GISD Education Foundation Receives Largest Gift in History from Former Village HOA

May 17

The Georgetown ISD Education Foundation received the largest individual donation in its seven-year history on Thursday: $450,000 and a 2.792 acre parcel of land valued at $343,568.

The donation was made by the recently dissolved Village Homeowners Association (HOA) which encompassed 549 homes in the Village Neighborhood located off Shell Road in northwest Georgetown. The land is located east of McCoy Elementary on Bellaire Drive.

The HOA was originally created in 2008 by the developer to build and operate a community pool for the homeowners of the Section 9 and Creekside sections of the Village neighborhood. After years of homeowner discussions and a lack of sufficient funds to construct the neighborhood pool, the board held an election in the winter of 2021 to determine the future of the HOA. State law requires at least 67% of homeowners to cast a ballot for an election to be valid. A total of 453 homeowners (82%) voted with 87% of the votes cast in favor of dissolving the HOA.

“The HOA laws in the State of Texas are strict and make dissolution very difficult, but the homeowners spoke loud and clear. I am proud our board didn’t give up and worked hard to allow the homeowners the opportunity to make their voices heard,” said Michael Charles, former President of the HOA. “Dissolution is not common,” said Charles. “Our attorney, Gregory Cagle of Cagle Pugh, advised us in our first meeting that he had only seen one other HOA successfully dissolve. I guess he has seen two now!”

Since 2015, the foundation has operated as a fully volunteer board to support innovative learning in Georgetown ISD schools.

“We are honored that the homeowners and parents in the Village community entrust us with this gift. It is a game-changer for our organization,” said Greg Bowden, founder and chair of the Georgetown ISD Education Foundation. “We are humbly aware of the responsibility we have to be good stewards of these funds which will provide a lasting legacy for students in GISD.”

So how will the funds be used? None have been earmarked for any one program, but you can learn more about the foundation’s initiatives online:

Innovative teacher grants - two cycles annually
Recognizing teachers and staff through the district’s annual awards program
Supporting the district’s annual State of the District showcase
Supporting new teachers in GISD with gift cards to purchase school supplies
Students at all grade levels participate in the SeaPerch underwater robotics program
Hammerlun Leadership Academy for GISD Staff

“As state funding shrinks for public schools, organizations like the Ed Foundation become increasingly essential to sustaining innovative programming,” said Dr. Fred Brent, superintendent for Georgetown ISD. “I am honored and humbled at the news of this gift.”

You can view photos from the event here.