February 19, 2019 — Regular Meeting
Conroe ISD Board Meeting — 2019-02-19
Regular Meeting — Unofficial Notes
Based on auto-generated transcript. Not an official record.
Generated 2026-03-27 21:51 UTC
Unofficial Meeting Notes
Conroe Independent School District Board of Trustees
Regular Meeting — February 19, 2019
These are unofficial notes based on an auto-generated transcript and may contain errors in names, figures, or other details. For official minutes, please consult the district.
Pre-Meeting: Annual Report to the Public
Dr. Hans presented the district's annual report, which includes the Texas Academic Performance Report (TAPR), PEIMS Financial Standard Report, Campus Performance Objectives, report on violent incidents, and graduate data.
Key highlights:
- District Accountability Rating: B
- Special Education Determination Status: Meets requirements
- ASVAB: Meets requirements
- Enrollment: Continues to grow; over 63,000 students (TAPR figures slightly differ from actual enrollment)
- Disciplinary Placements: Positive downward trend in percentage of students sent to DAP/JJAEP
- STAAR Performance (All Subjects, All Students): District outperformed state averages at "Approaches Grade Level or Above"
- Masters Grade Level (All Subjects): 34% district vs. 22% state
- Attendance Rate (2017): 96.4%, comparing favorably to the state; improvement trend over 10 years
- Dropout Rate (Grades 9–12, 2017): 0.2% vs. 1.9% state average
- 5-Year Graduation Cohort (Class of 2016): 96.1% graduated, 1.5% received GED, 0.2% continued, 2.2% dropped out/unaccounted
- 4-Year Graduation Cohort (Class of 2017): 95.6% graduated, 1% GED, 2% continuing, 1.4% dropped out
- Recommended/Distinguished Achievement Plans (2017, final year of this metric): 91.6%
- College-Ready Graduates: 61.3% (Class of 2017)
- AP Testing: 35.3% of students took an AP test (highest rate in the area); 65.4% scored at or above criterion
- SAT/ACT (2017): 17.1% tested; 45.7% scored at or above criterion; SAT average 1,142 (state: 1,016); ACT average 23.5 (state: 20.3)
- Dual Credit: 23.4% of the Class of 2017 completed 9+ hours of dual credit or 3+ hours in ELA/math
- Financial Rating: One of three districts to receive maximum five stars every year rated
- Tax Rate: $1.28 per $100 — lowest in comparison group
- Instructional Spending: ~61% of budget on instruction (state average: ~56%)
- District Administration Spending: 1.61% — roughly half the state average of 3.23%
- Staff Composition: ~50% teachers; 0.4% central administration; average teacher salary $56,879 (above state average); turnover rate ~20%; average experience 11.2 years
- Criminal Incidents: 47 reportable incidents at 12 campuses; 34 were felony controlled substance offenses (increase attributed largely to vaping devices and illegal oils)
- Post-Graduation (Texas colleges): 1,418 graduates enrolled in two- or four-year Texas colleges
- Counselors & Librarians (new reporting requirement): 136 counselors and 62 librarians on campuses (2018 data)
No public comments were made on the annual report.
Call to Order
Vice President Hubert called the meeting to order at 6:17 PM, confirming a quorum was present and proper notice had been posted.
Invocation: Board member John Husbands offered the invocation, asking the audience to remember the Burns family (Bobby Burns, long-time director of planning and construction, whose wife Wilma recently passed away).
Pledges of Allegiance: Led by students from Hauser Elementary (Rave Rovitshaw and Brison McCafferdy), with the color guard presented by Oak Ridge High School Air Force Junior ROTC, led by Senior Master Sergeant Rodney Evens.
Item 2A: Special District Recognition — TSCA Elementary School Counselor of the Year
Ashley Right, school counselor at Bradley Elementary, was recognized as the Texas School Counselor Association (TSCA) Elementary School Counselor of the Year (Rhosine Fleming Award).
- Introduced by Denise Apola (Coordinator of Guidance and Counseling) and Dr. Christine Butler
- Mrs. Right was highlighted for her energy, open-door policy, student self-referral system, leadership development programs (Den Squad), and the campus "You Awards"
- Vice President Hubert shared a personal anecdote about encountering Mrs. Right while she was pursuing her master's degree at Sam Houston State University – The Woodlands
- Mrs. Right has completed her master's degree, passed the National Counselor Exam, and is working toward becoming a Texas Licensed Professional Counselor
Item 2B: Special District Recognition — 2019 TMEA All-State Musicians
Dr. Bob Horton, Coordinator of Fine Arts, introduced 36 Conroe ISD students named 2019 Texas Music Educators Association (TMEA) All-State Musicians.
- The All-State selection process begins with over 71,000 students statewide; approximately 1,700 are selected, making these students in the top 2.5%
- CISD had 36 All-State musicians across band, choir, and orchestra
- Notable achievements:
- Katie Stoby — All-State choir four years in a row
- Kyler West — All-State choir four years in a row
- Riley Curren — Orchestra representative
Band students recognized: Dylan Goiter, Wyatt Cade, Travis Carlson, Chance Costeneda, Gabe Christiansen, Maddie Flake, Claudia Fwenmayoy, Sam Gomez, Bryce Jackson, Harrison Djin, Alex Cons, Lucas Misse, Jack Perkins, Travis Stromberg, Franklin Tang, Richard Vasquez, Sonny Yu, Ryan Como
Orchestra: Riley Curren
Choir students recognized: Aden Adcock, Enzo Belengarde, Emily Brensfield, Melissa Chow, Nicholas Debbiet, Riley Glacemen, Jimmy Harvin, Dylan Mansfield, Rebecca Meece, Aranza Harret, Grace Sheksnyder, Shelby Steele, Katie Stoby, Alaura Thompson, Garrett Thompson, Brandon Veezy, Kyler West
Vice President Hubert noted that the odds of making TMEA All-State are roughly equivalent to a high school athlete earning a college scholarship (Divisions I–III). He emphasized the board's commitment to STEAM education (adding Arts to STEM).
It was also noted that Dr. Bob Horton served as TMEA President this past year, presiding over the convention that drew over 30,000 attendees.
Item 2C: Special District Recognition — Oak Ridge Feeder Zone
A video presentation highlighted the Oak Ridge Feeder Zone's work with the Marzano High Reliability Schools (HRS) framework.
Principals introduced:
- Pallo Gorman (Ford Elementary)
- Christina Oliver (Coffman)
- Angela Lozano (Hauser)
- Tammy Eldridge (Oak Ridge Elementary)
- Dr. Terra Vandermark (Vogel)
- Jeff Fuller (Irons Junior High)
- Dr. Mike Papadimitriou (Academy of Careers in Engineering)
- Dr. A.J. Lavekie (Ninth Grade Campus)
HRS Certification Progress (Dr. Terra Vandermark)
- All Oak Ridge campuses are at some stage of HRS certification
- Level 1 Certified: Oak Ridge High School, Irons, Vogel, Coffman
- Oak Ridge High School became the first high school of its size in the nation to achieve Level 2 certification
- Level 1 focuses on safe, collaborative environments with stakeholder input
- Level 2 focuses on continuous teacher improvement through goal setting, professional development, and feedback
Classroom Libraries at Irons Junior High (Jeff Fuller)
- High-interest books placed directly in classrooms (500 books per classroom set)
- Library checkouts of fiction decreased 3%, but nonfiction reading increased 17%
- Planning to add another set per language arts classroom (~5,000 additional titles, a 20% increase)
War Eagle Writing Center at Oak Ridge High School (Rebecca Arnst and student Alyssa Horrel)
- Peer tutoring writing center established in 2016
- Three seniors and staff presented at a national Writing Center Conference in Washington, D.C. (November 2018)
- Center promotes peer collaboration and positive writing experiences
Kaufman Elementary Pin Factory (Second Grade Teachers: Stephanie Shaw, Joe Martin, Carol Caril, and students)
- 13-year-old economics project where second graders create and sell flower pins
- Students apply for factory jobs, learning about consumers, producers, goods, and services
- Raised over $4,000 in profit last year, donated entirely to student-selected charities (Conroe's Chance to Bloom Dog Rescue, Houston Zoo, American Cancer Society)
- Students delivered handmade pins to board members
PIE Award — Oak Ridge Baptist Church
- Dr. Galen Cooper, Senior Pastor of Oak Ridge Baptist Church, received the Partners in Education (PIE) Award
- The church supports Feeder Zone schools through staff treats, partnerships during campus hardships and grief, Hurricane Harvey support, and teacher appreciation lunches
Item 2D: Citizen Participation
Thomas Chumbly
- Returning speaker (previously appeared ~11 months ago)
- Advocated for his son Evan, arguing the district is not adequately serving his advanced academic abilities
- Evan is currently earning 100% in a college-level trigonometry class and exceeded TSI (Texas Success Initiative) standards
- Referenced Texas Education Code §26.003, which grants parents the right to request their child attend a class for credit above grade level, with the expectation the request will not be unreasonably denied
- Argued CISD's current plan for Evan is inadequate and potentially harmful, stating no evidence exists that Evan cannot perform satisfactorily in advanced coursework
- Urged the board to follow the law
Evan Chumbly (student)
- Briefly explained Graham's Number (a mathematical concept)
- Recited approximately 100 digits of pi from memory (received applause)
Goletta Stallone
- Resident of Shenandoah; retired insurance agent; grandmother of seven grandchildren in the Oak Ridge Elementary Feeder Zone
- Expressed strong support for the upcoming bond referendum
- Noted her property tax for CISD is $1,803/year on a home with $140,860 taxable value
- Calculated the bond would increase her taxes approximately $42.26/year (from a one-cent increase, with a maximum of three cents over the bond's life)
- Stated she plans to encourage friends and relatives to vote for the bond
- Also expressed hope for teacher raises in the future
Item 8 (Moved Up): Naming of School Principal — Vogel Intermediate School
Dr. Nolin recommended Krista Heymark as the new principal of Vogel Intermediate School, replacing Dr. Terra Vandermark (who will open Suchma Elementary).
- Mrs. Heymark was previously a teacher at Vogel for 11 years before gaining administrative experience at another campus
- She thanked Dr. Shelley Winkler, Tracy Volker, Dr. Terra Vandermark, and Amber DeBelmont for their mentorship
- Introduced her family: husband Waid Heymark, children Aiden, Audrey, and Evelyn, and parents Everett and Karen Dire
Vote: Approved unanimously (all hands raised, no opposition, no abstentions)
Item 3: Consent Agenda
No items were pulled from the consent agenda.
Vote: Approved unanimously (all hands raised, no opposition, no abstentions)
Item 4: Capital Improvements Update (Eezi Foster)
Suchma Elementary (Opening August 2019)
- Rain had been a challenge, but the roof ("lid") is now on the building
- Paving approximately 90% complete
- Interior finishes, ceramic tile, and exterior brick being installed
- New entry structure design (first of its kind among CISD flex schools)
- ~200 workers on site (noted as proportionally double the rate used for Grand Oaks construction)
- On schedule to open August 2019
Austin Elementary (Addition/Renovation, Opening August 2019)
- Building addition to replace oldest portions that reached end of service life
- Roof is on; interior finishes and exterior masonry progressing
- Front entrance being relocated away from Highway 105 to the back of campus
- On schedule to open August 2019
Stockton Junior High (Opening August 2020)
- Structure delivery progressing; crane moved for final building section
- Roof installation underway
- Solar panels planned; working with Entergy on power buyback agreement starting next week
- Goal to begin generating solar power by end of summer 2019
- Interior systems (fireproofing, plumbing, electrical, HVAC) progressing on schedule
- On schedule to open August 2020
Conroe High School (Building Addition/Renovation)
- New building addition has opened; renovation of main campus underway
- Demolition of 40–60 years of accumulated building systems on second floor complete
- Second floor renovation scheduled through end of August 2019
- First floor renovation to begin at end of school year, through December 2019
- On schedule
Item 5A, 5B, and 5D: E-Rate Technology Awards (Combined Vote)
Darren Brice presented three E-Rate related items. Board member moved to combine Items 5A, 5B, and 5D into a single vote.
Background on E-Rate Program:
- Administered by USAC (Universal Service Administrative Company) under FCC direction
- Provides 20%–90% discounts on telecommunications and internet access for schools
- District contracts with Region 12 for compliance assistance
- CISD typically receives 20–60% rebates
Item 5A: CSP 18-11-01 Internal Connections E-Rate
- Award to Data Vox and Netseat Network Solutions
- 12-campus technology refresh (wireless access points, routers, switches, phones, cabling, etc.)
- Estimated expenditure: $3,200,000
- Pricing effective through June 30, 2020; work may begin April 1, 2019
Item 5B: E-Rate for Suchma Elementary (New Construction)
- Broken out separately due to different rebate rates for new construction
- Estimated expenditure: ~$350,000
Item 5D: Internet Services E-Rate
- Dark cable for 21 campuses; lit cable lease for Stuart Elementary
- Estimated expenditure: ~$650,000
Procedural note: A board member moved to amend the original motion (Item 5A only) to include Items 5A, 5B, and 5D together. The amendment was seconded and approved, then the combined motion was voted on.
Vote on amendment: Approved unanimously
Vote on amended motion (Items 5A, 5B, 5D): Approved unanimously
Item 5C: Award of RFP 18-08-02B — Supplemental Contracted Educational Services and Professional Development Services
- Award to 18 vendors listed on attached tabulation
- Estimated annual expenditure: ~$50,000
- Supplements previously awarded vendors through RFP 17-01-01A and 18-08-02
- Service contracts firm through February 28, 2020, with option to renew annually through February 28, 2024
- Evaluated by curriculum & instruction and special education departments, reviewed by purchasing
- A board member noted this item was intentionally separated from the consent agenda for transparency purposes
Vote: Approved unanimously
Item 5E: Financial Report (Darren Brice)
General Fund Cash & Investments:
- Cash on hand: $500
- Bank deposits: $603,000
- State pool investments: $137.9 million
- WoodForest National Bank investments: $120.6 million
- TCG Investment Advisors (longer-term): $51.2 million
- Total general fund cash/investments: $310,390,000
Tax Collection Progress:
- Running approximately 4% ahead of the same time last year (~$18 million ahead in collections), allowing earlier investment and interest earnings
Projected Fund Balance:
- General fund projected increase of $9.1 million, primarily from:
- ~$6.81 million from two "super pennies/golden pennies" accessed due to Hurricane Harvey
- Higher-than-anticipated interest revenues (due to Fed rate increases)
- Federal revenues
- Child nutrition fund: slight increase of ~$108,000
2015 Bond Referendum Status:
- Expended/encumbered: $489.5 million
- Estimated to complete: $34.9 million
- Total project forecast: $524.4 million
- Remaining contingency: ~$4 million
Self-Funded Insurance:
- Total revenues: $20.8 million
- Total expenses: $19.6 million
- Net positive: ~$1.2 million
- Wellness centers averaging ~573 appointments per month
Investment Portfolio:
- Par value: $561.8 million
- Pool yield: 2.61%
- WoodForest yield: 2.64%
- TCG yield: 1.87% (WAM 351 days)
- Combined portfolio: WAM 50 days, yielding 2.56%
- Benchmark (90-day T-bill): 2.35%
Executive Session
The board entered closed session at 7:42 PM under:
- Section 551.072 (Real Property)
- Section 551.074 (Personnel Matters)
The board returned to open session at 9:06 PM.
Item 9: Legal — Local Policy Manual Update 112
Gladis (legal counsel) presented revision of local board policies EIA, FFAC, and GKC.
- This was presented for first reading/discussion; adoption will be requested next month
- Board members indicated they had already reviewed the policies
- No detailed presentation was given; board members were invited to contact legal counsel with any questions before the next meeting
No vote taken — informational item for future action.
Adjournment
Motion to adjourn: Approved unanimously
Meeting adjourned at approximately 9:06 PM
Summary of All Votes
| Item | Description | Result |
|------|-------------|--------|
| Item 8 | Naming Krista Heymark as Principal of Vogel Intermediate | Approved unanimously |
| Item 3 | Consent Agenda | Approved unanimously |
| Items 5A, 5B, 5D | E-Rate technology awards (amendment to combine) | Amendment approved unanimously; motion approved unanimously |
| Item 5C | Supplemental contracted educational/professional development services | Approved unanimously |
| Adjournment | Motion to adjourn | Approved unanimously |
Items of Note
- Bond Referendum was referenced by a citizen speaker (Goletta Stallone) expressing support, but the bond itself was not an action item at this meeting
- Thomas Chumbly's concerns regarding his son Evan's academic placement and Texas Education Code §26.003 were noted during citizen participation; the board did not discuss or act on the matter per board policy
- Policy updates (EIA, FFAC, GKC) were presented for review with adoption expected at the next meeting
- Vice President Hubert presided over the meeting (President was apparently absent, though this was not explicitly stated in the transcript)