GISD approves 2024-25 Comprehensive Plan, discusses CTE building plans

The Gonzales ISD School Board met for their regularly scheduled meeting Monday, July 8 at the GISD Administration building.

One of the big items that was discussed was the 2024-25 Comprehensive Plan for GISD employees.

Keith McLemore of the Texas Association of School Boards (TASB) spoke to the board about the pay study review that they conducted for the district.

The board approved unanimously option two, which is a two-percent increase across the board with an adjustment for the district’s hourly employees.

“That has been a topic of discussion at every board meeting to make sure those employees are adjusted to where their experience is being paid,” GISD Dr. Elmer Avellaneda said.

Avellaneda added he has heard from the current employees asking him why the new employees are getting paid more versus employees that have been working for the district for many years.
“We talk about taking care of Gonzales, our staff and our students and our employees, and today would be a great showing in that,” Avellaneda said.

Avellaneda added this is positive step forward in competing with other school districts.
In other business, the board discussed about the new CTE building for the high school and Michael Martinez and Christopher Moore presented the schematic design.

The CTE design that was presented at the Monday meeting shows a building which measured at 30,057 square feet; 4,000 more than than originally designed.

Several school board members brought up concerns of the design being over budget as originally planned and the possibly of removing programs from the building.

The cosmetology and the auto tech programs were mentioned; if the board approved to keep it closer to the original square footage, there is the option to consider the removal of the cosmetology program from the new building.

If the board goes with full 30,057 square feet model, then the district cannot afford the auto tech addition within the bond budget; $2 million from the operational funds will need to be committed if the board chooses this option.

School board member Gloria Torres said she has strong feeling to have both programs at the new CTE building.

“When we talked about the CTE building, we had cosmetology and we have auto tech. So how did we get to the point where we're saying, either or both or we're going to be over budget if we go with both? That is confusing me,” School board member Josie Smith-Wright said.

Casey Sledge of Sledge Industry answered Smith-Wright’s question and said this is the phase on of the CTE building and what is going into the new building.

“I still think one day you would build more CTE than even this building eventually. Right? And so the real question is just what all we wanted in this phase as opposed to a future phase, because we'd love it all.,” Sledge said.

The board approved to table the item to have further discussion.

The board approved the following agenda items:

--approved on the Fuel, Lubricant, & Oil Contract.

--approved and signed the Gonzales ISD TEKS Certification Form.

--approved the Gonzales ISD Science Proclamation 2024-2025.