Long range planning for Granbury ISD

FROM MY FRONT PORCH

Sam Houston is the publisher of the Hood County News. He is also an actor, author, playwright, performer and entertainment producer/promoter.

Recently I was contacted by Dr. Jeremy Glenn, the superintendent Of Granbury ISD. He asked me if I would be willing to serve on a long-range planning committee he was forming to study the current issues, needs and wants of the GISD moving into the future. Dr. Glenn explained he was asking individuals from the community to come together to learn and better understand the current conditions at GISD so we could help formulate well-conceived goals as GISD moves forward. I glanced at my calendar and in my mind, I could hear my wife’s voice saying, “Not another project,” but I decided if Dr. Glenn thought I might be of some sort of help, it was important for me to do my part.

On the night of the first meeting, I was a little surprised to find out the meeting was not with just four or five people. Dr. Glenn had managed to secure the participation of a large group of people. The committee is comprised of citizens from various backgrounds, political viewpoints, ages, and from different geographical locations within the school district.

People had all come together for one purpose: to understand and to help. I was very impressed with the way Dr. Glenn and his staff had the meeting planned and presented, and the information they provided. The hard statistics about growth, enrollment and facilities were laid out, and those who had questions had those questions answered.

Even more satisfying was the attitude and the earnestness with which the attendees went about their work. It was obvious to me, and I believe to any observer, the folks who had agreed wo help were dedicated to listening and learning, and to offering suggestions based upon their personal experiences on issues like school drop-off traffic, and traffic flow in the hallways at the high school.

There were discussions about projected growth and an examination of which schools had already experienced significant growth and were reaching capacity. It was heartwarming and made me proud to witness so many citizens taking an active part in understanding some of the issues at GISD — and who were willing to dedicate the time to help offer solutions.

There are several more planning meetings scheduled over the upcoming weeks. It is my intent to report to you on the information I am being exposed to and lay out some of the major issues GISD will be facing over the next few years. We have wonderful leadership at GISD and a staff truly dedicated to making our young residents maximize their possibilities. We citizens need to support hard-working teachers and the students they serve by looking into the future and planning for the growth and change, which are inevitable. Better functioning schools means a better Granbury and better future citizens. How fun is it to be part of the planning for the future?

Thought for the day: I told my granddaughter I was the biggest kid in my third-grade class, which is understandable since I was 17!

Until next time...

sam@hcnews.com | 817-573-7066, ext. 260