Clay Gillentine, Superintendent - Brenham ISD

Clay Gillentine, Superintendent - Brenham ISD Official page of Clay Gillentine, Superintendent of Brenham ISD, serving the Brenham community.

Welcome to the official page of Clay Gillentine, Superintendent of Brenham Independent School District. This page serves as a professional communication platform where the Superintendent shares updates, highlights the important work taking place across Brenham ISD, and provides insight into the leadership, partnerships, and initiatives that support our students and community. For official district news, announcements, and event information, please visit the Brenham ISD page or www.brenhamisd.net

This page is monitored by Brenham ISD Communications. Comments are welcome and may be moderated in accordance with district policy.

Weekly Highlights: 8.31.26 - 9.6.26 | Brenham ISD: What a meaningful few days it has been for Brenham ISD.Friday, we c...
09/06/2026

Weekly Highlights: 8.31.26 - 9.6.26 | Brenham ISD:

What a meaningful few days it has been for Brenham ISD.

Friday, we celebrated 151 years of Brenham ISD, and I had the privilege of joining our community as we inducted four remarkable individuals into the Brenham ISD Distinguished Alumni Hall of Fame.

Congratulations to Bonnie Brinkmeyer (Brenham ISD Board Member), James Dennis, Jr., William “Bill” Seeker, and Mack Williams.

Listening to their stories and reflecting on the lives they have led after leaving our schools was a powerful reminder that the work happening in our classrooms today reaches far beyond a student's time in Brenham ISD.

It was also especially meaningful to have four of our Brenham High School Marine Corps JROTC cadets, Naomi, Karyme, Bailey, and Avery, present the colors as we opened the celebration. Having current students from one of our district's outstanding programs help us honor generations of Cubs who came before them was a fitting way to begin such a special event. I am proud of the professionalism and respect with which they represented Brenham High School and our district.

I shared during Friday's program that Going Greater does not mean forgetting where we came from. It means understanding the foundation others built for us, appreciating the people who invested in us, and then accepting the responsibility to build something even stronger for those who come next.

And then on Saturday, we got to see another wonderful example of what that next generation can accomplish! 🌊🏅

Our Brenham Waves Special Olympics athletes and Unified Partners competed at the A06 Swimming Competition at the Blue Bell Aquatic Center, and they were OUTSTANDING!

The Waves brought home 20 individual gold medals, seven silver medals, eight bronze medals, three first-place relay finishes, and one second-place relay finish. Those are incredible results, and I could not be prouder of every athlete who competed.

But what I love most goes beyond the medals.

It is the courage to compete. The joy of being part of a team. The friendships. The encouragement on the pool deck. The Unified Partners competing alongside our athletes. And the families, coaches, staff, volunteers, and community members who make sure our students have opportunities to participate, belong, and succeed.

That is what excellence for all looks like.

We also had plenty more to celebrate this week. Our Cub Football team picked up another exciting win Thursday night, our cross country teams are competing, volleyball continues its season, and Brenham Elementary earned this week's attendance bragging rights with a 96.16% ADA. Congratulations, BES!

Meanwhile, our Education Foundation received more than $250,000 in Mini Grant requests from educators across the district. I love seeing that level of creativity and initiative from our staff. Those applications represent teachers and staff members asking, "What else can we do for our students?" I cannot wait to see some of those ideas come to life.

When you put all of this together, Friday honoring four graduates whose lives demonstrate the lasting impact of education, our MCJROTC cadets helping us honor that legacy, Saturday watching our Special Olympics athletes compete and succeed, our students representing Brenham in activities across the district, and our educators continuing to dream bigger for their classrooms, you see the story of Brenham ISD.

For 151 years, generation after generation has added something to that story.

Now it is our turn.

We aren't simply working toward a great school year. We are helping shape what the next 151 years of Brenham ISD can become.

We have so much to celebrate, but we are going to keep learning, keep growing, and keep challenging ourselves to Go Greater.

Congratulations to all of our students, alumni, educators, and families who gave us so much to be proud of this week!

One Team. One Goal. Excellence for All.

09/05/2026

This was a wonderful event! Congratulations to all the alumni honorees.

09/04/2026

Great game and win tonight! Go Cubs!! 2-0

September is here, and I could not be more encouraged by what I am seeing across Brenham ISD!Yesterday, I had the opport...
09/03/2026

September is here, and I could not be more encouraged by what I am seeing across Brenham ISD!

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to spend some time walking classrooms alongside a few of our district leaders, including our Chief Academic Officer, Sara Borchgardt. There is something special about getting out on campuses and seeing the work firsthand. Our classrooms are already filled with meaningful instruction, engaged students, and teachers who are setting high expectations for the year ahead.

I am incredibly proud of our teachers, including the many new educators who have joined our team this year. The positive energy across our campuses is evident, and we are off to a GREAT start!

I am also grateful for Sara and the leadership she continues to provide through our Leading & Learning Team. Her commitment to supporting our teachers, strengthening instruction, and encouraging all of us to keep Going Greater has played an important role in the academic progress we are seeing across the district.

We have accomplished a lot, but the best part is knowing our team is not satisfied with simply being good. There is an excitement about what comes next, and after spending time in classrooms yesterday, I am even more excited about where we are headed.

September, we are ready for you!

We have an amazing Pre-K program here in Brenham ISD !
09/02/2026

We have an amazing Pre-K program here in Brenham ISD !

This morning, our Brenham ISD Administrative Team came together for our second ATM of the school year. These meetings br...
09/01/2026

This morning, our Brenham ISD Administrative Team came together for our second ATM of the school year. These meetings bring our principals, chiefs, directors, coordinators, and district leadership into one room to learn together, work through what is ahead, and make sure we continue moving Brenham ISD forward as One Team.

I believe strongly that leadership teams need this time together. There will always be another email to answer, another meeting to attend, another problem to solve, and another task waiting for us. But if we never make time to learn, reflect, challenge one another, and grow as leaders, eventually we stop getting better.

Today, we spent some time digging into Chapter 1 of Good to Great and connecting it to the work happening across Brenham ISD.

One of the principles we have worked intentionally on for several years is getting the right people in the right roles. When you have talented people who believe in the work, are passionate about their responsibilities, and have the freedom to lead, you do not have to constantly tell them to "go."

I told our team this morning that I would much rather have to say "whoa" than "go."

Give me leaders who are passionate. Give me people who see something that needs to be done and take ownership of it. Give me people willing to bring forward ideas, solve problems, take initiative, and move their area of Brenham ISD forward. My responsibility as superintendent is not to have every idea or make every move myself. It is to put great people in positions where they can use their strengths, support them, trust them, and then let them lead.

We also talked about the story of the two lumberjacks. One worked continuously throughout the day, while the other disappeared for an hour at lunch. Yet the second lumberjack consistently accomplished just as much, and sometimes more. When asked where he went each day, his answer was simple:

"I go to sharpen my axe."

There is a lesson in that for all of us.

Leadership requires us to work hard, but it also requires us to sharpen our axes. We need to make time to learn. To listen. To read. To reflect. To take care of ourselves. To learn from the people around us. Sometimes stepping away from the whirlwind long enough to sharpen ourselves is exactly what allows us to return better prepared to do the work.

That is part of what our Administrative Team Meetings are designed to provide.

When I looked around the room this morning, I was proud of the leadership team we have built. It did not happen overnight. We have spent years working to put the right people in the right positions, develop leaders from within, bring in new strengths when needed, and create a team of people who genuinely care about their work and the future of this district.

Good to Great begins with a simple idea: good is the enemy of great. We have a lot of GOOD things happening in Brenham ISD right now, and we should celebrate them. But our responsibility is to keep asking how we make them even better.

That is why we keep learning.

That is why we keep sharpening our axes.

And that is why we keep Going Greater.

Friday night was a great way to open the 2026 season! I had a blast being at Cub Stadium and watching our Brenham Cubs ...
08/31/2026

Friday night was a great way to open the 2026 season! I had a blast being at Cub Stadium and watching our Brenham Cubs earn a 49-14 victory over Huntsville. Even with a lightning delay before kickoff, our community showed up. Seeing a packed stadium filled with students, families, alumni, staff, and Cub fans made the night even more special, especially as we celebrated our seniors.

After Huntsville scored first, I loved watching the way our team responded. The Cubs answered almost immediately, took a 28-7 lead into halftime, and never looked back. Jakoby Dixon finished with 118 rushing yards and two touchdowns, CJ Glover added 86 rushing yards and two touchdowns, and the Cubs totaled 317 yards on the ground. It was a strong team performance on both sides of the ball and a great start to the season.

I am incredibly proud of our players, coaches, trainers, and everyone who works behind the scenes to prepare for nights like this. I also want to recognize our band, Belles, cheerleaders, MCJROTC, student groups, staff, and all of the students who help create the atmosphere and traditions that make Friday nights at Cub Stadium so special.

And to our community, thank you for showing up for our kids. There is something pretty incredible about looking into those stands and seeing Brenham come together to support its students.

It is only Week 1, and there is a lot of football still ahead of us. We know great teams are built one practice, one play, and one game at a time. But there is no question this is a talented group, and I am excited about what they can accomplish this season. I would certainly love nothing more than to see these Cubs make a run all the way to STATE! 🏆

Now it is time to take that energy on the road. The Cubs travel to Georgetown this Thursday, September 3, to take on East View at 7:00 p.m. at Birkelbach Field.

Congratulations on a great opening win, Cubs. Keep working, keep believing, and keep Going Greater!

1-0. On to the next one.

What a great week to be a Brenham Cub!As I look back on this week, I am reminded just how quickly the rhythm of a new sc...
08/28/2026

What a great week to be a Brenham Cub!

As I look back on this week, I am reminded just how quickly the rhythm of a new school year takes hold. Our classrooms are busy with learning, extracurricular activities are in full swing, and everywhere I go, I see students beginning to find their place and our staff doing what they do best, creating opportunities for students to learn, grow, and succeed.

We certainly ended the week with some energy! This morning, I had a blast joining our Brenham High School students, staff, families, and community for the first home pep rally of the year. We also had the opportunity to celebrate our BHS Football Team receiving the Chevy Spotlight Trophy from Inside High School Sports Houston. What a great recognition for our program and the pride and tradition surrounding Brenham Cub Football. Tonight, that excitement moves to Cub Stadium as our Cubs take on Huntsville for our first home football game. 🏈

This week also brought another tremendous recognition for one of Brenham ISD's nationally respected programs. Our Brenham High School Marine Corps JROTC was named a Naval Honor School, placing the program among the top 20 percent of Marine Corps JROTC units nationwide. Congratulations to Capt. Bayse, SgtMaj Murcia, and our cadets. Their leadership, discipline, character, and commitment to excellence continue to make Brenham proud.

One of the things I enjoy most about this time of year is watching our students discover where they belong. That may be on a field, court, or course, in the band hall, on a stage, in theatre or fine arts, through MCJROTC or CTE, in a student organization, or in one of the many other opportunities available across Brenham ISD.

These experiences matter. They build confidence, leadership, discipline, perseverance, friendships, and a sense of connection to something larger than ourselves. Going Greater means preparing students academically while also helping them discover where they can contribute, lead, grow, and belong.

We also had some great news from our campuses this week. Every Brenham ISD campus posted attendance above 95 percent, and Brenham Junior High claimed this week's top spot with an impressive 97.48 percent ADA! Congratulations, BJHS! Being at school matters, and this is an outstanding start across our district.

I continue to be grateful for the community that surrounds our schools. The Washington County Fair recently reached out with opportunities for our campus organizations, booster clubs, and student groups to volunteer at the Fair while earning donations for their organizations. Downtown Brenham is also inviting our schools and student groups to participate in its annual Scarecrow Extravaganza. These may seem like small things, but they represent something important about Brenham. Our schools are part of this community, and our community is invested in our schools.

That partnership has also been evident in the tremendous amount of school supplies donated over the past several weeks. Because of that generosity, we have additional supplies available for students who may need them throughout the year. Thank you again to everyone who has helped make that possible.

And somehow, September is already here next week! We have a lot to look forward to. We will celebrate 151 years of Brenham ISD, recognize four remarkable graduates through our Distinguished Alumni Hall of Fame, join Adam's Angels in recognizing Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, and soon gather as a community for our annual September 11 Remembrance.

There is so much happening across Brenham ISD, and behind every accomplishment, event, program, and opportunity are people working together to make it happen.

That is how we continue moving from good to great. Not through one moment or one program, but through consistent work, strong relationships, high expectations, and a community committed to its students.

Thank you for another great week, Brenham. I hope to see plenty of green and white filling Cub Stadium tonight!

Go Cubs!

What a way to start a Friday in Brenham! 💚🏈I had an absolute blast at our first Brenham High School pep rally of the yea...
08/28/2026

What a way to start a Friday in Brenham! 💚🏈

I had an absolute blast at our first Brenham High School pep rally of the year this morning. There is nothing quite like walking into that gym and feeling the energy of our students, staff, parents, and community all coming together to celebrate our Cubs.

Our students brought the SPIRIT! From our band, cheerleaders, Belles, Ice Cold Steppers, student organizations, and everyone helping lead the excitement, to a gym full of students cheering on their classmates, it was a great reminder of what makes Friday nights in Brenham so special.

Tonight, our Cubs take the field at home, and I know that same energy is going to carry right into Cub Stadium. I hope our community comes out, fills the stands, wears that green and white proudly, and gets LOUD for our students!

Days like today are just fun. I love getting to be part of them, and I am excited for everything ahead for our Cubs this year.

See you tonight! LET’S GO CUBS!

One of the things I enjoy most about this time of year is watching our students find the places where they belong.As our...
08/27/2026

One of the things I enjoy most about this time of year is watching our students find the places where they belong.

As our fall seasons get underway, I am excited to see our Brenham Cubs back competing and performing. Football, volleyball, cross country, tennis, cheer, Belles, MCJROTC, marching band, and so many others are putting in countless hours representing Brenham High School and our community. This Friday, we also have the opportunity to come together at Cub Stadium for our first home football game and recognize our seniors for Senior Night.

As superintendent, I am proud of the opportunities we provide our students. As a dad, I appreciate them on an entirely different level.

Allison and I have watched Holt grow through his own involvement in Brenham High School athletics, and as he begins his junior year and looks ahead to another golf season this spring, I am reminded of how much these experiences give our kids beyond competition.

That is why I believe so strongly in student involvement.

And it is certainly not limited to athletics. Whether a student finds their place on a field or court, in the band, on a stage, through theatre or fine arts, in MCJROTC, in CTE, a student organization, or another extracurricular activity, being connected matters.

These experiences give students an opportunity to discover their strengths, develop friendships, learn discipline and perseverance, work toward something bigger than themselves, and build relationships with adults who invest in their success. They create memories, but more importantly, they help develop young people.

Going Greater means creating opportunities for students to succeed academically, but it also means helping them discover where they can contribute, lead, grow, and belong.

I am looking forward to cheering on our students throughout the fall and watching all of our programs represent Brenham with pride. I hope our community will continue showing up for them too.

And on a personal note, I am thankful to local photographer Joseph Scott Alberico ( Joe Alberico Photography ) for capturing this photo of Allison, Holt, and me. These years go by quickly, and I am grateful to have moments like this captured along the way.

Good luck to all of our Cubs this season, and we’ll see you under the Friday night lights!

Go Cubs!

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711 East Mansfield
Brenham, TX
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