The Brownwood ISD Board of Trustees unanimously canceled the Nov. 3 election for four seats during its Monday night meeting on Sept. 14, according to Brownwood News.

The election was canceled because three incumbents—Roderick Jones in Place 3, Connor Arrington in Place 6 and Justin Posey in Place 7—filed for re-election without opposition. Michael Cloy, the Place 1 representative and board president, did not seek another term. Keith Howey filed for Place 1 and was the only candidate, meaning he will replace Cloy after Nov. 3.

Enrollment rises, but attendance remains central to funding

Superintendent Dr. Joe Young told trustees that overall enrollment is down across the district, even as the number of students transferring into Brownwood ISD increased by 34. Transfers rose from 219 last year to 253 for the 2026-27 school year.

Young said the transfer increase reflects a strong reputation for the district, while the number of school-aged children in the community has declined. He said middle- and high-school enrollment has increased slightly, but elementary enrollment is down significantly.

The superintendent also explained that attendance, rather than enrollment alone, affects the state funding Brownwood ISD receives. The district budget is based on 2,975 students. To receive the expected funding, an average of 2,975 students must attend each day.

The first week of school, attendance was 98.65% among 3,077 enrolled students, a level that qualified the district for its expected funding. Enrollment increased during each of the following two weeks, but attendance fell below the 2,975-student threshold. The district now has 3,127 students enrolled, and attendance was above 95%, which again met the requirement described by Young.

Young said the Texas Education Agency adjusts funding every six weeks rather than calculating it day by day or week by week. That timing gives the district some protection from short-term attendance changes, but the board was told to continue monitoring the numbers.

Trustees hear warning about cash flow

Young said Brownwood ISD receives no state funding in November, December, January, February and March because the district retains some local property-tax revenue during the period when residents pay their taxes. He warned that cash flow can become tight during those months because tax payments may not arrive until February or March while the district continues paying bills in November and December.

The superintendent said the board will receive monthly budget updates. He also said the district cannot continue losing money while maintaining all of its current programs, making budget tracking and adjustments necessary during the school year.

Teachers recognized and Northwest rating improves

Deputy Superintendent Liesa Land announced teachers who were newly designated or moved to a higher level in the Teacher Incentive Allotment program.

  • Brownwood High School: Tami Hull, Recognized.
  • Brownwood Middle School: Danielle Badillo and Christi Camp, Recognized; Mendy Green, Exemplary; Tim Thomas, Masters.
  • Coggin Elementary: Laplesa Roseboom, Amber Shipman and Gigi Young, Recognized; Rhonda Tippit, Exemplary.
  • East Elementary: Keri John, Recognized; Leslie Warren, Exemplary.
  • Northwest Elementary: Susan Mora, Masters; Cammye Schwing, Exemplary.
  • Woodland Heights Elementary: Leah Loftin, Recognized; Stacy Hernandez, Jennifer Demasters Mares, Kalla Jones and Holly Cline, Exemplary; Sherri Land and Serena Miller, Masters.

During the meeting’s instructional-focus portion, Northwest Elementary Principal Christi Burks reported that the campus’s TEA accountability rating rose from 63 to 72.

Burks attributed the improvement to work closing achievement gaps and to teachers using detailed individual-student analysis. That process is intended to identify trends, procedural or conceptual misunderstandings and foundational skills students may be missing.

The board’s next steps include continuing to track enrollment, attendance and the budget throughout the year while the district prepares for Howey’s transition into the Place 1 seat after the November election date.