November 19, 2019 — Regular Meeting
Conroe ISD Board Meeting — 2019-11-19
Regular Meeting — Unofficial Notes
Based on auto-generated transcript. Not an official record.
Generated 2026-03-27 22:12 UTC
Unofficial Meeting Notes
Conroe Independent School District Board of Trustees — Regular Meeting
November 19, 2019
Note: These are unofficial notes based on an auto-generated transcript and may contain errors or omissions. For official minutes, please contact Conroe ISD.
Call to Order
- Meeting called to order at 6:00 PM by President Williams with a quorum present.
- Invocation delivered by Mr. Moore; Pledge of Allegiance and Texas Pledge recited.
Awards & Recognition (Item 2A)
National Merit Semi-Finalists Recognition
- Assistant Superintendent for Secondary Education Greg Coulson and Coordinator of Guidance and Counseling Denise Sapola presented the recognition.
- Over 1.6 million juniors nationwide took the PSAT/NMSQT; semi-finalists represent the top 1% in Texas.
- 15 CISD seniors recognized as National Merit Semi-Finalists:
- Olivia Bainy, Joshua B., Ronan Burke, Aush Desai, Sylvino Fernandez Rosada, Ignacio Gonzalez, Blake Hickden, Riley Hunt, Swathy Monum, Andrew Miller, Nicole Patit, Evan Reese, Dian Shu, Shama Theo Cara, Clara Victoria
- President Williams congratulated students on behalf of the board.
Citizen Participation / Public Comment (Item 2B)
32 citizens registered to speak. Each was limited to 3 minutes. Major themes included:
Inappropriate Music at Athletic Events
- Lucina Smith reported hearing explicit music with profanity, racial slurs, and misogynistic content played at high school volleyball games at both a Conroe campus and Caney Creek. She had previously raised the issue with administrators.
Comments Regarding Board Member Dale Inman's Public Statements about the LGBTQ Community
The majority of speakers addressed public statements attributed to Board Member Dale Inman, who was quoted in media as saying the LGBTQ community is "one of the most vile, hate-filled communities" he had encountered, and that "It's not like we need to protect LGBTQ. We need to protect conservative Christians."
Speakers critical of Mr. Inman's statements (calling for apology and/or resignation):
- Rachel Walker (parent, Woodlands Pride engagement specialist) — Called Mr. Inman's words "dangerous," cited LGBTQ youth suicide statistics, and requested a public apology and resignation.
- Anmarie Kennedy (parent, registered nurse) — Criticized lack of professional boundaries, referenced that Mr. Inman was barred from classrooms, urged protection of all students including LGBTQ youth.
- Mary Harrington (parent) — Called Mr. Inman's public statements derogatory, harassing, and in violation of the district's own anti-bullying policy. Stated religious freedom does not extend to public school governance.
- Zoe Nissy (Conroe High School student, self-identified as bisexual) — Said Mr. Inman's words "hurt" LGBTQ students and asked him to consider his impact.
- Marley Pune (parent, former teacher, public health professional) — Cited statistics on LGBTQ youth suicide rates and bullying, said Mr. Inman's words violated students.
- Chris Hajins (CISD teacher, Marine veteran) — Called Mr. Inman a "bully," cited his quote that "multiculturalism is a weakness," recommended the board remove him for incompetence.
- Regina Neely (parent) — Praised CISD's diversity and multiculturalism; said an elected official making students feel unwelcome "has to go."
- Sam Neely (Conroe High School student) — Spoke positively about LGBTQ peers and questioned whether ignorance has a place in education.
- Elizabeth Felt House (therapist and parent) — Spoke about the impact of bullying on children's mental health and suicide; asked all to show empathy.
- Katherine Logess (parent, nurse, former educator) — Spoke about sexual assault survival; said Mr. Inman "chose dominance to hurt children" and asked the board to prioritize student safety.
- Ginger Pilot (parent) — Read back Mr. Inman's own public quotes and called them harmful to children; asked for his resignation.
- Jason Roach — Called on the board to speak out; suggested Mr. Inman is supported by "radical right groups"; urged board members to start campaigning now.
- Emily Huffle — Referenced CISD's vision statement about all students; said Mr. Inman's words, whether directed at students or not, are felt by students; urged him to consider the impact.
- Nicole May (also spoke on dyslexia — see below) — Expressed frustration that the controversy was consuming meeting time that should be spent on educational issues.
Speakers in support of Mr. Inman:
- Daniel Finner — Argued that a man standing on biblical faith should not be derided; thanked Mr. Inman for standing on truth.
- Kaylee Newell — Described being taken in by the Inman family, praised him as a father figure; said she never felt threatened or mistreated; defended his character.
- Tom Oliver — Provided a character reference from 20 years of knowing Mr. Inman; said he is not a bigot, racist, or homophobe; described his charitable work.
- Kelly Inman (Mr. Inman's wife) — Said the controversy proved her husband's point that Christian students and teachers need protection; said her daughters are harassed daily for supporting their father; defended the family's love and acceptance.
- Frank Warner — Spoke about biblical faith and forgiveness; referenced his own recovery from childhood sexual abuse.
- Dale Fessenden — Father of seven, grandparent of 23; stated Mr. Inman's comments were directed at teachers/administrators, not children; hoped CISD would not make the same "mistake" as Willis ISD.
- Jay Gross (pastor, 40 years) — Gave character reference; said the issue originated with an adult male entertainer visiting a school; defended Judeo-Christian values and freedom of speech.
- Kevin Williams — Argued the issue was a "bad decision" by a teacher/principal to invite a drag queen into a school; defended Mr. Inman's First Amendment rights; criticized the LGBTQ community's "cancel culture."
- John Wartz (treasurer, Republican Party) — Defended Mr. Inman's First Amendment right; questioned whether background checks were done on the guest in question; called for resignation of any board member who supported the Willis ISD decision.
Dyslexia Services
- Derek Carter (parent) — Described frustrating, slow process getting his daughter tested and qualified for dyslexia services; noted the program only provides 30 minutes/day (experts recommend 1 hour); urged use of HB3 funding for more dyslexia teachers.
- Nicole May — Presented 7 specific requests: (1) one dyslexia therapist per campus, (2) increase services from 30 to 45 minutes, (3) smaller group sizes (max 3), (4) train special ed teachers in Reading by Design, (5) eliminate LLI program for dyslexic special ed students, (6) transparency and public reporting from dyslexia department, (7) begin offering FIEs to all suspected dyslexic students.
Special Education Services
- Amber Fusa (parent of autistic child) — Reported that 35 days after her previous appeal, no intervention had been provided for her son; cited his deteriorating behavior and mental health; criticized the district for clinging to policy while her child suffers; accused the district of neglecting special needs students. Noted CISD's 7.8% special education rate vs. 14% national average.
- Renee Verhagen / Matt Hoffman — Spoke on behalf of a family with an autistic child who has been denied services for six years despite meeting 4 of 5 dyslexia criteria; called it a systemic problem requiring immediate action.
Other Topics
- John Nicks — Requested Dr. Null make a public statement on the Inman controversy; reported a constituent was sent a cease-and-desist after contacting Mr. Inman; also requested policy changes to allow food delivery services to high school campuses.
- Enrique Rosario (parent) — Thanked the board, staff, and volunteers for their work on the successful 2019 bond referendum.
A brief recess was taken following public comment.
Consent Agenda (Item 3)
- Approved as presented. No items removed.
- Vote: Passed unanimously (voice vote).
Curriculum & Instruction
Item 4A: 2018-2019 SAT, ACT, AP, and High School Completion Results (Informational)
Presented by Greg Coulson. Key findings:
- Graduation Rate: Over 95% of students graduate with their cohort; dropout rate less than 1%.
- Endorsements: 96% of Class of 2019 seniors earned one or more endorsements (significant increase from prior year).
- National Merit (5-year): 38 semi-finalists, 80 commended students, 44 Hispanic scholars.
- SAT: CISD students outperform state and national averages; 82% college-ready in reading/writing, 63% in math; only 15% not college-ready in either subject.
- ACT: CISD outperforms state and national averages; 75% college-ready in reading, 59% in math.
- AP Exams: Continued growth in both number of tests and students; 62% scored 3+ (vs. 49% state, 60% national). Most popular: Human Geography (freshman) and World History (sophomore) — approximately 1,300 students earn college credit by end of sophomore year.
- Dual Credit: 1,127 students earned 12,694 credit hours through Lone Star College.
- Industry Certifications: 3,025 students earned one or more.
- CCMR (College, Career, Military Readiness): 71% of Class of 2019 graduates earned a CCMR point, exceeding the state's 2030 goal of 60%.
- Military Enlistments: Numbers reported but believed to be underreported.
Staff recognized: Denise Sapola, Laura Willard, Debbie McNeely, Greg Ship, Matt Clark.
Item 4B: Houston Elementary Targeted Improvement Plan
Presented by Dr. Phillips and Dr. Taylor.
- Houston Elementary improved from an overall score of 54 (F) in 2018 to 74 (C) in 2019.
- Domain 2A (student progress in reading/math) improved from 59 to 75.
- Campus still designated "comprehensive support" under state/federal guidelines.
- New plan follows state's Effective Schools Framework with quarterly milestones.
- Two essential actions: (1) objective-driven daily lesson plans, (2) compelling aligned vision focused on safe environment.
- Ongoing district supports include family engagement liaison, PBIS liaison, lower class sizes, content teacher leaders, bimonthly district coordinator visits, data meetings, and an ESF diagnostic planned for spring.
- Board members commended the campus leadership and improvement.
Vote: Approved unanimously (voice vote).
Item 4C: 2019-2020 Campus Improvement Plans
Presented by Dr. Phillips and Mr. Coulson.
- All campuses developed plans aligned to district improvement plan, addressing student achievement, staff development, parent/community engagement, school safety, and technology.
- Board members acknowledged the hard work of site-based teams, volunteers, and staff.
Vote: Approved unanimously (voice vote).
Item 4D: 2019-2020 District Improvement Plan
Presented by Dr. Shelley Winkler (congratulated on completing her doctorate).
- State-required annual plan developed with superintendent, district-level planning committee, and department leaders.
- Addresses student achievement, safe schools, dropout/suicide prevention, career education, professional development, and higher education information.
Vote: Approved unanimously (voice vote).
Administration
Item 5A: 2020-2021 School Calendar (Informational)
Presented by Dr. Hines.
- Calendar development process underway; first committee meeting held; recommendation anticipated for January 2020 board meeting.
- District of Innovation plan allows start before August 24.
- Calendar must meet minimum 75,600 instructional minutes; currently includes 2 inclement weather days.
- Survey results (3,660 responses, ~50% staff):
- Prefer mid-week start
- 90% want semester to end before winter break
- 67% prefer start on/after August 17; but 78% prioritize ending before winter break over later start
- 80.5% prefer ending in May over starting after August 17
- 85% favor full week at Thanksgiving
- 56% prefer October holiday over later start
- 75% like three consecutive weekends in winter break
- 74% prefer February holiday to staff development day
- Election Day off ranked lowest priority
- Board discussion: One member noted constituent concerns about children on campus during the upcoming presidential election day. Another asked about soliciting feedback from extracurricular groups planning trips in advance.
- Dr. Hines noted Caney Creek may need a weather waiver for additional missed days.
Item 5B: Attendance Zone Update — Woodlands/College Park Elementary Feeders (Informational)
Presented by Dr. Hines.
- District grew by 1,750 students since end of last school year; 2,184 since September 2018.
- Last attendance zone adjustment in this area was ~9-10 years ago.
- Overcrowded campuses: Ride Elementary (131% capacity, 12 portables), Lamar (111%, 6 portables), Glenlock (104%, 6 portables), Powell (108%, 3 portables), Bush (95% but projected to 136% by 2025 due to 1488 corridor growth).
- Under-capacity campuses: Deretchin (74%), Galatas (79%), Buckalew (86%), Tough (78%).
- Primary objective: reduce crowding at Ride Elementary.
- Committee formed, co-facilitated by Dr. Hines and Dr. Winkler; first meeting held.
- Three rounds of public input planned; recommendation targeted for February board meeting.
- Stockton Junior High rezoning update coming in December with January recommendation.
Item 5C: Solicitation of Public/Private Pre-K Partnerships
Presented by Dr. Hines.
- HB3 (86th Legislature) requires conversion of half-day to full-day pre-K unless a waiver is obtained.
- To apply for a waiver (and to add portable classrooms), the district must publicly solicit proposals from public/private entities for pre-K partnerships.
- Current status: 1,382 students in half-day programs; 167 in full-day (at Houser and Houston Elementary).
- Converting to full-day impacts: ~48 additional classrooms needed, increased transportation (8-10 additional buses), special education space, specials class scheduling, staffing.
- Campus-by-campus analysis presented: Many campuses can accommodate with existing or minor additions; some need portable classrooms; some may use "clustering" (students attend another campus for pre-K).
- Private partners would need to meet extensive state requirements (teacher qualifications, curriculum alignment, progress monitoring, professional development, etc.).
- Applications to open on district website; due December 9; evaluated proposals may come to December board meeting.
- Solicitation does not obligate the district to select any partner.
- Board discussed the concept of converting an elementary into an early childhood center; Dr. Hines noted it has been explored but space is tight district-wide.
- First-year waiver expected to be easily obtained; goal of full implementation by year 2-3.
Vote: Approved unanimously (voice vote).
Item 5D: Architect Selection for Pre-Construction and Design Services
Presented by Mr. Foster (Planning & Construction).
- Assignment of architects from previously approved pool to multiple bond, general fund, and capital maintenance projects.
- Assignment is not a guarantee of future work; each project will be individually negotiated.
- ~15 projects to engage design services immediately.
- Board discussion clarified that design work can proceed and be shelved if construction is paused, and that "elementary" schools in CISD are K-6 with ~1,000-student capacity (larger than typical districts), which accounts for higher per-building costs but comparable per-square-foot costs.
Vote: Approved unanimously (voice vote).
Item 5E: Capital Improvement Updates (Informational)
Presented by Mr. Foster (Cost).
Stockton Junior High:
- On schedule, ~75% complete, opening August 2020.
- Solar field active for approximately one month; generated 169+ megawatt hours.
- Currently all power going back to grid; permanent building systems to engage in coming weeks.
- CISD is believed to be the only K-12 district in Texas operating as a commercial power generator.
- Masonry and glass installation progressing; building approaching dry/enclosed condition.
- Educational opportunities for students being developed around the solar installation.
Conroe High School Renovations:
- Final stages; ground floor finishes coming together.
- Classrooms nearing completion with projection/interactive technology.
- Expected ready for students after winter break.
Business & Finance
Item 6A: Award RFP 19-06-01 (New/Used Vehicles) and RFP 19-09-02 (Police Vehicles)
Presented by Mr. Reeves.
- Estimated expenditure: $500,000. Six responses received. Evaluated by maintenance, transportation, technology, and police departments.
- Board member commended inclusion of community vendors in the process.
Vote: Approved unanimously (voice vote).
Item 6B: Award CSP 19-08-03 (Job Order Contract Program)
Presented by Mr. Reeves.
- Estimated annual expenditure: $1 million.
- Conducted in conjunction with the Gordian Group; pricing firm through November 2020 with four optional one-year renewals through 2024.
Vote: Approved unanimously (voice vote).
Item 6C: Award RFP 19-09-03A (Career Technical Education Materials, Supplies & Equipment)
Presented by Mr. Reeves.
- Estimated expenditure: $600,000. 75 vendor responses received. Contracts firm through November 2020 with four one-year renewals.
Vote: Approved unanimously (voice vote).
Item 6D: Resolution Approving Employee Retention Stipend
Presented by Mr. Rice.
- One-time $675 retention stipend for qualifying full-time employees (employed by 9/17/19, still employed 1/21/20 and expected through 5/29/20).
- Part-time employees (50-99% FTE) receive prorated amount.
- Payment date: February 14, 2020 paycheck.
- Total expenditure: $5 million (budgeted as part of 2019-2020 budget).
- Clarified this is a retention stipend separate from HB3-required teacher raises already implemented.
Vote: Approved unanimously (voice vote).
Item 6E: Award RFQL 19-01-01 (Bond Underwriting Services)
Presented by Mr. Rice.
- Pool of 11 underwriters approved from 23 proposals received.
Vote: Approved with two abstentions (Mr. Huber and one other member abstained due to financial interest in one of the advisors).
Item 6F: Final Results of Refunding Bonds Series 2019 (Informational)
Presented by Mr. Rice and Financial Advisor John Robuck (BKF).
- Refunded $73.9 million in bonds.
- Achieved $8.3 million in savings (10.724% present value savings).
- Average interest rate reduced from 3.375-5.0% down to an all-in cost of 1.489%.
- Savings spread over 6 years (~$1.386 million/year).
- Bonds sold at all-time low bond index of 2.59%.
- Bonds closed today (November 19, 2019).
- Since 2016, four refunding programs have generated over $38 million in total interest savings.
- Future refunding opportunities: October 2020 (~$199M bonds, estimated ~$27.5M savings over 9 years); October 2023 (~$126M bonds, estimated ~$10M savings). Subject to market conditions.
Item 6G: Authorization of Bond Series 2020 Issuance
Presented by Mr. Rice and John Robuck.
- Approved parameter order for issuance of approximately $122.5 million in unlimited tax school building bonds (Series 2020) from the 2019 bond referendum.
- Leaves approximately $531.07 million in authorized but unissued bonds.
- Bonds to be sold over 5 years total (not all at once).
- Current interest rate environment favorable (2.79% bond index, still 1.5% below historical average).
- Projects funded by this first sale:
- New elementary school in Caney Creek feeder zone
- Renovations/additions: Conroe High School, The Woodlands College Park High School, The Woodlands High School, Oak Ridge High School, York Junior High, Runyan, Creighton, Wilkerson Elementary
- Safety and security projects, campus renovations, technology, buses
- Design phase: new flex school (K-6) in Conroe HS feeder, junior high in Caney Creek feeder, Conroe 9th grade addition, South County CTE program at Oak Ridge HS
- Underwriting team: Piper Sandler (senior manager); RBC Capital Markets, FHN Financial Capital Markets, Morgan Stanley, Estrada Hinojosa (co-managers).
- Planned sale: first week of January 2020; closing first week of February 2020.
- District expects to maintain 26-cent debt service tax rate through savings, annual principal payoffs ($50-60M/year), and property value growth.
- Rating calls scheduled December 9; no change in credit rating anticipated (currently AA+/Aa1, one notch below AAA).
Vote: Approved unanimously (voice vote).
Item 6H: Monthly Financial Reports (Informational)
Presented by Karen Garza (Business Manager).
- General Fund Cash & Investments: $227.2 million total (including $92.8M state pools, $75.7M Wood Forest National Bank, $51.6M TCG Investment Advisors).
- State Revenue: First two payments received totaling $116.4 million; federal revenues $193,000; total revenues $118.5 million.
- Self-Funded Insurance: Net revenue over expense of $1.2 million (2 months into plan year). Wellness center participation averaging 576 year-to-date.
- Investment Portfolio: Par value $334.5 million; combined yield 2.078% (benchmark 90-day T-bill at 1.525%); weighted average maturity 62 days.
- Next bond payment due February (semi-annual: February and August).
Executive Session (Item 7)
- Board entered closed session at 9:36 PM under Texas Government Code Sections 551.071, 551.072, and 551.074.
- Board returned to open session at 11:19 PM.
- No action items reported from executive session.
Item 9: Montgomery County Appraisal District Board of Directors Election
- CISD has 1,742 votes to cast for CAD board candidates.
- Motion: Cast 581 votes each for Bruce Tuff and Bonar Luzi, and 580 votes for Barry Blandon.
- Board discussion noted that Peggy Houseman (nominated by MUDs and Montgomery County) and Adam Simmons (nominated by Magnolia ISD) are also candidates with votes already cast by other entities.
- Mr. Huber abstained, stating he does not believe a taxing entity should vote for the CAD board.
Vote: Passed 6-0 with 1 abstention (Huber).
Adjournment
- Meeting adjourned at 11:24 PM.
These are unofficial notes based on an auto-generated transcript of the November 19, 2019 Conroe ISD Board of Trustees Regular Meeting. They are not official minutes and may contain inaccuracies. Please consult the district for official records.