Grapeland School Board Meets After Recent Election 

By Greg Ritchie

Messenger Reporter

GRAPELAND –  The Grapeland Independent School District (GISD) school board held a meeting Monday, May 8, after the elections the Saturday before, and before the vote was set to be canvassed and made official Friday, May 12. 

No major decisions were taken and some items were left for the new board members to handle since this would be the last meeting of the current board. 

Texas Association of School Board (TASB) HR and Compensation Consultant Keith McLemore made a detailed presentation to the board of the salary structure of the district and how it compared to other districts of its size and in the area. 

McLemore told the board GISD’s pay structure was, for the most part, competitive, especially with teachers who had been in the district for a long time, but noted the district could benefit from more experienced teachers. He recommended TASB’s more market-based approach which might help the district slowly but surely get its salaries more even and organized into levels with clear mobility for district employees. 

GISD Superintendent Dr. David Maass addressed the board and explained some of the projects he has been working on, including key-card entry to the Junior and Senior High campuses. The elementary, built more recently, was built with this system already integrated. 

Maass noted the art show and elementary choir concert both taking place Monday, May 15. 

Maass also address the new playing field the district hopes to complete sometime this summer, telling the board they had tweaked the design of the field and infield, until finally agreeing on a maroon base with gray-white letters which should be easier to see for fans and players alike. 

Some of the recently-elected board members were in attendance along with Grapeland Mayor Mitchell Woody. The board agreed the next stated GISD board meeting will be held Monday, June 12. 

Greg Ritchie can be reached at [email protected]