A.J. Pontillo - Former GCISD Trustee

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A.J. Pontillo - Former GCISD Trustee Proud husband and father. Advocate for Faith, Family and Freedom. connectwithaj.org/go

Dedicated to principled leadership, public service, and building stronger communities for future generations. I have called Grapevine home since 1993, attending Timberline Elementary, Colleyville Middle and graduating from Grapevine High School in 2001. After graduation, I attended Texas Christian University (TCU), graduating in 2005 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Political Science and Minor in Criminal Justice. Upon graduating from TCU, I embarked on an amazing and rewarding career of service in Law Enforcement spanning more than 16 years and counting. As a law enforcement professional, I have taken on multiple leadership roles including heading agency threat management programs and serving as the lead instructor for fi****ms, control tactics and force-on-force. I was trained and certified in hazardous material and bio-detection response, as well as post-blast investigations. Once my wife and I were able to choose my duty station, there was only one place we wanted to raise our daughter and that was in the Grapevine/Colleyville community. Since our family has replanted our roots in Grapevine, I actively volunteer with a variety of clubs and activities at my daughter’s school and coach her basketball and volleyball teams. I believe the more parents get involved and support our teachers, the better our school systems run. Promoting collaboration, communication and transparency builds unity and trust. As an alumnus, I am proud of GCISD’s continued successes and opportunities provided to our children. I not only want to use my professional skills and experience to give back to the school district that impacted me, I want to make GCISD the best district for our children. My safety and security expertise is an asset to GCISD leadership in a time when parents must be assured when they bring their kids to school, they will be returned home safely. My diverse experience enables me to bring a levelheaded, commonsense approach to complex challenges. As a GCISD Trustee, I will provide transparency to the community and a voice in the conversation. I will focus on the decisions directly impacting all of our students and staff. I will bring to the Board all the passion and pride of a GCISD parent, alumnus and community member.

10/21/2026

GCISD posted the agenda for the October 26 meeting and there is an action item to change the transfer policy.

Re-opening the free-for-all transfer system and repeating history is a really bad idea. And if this is where GCISD is headed, people need to understand the consequences.

For nearly a decade, GCISD had open enrollment for district residents with few restrictions. What we saw was a system of haves and have-nots. Some campuses flourished while others struggled mightily, undermining equitable access to quality education and the district’s long-term success.

That policy didn’t solve our enrollment problem. Declining enrollment occurred during that period and is still a reality.

So why are we considering going backward?

Two years ago, central administration brought transfer policy changes to the board to better balance enrollment, align staffing, manage class sizes and strengthen campuses. We’ve spent years working toward those goals, and now we’re considering undoing that work.

Moving hundreds of students affects staffing, GT and Special Education services, class sizes, extracurricular activities such as athletics, and fine arts, and campus stability. Some schools will benefit while others bear the consequences.

If those concerns were legitimate two years ago, what has changed?

I’m disappointed in the board majority, particularly the board president, if the priority is appeasing a political base rather than considering what’s best for the entire district. I’m equally disappointed if administration is unwilling to stand behind its recommendations because of political pressure.

Leadership means making decisions based on what’s right for students, not what’s easiest politically.

The focus should be on winning families back through high standards, academic excellence and outstanding extracurricular opportunities, not creating another system where some campuses thrive at the expense of others.

I’m encouraged that the revenue committee we started last year continues developing innovative revenue-generating ideas, and that the hybrid educational model we worked on over the past year is coming to fruition. I’m very thankful to Shannon Braun for GCISD School Board Place 1 and Kathy Florence-Spradley GCISD Board of Trustees Place 4 continually asking for updates and requesting this agenda item.

That’s how you move a district forward: innovative solutions, high academic standards, quality programs and a commitment to attracting the best educators and families.

GCISD is now an A-rated district (after being a B-rated district under the new metrics years before the conservative majority took control), we now have a Blue Ribbon high school, the highest AP scores in 15 years and growing National Merit recognition. We should build on that progress, not undermine it.

There’s also some irony in watching people who criticize school choice celebrate expanded transfers as “school choice” when it suits them. Parents deserve options, and they have options, but we cannot ignore the impact those choices have on the entire district.

We’ve been down this road before. Let’s not make the same mistake twice. When enrollment shifts create staffing problems, strain programs and put more campuses at risk, students and families will pay the price.

GCISD needs to move forward, not backward.



🚒 Grapevine, let’s support our firefighters! 🇺🇸From October 19 through November 3, Grapevine Professional Firefighters A...
10/20/2026

🚒 Grapevine, let’s support our firefighters! 🇺🇸

From October 19 through November 3, Grapevine Professional Firefighters Association Local 3113 are collecting petition signatures to get proposed measures on the May 2027 ballot, giving Grapevine voters the opportunity to decide on civil service, collective bargaining, and binding arbitration for our firefighters.

📍 Where to sign: Firefighters will be collecting signatures at the polls at 1201 Municipal Way, Grapevine, TX, during the October 19–November 3, during early voting and on Election Day.

If you’re heading to the polls, stop by, say hello, chat with our firefighters, learn more about the proposed measures, and sign the petition!

Our firefighters show up for our community when we need them most. Let’s show up for them and make sure Grapevine voters have a voice in these important decisions.

đźš’ Stop by. Chat. Learn more. Sign the petition.

09/25/2026

Recent PIA Release

The recent PIA that was produced and posted online today raises some pretty significant questions about governance and transparency, particularly because this communication appears to have occurred during a GCISD Board meeting.

Based on the records produced (after an initial PIA request, for the same information, was returned with no responsive records), there is a text exchange involving the current Board President and someone identified as “Rachael.” The identity and role of that individual now appear to be disputed.

If this is not the person some initially believed it to be, then that raises an even more basic question:

Who is this person, and what role, if any, are they playing in advising or providing governance input to an elected trustee during a Board meeting?

To be clear, communicating with people outside the district isn’t inherently improper. Trustees can seek information and opinions from many sources.

But there is a meaningful difference between casually communicating with someone and appearing to seek or receive governance guidance during an official Board meeting from someone who, based on what has been stated, does not appear to be a GCISD trustee, employee, attorney, or identified Board advisor.

And this is where the response from some people becomes particularly difficult to understand.

We’ve heard repeatedly about the importance of protecting what some view as privileged information and the seriousness of trustees communicating or releasing information that may be considered privileged.

Yet now, when records raise questions about a trustee communicating with an outside individual during a Board meeting about Board business, we’re being told essentially that there’s nothing to see here.

Would that same standard apply if the roles were reversed?

If a trustee from the other side of the political divide were sitting in a Board meeting communicating with an unidentified outside individual and apparently seeking guidance on governance matters, would the reaction be the same? Would people be equally dismissive? Or would we immediately be hearing demands for explanations about who the person was, what information was shared, and what advice was being provided?

That’s the hypocrisy worth examining.

This isn’t about declaring that a legal violation occurred. The records may or may not establish that. It’s about consistent standards and transparency.

If the public is told they have a right to know when elected officials are discussing Board business and handling potentially privileged information, then that standard shouldn’t suddenly disappear when the circumstances are politically inconvenient.

So the questions remain:

Who is “Rachael”? What is her relationship, if any, to GCISD? What was the nature of the guidance or input being sought? And why was that communication occurring during an official Board meeting?

Those are reasonable questions based on the records that have been produced and the public deserves consistent answers regardless of which side of the political aisle the trustee happens to be on.

09/15/2026

Here we go.

Since the Board Majority took over in May, we’ve seen a reduced focus on academics, important agenda items repeatedly pushed toward the end of meetings, no End-of-Year workshop and no Beginning-of-Year workshop, favors for friends, multiple violations of Robert’s Rules of Order, improper motions and votes, and now this…

There are now secret discussions happening between the Board Majority, Superintendent and some city leadership about opening GCISD enrollment, beyond the current limited open enrollment policies in place, to students who do not live in the district. And if that is the direction they intend to take this district, doesn’t the community deserve to know about it, that is what this Board Majority ran on and has complained about…”transparency”.

If you’re going to fundamentally change who GCISD serves, that conversation should happen out in the open, with the taxpayers, parents, teachers, and community at the table. Not through back-room daisy-chain discussions.

Let’s be very clear about what is at stake.

GCISD is not a free public-school option for anyone who wants it. It is a destination district that families intentionally choose, paying a premium to live in, because of the quality of its schools.

That reputation matters.

That exclusivity matters.

And yes, it matters to PROPERTY VALUES.

People don’t pay a premium to live in Grapevine and Colleyville simply because they like the zip code. They do it because of the schools, the community, and the reputation GCISD has built over decades. Diluting that distinction could ultimately diminish one of the biggest reasons people choose to live here in the first place.

And who pays for this?

The local taxpayer.

GCISD receives less from the state than it actually costs to educate a student. Every additional student brings additional costs; teachers, classrooms, transportation, administration, technology, counseling, behavioral services, special education, and more.

And let’s talk about special education and specialized services.

They are already overburdened and underfunded by the state. Adding students and additional service requirements doesn’t make that problem disappear. It puts even more pressure on the people already trying to serve our students with limited resources.

We’ve watched other districts pursue open enrollment under the promise of bringing in substantial enrollment and revenue. The reality has often been far less impressive: little meaningful enrollment growth while increasing the burden on staff and special services.

So what exactly are we trying to accomplish?

Are we going to chase enrollment numbers simply so we can say we grew enrollment?

Because growth for the sake of growth isn’t sound education policy.

The Board Majority and Superintendent need to understand something:

GCISD is not theirs to reinvent.

They are temporary stewards of a district that generations of families have invested in, supported, and built.

If you believe open enrollment is the right path, make the case publicly. Show us the numbers. Show us the projected costs. Show us the impact on teachers. Show us the impact on special services. Show us the enrollment data from districts that have already tried it. Show us the impact on taxpayers. And show us why GCISD families should believe this won’t diminish the very thing they are paying a premium to be part of.

And here’s the part that frustrates me most:

The consequences will be paid by GCISD families (especially those that have called GCISD home for generations), taxpayers, teachers, and students.

We’re only a few months in, but this pattern and failure of leadership is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore.

Twenty-five years later, we still remember. 🇺🇸On September 11, 2001, our nation was attacked by cowards, thousands of in...
09/11/2026

Twenty-five years later, we still remember. 🇺🇸

On September 11, 2001, our nation was attacked by cowards, thousands of innocent lives were lost, and an entire generation was changed forever.

We remember the 2,977 mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, friends, and colleagues who never made it home. We remember the firefighters, police officers, EMTs, and other first responders who ran toward danger while others were running away. We remember the passengers and crew of Flight 93 who fought back. We remember the countless Americans who opened their hearts, opened their homes, searched for survivors, and stood shoulder to shoulder with their neighbors.

We also remember those who answered the call in the aftermath, the law enforcement officers, intelligence professionals, military members, firefighters, emergency personnel, and countless other public servants who dedicated their lives to protecting this country. Many sacrificed years with their families. Some sacrificed their health. And some ultimately sacrificed their lives.

As a nation, we were reminded that courage is not the absence of fear. Courage is stepping forward when your country and your fellow Americans need you most.

September 11th showed us the very best of America in the face of the very worst. It showed us courage, sacrifice, compassion, unity, and an unwavering determination to stand together and protect the American way of life.

Twenty-five years later, we must never forget what was lost, but we must also never forget what was found in those dark days: an American people willing to stand together, serve one another, and defend the freedoms, values and the American way of life that make this country great.

For those of us who serve in law enforcement, the military, public safety, and other positions of public trust, that responsibility continues. The oath is bigger than any one person. It is a commitment to our communities, to our Constitution, to one another, and to this great country.

Today, we remember the victims.
We honor the heroes.
We salute those who answered the call.
We stand with the families who continue to carry their loss.
And we remain grateful for the men and women who continue to protect and serve our nation.

Twenty-five years later, the memory remains. The sacrifice remains. And the mission continues.

🇺🇸 We remember. We honor. We will never forget. 🇺🇸

One year ago, America lost a husband, a father, a son, and a patriot.Charlie Kirk was only 31 years old, but his impact ...
09/10/2026

One year ago, America lost a husband, a father, a son, and a patriot.

Charlie Kirk was only 31 years old, but his impact reached far beyond his years. He devoted his life to encouraging young Americans to believe that their voice mattered, that their faith mattered, that their country mattered, and that standing for what you believe in was worth the courage it required.

Charlie didn’t just talk about his convictions, he lived them.

He stood in front of thousands of young people and challenged them to think, to question, to engage, and to never be afraid to speak. He understood that the future of this country would ultimately be determined by a generation willing to stand up and defend the principles that made America exceptional.

His life was taken while doing what he loved: engaging with Americans and defending the ideas he believed would make our country stronger.

That should never have happened.

Political violence has no place in America. We cannot allow hatred to silence voices, intimidate citizens, or determine the direction of our country. The answer to an idea we oppose can never be a bullet. It must always be another idea, another conversation, another voice.

But Charlie’s story is not defined by the person who took his life.

It is defined by the life Charlie chose to live.

By his faith.

By his love for his family.

By his love for this country.

By his willingness to stand when it would have been easier to sit down.

And by the millions of young Americans he inspired to get involved and believe that America is still worth fighting for.

His movement did not die with him.

His voice did not die with him.

His convictions did not die with him.

They live on in every young person who decides to speak up. In every American who refuses to be intimidated. In every parent who teaches their children to love their country. In every citizen who chooses courage over silence.

Today, we remember Charlie Kirk not simply for how he died, but for how he lived.

Boldly. Faithfully. Fearlessly.

May we continue the work he began.

May we pray for Erika, his children, and the entire Kirk family.

And may we never forget that the freedoms we cherish are preserved by each generation willing to stand up and defend them.

Rest in peace, Charlie.

Your life mattered. Your voice mattered. Your legacy matters.

And your work continues.

God bless the Kirk family, and God bless the United States of America. 🇺🇸✝️



Turning Point USA

Historic Academic Gains — The Result of Doing the WorkToday, GCISD has something worth celebrating: historic academic ga...
08/14/2026

Historic Academic Gains — The Result of Doing the Work

Today, GCISD has something worth celebrating: historic academic gains and an A rating for our district. This achievement didn’t happen overnight, and it certainly didn’t happen by accident. It is the result of years of hard work, accountability, high expectations, and a commitment to doing what is right for students.

Over my three years on the Board, we worked alongside our incredible staff to rebuild academic accountability and achievement from the ground up. We established a strategic plan and scorecard that gave us measurable goals and a clear way to track whether we were actually making progress.

We demanded some of the highest levels of accountability and transparency I have seen in public education. Monthly staff presentations to the Board, along with beginning-of-year, middle-of-year, and end-of-year workshops, forced us to continually examine the data, identify shortcomings, and ask the hard questions: Where are we falling short? Why? And what are we going to do about it?

Most importantly, we chose to raise the bar rather than lower it.

Higher standards only matter if we are willing to do the work necessary to help students reach them. We did not lower expectations or redefine success simply to make the numbers look better. We identified where students and campuses were struggling, worked collaboratively with staff to address those gaps, and built a culture focused on getting students over the higher bar.

It wasn’t always easy. There were difficult conversations, difficult decisions, and plenty of moments when progress took time. But accountability works when you stick with it.

And now, we are seeing the results.

Historic academic achievement. An A-rated district. And a first truly balanced budget in nearly a decade.

These accomplishments are connected. Academic excellence requires investment, stability, responsible stewardship, and a willingness to hold ourselves accountable for results.

I am incredibly proud of what we accomplished together over these past three years, but the credit belongs to GCISD who did the work every single day.

Thank you to the men and women of GCISD; our teachers, administrators, staff, and leaders, who put in countless hours to make this possible.

And most importantly, congratulations to our students. You showed up, you worked hard, and you proved what is possible when we set high expectations and give students the support they need to reach them.

This is what happens when we refuse to lower the bar and instead commit ourselves to helping every student clear it.



https://txschools.gov/?view=district&id=220906&tab=performance|accountability&lng=en

07/30/2026

One of the Board’s most important responsibilities is ensuring every student receives the best education possible. That requires more than approving budgets and policies, it requires relentless academic accountability.

As I watch the Board majority, I’m concerned by what has not been discussed.

There has been:
• No End-of-Year Workshop reviewing district performance.
• No July Scorecard Priorities presentation measuring progress toward the Board’s adopted goals.
• No deep dive into this year’s STAAR results.
• No follow-up on the attorney-client privilege issue that was previously presented as a major transparency concern.

Instead, Board time has shifted toward issues that do little to advance student achievement. At the July board meeting, for example, a proposal was passed to amend district policy for the 2026-2027 school year to provide a one-time elementary transfer opportunity for students impacted by consolidation. While every family deserves to be heard, Board policies should be driven by what is in the best interest of the entire district and applied fairly and consistently, not through one-off exceptions to help people that worked on the new board majorities campaigns. There was no committee created and no report as to the ramifications for campuses, staff and leadership.

Equally concerning, recent meetings have included multiple amended motions without first properly disposing of the original motions through a vote. Parliamentary procedure isn’t a technicality, it protects transparency, accountability, and the integrity of every Board decision.

What concerns me most, however, is the apparent shift away from academic accountability.

From 2023 through 2026, our Board didn’t simply ask whether students passed or exceeded the state average. We demanded a deep dive into the data. We reviewed campus-by-campus performance, grade-level trends, student subgroup results, and growth measures. We asked hard questions because every student matters.

When students weren’t growing academically, we expected more than an explanation, we expected a plan. What interventions were being implemented? How would success be measured? When would the Board receive an update? We believed accountability meant ensuring every student had the opportunity to improve.

Those expectations became the standard for Board oversight. They shouldn’t disappear simply because the Board has changed.

Parents deserve answers:

* How did our students perform?
* Where are we excelling?
* Where are we falling behind?
* Which students need additional support?
* What is the plan to ensure every child continues to grow?

These are the conversations that should dominate Board meetings.

GCISD has exceptional students, outstanding teachers, and dedicated administrators. They deserve a Board that spends more time asking how to improve student outcomes than “debating” policy, creating committees that exclude minority Board representation, and replacing a law firm with more expensive alternatives without a clear benefit to taxpayers. They need to stop directing administrators to spend valuable time on initiatives that do little to improve outcomes for students. The district’s leadership team should be empowered to focus on academics, supporting teachers, and serving families, not diverted by distractions that consume time and taxpayer resources. Academic excellence, not political priorities, should be the Board’s primary focus.

Academic accountability. Transparent governance. Sound procedure. Clear communication.

Those aren’t partisan values, they’re the foundation of effective school board leadership, and our community should expect nothing less.

America at 250 🇺🇸Two hundred and fifty years ago, an extraordinary idea took root, that our rights come not from governm...
07/04/2026

America at 250 🇺🇸

Two hundred and fifty years ago, an extraordinary idea took root, that our rights come not from government, but from our Creator, and that a free people, united by courage and conviction, could chart their own destiny.

Since that day, generations of Americans have answered the call to defend liberty, build stronger communities, and leave a better nation for those who would follow. They crossed frontiers, fought on distant battlefields, raised families, opened businesses, taught our children, and served their neighbors with quiet determination. They proved that the true strength of America has never been found in our buildings or our institutions, it has always been found in our people.

America’s story has never been easy, but it has always been remarkable. Time and again, we have faced challenges not with despair, but with faith; not with fear, but with confidence; not with division, but with the enduring belief that our best days are still ahead.

As we celebrate 250 years of freedom, let us remember that the blessings of liberty are never guaranteed. Every generation is called to protect them, cherish them, and pass them on stronger than they were received.

I believe in America, not because she is perfect, but because her people have always been willing to strive toward a more perfect Union. I believe the next chapter of our nation’s story will be written by citizens who choose service over self-interest, faith over fear, and hope over cynicism.

May God continue to bless this great nation, and may we always be worthy of the priceless gift of freedom entrusted to us.

Happy 250th Birthday, America. The best is yet to come. 🇺🇸

Today, we honor and remember the brave men and women who gave the ultimate sacrifice in service to our nation. Their cou...
05/25/2026

Today, we honor and remember the brave men and women who gave the ultimate sacrifice in service to our nation. Their courage, selflessness, and love of country secured the freedoms we enjoy every day.

On this Memorial Day, we also remember the families who carry the weight of that sacrifice each and every day. We are forever grateful to our fallen heroes and will never forget the price they paid for our freedom.

May we live in a way that honors their legacy.

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Grapevine, TX
76051, 76092, 76099

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