NATALIE LANGE, TOMMIE SULLIVAN HONORED FOR YEARS OF SERVICE ON BRENHAM SCHOOL BOARD

  

As the two longest-serving members of the Brenham School Board prepare to depart next month, their fellow trustees took time at their meeting on Monday to honor them for their years of service.

Board President Natalie Lange and Trustee Tommie Sullivan, who both joined the board in 2013, will be stepping down after opting not to run for another term in the election this May.  In their final regular meeting before the election next week, Lange and Sullivan were presented thank-you baskets, while other members reflected on their time together on the board and thanked the two for their contributions to Brenham ISD. 

An emotional Lange and Sullivan expressed their gratitude for the opportunity to give back to the community through their service as trustees, and for the teamwork of all board members in working together to improve the school district however possible.

Lange said she is confident that the board, moving forward with its new leaders, will continue to advocate for the best interests of Brenham ISD.

Sullivan recalled the values of kindness and work ethic that he learned from his family, saying those qualities guided how he carried himself and how he taught students, and that people everywhere should strive to follow those standards. 

Superintendent Clay Gillentine said the two have “shown what it really means to serve a community” and thanked them for keeping students at the center of every decision they have made.

Following the departure of Lange and Sullivan, Board Secretary Kelvin Raven will have the most years of service on the board after being elected in 2015. 

Also on Monday, trustees accepted a donation from Chris and Laurie Chilelli to support science education at Brenham Middle School.  The $4,000 donation will allow two middle school science teachers to attend a leading state science conference and purchase relevant classroom materials. 

In a legislative update, trustees talked about the standing of bills that are moving through the House and Senate pertaining to school funding, education savings accounts and employee pay raises.  They also briefly discussed planning out Brenham ISD’s 2025-26 budget, with Chief Financial Officer Darrell St. Clair saying the district is currently working on requesting information from campus principals and is waiting to hear more on what type of funding districts will receive through the legislature.  A budget workshop is planned in June.

Transportation Director Brian Gibson gave an update to the board about the district’s transportation department.  Gibson said last year alone, even with the payment for its lease-to-own bus fleet, the shift from a contracted company to in-house operations saved the district nearly $700,000.  Gibson added that transportation employees are making more now than under the previous company, and that savings should climb once the buses are fully paid for.

The board also approved a budget amendment for the replacement of a chiller at the junior high campus.  The project was originally approved by the board in February 2024, but due to supply chain delays, it could not be completed and paid for until this fiscal year.  The project is using roughly $124,000 in Tom Green County school funds.