TSPR Grape Creek Independent School District

Chapter 1
ORGANIZATION AND MANAGEMENT

This chapter examines the organization and management of the Grape Creek Independent School District (GCISD) in four parts:

A. Board Governance

B. District and School Management

C. Personnel Management

D. Community Involvement

The effectiveness of a district's organization and management may be evaluated against several critical success factors: a vision that is clearly communicated to staff and community members through a planning document; an efficient and logical organizational structure supporting site-based decision-making; a harmonious planning, budgeting and improvement process that ensures resources are used efficiently and support district goals; a thorough and objective performance evaluation system; sound and consistently applied policies that comply with applicable laws; and board actions that demonstrate an understanding of members' roles as planners, policy-makers and performance monitors.
BACKGROUND
GCISD is located in Tom Green County approximately 12 miles northwest of the city of San Angelo. The district was formed in 1875, and in 1948 the district consolidated with Pulliam School to form Grape Creek-Pulliam ISD, serving kindergarten through eighth grade students. In 1994, the district was the largest kindergarten through eighth grade district in Texas, with a total enrollment of 700 students. That year, the district had 249 high school students attending San Angelo ISD's Lakeview High School and another 43 attending Water Valley High School. In 1996, Pulliam was dropped from the district's name and the district once again was called GCISD. The district added its high school in 1996-97 and graduated its first senior class in May 2000. In addition to adding a new high school, GCISD added a pre-kindergarten program in 1998-99.
In 2000-01, the district split the elementary school into two schools using one physical location. The primary elementary school includes pre-kindergarten through grade 3, and the intermediate elementary school includes grades 4 and 5. The middle school is located on the same campus as the elementary schools and includes grades 6 through 8. The high school, serving grades 9 through 12, is located on a campus separate from the elementary and middle schools. The district administrative offices are located nearby.
Enrollment for the district in 2000-01 was 1,151. Since 1996-97, when the district had 884 students, the district has increased its enrollment by 30 percent. The Texas Education Agency's (TEA) Regional Education Service Center XV (Region 15) in San Angelo serves the district.
For this review, GCISD selected four peer districts. Those districts are the Celina, Hutto, Shallowater and Troy ISDs. Exhibit 1-1 shows a demographic presentation of GCISD and its peers. GCISD has a significantly larger percentage of economically disadvantaged students as compared to its peers. The district is not in an incorporated area, and does not have any major employers or economic development in its taxing area.
Exhibit 1-1
Student Enrollment for GCISD and Peers
2000-01

District Enrollment Anglo Hispanic African
American Asian/
Pacific Islander Native
American Economically
Disadvantaged

Celina 1,147 79.4% 14.1% 5.3% 0.2% 1.0% 23.1%

Hutto 1,232 75.1% 18.9% 4.6% 0.9% 0.5% 15.4%

Shallowater 1,205 70.0% 28.8% 1.1% 0.0% 0.1% 35.5%

Troy 1,277 77.2% 20.4% 1.5% 0.2% 0.8% 34.6%

Grape Creek 1,151 76.5% 21.1% 2.1% 0.2% 0.1% 46.7%

Source: Texas Education Agency (TEA), Public Education Information Management System (PEIMS), 2000-01.
Exhibit 1-2 shows the revenue sources for GCISD and its peers. The district receives revenue from state and local sources. The average percentage of total revenues for Texas schools is 53.1 percent from local revenue, 43.6 percent from state sources and 3.4 percent from federal sources.
Exhibit 1-2
GCISD, State, and Peer District Revenue Sources
as a Budgeted Percentage of Total Revenues
2000-01

District Local/Other
Revenue Percentage State
Revenue Percentage Federal
Revenue Percentage Total
Revenue

Celina $5,590,531 71.0% $2,144,405 27.2% $140,000 1.8% $7,874,936

Hutto $2,955,427 38.1% $4,709,172 60.7% $90,000 1.2% $7,754,599

Shallowater $1,767,418 22.0% $6,095,010 76.0% $157,550 2.0% $8,019,978

Troy $2,265,000 28.2% $5,586,300 69.5% $181,000 2.3% $8,032,300

Grape Creek $1,614,200 21.4% $5,684,850 75.6% $227,800 3.0% $7,526,850

State Totals $13,858,297,539 53.1% $11,377,498,894 43.6% $884,281,086 3.4% $26,120,077,519

Source: TEA, PEIMS, 2000-01.

District	Enrollment	Anglo	Hispanic	African American	Asian/ Pacific Islander	Native American	Economically Disadvantaged
Celina	1,147	79.4%	14.1%	5.3%	0.2%	1.0%	23.1%
Hutto	1,232	75.1%	18.9%	4.6%	0.9%	0.5%	15.4%
Shallowater	1,205	70.0%	28.8%	1.1%	0.0%	0.1%	35.5%
Troy	1,277	77.2%	20.4%	1.5%	0.2%	0.8%	34.6%
Grape Creek	1,151	76.5%	21.1%	2.1%	0.2%	0.1%	46.7%

District	Local/Other Revenue	Percentage	State Revenue	Percentage	Federal Revenue	Percentage	Total Revenue
Celina	$5,590,531	71.0%	$2,144,405	27.2%	$140,000	1.8%	$7,874,936
Hutto	$2,955,427	38.1%	$4,709,172	60.7%	$90,000	1.2%	$7,754,599
Shallowater	$1,767,418	22.0%	$6,095,010	76.0%	$157,550	2.0%	$8,019,978
Troy	$2,265,000	28.2%	$5,586,300	69.5%	$181,000	2.3%	$8,032,300
Grape Creek	$1,614,200	21.4%	$5,684,850	75.6%	$227,800	3.0%	$7,526,850
State Totals	$13,858,297,539	53.1%	$11,377,498,894	43.6%	$884,281,086	3.4%	$26,120,077,519