[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",5972041,"mediaKeyId","5863435-e550a4f75fb50e715c97dc49e53cc034","parentId",5863435,"title","Trustees defend community forum format as residents press on DEI and meeting access","audioSeconds",438,"startMs",1035000,"endMs",1473000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5863435-e550a4f75fb50e715c97dc49e53cc034&start=1035&end=1473","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5863435-e550a4f75fb50e715c97dc49e53cc034/thumbnail_1035000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/5972041/Texas/Trustees-defend-community-forum-format-as-residents-press-on-DEI-and-meeting-access","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/5972041-5698c6ec802553ca5faf2601557b4a0f/orig.mp4?Expires=1771096606&Signature=khkPDElSqsiosrpIAekRr0Aa4gtLyo4LQ-tFr9OEAxMfd1yfyChN6Te3axpOACqt1rH5LDNvAQHUCkAEVvjHmqnWk3UzDWT0wn~-IC3mhxh1VTIu6qC-cZJE518o-rDfM7HbkU2ungkSRvO0PIWFnT5E~kZzXvPrTT2c82NLxcsTIjX0J6epfbVfGthaov~vA7KyqHWSv97O3lTJ~vKSm47L1BL80IJCSnbiSoIpfAYPxJ8AqdfN3G0n~ZJUiemg~Ptl-NgL1eVGUAkvJZFyx9hm110a3dGXuSD0i4TA3HTblNkAyfSEaFDt5W8AMBThm4hBZuUytbvD~JjZ9kFbdQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","GRANBURY ISD","date","2025-09-30T13:27:06Z","article","Granbury ISD trustees defended the district’s community forum format Tuesday after residents asked for clearer policies on diversity, equity and inclusion and for later meeting times to increase public participation.

“How important is it to you that we don't have DEI here in our schools?” asked Monica Brown during the public comment period. A trustee replied, “So I'm aware of the legalities around DEI in the state of Texas as defined by the state and governor Abbott, which is a completely different definition when we're talking about education.” The trustee encouraged the public to use district communication channels for specific concerns and offered to publish clarifying language on the district website.

Brown also urged the board to shift forum start times to 6 or 6:30 p.m. to help working parents attend. Trustees said the district will consider timing changes but must balance community access with staff scheduling. “As far as this forum goes, I think that's something we still have to look at because we also have admin that are up here working away from their families that have they need time at home too. So it's about finding that balance,” the superintendent said.

Trustees and administrators explained the forum’s origins at the meeting: the format grew from district strategic planning sessions that included parents, students, teachers and administrators. The purpose, the board said, is to give community members a setting where staff and trustees can answer questions or provide clarifications the law does not permit during regular, agenda-based board meetings. “Some of the feedback we got from those meetings was that during regular board meetings ... we legally, as board members, cannot answer those questions. And so it created space for distrust,” a trustee said. “This forum…was an idea where we could allow for a more open forum so that when community members had questions about things going on in the district that weren't on the agenda, we could have a little bit of dialogue to clear that up and build that trust.”

Several commenters also urged the board to restore earlier rules allowing a single trustee to place an item on a regular board agenda and to allow community comment at the next regular meeting rather than at quarterly forums. Trustees noted that state law determines what can be discussed in public meetings and said they will review board processes and website guidance on how to sign up to speak.

Longtime volunteer Renee Shahardi used her public comment time to urge trustees to encourage robust, respectful debate across the district and to model humility and learning in leadership. “True leaders discern the times, and you guys are our leaders,” Shahardi said. “We need to practice humility when we do things. Humility is at the heart of learning.”

The forum did not produce formal policy changes; trustees said they will bring timing and process questions back to staff for consideration and will publish clarifying information online.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Granbury ISD Special Meeting - September 30, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Parents and residents raised questions about diversity, equity and inclusion policies and asked the board to move meeting times; trustees said the forum was created through strategic planning to allow dialogue the regular board meeting format legally prohibits.","taxTitle","GRANBURY ISD, School Districts, Texas","taxId",38529,"location","Texas","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},5972045,"Granbury ISD to present facilities audit; administrators say no bond proposal now",1538,168000,1706000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5863435-e550a4f75fb50e715c97dc49e53cc034&start=168&end=1706","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5863435-e550a4f75fb50e715c97dc49e53cc034/thumbnail_168000.jpg","/articles/5972045/Texas/Granbury-ISD-to-present-facilities-audit-administrators-say-no-bond-proposal-now","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/5972045-97ca6b0d0f96e47a312a9b9c9573adc7/orig.mp4?Expires=1771096606&Signature=oV2P0kvddtnW4YeNya~mXdg3O79RQaOmNVZlzmDo-PWcHRT-d8AFbgk2udZD2aKg77583sWzEchhobOFUtN-2y4rF8RkC5G6MI9~etxFYAVo6SZ4myCbkrRYr-yQ2SxIBC5ZvbECUpAOCRdK81qxNMQ~tX5jkBe3jKtywiROyqyMCs2u8B8ydZw5ck9hfLjjA1u1OpKZVlOgswtR2Ukdi1bZkewavRtbDSStUS4gPED7sBLqGY0-6SV9mHJM3KpSAUzeOgI9-Bo~Lvkk3clVKqBerQs0QZW0kVhdCs0MB1bh26hQLOPKITUG245O43PfEsAIIuvHbeiPiNpXrWfmtA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Granbury Independent School District administrators told the community at their quarterly forum that the district will present a facilities audit at the next regular board meeting and that no bond proposal is currently planned. The superintendent and trustees used the forum to describe how the audit will feed long-range facility planning and prioritization.

“We are going to use the money that we have and communicate out to our families and community how we're using our budget money,” said Dr. Morawski, the district superintendent. She told the forum the audit will show campus priorities and estimated costs so the board can choose among needs and identify potential uses of fund balance if necessary.

At the forum, the superintendent highlighted two operational figures: current student enrollment of 7,899 and a reported increase of about 500 library book checkouts since the district’s cell phone ban was implemented. Trustees said the audit and advisory group work will clarify what repairs can be covered from maintenance and operations (M&O) funds and what would require bond financing.

Community members asked about buses, air-conditioning and where money would come from to pay for capital items. Trustee responses explained how state school finance works: property tax revenue is sent to the state, which allocates funding back to districts based on average daily attendance and program factors; some districts then return revenue to the state through recapture. The superintendent said teacher raises, fuel and other rising costs increase the district’s budget and limit discretionary spending.

A resident, Jim Brown, urged clearer communication about bus replacement cycles and HVAC work. “I truly haven't heard a whole lot about those,” Brown said. The superintendent replied the facilities audit will include a prioritized list for each campus, approximate costs and recommendations for how to use available funds. She added that large capital projects such as building expansions or closures typically require voter-approved bonds under Texas law.

Officials said they will work to improve public reporting on annual purchases (for example, the number of buses and HVAC units replaced each year) and to explain legally required limits on fund-balance use. No formal budget actions or bond proposals were taken or approved at the forum; the discussion was informational.","Superintendent announced a facilities presentation and audit to inform long-range planning; district leaders said they are not currently planning a bond and explained how state funding rules and recapture affect local budgets and capital choices.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},5972049,"Granbury ISD: No decision yet on Decker Gym; United Way leasing facility",104,549000,653000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5863435-e550a4f75fb50e715c97dc49e53cc034&start=549&end=653","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5863435-e550a4f75fb50e715c97dc49e53cc034/thumbnail_549000.jpg","/articles/5972049/Texas/Granbury-ISD-No-decision-yet-on-Decker-Gym-United-Way-leasing-facility","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/5972049-d89b48cf63f4effbd8a2258a540e23a8/orig.mp4?Expires=1771096606&Signature=UBKSHUdYUeqEzmet686kSmLSsFZ~Fd5B304c4HSL6AGDAuQxEMEoze2Lhrd9sW3EqeVxsi-yOdqBC7Zs-g~uh3XJmGUjN-PxTSG8RXzQa7xBmq2jR75T8saMWIVmo9D8w3-X6YCWo4cgO4GsDxxuJJp~r9vPUZww2KcCGD2FPezVVpPEHmAHcIuhmrd0JijHUE7IzG7jgYb5qXo8u67HVKaYI8AP9c6OZdKTfDY-8f~QVjXKIDqB0LNGHIu7r~jX0nXOKAh4a8UmWkkJk~8WyNLWyC56z7DXPEINBzViQiMYm-i2Klzb6gxEiOQqfSz74tpFfWTFatIQnADwv8ckYg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Trustees for Granbury Independent School District said Tuesday evening they have not decided whether to deed or enter a long-term transfer of the Decker Gym property, and that United Way of Hood County currently leases the building and pays rent. The remarks came during the district’s quarterly community forum, where parents and local nonprofit leaders asked for clarity amid online rumors.

Community concern over Decker Gym grew after online posts said the district planned to transfer the facility or enter a 99-year lease. “There's been a lot of talk online about Decker Gym. Lots of information, lots of comments, and I can't make heads or tails of what's factual and what's not,” said Danielle Thomas, a parent who asked for a status update. Trustee Miss Gorr replied, “So there's no status update because there’s nothing that has been decided or done. As far as the school district is concerned, we are just in an informational gathering phase.”

The board clarified at the forum that a lease or memorandum of understanding for the building was discussed at a September 2024 meeting as an agreement to lease the building; the district did not provide vote tallies or a copy of the motion at the forum. The trustee also said title research and other background work remain underway and that no definitive transfer or deed has been executed. “There’s a lot of back-end work that goes into title research and getting all the information that we need as a board to be able to make a decision one way or another moving forward,” Miss Gorr said.

Local program leaders described current use of the space. Joseph Jones, president of the local nonprofit Play It Forward Fitness, said he has run free youth basketball and fitness sessions at the facility through a partnership with United Way. “We are averaging well over 30 kids every Tuesday,” Jones said, and added he has coached more than 200 children through his volunteer programs. Jones praised United Way’s willingness to provide access without charging program leaders rent in his early weeks there.

District leaders also addressed questions about connections between trustees and outside organizations. Miss Gorr told the forum she had stepped down from the United Way board and had last attended a United Way meeting in February; she said she did not participate in United Way discussions about the Decker Gym while she was absent from that board.

Next steps identified at the forum included continued title review and the district’s planned facility presentation and audit at the upcoming regular board meeting; that audit, administrators said, will inform the district’s long-range facility planning and any future formal proposals about properties. No formal board action about Decker Gym was taken at the forum.

Community members who want documents or clarifications were told to use the district’s new “Connect with Us” form on the Granbury ISD website or submit a public information request if they want official records; the superintendent reminded the public that some material may be redacted for student or employee confidentiality or attorney–client privilege.","Trustees said the district is gathering information on Decker Gym and has made no final decision about ownership or a long-term transfer; United Way currently leases and pays rent for the space, and local groups are using it for youth programs.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Trustees defend community forum format as residents press on DEI and meeting access

Granbury ISD to present facilities audit; administrators say no bond proposal now

Granbury ISD: No decision yet on Decker Gym; United Way leasing facility