June 20, 2017 — Regular Meeting
Conroe ISD Board Meeting — 2017-06-20
Regular Meeting — Unofficial Notes
Based on auto-generated transcript. Not an official record.
Generated 2026-03-27 21:16 UTC
Unofficial Meeting Notes
Conroe Independent School District Board of Trustees — Regular Meeting
June 20, 2017
Note: These are unofficial notes based on an auto-generated transcript of the board meeting. They are intended to help the public understand what occurred and may contain minor errors due to transcription quality.
Call to Order
- Meeting called to order at 6:00 PM by President Bush.
- A quorum was confirmed present; meeting was posted in accordance with the Texas Open Meetings Act.
- Mr. Husbands led the invocation; Mr. Kidd led the Pledge of Allegiance and Texas Pledge.
Item 2A: Conroe ISD Education Foundation Update
Presenter: Nelda Blair, Foundation President
- The Foundation had a record-breaking year for scholarships: 161 teacher and student scholarships awarded.
- 126 employee scholarships were given in 2017, including paraprofessional scholarships to earn degrees and scholarships for degreed employees pursuing Master's or PhD programs.
- The Welcome Back program provides a $100 sign-on bonus to Conroe ISD graduates who return to work for the district.
- The Foundation's website has been overhauled, now including online donation capability.
- Annual scholarship breakfast (the Foundation's only fundraiser) broke the $200,000 gross mark for the second year, though net revenue dipped slightly due to AV improvements and the loss of a major sponsor.
- Financial position remains strong: over $150,000 in operating account and over $600,000 in a CD, after all scholarships were paid out.
- Board members thanked Blair and the Foundation for their work.
Items 2B–F: Recognition of The Woodlands High School Boys Track & Field — 2017 UIL Class 6A State Champions
Presenters: Coach Mark Schmid (Athletic Director, The Woodlands) and Head Track Coach Juris Green
Key highlights from the state meet:
- Adrian Piperi — State champion in shot put (scored 10 points with an injury); placed 2nd in discus; 18 total points. Younger brother Patrick Piperi also competed at state in shot put.
- Cecil Gregg — Won the long jump state title, jumping from 4th to 1st on his final attempt.
- Keshawn Carter — Won the 100 meters, earning the title of fastest athlete in Texas.
- 4x200 meter relay — Won with a time of 1:23.81, the #4 all-time national high school performance in the event.
- The team won the overall 6A Boys Track and Field team state championship.
Coaching staff recognized: Sean Hamilton, Gary Madore, Chris Bales, Robbie Dueitt.
A commemorative plaque was presented on behalf of the board and superintendent.
Item 2G: Ambassador Awards — Custodial and Maintenance Department
Presenter: Marshall Schroeder, Director of Custodial and Maintenance
- The department maintains nearly 9 million square feet and completes an average of 40,000 work orders per year.
- Leadership team members were recognized.
- Ambassador Award Recipients:
- Samuel Grigsby — South Maintenance, Irrigation Plumber (hired 9/25/2012)
- Roy Gill — North Maintenance, Carpenter/Roofer (hired 7/2/2007)
- Myra Quintero — South Custodial, Woodlands High School (hired 2/24/2014)
- Henesima Estrada — North Custodial, Conroe High School Evening Lead (hired 5/18/2015)
- Linda Chong — Director's Wildcard, South Custodial, College Park High School (hired 11/8/1985)
- Cecil Barnaby — Assistant Director's Wildcard, Conroe High School Custodian (hired 12/1/1972 — approaching 45 years with the district; unable to attend)
Dr. Stockton thanked the honorees for their behind-the-scenes work supporting students and staff.
Item 2H: Citizen Participation
- No citizens signed up to address the board.
Item 3: Consent Agenda
- No items were pulled for separate consideration.
- Vote: Approved unanimously (motion and second made; all in favor, none opposed).
Item 4A: Design Development — Austin Elementary Renovations and Additions
Presenters: Easy Foster (CISD) and Daniel Brewster, IBI Group (architect)
- The original 1950s building (wood frame) will be demolished and replaced; the 2008 addition will be retained as it remains in excellent condition.
- Key design changes:
- Front entrance relocated away from Highway 105 to the south end of the site for improved security.
- New parent drop-off and bus traffic separated (east side for buses/staff, west side for parent drop-off).
- A new gymnasium will be added (currently gym and cafeteria are shared).
- Secure vestibule meeting current safety/security standards.
- The former front entrance off Hwy 105 will be converted to a speech therapy area.
- A new LED monument sign will identify the school from the highway.
- Design will emulate the Flex school model and blend with the 2008 addition's brick colors.
- Civil engineers are working to widen the east-side drive to 30 feet (reducing existing pond size) to accommodate fire trucks and buses.
- Estimated completion: 2019.
- Board members asked about visibility from Hwy 105 and fire lane widths; both were addressed satisfactorily.
Item 4B: Capital Improvement Update
Presenter: Easy Foster
Projects Reported:
| Project | Status |
|---|---|
| Woodlands College Park Robotics Addition | Complete; Texas Torque has moved in; open house held |
| Network Operations Center | Data center essentially complete; technology department migrating equipment; full completion expected ~September |
| Lifecycle Projects | Roof replacements (Galatas, Bush, Hailey Elementary); gym/cafeteria floor replacements (Galatas, Buckalew, David Elementary); parking lot replacement (Creighton Elementary); tennis court resurfacing (College Park, Woodlands HS, Buddy Moorhead Stadium); track resurfacing (Buddy Moorhead) — all on schedule |
| Knox Junior High Science Addition | 10 science labs; exterior masonry complete; on schedule to open August; cafeteria expansion and field house addition also progressing |
| Woodlands Transportation Center | Building addition complete; interior tie-in and utility/parking improvements underway |
| Safety & Security Phase 2 | ~20% complete; 13 campuses receiving camera, access control, door contact, and vestibule upgrades; on track for December/January completion |
| Lucille Bradley Elementary | Opening August 2018; CISD takes possession July 1; furniture deliveries begin early July; building in cleanup/punch-list phase |
| Grand Oaks High School | On schedule for August 2018 opening; exterior masonry progressing; athletics venues taking shape |
| Flex 18 (Intermediate School) | Foundations being installed; scheduled to open August 2018 alongside Grand Oaks |
| Conroe High School Renovation | Phase 1 underway; summer work focused on utilities/infrastructure; Wilson Road being rerouted around construction; preparing main building for new addition tie-in |
Board members noted the rapid progress at Bradley Elementary (fully landscaped within two weeks) and the remarkable timeline for Flex 18 (from dirt to finished building in one year).
Item 5A: Preliminary 2017/2018 Budget Overview
Presenter: Darren Rice, Chief Financial Officer
Financial Highlights (Current Year):
- Superior rating from the Financial Integrity Rating System of Texas (FIRST) for 2015; anticipated for 2016.
- Only district to receive all three Transparency Stars from the State Comptroller (traditional finances, debt obligations, contracts/procurement); first district to ever receive a star.
- Five-star Texas Smart Schools rating for seven consecutive years (one of only three districts).
- Ranked 5th by Education Resource Group among 200 largest districts (academic and financial performance).
- Tax rate of $1.28 — 48 cents lower than 2005/06; 19.5 cents below peer district average; 15 cents below the closest peer (Klein ISD).
- General fund balance grew from $79M (2007) to $124M (2016); board has transferred excess fund balance to capital projects to avoid issuing new debt.
2017/2018 Budget Objectives:
1. Meet needs for the school year including opening Bradley Elementary
2. Provide competitive raises for all employees with additional adjustments for identified areas
3. Preserve funding for 2018/19 (opening of Grand Oaks HS and new intermediate school)
4. Achieve high academic outcomes cost-efficiently
Revenue Estimates:
- Tax revenue increase: $26.2M (based on estimated 6% property value growth to $34.4B)
- State revenue — new students (1,400): +$10.6M
- Senate Bill 1 (legislature): +$8.0M
- Robin Hood/Recapture loss (due to 8.66% AV growth in 2016/17): -$25.9M
- Net state revenue change: -$7.3M
- TRS On-Behalf (pass-through): +$1.5M
- Total estimated available new funding: $20.4M
Expenditure Estimates:
- Salary increases: $8.1M (2% professional/admin; 3% non-exempt; bus driver starting pay to $16/hr)
- Personnel growth (1,400 new students + Bradley): $8.4M (157.5 new positions including 105 teachers)
- Payroll reconciliation savings: -$3.0M
- Other expenses: +$4.4M (appraisal district fees $750K, TRS, utilities, fuel, supplies, technology, lifecycle, insurance)
- Total expenditure increase: $17.9M (~3.9% over prior year)
Proposed Budget Summary:
| | Amount |
|---|---|
| Projected Revenue | $473.7M |
| Projected Expenditures | $473.3M |
| Projected Surplus | ~$400,000 |
Tax Rate:
- No change proposed — remains at $1.04 M&O + $0.24 Debt Service = $1.28 total
Fund Balance:
- Estimated unassigned fund balance at 8/31/17: $128.3M (27.1% of budget) — $14.7M over the high-end target of 24%.
- Proposal: Save surplus in general fund balance to support the 2018/19 budget (new high school and intermediate school opening) and to bridge until the next bond issue for capital projects.
Discussion:
- Board member asked about Montgomery Central Appraisal District (MCAD) fees — their board votes in August; CISD provides 33% of MCAD's budget and MCAD is proposing a 17% increase ($750K to CISD). Dr. Stockton indicated he has begun providing feedback.
- Certified property values: Currently showing ~6.7% increase but $11B in value is under ARB review; last year values fell from 13.6% to 8.6% during this process; 6% is considered realistic.
- Governor Abbott's special session (starting July 18) was noted — 20 agenda items, several potentially affecting school finance. Impact on the district's budget for 2017/18 is uncertain given the late start date.
- Mr. Husbands commended the finance team for a balanced budget when many area districts are presenting deficit budgets, praised the district's debt management and refinancing efforts, and commended the practice of funding capital projects from cash to save taxpayers on debt obligations.
Key Upcoming Dates:
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| July 12 | District Level Planning & Decision Making Committee |
| July 25 | Certified values from appraisal district |
| August 1 | Public hearing |
| August 15 | Public hearing and budget approval |
Item 5B: Approval of 2017/18 Teacher Hiring Schedule, Employee Raises, and Stipends
Presenter: Darren Rice
- Proposal: 2% raise for professional/admin staff; 3% for non-exempt staff; beginning teacher salary of $52,500; existing teachers receive $1,125 raise; bus driver starting pay increased to $16/hour; additional adjustments for police, auxiliary, admin support, instructional support, and special education.
- Total cost: $8.4 million
- Recommended by the Tazby Compensations Group; presented at February board workshop.
- Early approval intended to improve recruitment and retention.
- Board member commented on the thoroughness of the compensation review process.
Vote: Approved unanimously (motion and second; all in favor, none opposed).
Item 5C: Financial Reports (Month of May)
Presenter: Darren Rice
General Fund:
- Total cash and investments: $247 million
- Property tax collections running ahead of prior year percentage
- Projected increase in fund balance: ~$9 million
Debt Service Fund:
- Projected fund balance increase: ~$4.6 million
Child Nutrition:
- Projected surplus of $692,000 (up from prior month; revenues better than expected)
2015 Bond Referendum:
- Expended/encumbered: $293 million
- Estimate to complete: $224 million
- Total project forecast: $517 million
- Remaining contingency: ~$3.4 million
Self-Funded Insurance:
- May was the first month with expenses exceeding revenues (by $152K)
- Year-to-date: revenues over expenses by $3,172,000
- Wellness center visits in May: 392; year-to-date: 3,892
- New Conroe wellness clinic is open (located off the south loop at Conroe Family Medicine location; staffed by a doctor)
Investments:
- Par value invested: $483 million
- Pool yield: 1.03% (WAM: 1 day)
- Short-term investment yield: 1.28% (WAM: 142 days)
- Longer-term investment yield: 1.16% (WAM: 541 days)
- Combined portfolio: 1.08% yield (WAM: 76 days) — exceeding 90-day T-bill benchmark of 0.92%
Item 5D: Proposed Termination for Good Cause — Maria Rodriguez
- The district requested the board propose termination of term contract employee Maria Rodriguez for violating the terms of her contract (good cause under Texas Education Code §21.211).
- If approved, a termination notice will be sent; Ms. Rodriguez has a period to request a hearing from a hearing examiner. If no hearing is requested, final termination action would come at the July board meeting.
Vote: Approved unanimously (motion and second; all in favor, none opposed).
Adjournment
The meeting was adjourned following the final vote.