December 19, 2017 — Regular Meeting
Conroe ISD Board Meeting — 2017-12-19
Regular Meeting — Unofficial Notes
Based on auto-generated transcript. Not an official record.
Generated 2026-03-27 21:24 UTC
Unofficial Meeting Notes
Conroe Independent School District Board of Trustees — Regular Meeting
December 19, 2017
Note: These are unofficial notes based on an auto-generated transcript of the board meeting. They may contain inaccuracies due to transcription quality. Please refer to official board minutes for the authoritative record.
Public Hearing: School FIRST Report (Financial Integrity Rating System of Texas)
Presenter: Darren Rice
The district's School FIRST report was presented, covering financial data for the fiscal year ended August 31, 2016, and staff/student data from the 2015–2016 school year.
Key Result: Conroe ISD received a rating of "A – Superior," scoring 100 out of 100 possible points on all 15 performance indicators.
Highlights from the indicators included:
- 106 days of cash on hand (90 required for full points)
- Current ratio of 3.13 (3.0 required for full points)
- Student membership increased 10.8% over five years
- Debt service coverage ratio of 1.84 (1.2 required)
- Administrative cost ratio of 0.0402 — roughly half the acceptable threshold of 0.0855
- 0% variance between PEIMS data and the annual financial report
- All pass/fail indicators passed (timely filing, unmodified audit opinion, no material weaknesses, debt compliance, timely payments to TRS/IRS/TWC, positive unrestricted net position)
The report and related disclosures are available on the district's transparency website.
No public comments were received on the School FIRST report.
Call to Order — 6:07 PM
- A quorum was confirmed and proper notice was posted per the Texas Open Meetings Act.
- Invocation: Mr. Moore
- Presentation of Colors: Oak Ridge JROTC cadets — Commander Cadet Martin, Cadet Simon, Cadet Miracle, and Cadet Ames, led by Sergeant Twine
- Pledges of Allegiance led by Mr. Huber
Citizen Participation
No citizens signed up to speak.
Item 3: Consent Agenda
No items were pulled for separate discussion.
Vote: Approved unanimously (voice vote, no opposition noted).
Item 4A: Capital Improvement Update
Presenter: Mr. Faulkner
- Safety & Security Project: Phase 2 completing over the holiday break. Phase 3 design work underway with security department and design engineers; board approval for Phase 3 anticipated around March 2018.
- Grand Oaks High School: On schedule for August 2018 opening. Practice fields, detention areas, driveways (connecting to the Grand Parkway), and exterior work progressing. Interior finish work proceeding from the top floor down (science labs on 3rd floor).
- Katherine Johnson Clark Intermediate School: Also on schedule for August 2018 opening. Driveways, building systems, interior partitions, and exterior finishes taking shape.
- Conroe High School Addition/Renovation: Central plant structure for mechanical systems nearing completion. Large crane removed; smaller crane finishing structural work. Second-floor concrete work planned over the holidays. On schedule; campus work projected through December 2019.
Board Discussion: A board member asked about potential Hurricane Harvey impacts on construction costs and labor availability. Mr. Faulkner reported:
- No significant Harvey-related shortages or cost impacts observed to date.
- Recent bids for a new junior high school received over 400 bids across 50+ trades, indicating strong participation.
- Drywall (a concern area) bids appeared unaffected.
- A similar-sized nearby district reported a comparable experience.
Item 5A: Award of RFP 17-04-05 — South County Sports Facility Naming Rights
Presenter: Darren Rice
Recommendation: Award naming rights for the stadium only to Woodforest National Bank for $1,000,100 (as stated in transcript).
- The previous naming rights agreement with Woodforest National Bank (approved February 2007) expires August 31, 2018.
- RFP was released October 18, 2017 via the district's e-bidding system, advertised three times in The Courier, once in The Villager, and on the district website.
- 113 vendors were invited; 3 responded (2 submitted "no bids," 1 submitted a proposal — Woodforest National Bank).
- Contract anticipated for up to 10 years with possible extensions.
Board Discussion: A board member asked about the low response rate. Mr. Rice explained that the 113 vendors were sent emails, and most simply chose not to bid. He noted a superintendent of a similar-sized district had a very similar response level.
Vote: Approved by voice vote. One abstention noted (member not identified by name). No opposition.
Item 5B: Financial Reports — November 2017
Presenter: Darren Rice
General Fund Balance Sheet
- Cash on hand: $13,300
- Bank deposits: ~$2 million
- State pool investments: $55.5 million
- Short-term investments (<1 year): $59.4 million
- Longer-term investments (TCG Investment Advisors): $51.7 million
- Total cash and investments: $168.6 million
Property Tax Collections
- Early in the collection cycle; on pace with the prior year.
General Fund Projections
- Projected general fund balance: $14.9 million (preliminary; does not yet include transfer to debt service)
2015 Bond Referendum Status
- Total funding: $520.2 million (includes $33 million board transfer to capital projects)
- Project forecast: $514.8 million
- Remaining contingency: $5.4 million
Self-Funded Insurance Plan
- Total revenues (YTD): ~$12 million
- Total expenses (YTD): ~$9.7 million
- Revenue over expenses: $2.3 million (favorable)
- Wellness center participation: 542 visits in November; 1,526 total YTD
Investment Portfolio (November)
- Par value: $294.4 million
- Pool yield: 1.27%
- Short-term investments yield: 1.45%
- Longer-term investments yield: 1.24%
- Combined portfolio yield: 1.33% (weighted average maturity: 98 days)
- Benchmark (90-day T-bill): 1.25%
Item 8A: Board Continuing Education Announcement
All members of the Conroe ISD Board of Trustees have completed the training required by law for the year.
Item 8B: Local Policy Manual Update 109
Presenter: Gladys (General Counsel)
An informational overview of local policy updates resulting from the most recent Texas legislative session. Key changes include:
- Bullying policy: Expanded per state law changes
- Senate Bill 7 (Educator Misconduct): Extensive new requirements regarding reporting of sexual misconduct between educators and students, reflected across multiple local policies
- Specialized camera bill (tweaked): Modified definitions for who can request cameras in classrooms; video retention period reduced from 6 months to 3 months
No vote taken — the board will be asked to formally adopt the updated policies in January 2018.
Executive Session — 6:24 PM to 6:45 PM
The board convened in closed session under Section 551.074 of the Texas Open Meetings Act (personnel matters).
Upon reconvening at 6:45 PM:
- The superintendent's evaluation was noted as complete.
- No other final action was reported from executive session.
Adjournment
Motion to adjourn approved. Meeting adjourned at 6:45 PM.
These are unofficial notes based on an auto-generated transcript and may contain errors. For official records, please consult the Conroe ISD Board of Trustees approved minutes.