November 15, 2016 — Regular Meeting
Conroe ISD Board Meeting — 2016-11-15
Regular Meeting — Unofficial Notes
Based on auto-generated transcript. Not an official record.
Generated 2026-03-27 21:07 UTC
Unofficial Meeting Notes
Conroe Independent School District Board of Trustees
Regular Meeting — November 15, 2016
Note: These are unofficial notes based on an auto-generated transcript. They may contain errors or omissions. Please consult official minutes for the authoritative record.
1. Call to Order & Opening
- Meeting called to order at 6:00 PM by President Husbands. A quorum was confirmed.
- Invocation delivered by Mr. Kidd; Pledge of Allegiance led by Mr. Sanders.
2. Special Recognitions
2A. National Merit Scholarship Student Recognition
- Presented by Jim Caker, Assistant Superintendent for Secondary Education.
- High school principals recognized: Tommy Johnson, Marc Mero, Marc Weatherly, Mike Papademetriou, and Jerry Gambertolli.
- National Merit Semifinalists: 27 students recognized (representing the top 1% of PSAT scores nationally). Named students included Ryan Bailey, Kristin Bonet, Malia Kalyn, Andrew Dougherty, Niva Iman, Ganesh, Zachary Hill, Muriel Kelly, Sebastian Union, Austin Mood, Jake Paul Fleur, Kaylie Prochaska, Franklin Shin, Evelyn Tran, Bruner Walczak, Jessica Zhang, Federico Aguaki, Thomas Benavides, Scott Curtis, Jordan, Jack Casey Owen, Nicholas Monks, Michael Purcell, Carlos Ruffo, Niveditha Salvage, Mojito Walker, Ian Tudor, and others. (Some students unable to attend.)
- National Hispanic Scholars: 47 students recognized through the College Board's National Hispanic Recognition Program (top performers among ~235,000 Hispanic/Latino juniors who took the PSAT). Numerous students named.
- Board expressed great pride in students' achievements, noting Texas has the 8th highest qualifying PSAT score in the nation.
2B. Recognition of Outgoing Board Member Jessica Powell
- Dr. Stockton recognized Jessica Powell for her four years of service on the Board of Trustees.
- Powell thanked the board and district, noting she has been part of Conroe ISD since 8th grade and professionally since 2005. She pledged to remain active as a community member and advocate for teachers, staff, and students.
3. Public Participation
Speaker: (Identified as a concerned citizen/public school employee)
- Expressed concern about House Bill 1842 (84th Legislative Session) and the District of Innovation concept.
- Raised alarms about potential changes to: highly qualified teacher status, class size ratios, teacher salaries, planning periods, and impacts on special populations.
- Urged the board to investigate thoroughly and cautioned: "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."
Dr. Stockton's response (noted this was not an agenda item for discussion):
- Acknowledged significant community feedback and confusion about the District of Innovation process.
- Clarified that the district's primary intent was to explore starting school earlier in the year — not to make sweeping policy changes.
- Stated the district-level committee would meet the following day and would recommend eliminating all items except a flexible start date from the District of Innovation plan.
- Confirmed the topic would appear on the December board agenda.
4. Consent Agenda
- No items were pulled for separate discussion.
- Motion to approve; seconded.
- Vote: Approved unanimously (all in favor by show of hands).
5. Action Items
4A. Approval of 2016–17 District Improvement Plan
- Presented by Dr. Novak.
- The plan highlights district strategic goals, objectives, strategies, and programs; described as a "living document" to be reviewed and revised throughout the year.
- Developed annually with the district-level planning and decision-making committee.
- Motion and second received.
- Vote: Approved unanimously.
4B. Approval of 2016–17 Campus Improvement Plans
- Presented by Dr. Phillips.
- Each campus develops plans with site-based decision-making committees, addressing student performance using Texas Academic Performance Reports.
- Discussion highlights:
- Sam Houston is designated as "Improvement Required" (IR).
- Austin is formally "F-IR" (formerly Improvement Required) with continued reporting obligations.
- Board members praised the work being done at Sam Houston and the dedication of its staff.
- Board members noted the balance between similarities across plans and each campus's unique personality.
- Vote: Approved unanimously.
6. Information Items
5A. 2017–18 School Calendar (Information Only)
- Presented by Dr. Novak — this was a kickoff/information item; no vote taken.
- Timeline: District-level team to develop draft options; public feedback collected November–January; recommendation to board in February for approval.
- Key parameters: 178 student instructional days; 3 early release days; 187-day teacher work schedule.
- Major discussion points:
| Topic | Details |
|-------|---------|
| Start Date | Standard law requires no earlier than 4th Monday in August (Aug. 28, 2017). District of Innovation could allow earlier starts — Aug. 21 or Aug. 16 discussed. Starting Aug. 16 (a Wednesday) received positive feedback as an ease-in to the school year. |
| October Holiday | Starting Aug. 16 would allow an October holiday (Oct. 9, Columbus Day) paired with a half-day on Oct. 6 (end of first nine weeks). Strong board support for this. |
| Winter Break | Board expressed strong preference for three weekends within winter break. Two options discussed: ending semester Dec. 15 (earlier) or Dec. 20–21 (later, better semester balance). |
| Spring Break | Aligned with UT/Texas A&M — March 12, 2018. |
| End Date | Starting Aug. 16 → last student day ~May 31; Starting Aug. 28 → last student day ~June 8. |
| Graduation | Targeted for the week of May 28 (Memorial Day week), dependent on Pavilion availability. |
- Board feedback: General support for earlier start (Aug. 16), October holiday, three-weekend winter break, and earlier end date. Board interested to see what district-level committee recommends.
7. Construction & Capital Improvements
5B. Selection of Construction Manager at Risk for 2018 Lifecycle Projects
- Presented by Mr. Foster.
- Two companies responded to the Request for Qualifications; both invited to step two.
- GTT Construction selected as the best value based on published ranking criteria.
- PBK serves as architect (selected November 2015).
- Motion and second received.
- Vote: Approved unanimously.
Capital Improvements Update (Informational)
| Project | Status |
|---------|--------|
| Grand Oaks High School | On schedule to open August 2018. Structural steel mostly erected; MEP rough-in underway; masonry begun. |
| Safety & Security Project | Phase 1 nearing completion (through January) — cameras, servers, vestibule improvements, access control. Phase 2 planned for spring. |
| Grangerland Intermediate | On schedule; additional classroom space to be ready for students returning from winter break (December 2016). |
| Lucile Bradley Elementary | On schedule for August 2017 opening. Building structure erected; roofing and exterior masonry underway. |
| The Woodlands College Park – Robotics Addition | On schedule for spring 2017 turnover. Slab in place; structural steel going up. |
| Network Operations Center | Work underway in Building B; progress photos expected next month. |
- Board Recognition: Dr. Stockton publicly congratulated Mr. Foster on completing his master's degree, noting he was a recipient of a Conroe Education Foundation scholarship for working professionals.
8. Financial Reports
5C. Bond Series 2016A — Final Results
- Presented by John Roebuck, District Financial Advisor, and Darren Rice.
- Total bonds sold: $206,635,000
- New Money: $137,520,000 in bonds generating $150 million for construction projects; all-in cost rate of 3.274%.
- Refunding: $69,155,000 in bonds refunding $72,295,000 of existing debt (previously at 4.987%); refunding rate of 2.493%.
- Refunding savings: $9,314,300 (net present value savings of ~9.87%).
- Original estimated savings were $8.3 million; actual results exceeded estimates.
- New money debt service requirements came in at $233 million vs. budgeted $260 million — a $27 million favorable difference.
- Combined favorable difference (savings + reduced debt service): ~$28.6 million.
- Conroe ISD's bond yields significantly outperformed comparable AAA-rated school district issues sold around the same time (5–9 basis points better).
- Rates are locked in; closing scheduled for November 29.
- Board and financial advisor noted fortunate timing — municipal bond rates rose significantly after the November election.
5D. Monthly Financial Statements (October 2016)
- Presented by Darren Rice.
- Balance Sheet: General fund cash and investments totaled $174 million — ahead of prior year due to early tax collections.
- Income Statement: State program revenues received for September and October; payroll remains the largest expenditure category.
- 2015 Bond Referendum Status: $215.4 million encumbered/expended; $300.5 million estimated to complete; ~$4.3 million contingency remaining.
- Self-Funded Insurance Plan:
- October results: Total revenues $3,793,000; Total expenses $3,051,000; Net positive: $742,000.
- November trending positively (though not as strong as October).
- Wellness Center averaging ~432 visits per month.
- Meeting with Memorial Hermann scheduled for the following day to discuss staffing and a potential new site.
- Investments: Portfolio par value of $302.6 million; combined portfolio yield of 80 basis points vs. benchmark of ~30 basis points (90-day T-bill). Yields trending upward across all investment categories.
Summary of Votes
| Item | Motion | Result |
|------|--------|--------|
| Consent Agenda | Approve as presented | Approved unanimously |
| 2016–17 District Improvement Plan | Approve | Approved unanimously |
| 2016–17 Campus Improvement Plans | Approve | Approved unanimously |
| Construction Manager at Risk (GTT Construction) | Approve selection | Approved unanimously |
Items of Note
- District of Innovation discussion will return on the December agenda, narrowed to focus solely on a flexible school start date.
- 2017–18 School Calendar is in the information/feedback stage; formal approval expected in February 2017.
- No items were tabled or deferred.