February 25, 2020 — Special Meeting
Conroe ISD Board Meeting — 2020-02-25
Special Meeting — Unofficial Notes
Based on auto-generated transcript. Not an official record.
Generated 2026-03-27 22:19 UTC
Unofficial Meeting Notes
Conroe Independent School District Board of Trustees — Special Meeting
February 25, 2020
⚠️ Disclaimer: These are unofficial notes based on an auto-generated transcript of the board meeting. They may contain errors or omissions. Please consult official CISD minutes for the authoritative record.
Meeting Called to Order
- Time: 6:00 p.m. (President Williams initially misstated "6 a.m." and was corrected)
- Quorum: All seven board members present
- Opening: Invocation and pledges led by Trustee Moore
Housekeeping
- President Williams addressed multiple emails demanding a doctor's excuse for his absence at the previous week's meeting (February 18). He stated he was out of the country on business and would not be providing a doctor's note.
Context / Background
- This special meeting was called after the previous regular meeting on February 18 ended in a 3-3 tie vote on the proposed rezoning plan, resulting in no action being taken.
- The sole agenda item was approval of attendance zones for elementary and intermediate schools in the Woodlands and College Park feeders.
- The Attendance Boundary Committee (ABC) had spent approximately four months reviewing ~40 scenarios, narrowing them to three, and ultimately recommending Scenario A 3.1.2.
Public Comment Summary
- 37 speakers registered to address the board
- 3-minute time limit per speaker (increased from an initially considered 2 minutes)
- Dr. Null reminded attendees to be "neighborly" and respectful
Key Themes from Public Comments:
In Support of Scenario A 3.1.2 (ABC Recommendation):
- Jacobs Reserve residents (multiple speakers including Amy Seals, Katie Payne, Trista Johnson, Heather Hayes, Rick Kimple, Jessica Kudrow, Lindsay Holloman, Elena Kim Boris, Karen Turner, Holly Beer, Michelle Lovering, Andrew Tosh, Mary Bartholomew, and others) urged the board to:
- Follow the ABC's recommendation after months of deliberation
- Keep Jacobs Reserve together as a community (not split between schools)
- Address dangerous overcrowding at Sally K. Ride Elementary (131-132% capacity, 12 portables, ~250 students in portables)
- Respect the process the board itself established
- Panther Creek/Ride parents (Virginia Errends, Jennifer Harris, Emily Brow, Adam Billington) emphasized:
- Serious safety concerns at Ride: limited parking, easily scalable fencing around portables, proximity to public park where a suicide occurred, students walking unattended between portables and main building
- Poor learning conditions in portables (loud AC, rain noise, temperature issues, overcrowded facilities)
- Children feeling disconnected from the school community when in portables
- Megan McLean spoke about the needs of children with special needs, including her daughter born without a corpus callosum, emphasizing the importance of consistency and long-term planning
- Jessica Kudrow presented a petition with ~1,000 signatures supporting the ABC recommendation
- Multiple speakers emphasized that the ABC's process should be honored and that allowing petitions/emails to override the committee's work would set a dangerous precedent for future rezonings
In Opposition to Scenario A 3.1.2 / Requesting Alternatives:
- Galatas community parents (Dee Helle, Megan Culver, Raja Shigatu, Alphone, Carrie Daley, Douglas Shore, Becky Barton, and others) argued:
- Current Galatas students should not be displaced to make room for Jacobs Reserve students
- Galatas families have been rezoned up to four times already ("swing neighborhood")
- Moving students from a K-4 school (Galatas) to a K-6 school (Tough) fundamentally changes the educational trajectory parents chose
- The plan is a "band-aid" that doesn't address root capacity issues
- Suggested alternatives: split Jacobs Reserve, send Jacobs Reserve to Tough or Deretchin directly, or build a new school on 1488
- 1,250+ signatures on a Galatas community petition opposing the plan
- Caitlyn Reeves (Bush parent) questioned the district's finances, noting a ~$160 million general fund surplus and suggesting cash could fund a new school now ($28 million estimated) rather than waiting 5-6 years for a bond
- Joseph White urged the board to reject the proposal and seek a more permanent solution, questioning the overall process
- Sam Shone (speaker #37) called for long-term leadership and planning, noting Bush would soon face the same overcrowding as Ride
- One speaker suggested the plan be postponed entirely, arguing no consensus existed even within the ABC, and that school/community impact assessments were insufficient
- Dee Helle disputed claims about long bus rides for Jacobs Reserve, presenting data showing Tough and Deretchin are comparable distances to Ride
District Presentation — Dr. Hines
Dr. Hines presented the ABC's recommendation with supporting data:
Key Data Points:
- District growth: 64,959 students as of Feb. 13, an increase of 2,250+ since September
- Full-day pre-K transition will add ~750 pre-K students; ~200 currently in Woodlands/College Park feeder
- 179 portable classrooms currently district-wide
- Ride Elementary: 132% capacity, 12 portables, projected to grow further
- Galatas: 74% capacity (declining enrollment)
- Tough: Declining enrollment, projected at 640 students in a building that holds 1,150
- Deretchin: Declining enrollment
- Bush: Approaching 100%, projected significant growth by 2025-26
- Glen Loch: 109% capacity (serves bilingual program)
- Lamar: 109% capacity, 6 portables
Scenarios Reviewed:
Dr. Hines presented multiple alternative scenarios the committee had considered, including:
- Jacobs Reserve to Bush (high impact, ~1,000 students)
- Powell-based solutions (~1,165 students)
- K-6 restructuring (~1,742 students)
- Tough/Deretchin split (391 students, low impact but logistical concerns)
- Buckalew-based solutions
- Scenario 14 (received via email, 218 students, minimal impact but didn't utilize existing capacity or address Lamar/Glen Loch)
- Scenario 2.32 (split Jacobs Reserve option, 345 students)
Recommended Plan — Scenario A 3.1.2:
- Total students impacted: 608
- Jacobs Reserve (323 students): Move from Ride to Galatas
- Lakelyn area (Lamar): Move to Ride (29 students)
- Galatas zones 92F & H92 (146 students): Move to Tough
- Mitchell students (77): Move to Tough
- 92A west of Alden Bridge: Move from Bush to Buckalew
- River's Edge: Move from Bush to Buckalew
- Projected outcomes: Ride relief to accommodate pre-K; Galatas up to ~97%; Tough to ~94%; space created for bilingual/pre-K programs at multiple campuses
- Commitment: Students moved during this process would not be moved again while at their new school
Dr. Hines thanked ABC committee members, who stood and were applauded.
Board Discussion
Trustee Husbands:
- Clarified he could not take credit for last week's vote (he was absent from the Feb. 18 meeting — note: President Williams was the absent member; Husbands may have been referencing his own prior concerns)
- Acknowledged the ABC and Dr. Hines did excellent work
- Said he had since had his questions answered about what happens 2-3 years from now
- Proposed an amendment: Rezone area 75JB to Deretchin (currently impacts zero students but would matter for future growth)
- Amendment failed — no second was received; motion died
Trustee Kidd:
- Thanked the committee, parents, and recognized Dr. Hines' leadership and knowledge
Trustee Hubert:
- Expressed respect for the process and appreciation for community engagement
- Noted he spoke with many parents by phone and all were cordial and professional
- Emphasized CISD schools are not "Woodlands schools" or "Conroe schools" — they are CISD schools serving all students equally
- Expressed confidence the board would make a decision tonight
Trustee Inman:
- Expressed feeling honored to serve a community this dedicated to their children
- Thanked the committee and parents
President Williams:
- Read a prepared statement acknowledging rezoning is the most contentious undertaking for any school district
- Stated the board relies on district administration and the ABC as subject matter experts
- Noted the committee exhaustively explored multiple scenarios and determined A 3.1.2 was least disruptive while addressing capacity issues
- Affirmed all CISD schools and staff are exceptional regardless of outcome
Vote
Motion: Approve Scenario A 3.1.2 as recommended by the Attendance Boundary Committee
| Action | Result |
|--------|--------|
| Motion made | (not specified by name in transcript) |
| Seconded | Yes |
| Amendment proposed by Trustee Husbands (rezone 75JB to Deretchin) | Failed — no second received |
| Final Vote on original motion | Passed (unanimous or by majority — specific vote count not stated in transcript; described as all in favor with no dissent recorded) |
Note: The transcript records President Williams calling "all in favor" and then stating "motion passes" followed by cheering and applause, but individual votes were not called by name. The previous meeting had failed 3-3 with one member absent.
Meeting Adjourned
- Motion to adjourn made immediately after the vote
- No executive session was held
Key Outcomes
1. ✅ Scenario A 3.1.2 APPROVED — The ABC's recommended rezoning plan was adopted
2. ❌ Amendment to rezone 75JB to Deretchin FAILED (no second)
3. Rezoning affects 608 students across multiple elementary and intermediate schools in the Woodlands and College Park feeder patterns
4. Jacobs Reserve (323 students) will move from Sally K. Ride to Galatas Elementary
5. 146 Galatas students will move to Tough Elementary; 77 Mitchell students will also move to Tough
6. District committed that students moved in this process will not be moved again during their time at the new school
7. The plan creates capacity at Ride for pre-K programs and provides some relief for Lamar and Glen Loch overcrowding