October 20, 2020 — Regular Meeting
Conroe ISD Board Meeting — 2020-10-20
Regular Meeting — Unofficial Notes
Based on auto-generated transcript. Not an official record.
Generated 2026-03-28 13:17 UTC
Unofficial Meeting Notes
Conroe Independent School District Board of Trustees — Regular Meeting
October 20, 2020
Note: These are unofficial notes based on an auto-generated transcript of the meeting. They may contain inaccuracies due to transcription errors. For official minutes, please consult the district's records.
Call to Order
- Meeting called to order at 5:59 p.m. by Board President Datren Williams.
- A quorum was confirmed present.
- Trustee Kia led the invocation and Pledge of Allegiance, sharing a passage from Galatians 6:9 as encouragement.
Awards and Recognitions
2A — Texas PTA Grant Presentation
- Susie Kennan, President of the Texas PTA, presented Conroe ISD with a $279,200 check for the purchase of three clean-running school buses through the Clean School Bus Grant program, in partnership with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ).
- Executive Director of Operations Chris McCord introduced the presentation.
- The grant was made possible because Bonnie Wilkinson Elementary has a PTA, making the district eligible.
- Principal Melinda Stewart and volunteer leader Candace Armstrong from Bonnie Wilkinson were recognized.
- Kennan noted Texas PTA has paid out over $2 million in clean school bus grants since 2008 and encouraged growth of PTAs across Conroe ISD.
2B — Dyslexia Awareness Month Proclamation
- Trustee Moore read a proclamation he authored honoring October as Dyslexia Awareness Month.
- The proclamation recognized the gap between the estimated 20% of students who may be dyslexic and the approximately 3.5–4% identified statewide.
- It honored students, parents, educators, specialists, and researchers working with dyslexic students.
- Moore thanked district staff Dr. Upshaw, Tracy Landis, and Dr. Henry, as well as parents from Better Education for Dyslexia for keeping the issue in focus.
- The proclamation was to be signed by President Williams and placed in the official record and displayed at the district office.
2C — Barbara Robertson, RN — 2020 TSNO Administrator of the Year
- Dr. Chris Heinz recognized Barbara Robertson, Conroe ISD Coordinator of Health Services, as the 2020 Texas School Nurses Organization (TSNO) School Nurse Administrator of the Year.
- Robertson has served as coordinator for six years and previously served 10 years as nurse at Caney Creek High School.
- Heinz highlighted her integral role in the district's COVID-19 pandemic response and her recent profile in U.S. News & World Report.
- Robertson thanked the board and district for supporting school health and recognized the work of all nurses and clinic assistants.
Citizens Participation (Public Comment)
Speaker 1 — Parent (Dyslexia Advocacy)
- Introduced her fourth-grade son Devin, a student in the dyslexia program at Bush Elementary.
- Thanked the board for recognizing Dyslexia Awareness Month and thanked district dyslexia staff.
- Presented STAAR score data from 2018–2019 highlighting campuses with below-state-average reading and writing scores across multiple grade levels.
- Argued that the district needs to do more for struggling readers, citing concerns about:
- Fidelity of dyslexia program implementation (minimum time and maxed-out group sizes)
- Under-identification of dyslexic students (3,125 identified out of 64,000 total students vs. estimated 20%)
- Lack of dyslexia training for RTI and SPED teachers
- Financial inequity — families without resources for private tutoring ($40–60/hour, 3–4 times/week) are disadvantaged
- Urged the board and Dr. Knoll to prioritize struggling readers.
Speaker 2 — Justin Vaughn (Parent of Dyslexic Student)
- Shared his international experience with dyslexia education for his son James.
- Compared the comprehensive language intervention his son received overseas (full language arts block of 1.5–2 hours covering pronunciation, comprehension, fluency, and reading) to the 20-minute reading-only intervention he observed in Conroe ISD.
- Made two requests:
1. Better parent education — Give parents clear resources on what the school provides and what parents can do to support building blocks of literacy.
2. Transparency on funding — Help parents understand how state dyslexia funding is allocated; advocated for Certified Academic Language Therapists (CALTs).
- Acknowledged the addition of a fifth day of intervention compared to prior year as a positive step.
Speaker 3 — Stuart Schroeder (Boy Scouts of America)
- Vice Chairman of the George Strait District, Sam Houston Area Council.
- Introduced Carla Martinez, the new district executive for scouting in the area.
- Highlighted Eagle Scout service projects in Conroe ISD (Oak tree planting at Oak Ridge HS, campus garden maintenance at Oak Ridge Elementary, lending library construction at Lamar Elementary).
- Noted COVID-19's impact on scouting activities and the transition to virtual programming.
- Requested continued district support for scouting partnerships.
Speaker 4 — CISD Teacher (Job Description Concerns)
- Spoke on behalf of herself and fellow teachers who contacted her with concerns about a new job description sent out that teachers were expected to sign by Friday.
- Noted new terminology beyond what was described as simply adding online teaching language, including references to:
- Standard and prolonged/irregular work hours
- Communication during standard and prolonged work hours
- Exposure to biological hazards
- Expressed frustration that this was being required 10 weeks into the school year rather than having been addressed in May 2020 or at contract time.
- Said teachers feel frustrated and demeaned, and are already doing their best under difficult circumstances.
Speaker 5 — Charles Bircher (Parent)
- Parent of a fourth grader and sixth grader; father is in hospice care at home.
- Expressed deep gratitude for the virtual education program, which allowed his children to continue learning safely without bringing potential exposure into their home.
- Praised the district for providing laptops within two days of his request and for the quality of online instruction.
- Raised two concerns:
1. Canvas errors — 11 instances across both children in nine weeks where correct answers were marked incorrect in the Canvas system.
2. Transition issues — His son's transition to new teachers in the second nine weeks resulted in less than an hour of instruction initially, with the new schedule showing only 1.5 hours/day total across all teachers.
Speaker 6 — Steven Johnson (Parent)
- Parent of a 13-year-old at Peet Junior High.
- Argued against the district's mask requirements for children under 10, stating the governor's order does not require masks for that age group.
- Cited zero fatalities ages 0–20 in Montgomery County.
- Called mask requirements for face-to-face instruction "unconstitutional" and "separate and unequal."
- Urged the board to remove mask requirements and return to normal operations.
Consent Agenda (Item 4)
Vote: Approved unanimously.
Public Hearing — District of Innovation Plan Renewal (Item 5)
Presentation by Dr. Chris Heinz
- The district's District of Innovation (DOI) designation expires in January 2021 and must be renewed.
- Current plan only provides for a flexible start date (before the fourth Monday of August).
- A potential new addition to the plan may include a waiver for CTE certifications for hard-to-fill positions (welding, collision repair, automotive technology, health science, computer science).
- Outlined the timeline:
- October 20: Public hearing, committee designation, resolution adoption
- October 21: District Level Planning Committee begins developing plan
- Plan posted on website for 30 days for public feedback
- November 18: Committee reviews feedback
- December 2: Plan finalized
- December 15: Board vote on final plan
Public Comment During Hearing
- A TSTA Conroe representative (Carrie) urged the board to maintain high teacher quality standards when considering CTE certification waivers and not to undermine teachers.
Item 5B — Designation of DOI Plan Committee
- Board designated the District Level Planning and Decision-Making Committee as the District of Innovation Plan Committee (same committee used in 2015).
- Trustee Moore asked a governance question about why re-designation was necessary; Dr. Heinz explained the statute requires the full process to restart when a plan expires.
- Trustee Hughman expressed confidence in the process and in protecting teachers.
Vote: Approved unanimously.
Item 5C — Resolution to Renew District of Innovation Designation
Vote: Approved unanimously.
Item 6 — Teaching and Learning: Instructional Materials Selection Process (Information Item)
- Dr. Upshaw presented information about the state adoption of pre-kindergarten instructional materials in Spanish and English.
- A committee of campus representatives will evaluate materials and make a recommendation.
- A publisher showcase and community review period will be held at the instructional warehouse.
- Board recommendation expected in March.
No vote required — information item only.
Item 7A — Guaranteed Maximum Price for New Teacher Training Center at Woodforest Stadium
- Mr. Foster presented the GMP of $15,552,314 for the new Teacher Training Center.
- Brookstone is the construction manager at risk; PBK is the design firm.
- The building is approximately 49,000–50,000 square feet, two stories, with multi-use/multipurpose ballroom space.
- Located on the north end of Woodforest Stadium property (opposite the natatorium).
- Board members noted the efficiency of the location — existing parking, central location for the district, reduced teacher travel.
Vote: Approved unanimously.
Item 7B — Capital Improvement Update (Information Item)
Mr. Foster provided updates on multiple projects:
| Project | Status | Target Completion |
|---|---|---|
| Hope Elementary School (Granger Lane area, Caney Creek feeder) | ~50% complete; roof ¾ done; dry by end of December | August 2021 |
| Runyan Elementary (PE classroom, pre-K, library additions) | Pre-K and additions approaching dry condition | Pre-K and major spaces: Winter break return |
| York Junior High (building addition for increased capacity) | Slab nearly complete; structure going up | August 2021 |
| Woodlands College Park HS (classroom addition to reduce portables) | Slab/structure in place; working on upper floors | August 2021 |
| Woodlands High School (3-story building addition to reduce portables) | Slab/structure in place; 2nd floor deck in progress | August 2021 |
| Safety & Security 2020 (district-wide) | Wrapping up first responder radio systems; financial closeout pending | 2021 project to be bid in spring |
No vote required — information item only.
Public Hearing — Financial Integrity Rating System of Texas (FIRST Report)
Presentation by Karen Garza
- Conroe ISD received a superior "A" rating — 98 out of 100 points (the state's highest rating).
- Based on 2018–19 school year data and fiscal year ending August 31, 2019.
- Key highlights:
- 119 days cash on hand (Indicator 6: 10/10)
- Only deduction: Indicator 7 (current assets to current liabilities) scored 8/10 due to $50 million strategically invested in longer-term instruments with TCG (ratio still a strong 2.53)
- Unmodified (clean) audit opinion
- Administrative cost ratio of .0416 — less than half the state cap of .0855
- All other indicators scored 10/10 or passed
- Student enrollment increased by 3,073 students from FY17–FY19
- Indicator 5 not scored this year (TEA reviewing due to GASB 75/net pension liability)
Public Comment
- No public comments received.
Item 8B — Award RFP 20-08-06: New and Used Vehicles
- Recommended award to attached vendors for estimated annual expenditure of $500,000.
- Five vendors submitted bid responses.
- Evaluated by maintenance, transportation, technology, and CISD police departments.
Vote: Approved unanimously.
Item 8C — Award RFP 20-08-07: Auto Fleet Parts
- Recommended award for estimated annual expenditure of $1.2 million.
- 25 vendors submitted responses.
- One-year term with automatic annual renewal for two additional years (through October 2023).
Vote: Approved unanimously.
Item 8D — Final Results: Refunding and New Money Bond Series 2028
Presentation by John Roebuck, BOK Financial Services
- Bonds sold on October 6, 2020, with closing scheduled for November 17, 2020.
Refunding Portion:
- Refunded $199,630,000 in outstanding bonds
- Issued $163,235,000 in new refunding bonds
- All-in true interest cost: 1.285% (down from 4.478% on refunded bonds — a ~3.2% reduction)
- Net present value savings: $50,067,485 (22.385% PV savings)
- Annual savings of approximately $3,575,000/year for 14 years
- Roebuck noted that historically, 3% PV savings was considered good and 5% was great; 22.3% is extraordinary.
New Money Portion:
- Issued $165,090,000 in bonds
- Generated $189 million in project proceeds
- All-in cost: 2.478% (estimated had been ~4%)
- $13 million less in total interest costs than presented in July
- $38 million less in interest costs than estimated when the bond program went to voters in 2019
Combined savings: approximately $88 million versus original estimates.
- Board members praised the timing strategy — Roebuck and Mr. Rice waited several hours on the morning of the sale when rates ticked up slightly, which improved results significantly.
No vote required — information/receive item.
Item 8E — Monthly Financial Report (September 30, 2020)
Presented by Karen Garza:
| Category | Amount |
|---|---|
| Total General Fund Assets | $622.1 million |
| Total Liabilities | $393 million |
| Total Cash & Investments (General Fund) | $229.4 million |
| Year-to-Date Revenues | $58.8 million |
| Year-to-Date Expenses | $4.8 million |
| 2019 Bond Referendum — Sold to Date | $122.5 million |
| Encumbered to Date | $104.1 million |
| Estimated to Complete | $532.4 million |
| Self-Funded Insurance — Monthly Revenue | $4.4 million |
| Self-Funded Insurance — Monthly Expenses | $4.052 million |
| Self-Funded Insurance — Net Positive | $384,000 |
| Wellness Center Participation (September) | 373 visits |
| Combined Portfolio Yield | 0.437% |
| 90-Day T-Bill Benchmark | 0.105% |
No vote required — information item.
Item 11 — Board Continuing Education Announcement
- President Williams announced that all board members exceeded the required continuing education for their year of service.
- Trustees Sanders, Hubert, Kia, Husbands, Inman, and Williams exceeded requirements by one hour.
- Trustee Moore exceeded requirements by 23 hours.
Executive Session
- No executive session was held (no items requiring it).
Adjournment
- Meeting adjourned following a motion and second (passed unanimously).
These are unofficial notes based on an auto-generated transcript and may contain errors. For official records, please consult the Conroe ISD Board of Trustees.