GILLENTINE: PAY RAISES FOR BRENHAM ISD EMPLOYEES ‘TOP FINANCIAL PRIORITY’
Brenham ISD is looking at ways to provide pay raises to employees, but district officials say it will take time – and some help from the state.
During the Brenham School Board’s discussion today (Friday) on the district’s 2023-24 financial audit, Board Secretary Kelvin Raven asked if any plans were in the works to give employees a bump in pay, saying, “It’s been two years, and we need to make that happen.”
Superintendent Clay Gillentine said doing so is his “top financial priority”, but it has been difficult to make progress on that end given the district’s previous two deficit budgets that ate into available fund balance. He committed to working toward making those raises possible in the future, adding that having a balanced budget this year certainly helps, but ultimately said, “We’ve got to have it before we can give it.”
Board President Natalie Lange implored the Texas Legislature to provide school districts with additional funding and asked constituents to contact their representatives for support.
The audit report, presented by Paula Lowe of Patillo, Brown & Hill LLP, was overall a positive one, as it was a clean, unmodified opinion with no findings. Brenham ISD Chief Financial Officer Darrell St. Clair said the district finished up about $800,000 better than the original budgeted deficit from last year.
In other business today, the board heard an update on the district’s instructional calendar for the 2025-26 school year. Chief Academic Officer Sara Borchgardt said staff have voted on two calendar options developed after a survey conducted by the district’s educational improvement committee.
Next will be a meeting on February 3rd by the district of innovation committee to explore ways to approach teacher professional learning days in the calendar. The final calendar recommendations will be presented to the board at its next regular meeting on February 17th.
Trustees then approved an order calling a board election for May 3rd. Three seats are up for election, those being Position 5, held by Tommie Sullivan; Position 6, held by Natalie Lange; and Position 7, held by Jared Krenek.
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I would like to hear a report on the superintendent’s contract negotiations that happened on Wednesday. He says teacher pay raises are a priority…did he make that happen first or was his own salary increase the real priority?
They did not meet on Wednesday but of course you didn’t read anything just wanted to jump to your own conclusions. Read, learn, and listen to the meeting. Maybe then someone can take the comments seriously.
What is the bloated admin response to this? It was a weather event that the made the BISD hierarchy move their meeting twice, but was not widely presented.
Trim some of the FAT in the Higher ranks and you can give the ones that deserve a raise a raise! The calendar options voted on were very similar from what I am hearing from some teachers (maybe one day with or w/o students after a holiday.
How about getting rid of made up positions at central office with six figure salaries. May not completely fix the situation but will deffinetly help
What are the “made up positions” at central office by name? What are they responsible for in the district? Have you met with anyone to address any of your concerns about said positions? If you have great, I can respect your position. Learning and meeting takes more effort than posting.
Go take a look at Brenham ISD central office staff directory! By the looks of it you would think it was an actual school campus by the amount of positions they have! With most of them making at least $80,000 annually. A few positions for example, Director of Operations and Compliance, and Special Serivces Coordinator when there is already a director of it! DO SOME RESEARCH!! Absorb most of these and do pay raises for the hardworking teachers and principals!!
What Concerned citizen could be referring to may be the CO positions created for spouses of other CO or athletic positions. This in itself is nothing new to Texas education—happens all the time in smaller districts where recruiting staff and administration is hard on limited budgets. To your second point: there is a belief in general, and not just limited to Brenham but everywhere, that stakeholders’ concerns will not be listened to, no matter what. When state associations and education consulting firms have the sway that they do over schools, it doesn’t matter what parents and taxpayers think. Teachers won’t say anything either, for fear of retribution.
“Superintendent Clay Gillentine said doing so is his “top financial priority”, but it has been difficult to make progress on that end given the district’s previous two deficit budgets that ate into available fund balance. He committed to working toward making those raises possible in the future, adding that having a balanced budget this year certainly helps, but ultimately said, “We’ve got to have it before we can give it.”
I would like to suggest the BISD consider reducing central office staff with their inflated salaries, get rid of some of the specialist that see almost no students, and focus on eliminating other fat in the system, then maybe then maybe you can do something for the teachers?
AGREE!!