Region 4 School Board of the Year

Media Contact: Kristi Hernandez

                                                                                                                                 khernandez@esc4.net

 

 

HOUSTON (July 5, 2022)—The Goose Creek CISD Board of Trustees has been named the Region 4 School Board of the Year for 2021–2022 as part of the annual Texas Association of School Administrators (TASA) School Board Awards Program.

 

The Goose Creek CISD Board of Trustees was recognized for its dedicated support to students and educators. The Board recognizes the importance of creating a culture of mutual respect and trust among all members of the education community. Accordingly, the district’s educational philosophy focuses on providing each student access to high-quality instruction, supports, facilities, and other educational resources. To support that philosophy, the board has approved a number of policies, including a 2019 bond that provided more than $49.7 million for technology improvements as well as the expansion of the district’s pre-k programs.

 

The board also has launched wellness initiatives for both students and staff members. Through Be Well Baytown, an initiative of the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Goose Creek has implemented the CATCH curriculum, opened walking trails at four elementary school campuses, and added shade structures at five campuses to promote sun safety. To support employee wellness, Goose Creek has partnered with Next Level Urgent Care to provide full-time staff members with access to health and wellness resources, including medical care. The district also offers an employee fitness center.

 

“Congratulations to the Goose Creek CISD Board of Trustees for being selected as the School Board of the Year for Region 4, the Greater Houston Area! This is a historical event and the first for Goose Creek,” said Dr. Randal O’Brien, superintendent, Goose Creek CISD. “I would like to thank our Board of Trustees for providing administration with a clear and concise vision of providing excellence in all that we do and a heart that challenges us to continuously improve what we accomplish each and every day for the sake of our students, faculty and the community that we love and serve.”

 

Goose Creek also has seen continued gains in student performance, despite COVID-19. Graduates in 2021 earned more than $16 million in scholarships, and 45 students earned associate’s degrees in 2021–2022. The district also is home to nationally recognized college and career readiness programs, with its STEM Academy, Health Science Academy, and Global Business Academy receiving Model status from the National Career Academy Coalition. Additionally, Goose Creek Memorial High School has been designated an AVID National Demonstration School for its school-wide implementation of the AVID College Readiness System.

 

Goose Creek CISD serves nearly 24,000 students in the communities of Baytown and Highlands. The district includes six high schools, six junior high schools, and 16 elementary schools. Two new elementary schools, an Early Learning Academy, and the GCCISD Robotics Center are slated to open for the 2022–2023 school year. Goose Creek CISD is the largest employer within the district boundaries with more than 4,000 staff members.

 

 “We are honored to be able to recognize the dedication and hard work of the members of the Goose Creek CISD Board of Trustees for their unfailing commitment to excellence in service for children,” said Dr. Pam Wells, executive director, Region 4 Education Service Center. “We congratulate them on the well-deserved recognition and wish them the best on their nomination.”

 

The Goose Creek CISD board members are Richard Clem, president; Tiffany Guy, vice president; Howard Sampson, secretary; Helen Berrott-Tims, Assistant Secretary; members Mercedes Renteria, Jessica Woods, and Shae Cottar; and Dr. Randal O’Brien, superintendent.

 

The Texas Outstanding School Board will be announced during txEDCON, the TASA/TASB Convention, held September 23–25 in San Antonio.

 

Region 4 Education Service Center (Region 4), located in Houston, is one of 20 service centers established by the Texas Legislature in 1967. The purposes of the service centers, as presented in legislation, are to assist school districts in improving student performance, to enable school districts to operate more efficiently and economically, and to implement initiatives assigned by the Legislature or Commissioner of Education. The core purpose of Region 4 is to provide excellence in service for children.

 

Encompassing seven counties in the upper Texas Gulf Coast area, Region 4 serves 47 independent school districts and 40 open-enrollment charter schools. As the largest service center in Texas, Region 4 serves an education community of more than 1.2 million students, more than 105,000 professional educators, and 1,500 campuses.