Blooming Grove Independent School District

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Updates From The February 27th School Board Meeting

Recognitions and Celebrations

We began the meeting by celebrating our outstanding FCCLA students who qualified for the State FCCLA competition. Blooming Grove High School FCCLA continues to be one of the top-performing programs in the state. Congratulations to these amazing students and Mrs. Price for leading this exceptional program!

Superintendent’s Report

  • Building Efficiency Presentation – Vince Zubicek from E3 presented to the board on building efficiency and long-term planning for our facilities. Suggestions and recommendations were made to help our district operate more efficiently and plan for the future.

Enrollment & Attendance

  • 2024-2025 Enrollment: 934 students
  • District Attendance Rate: 94.62%
    • Elementary: 94.95%
    • Junior High: 94.60%
    • High School: 94.13%

Safety & Security Updates

  • Airphones installed in the Agriculture Building, New Gym, and Band Hall.
  • Elementary School Intruder Audit was successfully completed with no findings. We have completed all three campuses with zero findings. 

Community Involvement & Leadership

  • State Capitol Visit – Region 12 Superintendents- Advocated for increased teacher pay, special education funding, CTE facilities in rural schools, Pre-K support, school safety enhancements, and overall funding model improvements.
  • Public Education Priorities Town Hall – Discussed the 89th Legislative Session in Palestine.
  • District Tours – Scheduled every Thursday:
    • February 6 – Athletics
    • February 27 – Junior High & Fine Arts
    • March 6 – Elementary
  • Bond Planning Committee Updates:
    • First meeting held on February 20
    • Website & Fact Sheet created
    • Upcoming Timeline:
      • March – Organize, plan, fundraise, and spread awareness
      • April – Major campaign push
      • April 21-29 – Early voting
      • May 3 – Election Day
    • Bond Website now live with FAQs, project details, tax impact, and sample ballots.

Curriculum & Instruction

  • Awarded the LASO Planning Grant ($120,000)
  • MAP Testing Results – Connected to Board Goals
  • Instructional Calendar Survey – Led to the selection of Calendar C, a consistent four-day hybrid schedule for 2025-2026. To meet the required instructional minutes, adjustments will be made to the school day.

Board Actions

  • Approved the purchase of a new 72-seat Thomas bus for the 2025-2026 school year. We are grateful to have a forward-thinking School Board that budgets annually for fleet upgrades, ensuring a modern and efficient transportation system.
  • Approved application for attendance and missed school day waivers for days impacted by illness-related closures.
  • Approved updates to the compensation plan to ensure clarity in employee pay structures.
  • Approved the purchase of CTE equipment for our Nursing Pathway, funded through the JET Grant ($300,000).
  • Approved the 2025-2026 Instructional Calendar – Selected Calendar C based on overwhelming staff and community support.

New Leadership Announcements

  • Approved the hiring of Junior High Principal – Shane Holcomb

    • With 25 years of experience in education, including leadership roles as a Principal, Assistant Principal, Teacher, and Coach, Shane brings a deep understanding of our community and a passion for student success. His leadership will foster strong relationships, positive campus culture, and accountability at the Junior High level.

  • Approved the hiring of Executive Director of Extracurricular Activities & Operations – Billy Harlan

    • With over 30 years of experience, including roles as Assistant Superintendent, Executive Director of Athletics & HR, Principal, Coach, and Teacher, Billy brings a wealth of knowledge. His leadership will enhance athletics, fine arts, and junior high programs while also improving district facilities. His experience overseeing an $80 million bond project at Academy ISD will be invaluable as we work to improve our facilities infrastructure.

We are excited about the progress happening across BGISD and look forward to continuing our mission of providing the best education and opportunities for our students! Thank you for your continued support and dedication to our district. 

BGISD would like to remind all staff and community members that our next board meeting will be held on March 27th at 6:30 PM in the High School Library. We encourage you to attend and see the great things happening in this amazing district.  

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