October 6, 2020 — Regular Meeting
Conroe ISD Board Meeting — 2020-10-06
Regular Meeting — Unofficial Notes
Based on auto-generated transcript. Not an official record.
Generated 2026-03-28 13:15 UTC
Unofficial Meeting Notes
Conroe Independent School District Board Workshop
October 6, 2020
These are unofficial notes based on an auto-generated transcript and may contain errors or omissions.
Public Comment
No one signed up for public comment.
Item 1: Bond Sale Results & Enrollment/Budget Update
Presented by: Mr. Darrin Rice, with comments from Dr. Null
Bond Refunding Results (Preliminary)
- The district completed a bond sale earlier that day, refunding approximately $170 million in 2012 bonds plus a $189 million new money sale.
- Results were preliminary (books had just closed), but the district achieved approximately $50.067 million in savings — exceeding the initial estimate of $43 million and hitting the hoped-for $50 million target.
- Savings represent over 20% on refunded bonds.
- The refunding did not extend the bond term — stayed within the existing 10-year window.
- Overall new money interest rate: 2.47%, compared to the 4.5% used during the bond referendum, representing approximately $48 million in additional capacity for the bond program.
- The market was volatile that morning; the team waited until 10:00 AM (rather than the usual 8:30 AM) to find a favorable entry point.
Enrollment Update
- Budgeted enrollment: 66,298 (anticipated 1,500 student growth)
- Budgeted ADA: 62,452 (using 94.2% attendance rate)
- Current enrollment (as of Oct. 5): 64,527 — 1,771 students below budget
- Current ADA: 1,668 below budget
- The state extended its hold harmless provision by an additional six weeks (through the first semester), holding the district harmless at an ADA of 62,852 — actually 400 higher than what CISD budgeted.
- This is the first year in recent history where enrollment trended downward; the district is 271 students below where it ended last year.
- However, compared to the same date last year, enrollment is approximately 570 students higher.
- The district is adding approximately 20 students per day (about 100 per week). Dr. Null expressed confidence the district would exceed 65,000 by end of October.
Enrollment by Grade Level
- 930 of the missing students are in early education (pre-K, kindergarten, and first grade) — consistent with statewide and nationwide trends.
- The district launched a social media campaign encouraging families to enroll pre-K and kindergarten students, emphasizing it's "not too late."
- Dr. Null expressed concern that missing early childhood education will have long-term academic consequences.
- Board discussion clarified that compulsory school attendance age in Texas is six (first grade), not seven as initially stated. (Dr. Hines corrected this during his later presentation.)
Budget Impact
- Projected decrease in state funding: approximately $5.3 million (including hold harmless).
- The adopted budget included a $5.46 million surplus — essentially bringing the district to break even in the worst-case scenario.
- Dr. Null emphasized this is the worst case; continued enrollment growth means the district will not be in a deficit and will maintain a surplus.
- The fund balance remains strong, positioning the district well.
- Budget preparation for 2021-2022 will be "unlike anything we've ever dealt with" due to uncertainty around remote learning policies and enrollment projections.
Teacher Retirements Discussion
- Board member asked about rumors of increased teacher retirements statewide.
- Ms. Green confirmed more resignations and retirements than usual due to COVID, though she hadn't broken it down by age.
- Dr. Null noted more "late resignations" (just before or during school) and expects more mid-year retirees than ever before.
- Contributing factors include health concerns and the difficulty of adapting to new teaching models.
- The district maintains a running spreadsheet tracking resignations weekly.
- Despite increased turnover, the applicant pipeline remains strong — more applicants attending virtual job fairs than there are retirements. Student teachers also provide a hiring pool.
Holdsworth Center Leadership Development Program
Presented by: Dr. Taylor
Overview
- The Holdsworth Center was founded in 2017 by Charles Butt (HEB chairman), named after his mother (an educator), and funded by a $100 million investment.
- The program provides free leadership development for school districts (compared to alternatives costing $130,000–$230,000).
- Leadership philosophy: 70% from job experiences, 20% from coaching/interactions, 10% from formal education.
- Curriculum covers personal leadership development, empowering others, and creating systemic change.
Program Details
- Cost: Free (aside from in-state transportation, currently waived due to COVID — all virtual).
- Participants: Superintendent + five district-level leaders.
- Duration: Two-year program with site visits and coursework.
- Current participants: 13 districts statewide across two cohorts, including comparably-sized districts: Round Rock ISD, Arlington ISD, and Klein ISD.
- Currently accepting applications for Cohort 3; application due November 20, 2020.
- If selected, the district would begin in summer 2021.
Board Discussion
- Board members asked about curriculum specifics (Dr. Taylor has seen testimonials/videos but not the full curriculum), post-program obligations (none beyond the two-year commitment), and selection competitiveness.
- The Holdsworth Center directly reached out to Conroe ISD to apply for Cohort 3 (they did not reach out for Cohorts 1 or 2).
- This does not require board approval — Dr. Null shared it as informational. There is no cost to apply.
- Dr. Taylor expressed hope to be included among the six participants. (Laughter from the board.)
Item 2: District of Innovation Plan Reauthorization
Presented by: Dr. Hines (assisted by Mr. Hartwell Brown and Dr. Pam Zoda)
Background
- The 84th Texas Legislature (2015) created the District of Innovation option via HB 1842.
- Allows districts to design innovation plans for local flexibility without going through the state waiver system.
- Must be renewed every five years — the current plan expires in January 2021.
Current Plan
- Currently used only for the flexible (early start) calendar — allows starting before the fourth Monday in August.
- The district is eligible to apply (not in substandard achievement status).
- Approval requires two-thirds board vote.
Proposed Changes for New Plan
The district is considering adding CTE (Career and Technical Education) certification flexibility:
- Would allow hiring industry professionals without standard teaching certificates for hard-to-fill CTE positions (e.g., welding, collision repair, auto technology, health sciences).
- Would be narrowly defined — only for specific positions where certified applicants cannot be found.
- Would likely require Dr. Null's individual approval for each hire.
- Neighboring districts (Aldine, Fort Bend, Humble, Katy, Klein, Spring, Tomball) already include this in their innovation plans.
Special Education/CTE: Would also allow existing special education life skills teachers who teach career courses to receive CTE course coding, enabling weighted pupil funding — a direct financial benefit without changing current practices.
Board Discussion
- Significant concerns raised about:
- Board oversight of non-certified hires — Board member John (appears to be Mr. Husbands) emphasized the board should have direct knowledge of any such hires, not just macro-level awareness.
- Compensation equity between certified and non-certified teachers.
- Ensuring non-certified hires receive adequate pedagogical training and support.
- Dr. Null clarified that non-certified hires would still go through the full interview process and would likely be known quantities from industry partnerships.
- Dr. Hines noted the district has managed to fill all CTE positions for the past five years without this flexibility, but having it as an option provides a safety net.
- The plan would only cover the calendar and potentially CTE — explicitly not requesting flexibility for non-highly-qualified teachers in academic areas.
Timeline
- October board meeting: Board will vote on a resolution to explore the District of Innovation application.
- Public hearing will be held.
- District Level Planning Committee (teachers, parents, community members, administrators) will develop the plan.
- Plan must be posted online for 30 days minimum (before November 15).
- December board meeting: Final vote for plan approval (requires two-thirds majority).
Item 3: Teacher Incentive Allotment (TIA)
Presented by: Ms. Green and Dr. Pam Zoda, with extensive commentary from Dr. Null and Dr. Hines
Overview
- Part of House Bill 3 (last legislative session), designed to attract, retain, and reward the most effective teachers at the highest-need campuses.
- The state provides additional funding ($3,000–$32,000 annually per designated teacher) based on:
1. Teacher designation level: Master, Exemplary, or Recognized
2. Campus socioeconomic need (geo-codes based on student demographics)
3. Rural status (not applicable to CISD)
- Designations are added to the teacher's SBEC certification and are valid for five years, portable across districts and campuses.
- Districts must use 90% of funds on teacher compensation at the designated teacher's campus; 10% may be used administratively.
Two Pathways to Designation
1. National Board Certification — Automatic "Recognized" level. CISD currently has three national board-certified teachers (all at secondary campuses). This funding flows automatically for 2021.
2. Local Optional Teacher Designation System — District-created, must be approved by TEA. This is the complex system CISD is developing.
Components of the Local System (Under Development)
1. Teacher Observation (mandatory): Using T-TESS (current evaluation system). Plans include recalibrating all raters for consistency across the district.
2. Student Growth (mandatory): Committee is leaning toward pre and post tests as the most objective measure. STAR assessments and other interim assessments would be used.
3. Teacher Leadership/Mentoring (optional): Committee currently plans to start with only the two mandatory components, though Board Member Husbands strongly advocated for including mentoring/teacher leadership as a measured component. Dr. Null noted that T-TESS already incorporates teacher leadership elements.
Proposed Weighting
- Student growth (pre/post tests): 60%
- Teacher observation: 40%
- These percentages are still under discussion.
Eligibility
- Teachers must spend 90 days at 100% or 180 days at 50-99% working directly with students.
- Includes some non-teacher-of-record positions (e.g., special education inclusion support teachers).
- Goal: 100% of eligible teachers participate.
Initial Implementation Plan
- Committee is considering starting with the Caney Creek feeder zone (highest-need campuses) and potentially expanding to all campuses at 75% or higher economically disadvantaged.
- Additional qualifying campuses beyond Caney Creek: Anderson, Armstrong, Runyon, Travis, and Houston.
- Focus on tested grade levels and tested subjects initially, with processes for pre-K through 2nd grade.
Funding Examples Discussed
- Master designation at Caney Creek: Approximately $19,000 additional
- Master designation at David Elementary: Approximately $12,294
- Recognized designation at David: Approximately $3,088
- Board discussed the potential for stratifying payouts by campus need level (e.g., 90% at highest-need campuses, lower percentages at others) to increase retention incentives.
Key Board Concerns & Discussion
- Subjectivity in teacher evaluation: Multiple board members raised concerns about fairness in designating teachers, potential favoritism, and the difficulty of comparing teachers across different contexts.
- Retention mechanism: Board discussed whether teachers could be required to stay at a campus for a certain period (similar to the former DATE Grant). The answer is unclear — the designation and funding follow the teacher through the state system.
- Five-year designation term: Concern raised that a teacher could "tank" after receiving designation and still keep it for five years with limited accountability.
- TRS implications: Unknown whether TIA funds count toward Teacher Retirement System salary calculations.
- Payment timing: Likely annual; discussion about whether paying in September could serve as a retention tool.
- Legislative risk: Dr. Null noted the legislature convenes in January 2021 with significant budget shortfalls; while no one is talking about eliminating TIA, it could be vulnerable to cuts.
- Statewide participation: Currently only 26 districts (about 2% of Texas districts, mostly small/rural) are approved. No large districts are fully participating yet. Board members noted the potential cost if all districts participated could reach hundreds of millions or billions.
Board Sentiment
- Despite extensive concerns and questions, there was general acknowledgment that participation is necessary — Dr. Null stated that choosing not to participate would be a "fatal error" as competing districts would attract CISD's best teachers.
- Caney Creek feeder zone principals are described as "ecstatic" about the opportunity.
Timeline
- April 1, 2021: Application/notification deadline to TEA
- 2021-2022: Data capture year
- Spring or Fall 2023: State funding would begin flowing
- Committee will continue working on plan details and bring updates to the board.
Historical Context: DATE Grant
- Dr. Hines provided a synopsis of the DATE Grant (approximately 2008-2011), a state-funded program where CISD distributed ~$3.5 million annually to teachers at campuses with 45%+ economically disadvantaged students.
- Featured performance targets, subject-based team payouts, and per-student multipliers for eco-dis student success.
- Required teachers to return the following year to receive payment (retention mechanism).
- Average payouts: ~$3,200-$3,300 (elementary), mid-$4,000s to low-$5,000s (secondary).
- The program was described as "very successful" — ~90% of schools hit targets annually, and turnover was reduced.
Votes
No votes were taken — this was a workshop/informational session.
Items for Future Board Action
1. District of Innovation Resolution — Expected at the October regular board meeting
2. District of Innovation Plan Approval — Expected at the December board meeting (requires two-thirds vote)
3. Teacher Incentive Allotment Application — Due to TEA by April 1, 2021 (committee will continue development)
4. Holdsworth Center Application — Due November 20, 2020 (does not require board approval)
Other Notable Items
- Bond refunding results are preliminary/unofficial as of the meeting
- The state's hold harmless provision has been extended through the first semester; further extension into the second semester is possible but not guaranteed
- The state has signaled that districts should "adjust your budgets and be ready" — keeping options open for second semester