As more and more families move to North Texas, Greenville ISD and other districts are planning for growth. Families are drawn to this special community for a number of reasons: the natural beauty, rich history, warm small-town feel, innovative public schools, affordable cost of living, and excellent career opportunities.

This fall, the GISD Board of Trustees appointed a Citizens Advisory Committee and asked them to evaluate current and future needs and develop a comprehensive plan to address district growth and facility conditions to support quality educational programs. The committee will provide facility recommendations to the Greenville ISD Board of Trustees after a thorough assessment and analysis of relevant data. 

Members include parents, non-parents, campus staff, community members, business owners, church leaders, and grandparents from across GISD. Oct. 26 marked the first of a series of meetings. 

"It was exciting yesterday to see and feel all the energy coming from the committee members at the first meeting," said Citizens Advisory Committee Co-Chair John Kelso. "You could tell from the questions asked that everyone is serious about providing input that will help the district plan for its long-term facility needs. We’re looking forward to hearing about the current facility conditions so that we can give an informed recommendation to the board about meeting the population growth and educational needs of our kids. It’s an honor to be one of the co-chairs of such a high-energy group of participants."

Co-Chair Sonya Cathey said that as a GHS graduate, former teacher and mother, she has seen the education cycle come full circle. 

"I attended Greenville High School in the ‘90s, and after teaching there and having two children attend there, I can tell you, it has transformed,” she said. “They offer classes in subjects that didn’t exist 30 years ago, and the physical classrooms have changed to allow for real-life training in culinary arts, cosmetology and other classes that require more than rows of desks and chairs. It’s exciting to see how education has changed to provide opportunities for our students.” 

GISD Superintendent Sharon Boothe said she is “so grateful to all the committee members who have generously devoted hours of their time to helping us shape the future for the children of this community.”  

The committee members, meeting schedules, resources and presentations are all included on a webpage that is devoted to sharing information with the public throughout the process.