Mineola ISD didn’t have to look far for the new director of bands and fine arts.

Jim Best, who served four years with MISD before taking the reins at Winnsboro High School, is coming back to Mineola.

In four years at WISD, Best led the WHS band to its first appearance in the state marching championship in November, placing 5th.

Best and his wife Alysen have three children, ages 10, 8 and 7 and look forward to getting a little closer to family in Grand Saline.

Best acknowledged the large shoes he will have to fill replacing Chris Brannan, whose bands won the last three state marching championships in Class 3A.

Brannan is moving on to Class 5A Barbers Hill north of Houston.

Having spent four years with Brannan and working with other directors he has served with before will help keep the program moving in the right direction, he said.

Seeing the Winnsboro program grow as fast as it did in four years was exciting, he said, and it takes “all hands on deck.”

Best said some of the best bands in Texas are in East Texas, which is why he wanted to be in this area. He previously worked in Redwater, where he became familiar with Brannan’s work in Queen City (which also won three straight marching titles) and led him to take a job working for Brannan.

In other personnel matters, the school board accepted resignations from Brannan, Kalie Diemert, Dakota Heinaman and Donna Hodges.

Professional contracts were approved for Hanna Burt, Aaron Cavitt, Alison Dusek, Joe Ryzman, Brooke Sherwood, Julie Silman and Bruce Silman. A non-certified contract was awarded to Payton Williams, trainer certification.

In another band-related matter, the board accepted a $4,300 donation from Smith Chapel Methodist Church as proceeds from a fish fry Saturday to help with the cost of the band’s state championship rings. The church matched donations.

The board also accepted a record $68,000 donation from the Mineola ISD Education Foundation for teacher grants. The grants will be announced during the upcoming prize swarm.

This is the foundation’s sixth year and brings the total to $190,000 in grants.

Student recognitions included primary campus kindergartners Myra Ventura and Weston Williams, third graders Carly Pierce and Kros Donohoe from elementary, 6th graders Layel Rodgers and Brayden Williams from middle school and freshmen Ryleigh VanCleave and James Smith from high school. Support staff of the month was Ann McGough, elementary school aide, and teacher of the month was 7th grade math teacher Alyson Overall.