April 7, 2020 — Regular Meeting
Conroe ISD Board Meeting — 2020-04-07
Regular Meeting — Unofficial Notes
Based on auto-generated transcript. Not an official record.
Generated 2026-03-27 22:23 UTC
Unofficial Meeting Notes — Conroe ISD Board Workshop
Date: April 7, 2020
Meeting Type: Regular Workshop (Special Meeting)
Format: Virtual via Zoom Video Conferencing (per Governor Abbott's temporary suspension of Texas Open Meetings Act provisions)
Called to Order: 6:00 PM
Adjourned: 7:30 PM
⚠️ These are unofficial notes based on an auto-generated transcript of the meeting. They are not official minutes and may contain errors or omissions.
Public Comment
No public comments were submitted via the district website forum. (Due to virtual format, comments were accepted only through the online public comment form.)
Agenda Item 1: COVID-19 Response Update
Presented by: Dr. Chris Hines (with input from Dr. Curtis Null and Darrin Rice)
District Priorities During COVID-19:
1. Keeping staff and students safe / reducing spread of COVID-19
2. Continuity of learning
3. Providing nutrition and other supports to students
4. Communicating with the learning community
5. Continuity of business operations
Operational Timeline:
- Week of March 16–20: District closed; limited operations for planning
- March 23: Moved to limited operations (planning, technology distribution, material distribution); adjusted hours to minimize contact
- March 30 onward: "Essential operations" mode — very few people in buildings, primarily for food preparation and essential functions
Key Operational Updates:
Health Services
- Health information phone line staffed by nurses (8 AM–3 PM)
- Daily updates with Texas Dept. of State Health Services and CDC
- Daily webinars with district nurses
- Screening protocols established (temperature checks, questionnaires for workers)
- Distributed protective equipment inventory
- Shared resources (temporal thermometers) with local fire and EMS departments
- Collaborated with Montgomery County Office of Emergency Management
Meal Distribution
- 10 distribution sites: Austin Elementary, Caney Creek, Conroe High School, Knox Junior High, Grand Oaks, Hawk, Oak Ridge High School, College Park, The Woodlands, Washington Junior High
- Two meals distributed on Tuesdays; three meals on Thursdays
- As of the prior Thursday: 205,868 total meals distributed
- On April 7 alone: over 32,000 meals distributed
- Meal distribution volumes have been gradually increasing
Board Discussion on Meal Funding (Scott Kidd):
- Dr. Kidd asked about potential donations for meal programs
- Dr. Hines and Dr. Null clarified that distributed meals are reimbursable — no debt is accumulating for families
- For community members wanting to donate, the district recommended the Montgomery County Food Bank as the most impactful donation destination
- Food bank supports the Buddy Backpack program (weekend meals), Meals on Wheels for homeless students, and mobile pantries
- 12 Communities in Schools sites have sponsored mobile food pantries
- Matthew's Birthday Wish continues delivering to 5 campuses
Staff & Family Support
- Community resource lists shared with counseling staff and families
- Employee Assistance Program (EAP) reminders sent to staff
- Counseling staff reaching out regularly to check on families
- Spanish hotline operated by community outreach department
- Coping resources and stress management guidance distributed
Continuity of Learning (Curriculum & Instruction)
- Curriculum narrowed to 1–2 essential standards for the final nine weeks
- Webpages developed for teacher and parent resources (live since March 20); updated weekly in English and Spanish
- Support provided for bilingual/ESL, GT, special education, 504, and dyslexia students
- Canvas (LMS) at all-time high usage
- Resources contacted by districts from multiple states, including Hawaii
Fourth Nine Weeks Grading Policy Changes:
- Focus on key objectives necessary for next grade level success
- Limited to one graded assignment per week (formative only)
- No penalties for late work
- Grade for 4th nine weeks cannot be lower than 3rd nine weeks grade (can only go up)
- No major grades or final exams
- Remote access limitations will not be a barrier — campuses delivering technology or paper packets
Technology Support
- Over 4,000 Chromebooks distributed to students
- 300 Chromebooks with built-in internet distributed
- 500+ hotspots deployed (in addition to previously existing ones)
- Internet bandwidth increased from 6 gigs to 10 gigs
- Added internet redundancy for outage protection
- Increased monitoring of network systems and servers
- Cybersecurity awareness training for employees working from home
- Single sign-on authentication capacity expanded
- 138 students enrolled remotely during closure
- Office 365 available to all staff and students at home (district-wide license)
- Office phones configured for remote forwarding
Payroll (under Becky Davis)
- Processed April 1 pay period; working on April 15
- Processing manual checks for returned direct deposits
- Stopped student loan deductions where applicable
- Notifying staff of available relief programs
- Handling W-2 requests, TRS reporting forms, absence/leave processing
- Responding to numerous employee inquiries about pay
Other Departments
- Finance: Staffing projections, closing out cancelled travel/events, working on next year's budget
- Accounts Payable: Continuing to pay bills
- Purchasing: Assisting with hotspot/technology purchases, food delivery logistics
- Planning/Construction: Monitoring ongoing and new projects
- HR: Continuing recruitment, managing postings, resignations, retirements; ensuring part-time staff and long-term subs are paid; dealing with cancelled certification test complications; working on allocations and benefit information
- Custodial/Maintenance: Opening sites for food prep, E-misting/cleaning feeding sites and offices, checking facilities 3 times/week, moving portables for upcoming construction, maintaining mechanical systems/water wells/wastewater plants, limited grounds maintenance
Communications
- District status updates via SchoolMessenger
- Several Facebook Live events with Dr. Null (next one: April 13 at 6 PM)
- Videos, book readings, life lessons series released
- Virtual choir video: 30,000 views in 12 hours
- Supporting rescheduling of events (job fair, car show, foundation breakfast, early childhood fair, groundbreaking)
- Standardized campus email addresses created
- All communications translated to Spanish
- Facilitating Zoom conferencing for district operations
- Processing mail and postage
- Monitoring voicemail/email at all sites during business hours (8–3)
Transportation Funding Discussion
- Board member question about transportation savings
- Dr. Null clarified: District is not receiving transportation funding during closure (per-mileage reimbursement)
- Estimated $3–4 million less in transportation funding for the last quarter
- Bus drivers still being paid standard hours — no net savings realized
Agenda Item 2: Oak Ridge High School Master Plan Update
Presented by: Mr. Easy Foster (with Dr. Null)
Background:
- Oak Ridge HS is the district's second oldest high school; will become the oldest upon completion of Conroe HS renovations
- Phase 1 of the November bond package was primarily mechanical updates
- City of Shenandoah approached the district about a broader site reimagining
Proposed Concept:
- Reroute Oak Ridge School Road around the campus instead of through it
- Current road bisects the campus between Oak Ridge 9th grade and the main campus, creating safety and traffic issues
- Potential to connect the 9th grade campus to the main campus (either via building across the road or a secured walkway)
- Potential new intersection at Johnson Road that would create a direct connection from Oak Ridge HS through Hammond to Woodforest Stadium
- Initial conversations with City of Shenandoah, county traffic engineer, and Precinct 4 Chief of Staff (physical meetings delayed due to COVID-19)
- Early indications suggest the county and surrounding community would support the transition
Budget Impact:
- Would use some current Phase 1 budget for the road project
- Some Phase 1 items would shift to Phase 2
- Would not exceed overall budget — just a reallocation
Board Discussion:
- John Moore asked about acquiring full access rights to Oak Ridge School Road (similar to Wilson Road in Conroe). Foster noted conversations are ongoing; right-of-way is county-controlled; no reason to believe the county wouldn't allow the district to take it back.
- Ray Sanders asked about property ownership in the northeast corner of the site. Foster confirmed that corner is not currently district property but stated purchase is not necessarily required — multiple options exist.
- Board member question about athletic fields (baseball, softball, track, football) — Foster said it's too early to determine but many options would be explored.
Outcome:
- No vote requested — workshop item for feedback only
- Board expressed no objections to continued investigation
- District will bring project information back for a formal vote in the future
Agenda Item 3: 2020–2021 Preliminary Budget Overview
Presented by: Darrin Rice, Chief Financial Officer (with Dr. Null)
Budget Objectives for 2020–2021:
- Opening Stockton Junior High School (new)
- Opening 12th grade at Grand Oaks High School
- Accommodating estimated 1,500 new students (total enrollment: ~66,298)
- Personnel allocation adjustments at elementary and intermediate levels
- General pay increase (cost-of-living)
- Addressing health insurance premium increases
- Funding remaining House Bill 3 requirements (full-day pre-K, Reading Academies K–3, dyslexia, CCMR, special ed, CTE programs)
Fund Balance:
- Ended 2019 with $140 million fund balance
- Transferred $32 million (2019–2020): $12M to technology (2019 bond), $20M to capital maintenance fund
- Unassigned fund balance (8/31/19): $134.7 million (24.5% of budget)
- $24.8M over low-end target; $2.7M under high-end target
- Anticipating fund balance to grow by ~$10 million this year from prior year savings
Tax Rate:
- CISD is second lowest tax rate in the Greater Houston area
- Current rate: $1.23 — 15 cents below peer district average
- 4 cents below the closest peer district (Forney ISD)
Tax Rate Compression (House Bill 3):
- Maximum Compressed Rate (MCR) calculated at 90.35 cents (assuming 5.5% property value growth)
- With access to one additional (5th) golden penny allowed by the legislature:
- Proposed M&O rate: 95.35 cents (decrease of 1.65 cents)
- Proposed I&S rate: 26 cents (unchanged)
- Proposed total tax rate: $1.2135 (decrease of 1.656 cents)
Revenue Projections:
| Source | Amount |
|--------|--------|
| Tax revenue increase (5.5% levy growth) | +$12.11M |
| State revenue increase (1,500 students + golden penny) | +$10.8M |
| Investment income decrease (Fed rate cuts) | -$1.7M |
| TRS in-kind (accounting entry) | +$3.5M |
| Total estimated available funding | +$24.71M |
Proposed Salary Increases (Cost-of-Living):
| Employee Group | Proposed Increase | Cost |
|----------------|-------------------|------|
| Teachers, librarians, nurses, counselors | 3% | $7.7M |
| Administrative (education & business) | 2.5% | $1.9M |
| Paraprofessionals (admin & instructional) | 3.5% | $950K |
| Auxiliary (custodians, maintenance, etc.) | 3.5% | — |
| Bus drivers | Flat $1/hour (~5% at midpoint) | — |
| Auxiliary + transportation total | — | $1.5M |
| Police | 5% + certification pay | — |
Total cost-of-living increases: ~$12.5 million
Note: The teacher hiring schedule (3% / $1,800 raise for returning teachers, new starting salary of $57,000) was previously approved at a board meeting two weeks prior. Dr. Null noted the board could still adjust this if needed since no one has been hired under the new schedule yet.
Police Pay Discussion:
- Chief and Captain Blakelock conducted a regional salary study
- District was losing officers to other agencies due to base pay and lack of certification pay
- Current vacancies in the police department are difficult to fill
- Certification pay for master officers and years of service is a key retention tool
Personnel Allocations:
- 225 new campus-level positions: 125 teachers, 5 administrators, 16.5 professionals, 77.5 paraprofessionals — Cost: $11.3M
- 72 new support positions (primarily custodians, maintenance, transportation) — Cost: $3.5M
- Total: ~297 new positions at $14.85 million
Expenditure Summary:
| Category | Amount |
|----------|--------|
| Additional personnel for growth | $14.86M |
| Cost-of-living increases | $12.5M |
| Substitute pay increase | $300K |
| Employee retention stipend (removed) | (savings) |
| Pre-K transfer & buses | $9.2M |
| TRS in-kind | $3.5M |
| Other expenses (fuel, utilities, insurance, supplies) | $1.95M |
| Total expenditure increase | $23.69M |
Projected Budget Summary:
| Item | Amount |
|------|--------|
| Beginning revenue | $555.62M |
| Total revenue increase | +$24.71M |
| Estimated total revenue | $580.33M |
| Estimated total expenditures | $576.02M |
| Potential available funds (surplus) | $4.31M |
Property Values:
- Estimated growth: 5.5% (adds ~$2 billion, total: ~$40.2 billion)
- Appraisal district confirms values trending around 5.5%
- Under HB 3, property value growth above 2.5% flows to the state on M&O side
- Lower interest rates are offsetting concerns about potential future property value slowdowns on the I&S (bond) side
Board Discussion on Budget:
Scott Kidd: Asked about the golden penny — Dr. Null confirmed it generates approximately $8 million in revenue (state matches the penny). It will fund full-day pre-K (~$5.5M) and other HB 3 mandated programs. Vote will occur as part of August budget adoption.
John Hubert raised two concerns:
1. Enrollment risk: If enrollment were flat (zero growth), ~$10M in revenue would be lost, creating a ~$6M deficit. Dr. Null confirmed the $4.31M surplus plus natural attrition savings would provide a cushion.
2. Property value risk: Concern about COVID-19 impact on future appraisal values. Dr. Null noted even in recessions, values have grown at least ~3.5% due to continued homebuilding. On M&O side, growth above 2.5% goes to the state regardless, so impact is minimal. On bond side, historically low interest rates provide protection.
President Williams: Asked about voting requirements for the golden penny — Dr. Null clarified a unanimous (100%) vote is required.
Health Insurance Update:
Current Plan Performance:
- Total revenues: $28.6M; Total expenses: $29.1M — ~$500K deficit
- Five consecutive months in the red
- Large claims months (June–August) still ahead
Market Trends:
- Medical inflation: 5–7%
- CISD trending 8–10% (above market) due to high-dollar claims penetrating stop-loss and high utilization
- District had outperformed market for past 4 years (3–4% range)
- Last year: employees received premium decreases via Kelsey program with increased benefits
Outlook:
- Plan design changes (tightening benefits) will be necessary
- Working with United Healthcare on deductible adjustments and premium increases
- Plan design to be brought to April 21 board meeting
- Employee Benefits Committee meeting: April 15 to review plan design changes and premiums
Ray Sanders requested the district examine pharmacy/drug costs for potential savings (generic formulary, lower copays). Rice confirmed pharmacy is actually performing well but they will continue looking for savings opportunities across all areas.
Upcoming Dates & Next Steps
| Date | Event |
|------|-------|
| April 13 | Facebook Live Update #5 with Dr. Null (6 PM) |
| April 15 | Employee Benefits Committee meeting |
| April 21 | Next Board Meeting (virtual via Zoom) — health insurance plan design presentation; new principal appointments |
| June 14 | Deadline for Board Trustee cybersecurity training (HB 3834) |
| July 15 | District-Level Planning & Decision-Making Committee meeting |
| July 21 | Formal budget presentation to Board |
| July 25 | Certified property values received |
| August 4 | First public hearing on budget |
| August 18 | Second public hearing + Board adoption of budget and tax rate |
Key Takeaways
- No votes were taken — this was a workshop/information session only
- District is in strong financial position with robust fund balance, conservative budgeting practices, and contingency cushions
- COVID-19 response is extensive across all departments; over 205,000 meals distributed; 4,000+ Chromebooks deployed
- Oak Ridge HS master plan concept to reroute school road received positive initial feedback; investigation will continue
- Proposed 2020–2021 budget includes cost-of-living raises for all employee groups, 297 new positions, a tax rate decrease of ~1.66 cents, and a projected $4.31M surplus
- Health insurance premiums will increase — plan design changes coming to April 21 meeting
- Board expressed support for conservative approach to budgeting given economic uncertainty from COVID-19 and oil price declines
- Next board meeting (April 21) will be the first virtual meeting requiring formal votes — procedures for roll call/visible voting still being finalized