Larry Glick, the current president of the Garland ISD board of trustees has been a board member since 2007 and is running unopposed for re-election to place 1. Before becoming a GISD trustee, he served 12 years on the Rowlett Planning and Zoning Commission.
One of the accomplishments that Glick is most proud of is being involved in getting the board of trustees meetings televised. He said that the first time he mentioned it, the idea went nowhere. He added that it took five years to get it passed.
He was also instrumental in making citizen comments a part of both work sessions and board meetings and moving it closer to the beginning of the meeting so that citizens wishing to speak didn’t have to wait until the end of the meeting.
Other accomplishments include requiring the superintendent and staff to set goals that would be updated regularly and establishing a subcommittee to review the policy manual which contained outdated information. Changes have been made and the manual is current.
Glick is excited about the Montessori programs at Luna and Herfurth elementary schools and the ROTC type program that will soon begin at Rowlett HS. Other programs including dual credit classes and career training classes for students that do not plan to attend college are great assets as well. Programs such as EMT training and Cisco certification that will be offered at the career technical education center will also be great additions.
Other recent board of trustees accomplishments include AP and IB testing fees and SAT testing fees for every junior are now paid by the district. The expansion and success of the AVID program is also a source of pride.
During his first term, Glick paid a visit to every school and was told at some campuses that he was the first trustee that had ever visited.
“The principals said that the only time they saw a trustee was when there was an event that their child might be involved in,” he said
Glick has missed only two meetings in nine years on the board.
“I serve for one reason. I have no aspirations for higher office. I’m semi-retired…There’s nothing that this does for my career…I do it because there is a tradition in our family of community service,” Glick said. “When I take on a project…you get all of me…I will always be diligent and honest and say how I feel. If the administration is doing a good job I will commend them. If they are not, I’ll criticize them because I think that’s how you get better.”
Glick said that the financial position of the district is good. The fund balance was over $150 million at the close of last fiscal year which is more than the state requires.
“But we’ve also pledged revenues from the fund balance that we did not put in the bond,” he said. “We pulled it out of the bond and put it into the fund balance, roofs, flooring and painting.”
For the future, Glick said that the board must be sure that the rest of the bond is managed well and equitably.
Student and staff safety is at the top of his priority list.
“We have a great staff and we have to give them all the tools they need to teach our kids and give them the best education possible,” Glick said.
He is aware that there is unhappiness among staff members and this fact was evidenced by a survey done last year. The staff’s survey responses reflect 61 percent dissatisfaction. Glick said that another survey is being done and will hopefully provide more information so that the problems can be solved.
Photo courtesy of Garland ISD.