2025 RECAP: BRENHAM ISD SUPT. CLAY GILLENTINE

  

As 2025 winds down, KWHI is visiting with local officials to recap the past year’s events and look ahead to 2026.

Our series begins with Brenham ISD Superintendent Clay Gillentine, who used words like “tenacious”, “dynamic”, “gritty” and “appreciative” to describe the school district’s year.

Gillentine said much was accomplished this year, and there is a lot to reflect on and celebrate. 

Gillentine said the student body enjoyed a very successful year in academics and extracurricular activities.  He noted that participation in those extracurriculars is up across the district, and he said having students be “plugged in” not only contributes to school attendance and academics, but also school spirit. 

No events were bigger for Brenham ISD than the passage of the Voter Approval Tax Rate Election (VATRE) and the bond measure for facility upgrades, with the former allowing the district to support teacher and staff pay raises and present $500 holiday bonus checks to all employees. 

Challenges came in the spring with major storm damage to several campuses, but Gillentine believes those issues worked as a positive.  He said the work to get the impacted campuses ready for the start of the new school year directly illustrated the need for the improvements that will come through the passage of the bond. 

Heading into 2026, the bond will be a point of emphasis, as the district will soon obtain bond proceeds and choose an architect to lead the project.  Gillentine said the district is fully aware of the expectations of transparency, timeliness and fiscal responsibility, and it wants to show its gratitude for and worthiness of the community’s vote of confidence. 

Gillentine said next year will be one focused on continuing the initiatives that Brenham ISD has put into place.  With as much change the district has seen and will continue to see in the months ahead, he is thankful the district and its employees have been able to maintain a positive, forward-thinking attitude.

Gillentine has been serving as Brenham ISD’s superintendent since March 2024, after joining the school district as an assistant superintendent in 2021.