GREENVILLE — School boards across the state are given immense responsibility on how a school district operates. Boards approve curriculum, finance issues and can help secure grants to better schools.

With January being designated School Board Recognition Month in Texas, the Greenville Independent School District’s Board of Trustees will be honored in tonight’s school board meeting with a dinner at 5 p.m., before the regular meeting at 6 p.m. inside the Wesley Martin Administration Building on Moulton Street. The dinner will be catered by the Greenville High School Culinary Arts department.

“The board has done an outstanding job in monitoring what we do and giving us feedback,” Don Jefferies, GISD superintendent, said. “They have always been helping us do the right thing.”

In 2012, the school board accepted a grant to attend The Center for Reform of School Systems (CRSS) training conference. CRSS is a group of former school board and administration members who specialize in case studies to find the best way to be accountable with finances and the teaching and welfare of children in the school district.

“It was very good training,” Jefferies said. “It’s the best training on schools that I’ve been to.”

The training showed, as the GISD School Board was recognized with a superior rating on the TEA Financial Integrity Rating System of Texas (FIRST) report, which grades school districts on financial management practices.

Along those lines, the board also brought iPads to the school through the district’s iPad initiative, and secured a $7 million literacy grant to help improve literacy and good reading habits across the school district.

“One way or another the board has approved or encouraged us to improve our school district,” he said. “The board will continue to be a board that is looking to improve accountability and performance, but also the arts, social development and developing the whole child.”

Randy Wineinger recently stepped down as vice president of the trustees to take his new position as Hunt County Tax Assessor/Collector, and will be recognized during the meeting.

“Randy will be missed,” Jefferies said. “He’s a guy you can always rely on to ask good questions. He wanted to see Greenville continue to improve, and supported us and held us accountable.”

Along with Wineinger, the board of trustees, and the 2012 Bowie, Lamar and Sixth Grade Center UIL Winners, will be recognized during the board meeting. The Elementary Honor Choir will perform during the recognition ceremony.

Trudy Wineinger, a former trustee and Randy’s wife, will be officially sworn in as District 4 trustee to fill the seat left by Randy.