April 17, 2018 — Regular Meeting
Conroe ISD Board Meeting — 2018-04-17
Regular Meeting — Unofficial Notes
Based on auto-generated transcript. Not an official record.
Generated 2026-03-27 21:30 UTC
Unofficial Meeting Notes
Conroe Independent School District Board of Trustees — Regular Meeting
April 17, 2018
Note: These are unofficial notes based on an auto-generated transcript of the meeting. They are intended to help the public understand what occurred and may contain minor inaccuracies due to transcription limitations.
Attendance
All board members were reported present.
Opening
- Invocation: Mr. Sanders led the invocation, reading a prayer by Dr. Ronnie Floyd, president of the National Day of Prayer task force, in advance of the National Day of Prayer on May 3, 2018. The theme was "Unity."
- Presentation of Colors: Caney Creek High School Navy JROTC presented the colors. Personnel included Lieutenant Commander Luis Cortes, Chief Donald, Ensign Rodriguez, Ensign Blanchard, Master Chief Raez, and Chief Rutland.
- Pledges: Mr. Kidd led the U.S. and Texas pledges of allegiance.
Special Recognitions (Item 2)
2A — Navy JROTC Unarmed Regulation Drill Team (Caney Creek High School)
- Presented by: Dr. Jeff Stichler (Principal, Caney Creek HS) and Lieutenant Commander Luis Cortes (Senior NJROTC Instructor)
- The all-female unarmed regulation drill team was recognized as Navy Texas State Champions.
- Team leader: Amanda Blanchard (junior, three-year member, nicknamed "Sunshine")
- The team included 11 members plus one male guide (Elijah Berger, who carries the flag). Notable members included Ashley Villanueva (commanding officer, only senior), Dalyla Rodriguez, Cristal Reyes, Caitlyn Rutland, Leisha Hernandez, Natalie Arvaranga (freshman), Anihi Bautista, Selena Ortiz, Annie Deleon (freshman), and Rose Fowler.
- Board members congratulated the team and expressed pride in their accomplishments.
2B — STAR Program (Students Together Achieving Results) Senior Recognition
- Presented by: Laura Willard, College and Readiness Specialist
- This is the ninth graduating class from the STAR program, a four-year program identifying entering 9th graders with academic potential who struggled in school.
- The program includes monthly counselor meetings, college visits, job site tours, community service, motivational speakers, and leadership activities.
- Four seniors addressed the board:
- Alexis Sparks (College Park HS): Credited STAR with helping her discover Prairie View A&M University; was accepted into a summer program there.
- Rihanna Hilliard (Conroe HS): Wrote the district STAR mission statement; will attend Prairie View A&M in fall 2018, majoring in criminal justice.
- Connie Pipkin (Oak Ridge HS): Plans to attend Lone Star College for two years, then transfer to Prairie View to pursue neonatal nursing.
- Noah Russell (The Woodlands HS): Plans to attend Lone Star College for a year, then hopes to attend Sam Houston State to become a teacher.
- Over 25 seniors are in the program this year across all high schools. STAR counselors from Caney Creek, College Park, Conroe, Hauke Alternative, Oak Ridge, and The Woodlands were recognized along with their students.
- A board member delivered remarks praising the students' resilience, calling them "heroes" and role models.
2C — Ambassador Awards: Child Nutrition Department
- Presented by: Robin Hughes, Director of Child Nutrition
- Recipients:
- Teresa Compton — Manager at Reeves Elementary (10 years); praised for excellent kitchen inspections, training abilities, positive attitude.
- Kathryn Matamoros — Manager at Wilkinson Elementary (13 years); praised for passing all kitchen inspections, quality meals, and patience.
- Ann Maldonado — Manager at Cox Intermediate (8 years); praised for communication, training new managers, and great food quality.
- Dolores Beasley — Associate at College Park High School (4 years); praised for initiative, training, and willingness to help other kitchens.
- Connie Gray — Associate at Buckley Elementary (5 years); praised for positive attitude, reliability, creativity in decorating serving lines.
- A board member thanked the honorees, emphasizing that feeding children is essential to their ability to learn and that child nutrition staff are vital to the district's holistic approach to education.
2D — Ambassador Awards: Transportation Department
- Presented by: Sam Dahalla, Director of Transportation
- Assistant Directors Juan Melendes and Eric Taylor, and South County Manager Francis Carter were also introduced.
- Recipients:
- Maddie Ruffino (Special Ed Driver) & Chris DaCoup (Monitor): First-year special ed team that helped a student new to bus riding feel comfortable; created items that were later adopted by teachers.
- Angie Abrams (Regular Ed Driver, East County/Grangeland): Always volunteers, gives 110%; noticed a student sneaking out a back door of a campus, called the school, and helped an AP locate and return the student.
- Patricia Petell (Monitor, Conroe Center): New to the district but experienced in special needs; worked with a student on the bus to the point where the child was able to say "Hi, Mommy" upon arriving home.
- Ashley Mann (Regular Ed Driver, Oak Ridge): Manages a challenging route effectively; spotted a shiny object near a stop sign that turned out to be a pistol, reported it, and school officers retrieved it.
- Board member Mr. Williams praised transportation staff as "unsung heroes," noting they are the first and last faces children see each day. He emphasized safety and delivered several transportation-themed puns.
Public Participation (Item 3 — Public Comment)
Tom Chumbley
- Mr. Chumbley brought his son Evan, a student at Gladys Elementary, to demonstrate the boy's exceptional mathematical abilities (rapid mental division, square roots).
- Chumbley stated Evan was multiplying trillions by tens of thousands at age five, has conversations with math professors, researches math topics (including the Fibonacci sequence), and that private testing indicated the child should be in precalculus despite currently being in fourth-grade math.
- Citing Texas Education Code Title 2, Subtitle E, Chapter 26, Section 26.003 (rights and responsibilities of parents), Chumbley formally requested that the board allow Evan to be placed in a class above his current grade level, stating the current coursework is "boring" for his son.
- Per board policy, the board did not discuss or act on this item as it was not a posted agenda item.
Consent Agenda (Item 3)
- No items were requested for removal.
- Vote: Approved unanimously (motion made and seconded; all in favor).
Action Items
4A — Instructional Materials Allotment and TEKS Certification
- Presented by: Dr. Null, Deputy Superintendent
- The Texas Education Agency requires annual board/superintendent certification that: (1) IMA funds are used only for allowable expenses; (2) the district has instructional materials covering all TEKS; and (3) the district will provide publication information to the State Board of Education upon request.
- Dr. Tamika Taylor, Director of Assessment, Evaluation, and School Improvement, was recognized for leading this effort.
- Certification is for the 2018–2019 school year.
- Vote: Approved unanimously.
5A — Campus Mascot and School Colors for Katherine Johnson Clark Intermediate School
- Presented by: Debbie Phillips
- Following a survey of approximately 300 future families, the mascot was narrowed to the "Clark Cub" with school colors of blue and orange.
- Positive feedback was received, including "two thumbs up" from Katherine Johnson Clark herself.
- Vote: Approved unanimously.
5B — Capital Improvement Update (Information/Report Item)
- Presented by: Mr. Foster (Facilities)
- Grand Oaks High School: On schedule to open August 2018. Site work nearing completion; interior academic areas finishing first (art labs, floors, colors in place). Furniture staging underway with purchasing department.
- Katherine Johnson Clark Intermediate: On schedule to open August 2018. Front entry masonry work nearing completion; interior ceiling grids, light fixtures in place. Air conditioning systems starting up; building to be under conditioned air by end of next week for paint and cabinet installation.
- Life-Cycle 2018 Projects: Focus shifting to natatorium air conditioning system replacement. By end of summer, 31 campuses will have been touched.
- Stadium Scoreboard Replacements (Woodforest & Moorhead): Existing scoreboards dismantled at Woodforest; Moorhead to follow. Both will receive larger structures with significantly larger video screens. Renderings were shown comparing old and new screens.
- Flex 19 Elementary (242/Oak Ridge feeder zone): On schedule for August 2019 opening. Site clearing underway; building construction begins Thursday of that week.
- Austin Elementary Renovation: Detention pond completed on newly purchased acreage (Phase 1). Building pad work to follow. On schedule through summer 2019.
- Irons Junior High Classroom Addition: Foundation and underground plumbing work underway. On schedule for turnover at Christmas break 2018 for spring 2019 use.
- New Junior High (Conroe feeder zone, 184-acre site near Birnham/Patterson): Working with city on tree preservation requirements; nearing end of that process. Site clearing to begin within the next week.
- Conroe High School Addition: On schedule for mid-year turnover (spring 2019 student move-in). Exterior masonry progressing; interior block work for corridors/classrooms underway. Central plant equipment staged and ready.
5C — Job Order Contracting for 2018 Summer Kitchen Renovations
- Presented by: Mr. Foster
- Board asked to approve two items: (1) job order contracting (JOC) as the procurement method, and (2) GTT, Inc. as the vendor.
- JOC allows use of a pre-qualified contractor pool (year two of the program), saving advertising costs and time versus a full RFP process.
- Project scope: Serving line renovations at Gladys, Anderson, and Bush Elementary; freezer/cooler upgrades; equipment upgrades; storage area creation.
- Cost: $799,860
- A board member asked about the JOC process; Mr. Foster explained that the RFP was already completed and pricing guides are established.
- Vote: Approved unanimously.
6A — 2018–19 Employee Group Health Program
- Presented by: Dan Rice, Chief Financial Officer
- The Employee Benefits Committee voted with an "overwhelming majority" to recommend the medical coverage rates and plan designs.
- Committee members and consultant Jerry Brown were recognized: Dr. Cathy Sharples, Paula Green, Tiffany Metfeld.
- Key details:
- Medical costs rising 9.6%; prescription drug costs rising 11.6%.
- Plan design modifications and premium increases recommended.
- Total projected health plan cost: $48.9 million (2.59% increase over prior year).
- District funds 58%; employee premiums fund 42%.
- Emergency room co-pay increasing from $350 to ~$200 co-pay plus 20% coinsurance.
- Slight deductible increase in Aetna Select (Tier 2) plan to steer employees toward the best-performing Memorial Hermann ACO (Tier 1) Aetna Whole Health plan.
- High deductible plan changes to make it more competitive and meet ACA affordability requirements.
- Noted that plans compare favorably to peer districts and current TRS plans.
- Vote: Approved unanimously.
6B — 2018–19 Teacher Hiring Schedule, Pay Raises, and Stipends
- Presented by: Dan Rice, CFO
- Recommended by the TASB Compensation Group.
- Professional staff: 2.5% general pay increase on midpoint.
- Non-exempt staff: 3.0% general pay increase on midpoint.
- Starting teacher salary: $53,700.
- Existing teachers: $1,450 salary increase.
- Total teacher salary increases: ~$5.6 million.
- Non-teacher salary increases: ~$3.7 million.
- Administration believes early approval improves recruitment and retention.
- A board member noted a discrepancy on the chart (blue bar said 2.5%, white bar said 2.0%); Mr. Rice confirmed the correct figure is 2.5%.
- A board member asked about the base salary used to calculate the $1,450 increase; Mr. Rice confirmed it was based on the midpoint for that group but did not have the exact dollar figure on hand, and committed to providing it.
- The stipend schedule was also included in the approval.
- Vote: Approved unanimously.
6C — Financial Reports (March 2018)
- Presented by: Dan Rice, CFO
- General Fund Cash & Investments: $317.4 million total
- Cash on hand: $500
- Bank deposits: $354,000
- State pool investments: $176 million
- Short-term investments (<1 year): $89 million
- Longer-term investments (TCG Investment Advisers): $52.1 million
- Property tax collections ahead of prior year pace.
- General Fund projected fund balance: Projected to increase $2 million after implementing $8 million increase for Irons Junior High addition and scoreboards.
- Child Nutrition fund balance: Increasing ~$789,000.
- 2015 Bond Referendum Status: $432.1 million expended/encumbered; $93.4 million estimated to complete; total project forecast $525.5 million (includes $41.4 million transferred from general fund to capital projects fund).
- Self-Funded Insurance: Performing well; revenues $28+ million vs. expenses $24.4 million; surplus of $3.6 million. Wellness center participation averaging 543/month.
- Investment Portfolio: Par value $650 million; pools yielding 1.72%; short-term 1.8%; TCG longer-term 1.43%; combined weighted average yield 1.71% (benchmark 90-day T-bill at 1.68%).
- Notable discussion: A board member expressed dissatisfaction with TCG Investment Advisers' performance (1.43%) relative to the rest of the portfolio, and asked Mr. Rice to pursue improved returns. Mr. Rice confirmed TCG has been challenged to develop a strategy to increase their rate and expects a response within a couple of weeks. The board member requested this be discussed at the next investment committee meeting.
- A board member commended the finance team for the district's strong financial position and the quality of their presentations (including the animated PowerPoint, which humorously included "The Wheels on the Bus Go Round and Round" music during the expenditure slide).
Executive Session
- No executive session was held. The board president noted one was not needed.
Action Items (Post-Executive Session Placeholder)
9A — Superintendent Employment Contract for Dr. Null
- Presented by: Miss Gladys (legal counsel)
- The contract was described as a standard superintendent employment contract setting out obligations for both the district and Dr. Null, resulting from the superintendent search conducted during the year.
- Light-hearted banter preceded the vote, with a joke about making Dr. Null "sweat a little bit longer."
- Vote: Approved unanimously.
- Board President declared: "It is official, Dr. Null." (Applause)
9B — Land Lease Agreement with Montgomery County for Agricultural Education Center
- Presented by: Miss Gladys (legal counsel)
- Montgomery County Commissioners Court approved the lease on March 20.
- Terms: Four-year lease at $10 per year for 6.6 acres of land around the Lone Star Convention Center.
- Purpose: Build agricultural education facilities to serve students at Conroe High School and Caney Creek High School.
- Special thanks extended to Commissioner Mike Meador for his role in bringing the agreement to fruition.
- Vote: Approved unanimously.
Adjournment
- Motion to adjourn was made, seconded, and approved. Meeting adjourned.
Summary of All Votes
| Item | Description | Result |
|------|-------------|--------|
| Consent Agenda | All items | Approved unanimously |
| 4A | Instructional Materials Allotment/TEKS Certification (2018–19) | Approved unanimously |
| 5A | Clark Intermediate mascot (Cub) and colors (blue/orange) | Approved unanimously |
| 5C | JOC procurement method & GTT Inc. for summer kitchen renovations ($799,860) | Approved unanimously |
| 6A | 2018–19 Employee Group Health Program | Approved unanimously |
| 6B | 2018–19 Teacher hiring schedule, pay raises & stipends | Approved unanimously |
| 9A | Superintendent employment contract — Dr. Null | Approved unanimously |
| 9B | Land lease with Montgomery County for ag education center | Approved unanimously |
These are unofficial notes based on an auto-generated transcript and are provided for informational purposes only. For official minutes, please consult the Conroe ISD Board of Trustees.