Know What’s on the Ballot Before You Vote!

Do you know what's on the ballot? Watch this video to learn more about Proposition A for GCISD, otherwise known as the voter-approved tax ratification election (VATRE).

Here are three quick facts about GCISD’s Proposition A:

• Generates approximately $6 million in funding for: 

  • Teachers and staff 

  • Instruction and student programs 

  • Daily operating expenses 

• More GCISD tax dollars stay in GCISD: 

  • 100% of funds from Proposition A stay in GCISD 

  • These funds are NOT subject to recapture or “Robin Hood”

• LOWER overall GCISD tax rate: 

  • Maintenance & Operations tax rate will increase 

  • Interest & Sinking tax rate has decreased 

  • Overall tax rate will be $0.0014 LESS 

Get additional factual information by visiting www.GCISD.net/VATRE.

We are doing book character day on 10/31.  Please be sure that your child's attire is tied to a book, and is not a Halloween costume.  No masks, face paint or props are allowed!

       ATTENDANCE INFORMATION

We want to remind you about the 90% attendance rule in Texas. According to state law, students must maintain at least 90% attendance in order to receive credit for their courses. This means that students cannot exceed 18 full or partial day absences throughout the school year.

If your child has to miss school due to a doctor’s appointment or any other reason, please remember to send a doctor’s note to Ms. Tanya within 5 days of the absence. These partial day absences will be coded as doctor appointments and will not count toward the total number of absences.

Thank you for your cooperation in helping us support your child's education!

Parents Can Manage Meal Payments Online Via MySchoolBucks App

GCISD’s Nutrition Services is pleased to announce that parents can now download the MySchoolBucks app to make online prepayments on their child’s school meal account and view transactions. There is a $3.25 processing fee for each transaction. 

After downloading the app from the App Store or Google Play on their mobile device, parents will need the following to establish an account:

Visa, Mastercard or Discover credit cards

Child’s six- or seven-digit student ID number

Transactions made prior to 10 a.m. will be posted to the meal account the same day. Prepayments made after 10 a.m. will be posted the next school day. 

Although the online option is available, parents will still continue to have the option to pay at their child’s school using cash or via check. There is no processing fee for payments at school.

If you need assistance with the meal account, please call GCISD Nutrition Services at 817-251-5617 or send an email to child.nutrition@gcisd.net. 

This institution is an equal opportunity provider. 

Free and Reduced-Priced Meal Applications Are Still Accepted 

Every dollar counts and if you qualify for free and reduced meals for your child, there is still time to complete an application. Applications are available at www.schoollunchapp.com and can be completed at any time during the school year. The sooner the application is completed and if you qualify, the sooner your child can begin to receive meals at the free or reduced price. 

This institution is an equal opportunity provider. 

Los padres pueden pagar en línea por las comidas escolares de su hijo a través de la aplicacíon MySchoolBucks 

Servicios de Nutrición de GCISD se complace en anunciar que los padres ahora pueden descargar la aplicación MySchoolBucks para hacer pagos por adelantado en línea en la cuenta de comida escolar de su hijo y ver las transacciones. Hay un cargo de procesamiento de $3.25 por cada transacción.

Después de descargar la aplicación en la tienda App Store o Google Play en su dispositivo móvil, los padres necesitarán lo siguiente para establecer una cuenta:

• Tarjetas de crédito Visa, Mastercard o Discover

• El número de identificación estudiantil de seis o siete dígitos

Las transacciones realizadas antes de las 10 a.m. se acreditarán a la cuenta de comidas el mismo día. Los pagos realizados después de las 10.00 a.m. se acreditarán el siguiente día escolar.

Aunque la opción de pago en línea está disponible, los padres aún tendrán la opción de pagar en la escuela de sus hijos en efectivo o con cheque.No hay cargo de procesamiento para pagos hechos en la escuela.

Si necesita ayuda con la cuenta de comida, por favor llame a Servicios de Nutrición GCISD al 817-251-5617 o envíe un correo electrónico a child.nutrition@gcisd.net.

Esta institución ofrece igualdad de oportunidades.

Todavía se aceptan solicitudes de comidas gratuitas y a precio reducido

Cada dólar cuenta y si usted califica para comidas gratuitas y reducidas para su hijo, todavía hay tiempo para completar una solicitud. Las solicitudes están disponibles en www.schoollunchapp.com y se pueden completar en cualquier momento durante el año escolar. Mientras más pronto llene la solicitud y si califica, más pronto su hijo(a) podrá comenzar a recibir comidas a un precio reducido o gratis.

Esta institución ofrece igualdad de oportunidades. 

More VATRE INFO!

Voter-Approved Tax Ratification Election (VATRE) Isn’t Unique to GCISD

Did you know that the voter-approved tax ratification election (VATRE) isn’t unique to GCISD? In fact, several school districts across Texas have a VATRE on their ballot this November. For GCISD, the VATRE will be Proposition A on the November 5 ballot. Watch this video to see how no increase to public school funding since 2019 is affecting districts across the state and learn more about the three golden pennies proposed in the GCISD VATRE.

Understanding the Ballot Language for Proposition A

The Texas Tax Code provides mandatory ballot language for GCISD’s Proposition A, the voter-approved tax ratification election, but what does it mean?

• The TOTAL tax rate of $0.9233 is $0.0014 less than the previous year.

• The increase of 1.08% references the increase to ONLY the M&O rate (from $0.7290 in 2023 to $0.7369 in 2024)

• $1,513,042 represents the difference in the tax collections from the $0.7290 M&O rate to $0.7369.

Hear GCISD Chief Financial Officer Derick Sibley explain it by watching this segment of the recent Facebook Live presentation about the VATRE.

View VATRE Facebook Live Presentation

In case you missed it, GCISD’s Facebook Live Presentation held Wednesday, September 18, about the upcoming voter-approved tax ratification election (VATRE) is available on GCISD’s YouTube Channel and the district’s Facebook page. Hear from Superintendent Dr. Brad Schnautz and Chief Financial Officer Derick Sibley share details about the VATRE, why the election has been called and its impact on the tax rate. 

Before You Head to the Polls: Learn About GCISD’s Tax Rate History

The Voter-Approved Tax Ratification Election (VATRE) on the November 5 ballot will ask Grapevine-Colleyville ISD voters to consider ratifying the overall tax rate of $0.9233, generating nearly $6 million in funding for school district operations.

Did you know that GCISD’s overall tax rate is 47.3 cents less than it was in 2018, which equates to $90 million of taxpayer relief? This is the lowest overall tax rate in GCISD in more than 25 years. 

Since 2018, the GCISD Board of Trustees has lowered the Interest & Sinking tax rate from $0.3567 to $0.1864. The Maintenance & Operations tax rate has also decreased due to statewide compression from $1.04 to $0.7369. With the passage of the VATRE, the new overall tax rate would be $0.9233, resulting in a $0.0014 lower overall tax rate from 2023.

Learn more about why a VATRE is on the ballot, how it would impact GCISD’s tax rate and what it will fund at www.GCISD.net/VATRE. 

GCISD Receives High Marks in Efficiency Audit Required for VATRE

At its August 12 meeting, the GCISD Board of Trustees was presented results of an Efficiency Audit, which is required by the Texas Education Code prior to a school district conducting a voter-approved tax ratification election (VATRE). 

The audit analyzed GCISD's academic, financial and operational performance in comparison to similar districts. Auditors highlighted that GCISD received an "A" in the state’s accountability ratings, an "A" in the state’s financial ratings, and demonstrated an average daily attendance higher than both peer districts and the state average. 

According to the auditors, “When all of the data was pulled together for the report, we concluded that, with respect to all of the eight peer districts, GCISD efficiently uses its resources and would be good stewards of increased tax revenue as a result of this M&O tax rate increase, but that would be for voters to decide in November.”

Read the full story here and learn more about the VATRE at www.GCISD.net/VATRE.

Three Facts About the VATRE

GCISD registered voters will be asked to consider adding three cents to the Maintenance & Operations tax rate through a voter-approved tax ratification election on the November 5 ballot. Here are three quick facts:

• Even with the VATRE, GCISD’s total tax rate will be lower - Even with the three additional pennies from the passage of the VATRE, the GCISD total overall tax rate (M&O plus I&S) will be lowered by $0.0014. 

• Funds are not subject to recapture - Tax funds collected through these additional three pennies would stay within GCISD and not be subject to recapture, meaning that 100 percent of these funds would remain in the district. 

• The three-cent increase to the Maintenance and Operations (M&O) tax rate would generate approximately $6 million - These funds would be for school district operations, which includes instruction, staff, transportation, maintenance, extracurricular activities and other daily operating expenses, excluding projects included in the recent bond. Bonds are paid for by a separate Interest & Sinking (I&S) fund, which is debt service.

Learn more at www.GCISD.net/VATRE.

Counseling CanaFACTS

RED RIBBON WEEK

October 28 - November 1 is Red Ribbon Week, a week celebrated annually at schools across the United States as a way to promote a healthy, drug-free lifestyle. This year, the National Red Ribbon Week theme is "Life is a Movie: Film Drug Free." Each day, students and staff will be invited to dress in a theme that goes with a positive quote from a children's movie. Please see the Red Ribbon Week poster on this newsletter and add the following dress-up dates to your calendar! 

•  Monday (10/28): Wear jerseys or team colors to show that we're a team and to discuss how teamwork allows us to work together toward achieving goals. 

• Tuesday (10/29): Wear pajamas to show the power of our dreams. We will discuss how dreaming and thinking about the future can help us set goals for ourselves. 

• Wednesday (10/30): Wear bright colors as a reminder that our futures are bright and that there are bright spots in our life. We will focus on gratitude! 

• Thursday (10/31): Dress like your favorite storybook character as a reminder that we are the authors of our own stories (Note: no props, masks, or face paint allowed). We will focus on positive character traits and discuss how our choices impact our life story! 

• Friday (11/1): Wear Glenhope spirit wear to show that we are a part of a strong community, and that communities are important! 

Red Ribbon Week is more than just fun dress-up days!  I will partner with our amazing Student Council to deliver a brief positive message related to each day's theme for our morning announcements. During Circle Up time, teachers will have the class focus on a topic related to the day's theme. Each student will also be invited to participate in a poster contest. The posters will display a positive message about living a healthy lifestyle and will be displayed throughout the school. Students should have received a handout in their folders with more details about the poster contest. If you did not receive that handout, here is a digital copy. 

 If you have any questions about Red Ribbon Week, please reach out to lauren.canafax@gcisd.net. 

November's Character Trait is GRATITUDE

When students visit me for Guidance in November, we will discuss Gratitude. Students will learn that Gratitude is "Choosing to appreciate the people and things in our lives."  K-2 will discuss what it means to be grateful and will do a project identifying what we are grateful for in our own lives. 3-5 will play a fun game that allows them to try finding things to be grateful for in made-up scenarios, then will also complete an activity that encourages them to find big and small things they are grateful for in their own lives. 

There are so many benefits to gratitude! Parents are encouraged to learn more about the benefits of gratitude and how to encourage it in your children. Check out this article for more information about the benefits of gratitude and how you can cultivate it at home. 

If you would like to learn more about the role of a school counselor, please visit our GCISD Counseling website. Reach out to Lauren Canafax (lauren.canafax@gcisd.net) if your student needs a check-in or if you have any questions/concerns. 

Repeated information

School Menus Online

Welcome back! Nutrition Services is excited about the upcoming school year. School Menus, the district charge policy, menu item pricing and more can be found on the department's school menus web page. 

More information, including menu item nutritional information and allergens, may be viewed through the Nutrition Services web page or by downloading the MealViewer app available for download through the Apple Store or Google Play. 

This institution is an equal opportunity provider