Board Meeting Recap

The RCISD School Board held a regularly scheduled meeting on Monday April 14, 2025. We aim to keep you informed and up-to-date on board activities with these brief recaps. Royse City ISD Board Meetings are held in the Event Center located in the south end of Royse City ISD Stadium at 670 South FM 2642. You may find agendas, complete meeting minutes and school board information at: https://www.rcisd.org/page/board-of-trustees

Each month, students from across Royse City ISD are invited to lead the school board and guests in the pledges of allegiance to the United States and Texas. Students know these by heart as they recite them at every school at the beginning of every school day. This month’s students were Chris “Yu-Yu” Allah-Asra, Freya Smith, Emry Coates, and Anna Foulks.

Principal Tammy Oliver and Dean of Students Kim Faulk shared the wonderful world of the Glenda Arnold Early Childhood Learning Center with the board, emphasizing its role as Royse City ISD's hub for early learning, honoring its namesake Mrs. Glenda Arnold's focus on relationships. They highlighted their strong family partnerships through events like the Learning Walk and showcased their exciting new STEAM Lab, promoting hands-on learning in a joyful environment. Ultimately, they expressed their pride in preparing students for successful transitions to Kindergarten and beyond, underscoring that their preparedness and excitement for elementary school are at the heart of all they do at Glenda Arnold ECLC.

Principal Rachel Camp and Assistant Principal Dustin Morgan updated the school board on the wonderful happenings at Davis Elementary, honoring its history dedicated to impactful educators Bonnie Fay Mason Davis and Mary Virgina Nesbitt Davis while celebrating their deeply committed staff. They proudly showcased recent campus renovations enhancing the learning environment and highlighted their focus on community through engaging events like Multicultural Family Night and Las Posadas. Underscoring their dedication to student growth, they highlighted their National Blue Ribbon School recognition and affirmed their ongoing commitment to providing the best experience for every student, inspired by their namesakes and driven to excellence.

Davis Elementary students Ariana Zapien (3rd grade) and Sol Antunez (5th grade) achieved first place in their divisions at the RCISD District Spanish Spelling Bee and proudly represented the district at the Region 10 Spanish Spelling Bee. Their journey, along with that of all participating dual language students, fostered a spirit of dedication and pride, culminating in a valuable experience at the regional level. We congratulate Ariana and Sol on their outstanding achievement. For more details on the RCISD Spanish Spelling Bee, visit https://www.rcisd.org/article/1979033

Royse City High School Teacher Lizzy Watson celebrated three Texas Association of Future Educators students on their recent successes at the 41st annual TAFE summit in Galveston, Texas. Notably, two students have advanced to the national competition in Orlando, Florida: Emma Kremeier for her Teacher Created Materials project and Raegan Williams in the Education Rising moment contest. In an exceptional accomplishment, Cade Wagner earned the highest honor, a gold medal, for his Teacher Appreciation project, showcasing the dedication and talent within RCISD's aspiring educators.

The Royse City High School powerlifting program has achieved an unprecedented level of success this year, sending a record, 37 lifters, (boys and girls combined) to the Regional meet! The girl's powerlifting team secured the Regional Championship title for the third consecutive year at the Region 3 - Division 1 meet. This remarkable achievement underscores the consistent excellence of the Bulldogs on the regional stage.

Adding to their impressive run, the RCHS girl's powerlifting team also achieved a hard-fought 2nd Place finish at the highly competitive 6A State Powerlifting meet for the third year in a row. This consistent presence at the top of the state rankings highlights the program's sustained success and the athletes' unwavering commitment.

The Regional meet saw an incredible performance from the Lady Bulldogs, resulting in seven Regional Champions and fifteen top 5 placers! Their outstanding efforts led to a remarkable twelve State Qualifiers and the breaking of eight Regional records. To read more about RCHS powerlifting visit: https://www.rcisd.org/article/2143991

Royse City ISD proudly recognized a distinguished group of Eagle Scouts for their exceptional character development and their demonstrable leadership, citizenship, and faith. Their demanding journey to this esteemed rank, often commencing around age eleven, requires years of unwavering commitment to personal growth, dedicated service to others, and the consistent embodiment of high moral principles, distinguishing them as exemplary young leaders. Beyond the mastery of essential scouting proficiencies and the acquisition of merit badges, the final capstone of their achievement involves the comprehensive planning and execution of a significant service project, culminating in a rigorous board of review. Representing the top 2% of scouts who successfully achieve this highest honor, we extend our deepest pride and congratulations to these accomplished Eagle Scouts.

Troop 312-SM Brooke Barnes

• Layne Gaskill

• Ty Gaskill

Troop 3121-SM Sarah Woody

• Madison Woody

Troop 163-SM Russell Roberts

• Gavin David (2023)

• Mario Sevilla (2023)

Royse City High School Basketball Coaches Jeremy Josey and Jordan Chavez celebrated the academic and athletic achievements of three outstanding basketball players who earned THSCA Academic All-State honors. Lady Bulldog Carlie Parlier received 2nd Team recognition, demonstrating exceptional commitment both on the court and in the classroom. From the Boys basketball team, both Dylan Bookout and Brock McMinn were awarded 1st Team honors, highlighting their dedication to academic excellence alongside their athletic pursuits. These honors underscore the student-athletes' ability to excel in their sport while maintaining high academic standards.

Chief Financial Officer Byron Bryant honored members of the finance team for various awards earned this year. The district earned the TASBO Purchasing Award of Merit for upholding sound and transparent purchasing operations. Purchasing Director Angel McCrary, FFE Coordinator Morgan Edwards, and Purchasing Specialist Anabel Goodnight were honored. Additionally, the entire finance team was honored for earning the TASBO Award of Excellence in Financial Management for the second year in a row. In year one, only 10 districts in Texas made the cut. This year’s award was only issued to 13 districts across the state. The district’s commitment to sound fiscal management and transparent budget practices has also been recognized by the Association of School Business Officials International (ASBO), who proudly awarded the district the Meritorious Budget Award (MBA) for the 2024-2025 fiscal year.

The Board recognized Executive Director of Transportation, Cody Cox, for being named Transfinder's Ambassador of the Year for 2025. This prestigious award recognizes RCISD's unique qualities, innovative approaches, and exceptional commitment to student transportation under Mr. Cox's leadership. Read the full story here.

While awaiting action from state legislators on school funding formulas for the next two years, Royse City ISD officials and school board members have prepared and approved a preliminary compensation plan to attract and retain high-quality staff based on funds currently anticipated prior to any pending legislation being signed into law. District officials prepared a pre-legislative compensation plan that can be afforded within existing school budgets in the event that the Texas Legislature takes no action to increase basic student funding. It is important to note that the basic per-student allotment has not increased since 2019. If the Texas Legislature makes improvements to public school funding, the compensation plan will be amended with further raises for staff.

• Guaranteed 1% from midpoint raise for all staff (Additional raises possible with legislative action)

• 2 added local leave days for all staff

• Approval of growth positions to maintain current student/teacher ratios

• New starting teacher salary is $57,800

• No longer outsourcing substitute teachers in 2025-26 and planned increases to sub compensation

District-wide enrollment stands at 10,032 total students. Statistics show that 57 new students enrolled in RCISD following the winter break. Demographers anticipate that RCISD will add 800-1,000 students annually. Growth continues throughout the school year across our booming communities.

Construction continues at Sara Moss Elementary in the Creekside Development off of SH 66. Major work is also visible at Worthy Fate High School off of FM 552 in Fate. You can find month-by-month updates on Bond 2023 and recently completed Bond 2021 at https://www.rcisd.org/page/growth.

Thank you for your interest in our school board activities and business of Royse City ISD.

Communications Office

communityrelations@rcisd.org

ayudaenespanol@rcisd.org