It’s been an amazing first couple of days of school in Graham ISD. Based on all the smiles, laughter and excitement we’ve seen, the 2026-27 school year is off to a great start. Thank you to all the employees and parents who helped ensure a successful first day of school for students on Wednesday. 

We also appreciate everyone’s patience in the car lines during pick-up and drop-off, as well as those in our community experiencing the typical Back-To-School traffic and congestion the first few days of a new year. It will take a few more days for bus routes to become more timely and consistent, as well as our new shuttle only bus service. All in all, we are managing through some typical first-week traffic and pedestrian congestion and bus ridership will increase as time goes on.

GISD welcomed 25 new employees to #TeamGraham for the new school year and almost half of them are returning home to Graham.

A total of 2,080 students are enrolled as of the second day of school. This compares to 2,118 students who ended the year with GISD in May. We are still enrolling new students and typically do so through Labor Day. Like many Texas public schools, GISD is graduating larger senior classes than incoming Pre-K and Kindergarten classes. Lower birth rates and less mobility have contributed to projected declines in enrollment throughout the state. Graham ISD is no exception. Even with this steady decline in total students the next few years, the future looks bright in Graham ISD!

On Tuesday evening, the Graham ISD Board of Trustees unanimously called a school bond election for Nov. 3. The decision came following a recommendation from students, educators, parents, taxpayers and community leaders serving on a Facility Planning Committee. This group has been working since last fall to study the condition of existing facilities, projected enrollment and options for managing students under various grade and building configurations.

The $60 million single-proposition proposal will primarily include construction of a new (Grades 1-5) elementary school to replace Crestview and Woodland elementaries, safety, security and accessibility projects at Pioneer Elementary, Graham Junior High and Graham High and renovations/upgrades for Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs like welding, agriculture and culinary arts. There is also a proposed project to provide equity for female students by renovating spaces for dressing and locker rooms.

The proposed new elementary school would be built on the current district-owned Woodland Elementary site, and is projected to open in the fall of 2029. Consolidating from three elementary schools into two new or renovated buildings addresses the aging facilities and systems at both Woodland and Crestview and is currently projected to save GISD more than $640,000 every year in operating costs. The committee reviewed estimates to renovate all three current elementaries and it significantly exceeded the projected costs to build a new grades 1-5 campus and renovate Pioneer Elementary. The consolidation proposal does not impact teacher jobs because the same number of students would be served in two schools instead of three.

Students and staff would not be displaced or temporarily relocated during the construction process. After the new school is built, the existing Woodland facility would be torn down to provide space for an accessible playground, expanded parking area and newly designed parent pick-up/drop-off area. Trustees plan to sell the Crestview property to make way for a more affordable housing development, using the money to support the operating budget or to fund additional capital improvements projects identified districtwide.

On Tuesday, August 18 from 5 to 6 p.m. there will be a NCTC Dual Credit student and parent meeting in the Graham High School library. This informational session is for students and parents of students who are enrolled in Dual Credit courses for the fall semester.

Graham ISD is now offering a dedicated shuttle bus to transport students between school campuses without having to ride a route bus. This service allows students to ride the shuttle bus between the campus they attend and a campus that is closer to their home.  The shuttle bus picks up between 7 and 7:30 each morning, making a stop at the designated campuses according to the schedule below. Then, the shuttle picks up from 3:45 to 4:05 for afternoon routes, again, dropping off at each GISD campus. Starting today, the shuttle will then complete a second round in this order to drop off any kids left on the bus. The AM schedule will remain the same for now, there are no changes that are foreseeable right now.

Seating is limited, so students are encouraged to arrive at the school closest to where they live to catch the bus to their home campus. Route riders are students who qualify for free bus transportation because they live two miles or more from their home campus. A child who intends to ride a GISD route bus or the new shuttle bus only, must first register as a rider.

It looks like Graham ISD will once again earn a perfect score of 100 on the Financial Integrity Rating System of Texas (FIRST). Each year, school districts are assigned FIRST ratings intended to reflect the quality of a district’s financial operations. GISD will share more on this recognition at the September School Board meeting.

The Texas Education Agency (TEA) on Friday will release 2025-26 Accountability Ratings for all public school districts and campuses across the state. All Graham ISD campuses earned Distinction this past year: Graham Elementary and Graham High School earned the Science Distinction, and Graham Junior High earned Social Studies Distinction. For state accountability purposes, all three GISD elementary campuses are considered one campus identified as Graham Elementary. 

Distinction Designations are awarded when a school or district shows exceptional achievement in certain areas. The District expects TEA to announce on Friday that Graham High School maintained its B rating, Graham Junior High and Graham Elementary earned C ratings, and the overall rating for the district will be a C. 

Superintendent Dr. Mary Johnston acknowledged that navigating state standardized testing and accountability metrics can be frustrating as scores or ratings fluctuate year to year. However, she emphasized that the district's primary focus remains centered on driving year-over-year individual student progress while bolstering support for campus leaders, teachers, and students. Specifically, she mentioned the addition of two new instructional coaches at the elementary schools and the addition of a dedicated PK-12 Math and Science Coordinator beginning this year. This intentional move will help continue the focus on academics and excellence in our schools, noting all three positions are being funded through grants. 

GISD has added instructional time for students at the junior high who need additional support in reading and math.  The district is also increasing Advanced Placement course offerings, On-Ramps courses and is considering consolidation of its elementary schools to help with operating costs and to ensure more vertical teaming and curriculum alignment. This pending change, plus the new positions will help campuses and the district make incremental improvements going forward.

“We are extremely proud that all our campuses earned marks of Distinction and will continue to make data-informed decisions that help support educators and students,” Dr. Johnston said. “Our students are much more than just one grade or rating in a given year, but we are committed to our mission of excellence and will continue to challenge and raise the expectations for all.”    

On Friday, families can search by district or campus and view TEA’s ratings at: Texas School Report Cards.

Before calling a November school bond election, the School Board approved the Long-Range Facility Plan as presented by the Administration and recommended by the students, parents, educators, taxpayers and community leaders serving on the Facility Planning Committee (FPC). 

Following the guidance and requirements of Policy CS (Legal), the plan outlines the work of the FPC this past year, leading up to their June 3 recommendation to the Board of Trustees. Thank you to everyone who participated in the facility planning process this past school year.   

Trustees recognized Woodland Elementary teacher Ashley Register for being selected to review the Student Success Tool (SST) Writing Test that will replace STAAR in the 2027–28 school year. Trustees also recognized the GISD Special Education Department for the highest level of success during the recent TEA Cyclical Monitoring. 

In other business, the Board:

The School Board’s next regularly scheduled meeting is at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, September 9 in the Graham Learning Center.

Woodland Elementary teacher Ashley Register was recognized for being selected to review the Student Success Tool (SST) Writing Test that will replace STAAR in the 2027–28 school year.

Trustees recognized our GISD Special Education Department for achieving the highest level of success during the recent TEA Cyclical Monitoring.

Curriculum Night is a great chance to get involved in your child's school year right from the start. You'll get to see what your child will be learning, hear how the teacher runs the classroom, and get a feel for their day-to-day routine. Just as importantly, showing up sends a message to your child that school matters and it gives you a chance to connect with the teacher who spends so much time with them each day. Once you know what's ahead, you'll be better able to help with homework, ask the right questions, and catch any bumps in the road early.

Be sure you have all of this year’s important dates saved in your calendar. View and download the 2026-27 Academic Calendar.

As we begin the new school year, it is important that we become familiar with the Standard Response Protocol (SRP) and emergency drills. Our goal is to have all Graham ISD staff, students, and parents prepared to respond in emergent situations with excellence. By equipping staff, students, and parents with practical experience and knowledge, we prepare them to act both efficiently and effectively. We sincerely aim to develop excellent response plans for circumstances that we hope will never happen in Graham ISD. 

Graham ISD campuses are required to complete the following emergency drills annually:

It is important that we intentionally educate our students on the appropriate response for each Standard Response Protocol. Graham ISD campuses will notify families of impending drills prior to implementing the drill using Graham Safe ParentSquare messaging.  As a reminder, Graham ISD will send important messaging regarding safety or campus schedule change utilizing a Graham Safe message header to let parents know the ParentSquare requires their attention. Below are tips for parents when assisting in preparing their students for SRP drills at school. These tips are equally effective for teachers preparing classes for SRP drills at school.

It is also important to explain to your child, using age and developmentally appropriate language, how to respond when law enforcement arrives in a real active threat emergency, such as an active shooter. Law enforcement is there to keep your child safe and to stop the threat. It can be quite scary for a child to hear a police officer shouting commands at them or having their guns drawn. Talking with your child about what to expect, if this occurs, helps your child to understand that law enforcement is there to keep them safe.

Please know that we will be posting these openings twice a month in our newsletters. If you are interested in looking at postings more frequently, they may be accessed in Quick Links through our District website.

Graham ISD would love to have a growing list of trained substitute teachers for the coming year. Training dates have been set up and are required before you can qualify to substitute in GISD.

Meeting Place:  The Graham Learning Center

Time:  8:30 to 11 a.m.

Training Dates: (you need only attend once)

On Tuesday evening Aug. 11, the Graham ISD Board of Trustees approved the tax rates for the 2026-2027 budget year. The Maintenance and Operations (M&O) rate was set at $0.6517 per $100 of property value. This is a decrease of 2.4 cents from the previous year. Revenue generated by the M&O tax rate helps pay for the daily District operations.  

The M&O tax rate is provided to districts based on many factors, primarily Refined Average Daily Attendance (RADA) and property values.  Over the last several years the trend has shown compression of the M&O tax rates for Texas districts. Compression causes local funding from property taxes to decrease while the State attempts to compensate for that loss in revenue.  

Graham ISD’s M&O tax rate decreased according to the State funding formula due to a predicted decrease in enrollment and increase in property values. As a result, Graham ISD funding will decrease from the previous year and a heavier percentage of funding will come from the State instead of local property taxes.

The Interest and Sinking (I&S) rate adopted by the Board of Trustees remained the same from the previous year. ($0.3106 per $100 of property value).  Revenue generated by the I&S tax rate can only be used to pay down district debt. Graham ISD only has debt remaining from the 2007 Bond that renovated Graham High School.  Over the last three years GISD Board of Trustees have approved the early redemption of bonds that has allowed the District to pay off this debt early.  Not only does early redemption of the bonds help taxpayers save interest on the bond, it also better positions GISD in future bonds with less of an impact on the taxpayers.

Throughout the 2026-27 school year, we hope that you will take a few moments to give a word of encouragement, thanks or a general shoutout for a job well done to a GISD student or staff member. GISD features Staff and Student Shoutouts each month in the community newsletter, the TeleGRAHAM. Shout outs are also sometimes shared on GISD social media accounts.

We love seeing our community members support our students, which is why we are proud to share that Graham senior citizens can attend our school events for free! They are invited to pick up a senior citizen pass at the Administration Office. These passes are free for our retired community members and they do not need a new one each year.

Check out the Online GISD Calendar for a more comprehensive list of upcoming academic, athletic, fine arts and extracurricular activities.

Throughout the year we will post information from PTO and Class information within this newsletter.

 

View links to Class dues pages:

Thank you for your support of our students!

If you would like to host a flier in the Community Events section for upcoming monthly editions of the GISD TeleGRAHAM, send the information to communications@grahamisd.com.

Get ready to roll up your sleeves! The Student Council’s first blood drive of the school year is Wednesday, Aug. 26, from 9:30-1:30 p.m.

Graham High School Student Council holds three blood drives each school year to compete for grant money from Carter BloodCare. For the past four years, they have received money and put it towards their S.H.A.R.E. scholarships each spring. The group received $1,000 for meeting their goals last school year!

K-5th grade students are invited to be a part of Bible Zone! Students will enjoy Bible stories, recreation, crafts and snacks. Bible Zone begins Wednesday, Sept. 16 and takes place every Wednesday 3:50-5:30 p.m.