BRENHAM, BURTON ISD STUDENTS HEAD BACK TO SCHOOL

  

Thousands of students in Washington County mark the beginning of a new school year today (Wednesday).

Brenham and Burton ISD campuses are welcoming students back after the summer break, and leaders for the two districts are ready to get rolling.

Brenham ISD Superintendent Clay Gillentine says optimism is high heading into the new year.  He says the district has worked over the past few years to build and establish systems for academics, position control and finance management, and he feels it has “all the right people on the bus” to take a big leap this year.

Gillentine says bond work is underway, and while some larger projects will have to wait until breaks in the school year, the district is at a point where jobs can be checked off the list.  He thanks the community for contributing to staff pay raises through the Voter Approval Tax Rate Election, saying those, along with the board-authorized raises and additional opportunities through the Teacher Incentive Allotment program, provide meaningful pay improvements for employees.

In Burton ISD, Superintendent Vikki Curry says construction has made major strides, with a few more items left in the high school gym like putting in bleachers and staining the floors, along with some work in the dressing room and weight room areas.  Construction has started on the junior high building, and Curry expects that will be complete no later than the end of the school year.  She says the district is grateful for the work done by Weaver and Jacobs Constructors and the flexibility and patience from the school community, adding that as more facilities come online, she is thrilled that students and staff can have their own modern, dedicated spaces.

Curry notes that the district’s carline route is seeing a major shift for arrivals and dismissals, utilizing the full school campus area for the purpose of keeping vehicles off of primary roadways. 

Speaking on their messaging for the new school year, Gillentine says he loves the culture and energy he is seeing across the district, and he is encouraging the district’s team to “go greater.” 

Curry offered similar thoughts, saying her focus is to expand upon the district’s successes and create the best educational environment possible.

Initial student enrollment projections come in at 4,675 for Brenham ISD and 668 for Burton ISD, though numbers are expected to fluctuate over the first few weeks of school.