GEORGETOWN, Texas (KXAN) — Ahead of a consequential private school subsidy vote expected in the next Texas legislative session, Georgetown Independent School District Superintendent Dr. Devin Padavil said he runs the district as if it’s already “competing for students” with private and charter schools.
In an interview with KXAN, the district’s second-year superintendent said he knows that Georgetown families currently have a choice when it comes to where they choose to send their kids to school, and believes his district surpasses the other options when it comes to academics, athletics, and fine arts.
Padavil said regardless of what the state decides on private school vouchers, he’s hopeful lawmakers will also pass adequate funding for the state’s public schools.
This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.
Tom Miller: Governor Abbott has made it clear that passing school vouchers in the state legislature is going to be one of his, if not the top priority this next legislative session. Where do you stand on that?
Dr. Devin Padavil: If there’s the money for vouchers, why isn’t that money being provided to public school districts so that we can pay teachers what they deserve? The other question I have is, is this plan for vouchers financially sustainable by the state? Or is it going to be something where we don’t have the funds to support public education and support a voucher system? I’m always pretending like we’re competing for students. Families do have a choice right now. I want to make sure that the experiences we give students here, the way we take care of them, the extracurriculars we have, fine arts, athletics, academics, families in Georgetown, Texas, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better experience than Georgetown ISD schools.
Tom: Recently the Georgetown ISD Board voted to give teachers and staff pay raises, how much are those, and how is that going to help?
Dr. Padavil: We brought starting teacher pay to $56,500. Frankly, it’s not enough. Teachers deserve the best we can possibly provide them. The research shows that the number one thing we can do for kids is provide a high-quality teacher in every classroom. Part of that is compensation, part of that is our culture of taking care of our staff.
Tom: Last year was your first year with the school district. What did you learn about this community? And how does that inform you moving forward?
Dr. Padavil: Georgetown is an amazing place. Really something that sets Georgetown apart from any school district is the way that people take care of each other here. Any new staff member coming to Georgetown ISD is going to find a teammate here. That’s really special about this place. But the community is so involved in Georgetown. The community really invests in our school district.
Tom: Georgetown is now the eighth fastest-growing city in the country. It was number one. How do you keep up with that growth?
Dr. Padavil: We really have to think two or three steps ahead. I’m really grateful to our community for supporting the largest bond in Texas so far this year, so that we can get ready for the growth of this community. We’re going to add a third high school, a fifth middle school, and another elementary school. We have to keep up. Part of that is we want to provide families with reasonable class sizes with school buildings that are not overcrowded, and a high-quality learning experience.
Tom: The most recent district report card gave Georgetown ISD a B. Student achievement scored really well. But certain ethnic groups, economically disadvantaged students, and English learners are struggling. How do you help them catch up?
Dr. Padavil: When we look at the underperformance of any student, we will not be satisfied until every student is learning at high levels. What that takes is leadership, putting in the right systems and processes to help every student be successful. Over the course of the summer, and the beginning of the school year, we’re really looking at that to make sure every student is successful. We have a plan to respond to what the data is telling us so that every kid can learn at the highest level. We’re going to treat every student in Georgetown ISD as if they were my own child.
Tom: What’s your message to families coming back or just starting with the district?
Dr. Padavil: The experience of being in school is really special. We only get one shot at third grade. We only get one shot at being K through 12, period. I encourage families to connect with us for anything their child needs. We have a special set of schools here where principals and teachers are really invested in the success of our kids. Please know that any parent can reach out at any time and that we’re truly invested in the success of your children.