Friday, May 1, 2026
Dear GCISD community,
As I reflect on my time serving as your school board president, I believe it’s important to share a clear, honest account of where we’ve been, what we’ve accomplished, and where we are headed as a district.
In my first year on the board, we operated under a 2-5 minority along with Casey Ford. That year the board approved a $7 million deficit budget. We voted against it. Not because we didn’t support our teachers or our students but because we believed then, as we do now, that financial responsibility matters. That same year, the district did approve a teacher pay increase, something Casey and I strongly advocated for. Even then, we were pushing for both fiscal discipline and better compensation for those in our classrooms.
At the time, our district was ranked number nine in Texas. That was celebrated as a success—and it was—but I believed we could do more. I believed we should expect more.
The following year, the board shifted to a 4–3 majority, and with that came a change in direction. We began implementing policies that not only shaped our district but drew attention across Texas and the nation. We took steps to ensure student privacy and safety in locker rooms and bathrooms. We removed materials from libraries that did not meet legal standards. We provided parents the authority to have a say in what access their children had as well as giving them on-line visibility to curriculum. We reviewed curriculum content and eliminated elements that, in our view, distracted from core academic learning.
In my third year, we continued that momentum. We passed another historic teacher pay increase because investing in our educators remains a priority. At the same time, we adopted a balanced budget approach. Simply put, we stopped relying on deficit spending. We made the commitment to live within our means, just as families and businesses must do. We also implemented an accountability system that had been absent for decades.
Over the past five years, we have also lowered the tax burden on our community—something many felt had gone unaddressed for far too long. In response to that fiscal responsibility, voters approved a VATRE that brought $6 million directly back into our district—funds that stay here to support our students and staff.
And the results? They speak for themselves.
For three consecutive years, our district has been ranked among the top in Texas; ranking number four. We are now recognized as the number one place to work, despite what some of the loudest voices might suggest. When priorities shift, when systems change, there will always be resistance. But leadership requires staying focused on outcomes, not noise.
Academically, we are seeing historic success. We’ve achieved three consecutive years of strong AP performance, our best since we began tracking these scores. Our English and Spanish learner populations have seen an 86% improvement rate, an achievement unlike anything in our district’s history.
We have also begun thinking differently about revenue. From selling naming rights to offering advertising opportunities and even creating a way for taxpayers to voluntarily reinvest their savings back into our classrooms, we are exploring creative solutions. A dedicated committee is now focused on expanding these efforts.
This year marks an important milestone: our first balanced budget in seven years. I’ve served five of those years, which makes one thing clear; the financial challenges we faced did not begin recently. But together, we are addressing them.
Looking ahead, we are not finished. Without action, projections show a $4 million shortfall next year. Difficult decisions, like the consolidation of two schools, are part of ensuring long-term stability. We still have work to do; identifying additional savings, continuing to improve compensation, and maintaining the academic excellence our community expects.
We are on the right track. Progress is real. But progress requires persistence.
Please make it out to the polls tomorrow on Election Day, Saturday, May 2nd. Cast your vote for Mary, A.J., and Dianna.
Shannon Braun, GCISD School Board President
