$100,000 Donation to Strengthen Libraries Across Clear Creek ISD Intermediate Schools

CCISD District Librarians and Superintendent hold up a giant $100,000 check from Greg Stricker

Aug 7 2026 11:14 AM

Clear Creek Independent School District received a $100,000 donation from longtime community member Greg Strickler on August 5, 2026, to support library collections at intermediate schools across the district.

The gift grew from a simple moment between Strickler and his granddaughter, Olivia, a WAVE program student in CCISD. When Olivia was in sixth grade, she brought her grandfather a library book to read. As he made his way through the book, its condition caught his attention.

“The pages were literally falling out of the book,” Strickler said.

Wanting to help, Strickler contacted the school librarian, received a list of books that needed replacing and purchased new copies. The following year, he worked directly with the librarian to provide funding that allowed the school to purchase books through its established system.

That experience led Strickler to consider the needs beyond a single campus.

“I thought that the other intermediate schools probably have similar needs,” he said. Working with CCISD over the summer, Strickler developed a plan to provide $100,000 for intermediate school libraries throughout the district and surprise librarians with the news as they returned for the new school year.

“I think reading is too important to leave to chance and small budgets, and we all know reading early is critical,” Strickler said. “I’m just trying to make my early investments pay off in meaningful ways.”

Strickler’s connection to Clear Creek ISD spans nearly five decades. A Clear Lake resident since 1978, he raised five children who attended CCISD schools from kindergarten through high school. Today, his family remains closely connected to the community, with his granddaughter continuing the family’s CCISD story.

“Mr. Strickler’s generosity is a powerful example of what it means to invest in the future of our students,” said Dr. Karen Engle, Superintendent of Schools. “A well-loved book sparked an idea that will now put new books into the hands of students across our district. We are incredibly grateful that he saw a need and chose to turn it into an opportunity for thousands of children. That kind of generosity leaves an impact far beyond the library shelves.”