June 2, 2021 — Regular Meeting
Conroe ISD Board Meeting — 2021-06-02
Regular Meeting — Unofficial Notes
Based on auto-generated transcript. Not an official record.
Generated 2026-03-28 13:52 UTC
Unofficial Meeting Notes
Conroe ISD School Safety and Security Committee
Regular Meeting — June 2, 2021
These are unofficial notes based on an auto-generated transcript and may contain errors or omissions.
Attendees/Presenters Referenced
- Ethan Martin — facilitated much of the meeting
- Dr. Knoll — opened/closed the meeting
- Michael Ferguson — School Safety Specialist
- Chris McCord — Committee member; discussed PPE efforts
- Rick Reeves — Warehouse/Purchasing; presented PPE inventory
- Easy Foster — Director of Planning and Construction
- Barbara Robertson — Committee member; key role in COVID-19 mitigation and nursing/health coordination
- Mr. Moore — Committee member
1. Approval of Minutes — March 30, 2021 Meeting
- Motion to approve: Mr. Moore
- Second: Mr. McCord
- Vote: Approved unanimously (no opposition noted)
2. 2020–2021 Campus and Facility Safety Audits
Presenter: Michael Ferguson, School Safety Specialist
Background on Ferguson: 23 years as an athletic trainer; opened College Park High School in 2005; served as assistant principal at Knox Junior High for four years; moved into safety specialist role in January 2020 (approximately 1.5 years in position).
Audit Overview:
- The district completed its first three-year rotation of campus safety audits in 2019–2020.
- A new rotation began in 2020–2021 covering district facilities, Conroe High School feeder zone, and Caney Creek feeder zone.
- Audits were delayed to the spring semester to allow campuses to settle into the unusual pandemic school year.
Audit Process:
- Safety audit team typically includes Ferguson plus an assistant/associate principal; sometimes Ethan Martin or the campus principal.
- Involves walkthroughs, teacher Q&A sessions about safety concerns and the Multi-Hazard Emergency Operating Procedure (MEOP), and reviewing evacuation routes.
- Intruder assessments are conducted: Ferguson attempts to gain access to campuses unannounced, noting whether and how quickly staff identify and stop an unrecognized person. Staff who properly challenge him receive positive recognition.
- Findings are reported to campus leadership, with corrections made on-site when possible.
Most Common Findings:
1. Mechanical rooms — Items stored improperly blocking access to equipment
2. Storage stacked too high — Fire code requires 18 inches clearance from sprinklers; district standard is 24 inches for consistency (not all campuses have automatic sprinklers)
3. Daisy-chaining electrical cords — Surge protectors plugged into each other
4. Unsecured personal belongings — Teacher purses/bags left in the open where medications or valuables could be accessed
5. Knives and sharp instruments — Particularly in CTE/culinary classrooms; a new check-in/check-out tracking system will be implemented next year in collaboration with the CTE department
Key Takeaway: The district performs well overall; most findings are easily correctable issues.
Committee Input: None offered at this time; members encouraged to provide input via email or phone.
3. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) — Inventory and Replacement Schedule
Presenters: Chris McCord and Rick Reeves
Current Status:
- The district is in a significantly better position regarding COVID-19 mitigation compared to one year ago.
- Barbara Robertson was specifically recognized for her critical role in enabling the district to open for in-person instruction throughout the year.
- Partners acknowledged: Memorial Hermann, Montgomery County, St. Luke's, Lone Star Family Health.
Campus-Level PPE:
- Campuses received funds in 2020–2021 to identify and purchase building-specific PPE needs.
- Funds are budgeted again for 2021–2022 for continued PPE needs as necessary.
District Warehouse/Inventory:
- Approximately 60 pallets of hand sanitizer, masks, and gloves were received from the state in June 2020.
- An off-site warehouse was secured (with help from Sarah Blakelock) to store state-provided supplies, as the main warehouse was staging Suchma Elementary opening supplies.
- Items distributed district-wide include: gloves, wipes (for Chromebooks/desks), sneeze guards/barriers, and hand sanitizer stands with refills.
- Remaining inventory is substantial — still includes pallets of hand sanitizer, face shields, thermometers, gloves, masks, KN95s, and more.
- Donations continue to arrive (Home Depot donated two pallets of face masks; Sam's Club also donated). The district has begun declining additional hand sanitizer donations and referring donors to surrounding districts.
Purchasing:
- In October 2020, the district awarded a PPE bid to 120 vendors — one of few districts to do so — enabling rapid procurement (7–10 day turnaround) when co-op vendors ran low.
- Campuses also have access to the vetted vendor list for direct legal purchases using allocated funds.
Key Statements:
- McCord: "We moved heaven and earth to get PPE when you couldn't find PPE because we were going to protect our staff so that we could open."
- McCord noted pride that CISD opened months before many other districts were announcing readiness to open.
Committee Input: No additional input; members encouraged to reach out anytime.
4. Planning and Construction — Summer Campus Safety and Security Upgrades
Presenter: Easy Foster, Director of Planning and Construction
Overview: Presented the status of projects from the 2019 bond referendum plan. 2020 projects are complete; 2021 projects are underway.
Campuses currently under work (2021):
- Ford, Kaufman, Oak Ridge Elementary, Oak Ridge Warehouse Transportation, Vogel, Haley, The Woodlands Transportation, and Testing & Assessment
Standard Safety/Security Upgrades included in all projects (renovations, new construction, and standalone security upgrades):
| Upgrade | Description |
|---|---|
| Secure vestibules | New or improved secure entry points |
| Impact-resistant window film | Applied to all windows surrounding reception areas |
| Electronic access control | Upgraded for all exterior doors |
| Entry/exit alarm systems | (Elementary, intermediate, junior high) Doors monitored from reception with local hallway alarms for unauthorized entry/exit; real-time visual monitoring |
| First responder radio antenna systems | Full 100% radio coverage for fire and police inside all buildings; to be completed district-wide by end of bond plan |
| District digital radio antenna systems | Eliminating dead spots for local campus radio communication |
| Security camera and server upgrades | Cameras linked to access control for automatic activation on unauthorized entry/exit; blind spots being identified and eliminated |
| Security system (burglar panel) upgrades | Updated for full building coverage |
| Fire alarm system upgrades | Transition from horn/strobe to voice evacuation systems with visual strobes and calming voice guidance toward exits (fire code requirement) |
Key Note: By the completion of the 2019 bond plan, all educational buildings in the district will have first responder radio systems and the full suite of security upgrades.
Committee Input: None at this time.
5. Approval of Multi-Hazard Emergency Operations Plan for 2021–2022
Presenter: Ethan Martin
Changes from prior year's plan:
- Updated names and dates (committee membership changes)
- Added tornado terminology (watch vs. warning clarification) for campus reference
- Minor/minimal changes overall
- A typo in the agenda was noted (listed as one year instead of "2021–2022")
Committee members had been asked to provide input/feedback on the plan following the March 30 meeting; Martin thanked those who responded.
Vote:
- Motion to approve: (member not clearly identified)
- Second: Mr. Moore
- Discussion: None
- Vote: Approved unanimously by show of hands (no opposition voiced)
- The plan will now proceed to the full school board for consideration.
Other Business / Closing Remarks
- Ethan Martin reminded members that the committee is required to meet three times per year; this was the summer meeting. The next meeting will be in the fall.
- Members were asked to email topics or issues they would like the committee to address before the next meeting.
- Dr. Knoll thanked all attendees, including those joining during summer vacation, and wished everyone a safe summer.
Summary of Actions Taken
| Item | Action | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| March 30, 2021 Minutes | Motion to approve | Approved unanimously |
| Multi-Hazard Emergency Operations Plan 2021–2022 | Motion to approve | Approved unanimously |
These notes are unofficial and based on an automated transcript. For official minutes, please consult Conroe ISD's published board records.