Georgetown ISD board of trustees name principal of new Williams Elementary School

The Georgetown ISD board of trustees approved the hiring of Jeanna Sniffin as the new principal of Williams Elementary School on Jan. 21.

Sniffin currently serves as the principal at Ronald Thornton Middle School in Fort Bend ISD, south of Houston. She has served as principal there since opening the campus in 2017.

She has 22 years of experience, including serving as principal of Sienna Crossing Elementary in Fort Bend ISD; as principal and assistant principal in Needville ISD; and as an elementary teacher in Lamar Consolidated ISD, a news release said.

“Opening a new campus is a unique challenge,” GISD Superintendent Fred Brent said in the release. “[Sniffin] brings leadership and experience in opening a new campus that will help ensure a smooth transition. It’s an exciting opportunity for her to grow with us.”

Williams is one of two new elementary schools opening in GISD in the fall. The school will be located on Rockride Lane near the new Fairhaven housing development in the southeast corner of the district and will hold 850 students. GISD officials are working on rezoning students, with plans to finalize the new zones in February.

Sniffin will be responsible for all aspects of opening the new school and hiring staff, Brent said.

Sniffin will start in her new role Feb. 17.

In other business:

• The board called for a May 2 school board election for Places 4 and 5. So far, only Melanie Dunham, who holds the Place 5 seat, has filed, district officials said. The last day to file for a place on the ballot is Feb. 14. Early voting runs from April 20-28.
• During a workshop meeting, the board began discussing the fiscal year 2020-21 budget it will adopt in late June. The presentation was preliminary, addressing the effects of House Bill 3, which was passed in May by the 86th Texas Legislature. As property appraisals and directions from the Texas Education Agency come in, the district will have a better idea of how to go about its next budget, GISD Chief Financial Officer Pam Sanchez said.
• The board set the maximum price for fire alarm system replacements at Village Elementary School, Forbes Middle School and Richarte High School. The price was set at $551,563. The project will be completed by Braun & Butler Construction. There is also a contingency of $31,500, which will be returned to the general bond funds if it is not used during the project. Funding was approved by voters as part of the 2018 bond, with a planning estimate of $1 million.