of the impact they have on every child we serve. We thank you for the joy of togetherness, the gift of rest, and the reminders of what truly matters. Keep our community safe, our hearts humble, and our spirit united. May gratitude continue to guide us in all that we do in Jesus name. Amen. Amen. And now, please stand and join
003us. I aliance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. >> Honoring the Texas flag, I aliance to thee Texas. One state under God, one and indivisible. Okay, now we will begin with our public comments. First up, according to superintendent report first. Oh, I'm sorry. Superintendent report first. >> Yeah, don't cut this off. I'm just kidding. Okay, can you hear me? >> All right. So, couple of I always like to give some updates about what's going on in the district. And I've pulled up our website to remind people um at home and in the audience to always uh start on our website. Our communications team, Ryan and his team have done a great job of
004putting things that are really relevant to you right now. And one of the things I want to draw your attention to is on the left hand side of the screen, you'll have temporary icons that are things that are happening right now. And you'll see we have a brand new group called our golden pirates. And that includes anyone that is 55 plus years old. You are invited to join us. We're going to have a superintendent social on Tuesday, December 16th at 10:00. Um, and you will meet here and have a perform, have some Christmas cookies and some time uh to chat. And then you'll be able to um listen to our middle school. I think it's our band or choir. It's a choir. Okay, thank you. Um that is coming. So, it'll be a great day.
005And then we'll have a campus tour in the spring. We'd love for you to sign up for the Golden Pirates. You'll get a t-shirt and so who could ask for more? It will be great fun. Uh this weekend, Granberry ISD is hosting a uh basketball tournament and that includes over 20 teams that are going to join us. And I want to remind everyone that events like this, they bring families and visitors into our community. Um and they support our local businesses. So, we're excited to to bring them here to strengthen our community. Also, the Christmas season is upon us. You'll see all of our campuses and departments celebrating in different ways, including lots of wonderful student performances. And as a surprise to our board, I'm challenging each of you guys to wear at our next
006board meeting an ugly Christmas sweater to join me and my team at the December 15th meeting. Uh, and I'm just saying I'm pretty excited about it. Not everybody on my team is excited about it, but I think they're going to do it. So, it will be lots of fun on the Christmas season to do that. Okay. [laughter] And then for the um an announcement about the graduation for stars in the fall will be Thursday, December 18th at 7 o'clock at Granberry High School. We love to celebrate those students graduating at this time. And the last thing uh to announce is that parents, if you're listening or in the audience, we are requesting for the first time your feedback on our district calendar. So we usually ask our staff members u but we are now sending
007that out to parents as well. So there's an email survey coming out to you. I believe it came out today and it will include three options for calendar design. It's a quick turnaround. We ask that you participate by Friday if you'd like to do that and we will take all of that family input and then we'll take staff input and then by the I think it's December yeah our December board meeting. We'll bring back our district calendar to the board for discussion and approval. And that is it for the superintendent comments. Thank you. >> Thank you. Okay. Now we will go into our public comments and according to the new law we have to by law have parents go first. Uh we had one parent speaker sign up tonight and that is Sheree Leslin speaking
008on the decker gym new board. Congrats and teamwork. >> I don't have the ability to knock my daughter on the floor today. So excited about that. Uh I did not sign up for Golden Pirates. I apologize. Um, but I did like it on Facebook, but I've had lots of people ask me, "Why are you not 55?" I was like, "Because other people." So, >> you can sign up. >> I can't I'm I'm not 55. I mean, >> I know I aged gracefully, but I'm not quite 55 yet. Uh, and I already filled out the calendar survey. So, um, good evening. I'm here as a parent who supports public education and who loves GISD. I simply am someone who cares about this district and the county and the people in it. At my house, we do
009something called two goods and a bad. I started this as a foster parent. Oftentimes, those in foster care get stuck in the rut of perpetual negativity. We always point out two good things because our blessings always outweigh uh the things that we want to improve on, but we still need to address the things that need improvement because ignoring them never helps them go anywhere. So, here are my two goods. First, what United Way does for this community is real and visible. the they help fill the gaps for families who struggle. They partner with niche philanthropic organizations to support Christmas for children. They help run school supply drives for students. They support programs that gives kids a safe place to grow and learn. They help teach leadership skills through partnerships with Leadership Granberry. They stepped in
010where others cannot and they do it quietly and without seeking credit. They bridge gra they bridge gaps between several niche or niche organizations ensuring basic human needs and decency is met for our hood county residents. They also took on the cost of improving a building with known maintenance issues. They choose they chose to invest in even though the district could not use the building in its current state. They stepped up and served Hood County. That is the kind of partner any district would want. Good in Hood. Second, I want to congratulate Calvin, Barbara, and Stuart on being sworn in. They completed their first required trainings, and that shows commitment. It shows respect for the role, and it shows teamwork. It shows a willingness to do work before making decisions that affect thousands of kids and
011families. That's leadership. Now, for the bad. Because I care about teamwork and because trainings are required by the state, these trainings are not optional. They ensure understanding policy, finance, government, and ethics. They ensure that we stay aligned with the state board of education and that expects every district leader in Texas. And they are there are multiple training providers if TASBY is not preferred. A few months ago, Mr. Bolton was addressed at a schoolboard meeting. He had not completed his trainings. The community has cried out for transparency, accountability, and accountability. This is a perfect example of a simple competency and consistent way to avoid being used as an example. So my questions are simple and asked with respect. Mr. Bolton, do you still have outstanding trainings to complete? >> Yes. >> When will those be completed?
012>> When you >> How long have you had to complete them? >> The year. Would you find it acceptable for staff to not have their trainings completed by a deadline and multiple notifications? >> I'm not doing this. >> To the tenure board members, how many hours estimated does it take? So, any of the tenure board members for the trainings that are still outstanding for him >> For the first year, >> I think it's I don't know the the number off of the top of my head. And certain trainings have different deadlines. Like there's certain ones that have to be done within the first 30 days. Certain ones have to be done within the first three months and certain ones have to be done within the first year. And out of those trainings you have ongoing
013training that you have to get every other year. Um like uh child abuse, sex trafficking, um cyber security, things like that. Uh usually when we go to our SLI event in the summer, we have opportunity then to get all the training we need for that year and whatever extra we may need to catch up on. Um but that is >> is that a TASBY event? >> That is a TASBY event. Yes. Um but that's the big one that we usually go to. Um that that's one of the big ones that the school district does pay for to make training uh easily accessible for all board members. A lot of the training is available online through different um suppliers and providers I should say. So that um opportunities there. Um but there's no there's no law.
014there's there's nothing to enforce as far as forcing a board member to get that training. Those trainings are set forth by our state board of education. Uh so it comes directly from our SVOE members and they're the ones that develop our training plan and our requirements. So I guess my question is if you had to estimate how many hours would it take for that first 20 I think it's 20 >> 20 hours for the first year >> with different deadlines but within that first year. >> Yes. >> Okay. >> And and you can also take extra training like not limited to just the 20. If there's other training that you think might benefit you in your role as a trustee those opportunities are available as well. um they don't always cost money but whatever required
015training that there is the district does provide that for the trustees. Okay. >> The board sets the tone for the district. You can shape expectations for administrators, teachers and students. If we ask them to be prepared then we should model the same stewardship matters. Leadership matters. Showing up prepared matters. I ask this from a place of care and not criticism. When all seven board members are aligned, trained and ready. GISD is stronger. Our students benefit. Our staff feel supported. And our community trusts. Our community trusts the process. Two goods and a bad. Celebrate what works. Address what needs attention. And then keep moving on. I will depart with this verse, which I often need to remind myself and hope that it resonates with the audience in the community. James 1:19 and 20 states, "My dear
016brothers and sisters, take note of this. Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry. The passage continues by explaining human anger does not produce righteousness that God desires. >> Thank you. Do any other board members like to speak to that? Okay. Thank you, Miss Wesling. Uh next up, we have Charlotte Kirkindall speaking on the Decker Gym and building usage by United Way. Okay. Can y'all hear me? >> Yes. >> Okay. So, I am 55, so I have to have the big tablet, not the phone luxury. Sorry. >> Not yet. >> But I am so excited to get all the discounts. Okay. Good evening, board members. My name is Charlotte Kirkindall and I am a taxpayer of GISD. Although I have never had the privilege of my children in this
017district, I do volunteer regularly with GISD students and with several community organizations. I'm here tonight to express a sincere and heartfelt thank you for giving United Way of Hood County the privilege of utilizing the Deca Gym facility. In the past, the city used only a portion of the building for office space, but United Way has taken the opportunity much further, transforming it into a vibrant community asset. Since United Way began its vision of turning Decker Gym into a shared space for nonprofits and partnering agencies, countless positive things have taken place. Their idea to create a central hub for local nonprofits has been nothing short of visionary. I cannot speak for every agency, but I can tell you what it has meant for mine. I serve as the president of Hood County Children's Charity Fund, which
018provides emergency assistance to children and families in crisis. Having access to this building has allowed us to stretch our donor dollars further than ever before. For example, we now have space to maintain a large clothing closet so that we can purchase items when they're on sale rather than higher prices during an urgent crisis for a family, ultimately allowing us to help more families in need. Additionally, when Operation School Supplies disbanded, many students were at risk of losing access to essential school items. Because we had this space, a place to sort, share, store, organize, and distribute supplies, our organization was able to step up and ensure students continue to receive the support that they needed. I also work with Leadership Granberry and and control the Junior Leadership Granberry program. These students not only learn leadership skills
019and develop pride in their hometown, but they have now had hands-on opportunities to contribute to the community through the work being done in the building. Many dedicated hours and hours of cleaning, organizing, and helping prepare the space. They've learned about local nonprofits, stewardship, and service, lessons that stay with them for life. Some of our former students have recently reached out and told us that that they've taken these values with them to college, starting service projects in their new communities. People may say it's a school building. Nonprofits shouldn't use it, but the truth is GISD students are benefiting directly and meaningfully from what United Way and its partner agencies have built there. This is education beyond the classroom. Many other organizations also use this facility for the good of Hood County. Churches, nonprofits, community groups meet
020there monthly to collaborate and coordinate together for uh services needed in the the town. Groups such as Hood County Christmas for children, Advance Camp, the Boy Scouts of America, Junior Leadership Granberry, and Anxiety Solutions of America among many, many others hold meetings, meet with clients, and carry out essential work in this building. None of this would be possible without the foresight of the school board and the commitment of United Way of Hood County. Your decision has created a ripple effect of good that reaches families, students, and agencies across the community. Not every town has the privilege of a strong nonprofit network, nor a space where these organizations can come together to better the lives of residents. [clears throat] Together, we truly can do good in the hood. Thank you. >> Thank you. Would [applause] any
021board members like to say anything or speak to that? >> Thank you so much. >> Next speaker is Brett Diesson speaking on Decker Gym. >> Good evening, board members. Uh, thanks for letting me speak. I'm I'm not quite as prepared as they were. I just thought I would show up and uh in support and and say thank you for for your decision to allow United Way to do what they're doing with Decker Jim. U couple of months ago, yeah, well, let me back up. I've been attending board meetings for I don't know, four or five years. I've been to quite a few of them and I've heard a lot of conspiracy theories, but two months ago or three months ago when the conspiracy theory was raised about Decker Jim, uh part of me wanted to
022laugh out loud, but then part of me realized they were attacking one of the the sweetest ladies in this community that does more for this community uh than anybody knows. And she doesn't want accolades. She doesn't do it. And it was wrong. >> Amen. >> This kind of stuff has got to stop. And it is just uh what I see go on in that in that building is nothing but helping families and kids in this community. And I will tell you right now, there's nothing political about a kid who doesn't have a meal or a kid who has an abscess tooth that needs help or or or a family that it's 25° outside and their electric bills being cut off because these organizations that are working in this building, that's the needs that they meet
023as well. and the fact that that there is a small group in this community that wants to attack what is going on and is good for a building that's been sitting vacant for as long as I can remember. I've been here 20 years and I don't recall until now that this building has been active. So, I want to say thank you. I want to say thank you for Crystal uh and all the organizations that come together uh to help kids in this community. So, thank you. >> Thank you. [applause] And then uh last speaker of the night, our out of district speaker, Crystal Moore on the Decker Gym. >> Well, I'm in district. I just couldn't fit on the list up there. >> In district, not yet, [clears throat] I guess. >> Hi. Um I'm
024Crystal with uh United Way. And really, first of all, these guys are great. I just um there have been a lot of things online that are absolute lies that are going on about what's happening in Decker Gym and um I don't expect you guys to be able to know everything that's going on there. So, I wanted to give you a chance to ask me um about anything that you might have questions on about what's going on at Decker Gym. Um, you know, a a lot of people think that it is political that that United Way is coming in and doing things that that Hood County wouldn't want. And um that's what's special and unique about United Way is that we get to um focus our services and what our individual chapter does based on what
025our community [clears throat] needs are and what our community wants. Um and so really when you look at Decker Gym, it's not so much what United Way is doing there. United Way is hosting the building. We're making sure that things are there and working. It's all of our nonprofits coming together in that one building and providing services and doing the things for our community. It's nonprofits that have we've been here 35 years, but it's nonprofits that have been here longer than we have that this community has supported for many, many, many years that are still doing the same services only being able to expand them because they now have the [clears throat] funds because they're not paying for rent and and other things like that. So, um, I just want to give you guys an
026opportunity if you wanted to ask questions about what's going on in Decker Gym. I just want to clear up any any questions. I just want a clarification on something you just said. Um, when you occupy that building, Decker Gym, you allow other nonprofits in the area to have space and occupy space in there to do their good work. And that allows them to free up money because they no longer have to pay rent for their own separate building and they're able to put more of those locally donated dollars back into the local community because of that partnership with United Way. >> Correct. >> Thank you. >> Yeah. >> Anybody else want to say anything? >> I'd like to ask, >> would you name some of those organizations that you partner with? >> Oh, yeah. Um,
027do you want ones that are there permanently or just ones that we work with that use the space? the ones that are there permanently. >> Permanently is Christmas for Children. Um Hood County Children's Charity. Uh we have the I mean we have those are the ones that are there like moved in. They have their own space. Um we have storage and stuff for other people, but they're not officing out of there. We do house um the Cub Scouts. They meet once a week. We have 4 meets there on Mondays. GAA comes in. There are basketball teams that are coming in. Um I mean we have all the nonprofits use it to meet. We have different we have new nonprofits that are coming in um that are doing new work that are meeting and kind of
028putting all of their documents together. Um I'm trying to think there's so many. It's we have I mean we have Leadership Granberry meets there. Um the juniors are there all the time. Um it's kind of become their hangout, you know, after school. They come over a lot um and do different volunteer projects and anxiety solutions, they do their board meetings there. Um a lot of board meetings happen and a lot of the different meetings with clients and stuff happen there. Well, I from what I have seen, it's not necessarily United Way in itself that the controversy has been over. It's more of the facility itself. So, um, [clears throat] from my standpoint, and I think probably from everyone else on this board that I know of, uh, I think we more than appreciate everything that
029the United Way does. Uh I know there are attacks on Facebook um but I think a lot of it stems from the facility itself and not from the organization. So u I think you're doing a great job and hopefully a lot of this u false information will will u be cleared up because we know most of us know and I think most of the community knows what great work you do and I personally say thank you. Well, thank you. Can I tell you just one thing about the building? Um, if it's about the facility, I mean, we are we do pay rent, but we are putting money into the building. We're getting donations. I mean, the roof over decker gym has been completely renewed. We've fixed the gym floor. We have painted the gym. I
030mean, we are adding to the facility that otherwise was I mean, there was literally a waterfall in Decker gym when we moved in. So just just know that that we are improving the building as we go. >> So Crystal, I don't have a question as much as a comment to Miss Kirkind Doll as well. Um I have a senior in the high school and she's in Junior Leadership Granberry and this is a kid I can't get to clean a room to save her life, right? But she was excited about going to Decker Gym with Leadership Granberry and cleaning the floors and painting the walls. And then she got most excited about the haunted house thing. And she would come home dressed up in this makeup that's all scary like some kind of demon monster, but
031she loved doing the haunted house thing. Right. I think that's just an example of the partnership that United Way has with junior leadership, with leadership Ranberry. And um for the community, I want you to know that um I wanted to know more about what was going on at Dicker Gym. I heard about it. I met with Crystal. She gave me a tour of the building. What I saw was a dilapidated building where the roof had caved in and she had part of it fenced off with a chainlink fence and there were like birds flying in and out of the ceiling. Okay. There was asbestos hanging from some of the ceiling tiles and that was in the part that you can't access but because of that fence. But the work that was being done in the
032rest of the building and there were actually people from other charities on site that day that were um I saw the storage closet for for the coats and the clothing for the kiddos and she took me in the gym. The changes that are being made out there are meaningful. They're meaningful to the community. Thank you for what you're doing and thank you for what you're doing for the kids and um it these are changes that are not going to get made without these kind of partnerships, these strategic partnerships. So, thank you for that. >> Thank you. >> You forgot to say that you also house all the property for advanced camp. >> Oh, yes. >> They would have no place else to be. So, again, I thank you. If someone was interested in seeing what's
033going on at United Way and in Decra Jim, what should they do? >> Give us a call or show up. We'll give you a tour. I mean, we are completely transparent. We want anyone to come in and ask us questions and take a look and see what we're doing. Um, you can call our office, you can send us an email, or you can just show up and we'll give you a tour. >> Thank you. [clears throat] >> Thank you. Thank you, Crystal. And I can attest to the fact that there was more than just birds in that building. [laughter] >> Yeah, we had a few raccoons. They were huge. >> I don't know how to turn this off. I'm sorry. It's okay. >> Thank you. And thank you for everyone that came to speak tonight
034and the other people that are with us tonight just to be here whether you spoke or not. We're grateful for your participation and your interest in our district and love and the care for our community. And it is now 6:28. With no further comments or business, this meeting is adjourned.