February 1, 2023 — Regular Meeting
Conroe ISD Board Meeting — 2023-02-01
Regular Meeting — Unofficial Notes
Based on auto-generated transcript. Not an official record.
Generated 2026-03-28 15:10 UTC
Unofficial Meeting Notes
Conroe ISD School Safety and Security Committee Meeting
February 1, 2023 – Regular Meeting
These are unofficial notes based on an auto-generated transcript and may contain errors or omissions.
Attendees (as introduced)
Board Members: Sker Hubert (Board President), Tiffany Nelson (Trustee), Miss Yodweller (Trustee)
District Staff: Dr. Null (Superintendent), Chris Po (Asst. Superintendent – High Schools), Easy Foster (Director of Planning & Construction), Michael Ferguson (School Safety Specialist), Ethan Martin (School Safety Coordinator), Chris Ford/McCord (Asst. Superintendent – School Safety), Barbara Robertson (Director of Health Services), Matt Blake (Chief of Police), Sam (Director of Transportation), Shelley Winkler (Asst. Superintendent – Elementary Schools), Marshall Schrader (Director of Maintenance), Bethany Medford (Asst. Superintendent – Middle Schools), Carrie Golas (General Counsel), Linda Godfrey (Assistant to Dr. Null), Tim Mann (Director of Student Support Services)
Community/Other Members: Amy Brown (CIS Parent Representative), Joe (Parent), Matt Benson (Parent), Libra Thompson (Teacher – Conroe HS 9th Grade Campus), Lupa Baharlo (Teacher – Conroe HS), Sandra Young (Retired Teacher/Law Enforcement Background), Montgomery County Sheriff's Office representative
Approval of Minutes (September 13 Meeting)
- Motion made by Ethan Martin, seconded.
- Vote: Approved unanimously (all in favor, none opposed)
Item 2A: Naloxone (Narcan) Administration Protocol
Presenter: Barbara Robertson, Director of Health Services
Key Points:
- Fentanyl crisis: Illicitly manufactured fentanyl is now the leading cause of death for ages 18-45 in the U.S. (per DEA/CDC/Governor's office data). Any drug not prescribed and purchased from a legitimate pharmacy carries risk, as illicit fentanyl is being mixed into many substances including cocaine and THC vape products.
- How naloxone works: Displaces opioids from receptors controlling breathing, sedation, and blood pressure. Has no effect on someone without opioids in their system.
- Legal basis: Health and Safety Code 483.102–483.106, policies FFAC.
- Deployment: Narcan (nasal spray only) is now stocked at:
- Junior high and high school clinics
- High school athletic training rooms
- All Conroe ISD police officers
- Moorehead Stadium and WoodForest Bank Stadium
- Training completed: All junior high and high school nurses and all CISD police officers trained on signs/symptoms of opioid overdose, administration of naloxone, and supporting the individual until EMS arrives.
- Program launched January 4, 2023 when students returned to secondary campuses.
- Shelf life: FDA now manufacturing with a 3-year expiration.
- Dosing: Each box contains 2 doses; multiple boxes stocked per location because overdoses often come in pairs (students sharing substances). Texas A&M training indicated both doses may be needed per person.
- Summer training: District participated in a mock mass overdose exercise at Caney Creek in conjunction with Montgomery County — this experience helped drive urgency for the program.
- Special thanks to Dr. Joy Lanto and the Texas A&M Opioid Task Force for ~10 months of collaboration to launch the program.
Item 2B: MEOP Audit Submission to Texas School Safety Center
Presenter: Ethan Martin, School Safety Coordinator
Key Points:
- The Texas School Safety Center required submission of the district's Multi-Hazard Emergency Operation Plan (MEOP), basic plan, active threat annex, and active shooter appendix.
- Submitted approximately one month before the deadline.
- Initial result: District received a "deficient" notice (18 pages of deficiencies). Upon review, Martin found that many items flagged as deficient were actually included in the plan but not formatted to the state's preferred framework.
- After reformatting to align with the state's template while maintaining CISD's existing approved plan, the submission was approved with no additional information required.
- Total documentation submitted included campus-based MEOPs totaling approximately 16,000 pages.
- Notable: Dr. Null reported that no district's plan was accepted on first submission. Multiple superintendents from other districts reached out for help; Ethan Martin personally assisted three other districts in getting their plans approved.
- The Texas School Safety Center recently sent out a pre-submission checklist; Martin volunteered to provide feedback on the checklist. Next submission likely due October 2024.
Item 2C: Review and Input for 2023-2024 Multi-Hazard Emergency Operations Plan
Presenter: Ethan Martin
Key Points:
- Committee members will receive the current MEOP framework document (approximately 137–187 pages) via email for review and input.
- A deadline will be set for feedback submission.
- The plan will be presented for committee recommendation/approval at the summer meeting.
- Any proposed changes will be vetted through appropriate channels.
- Format is largely dictated by the state; limited flexibility on structure.
- Reminder: The document is internal/confidential — "your eyes only."
Item 2D: Smart Tag System Implementation (Bus Safety)
Presenters: Chris McCord (Asst. Superintendent) and Sam (Director of Transportation)
Overview:
Smart Tag is a tablet-and-badge system used on school buses for student identification, route management, and safety.
Key Technical Details:
- RFID badge cards issued to all ~71,000 students (approximately 40,000 are bus riders)
- Cards contain only a 14-digit randomized ID number — no battery, no GPS, no tracking capability
- Cards can only be read by CISD Smart Tag readers mounted on buses (must physically touch reader)
- System uses cellular connectivity (not Wi-Fi)
- Highest-level data security protocols followed
Implementation Status:
- Oak Ridge High School feeder: Successfully implemented (several weeks)
- Grand Oaks feeder: Implemented starting January 2023; going well
- The Woodlands feeder: Planned for the following week but delayed ~1 week due to weather (badge printer company based in Austin unable to ship)
- Goal: Full implementation before spring break
Safety Benefits Highlighted:
1. Parent notifications: Parents can opt in to receive text alerts when the bus approaches their stop — first time in 130 years parents will have this capability. Reduces time children wait exposed at bus stops.
2. Confirming correct drop-offs: Especially critical for PreK/K students and when substitute/standby drivers are used. System shows student photos and flags young students requiring authorized adult pickup.
3. Substitute driver support: Routes displayed on tablet; prevents wrong turns and getting lost (real-world example of standby driver ending up in Willis area shared).
4. End-of-route child check: System alerts drivers if students are still scanned as on-bus at route end — added layer beyond physical walk-through checks.
5. Preventing unauthorized riders: Helps confirm only CISD students board buses.
6. Real-world success stories:
- January 24 flood: Principals in Oak Ridge feeder used system to confirm bus status for worried parents during street closures
- First day at Suchma Elementary: Parent's concern about locating children resolved within minutes
- Loading time improvement: Bradley Elementary loaded buses in 11 minutes vs. usual 15 minutes
District Statistics:
- CISD buses drive 6.3 million miles/year (14 times to moon and back)
- ~25 million student on/off bus events per year
- Currently at 24 driver vacancies (best staffing level in years, down from 30-34)
Discussion Points:
- Opt-out: Available; only 1 parent has opted out across both implemented feeders so far
- Lost badges: Each school has its own badge printer for quick replacement; $5 replacement fee planned but no student will be denied a badge; students without badges are still transported (manual entry available)
- Lanyards: Breakaway lanyards provided for safety; personalization may be allowed in the future
- Badge uses beyond bus: Can be used at cafeteria point-of-sale and library checkout
- Every student receives a badge and lanyard regardless of rider status (students may become riders mid-year)
Item 2E: Student ID Badges (Campus Identification)
Presenters: Chris McCord, with input from Dr. Null, Sandra Young, Libra Thompson, and others
Current State:
- No CISD campuses currently require students to wear ID badges
- Conroe High School previously required them under a former principal (who is on the committee) but discontinued after principal's departure
- Grand Oaks began requiring ID badges as of the prior week (serving as informal pilot)
Research Findings:
- Extensive research of major Texas districts and Montgomery County districts showed CISD is an anomaly — most comparable districts require student IDs
- Various models exist: all grades, 5-12, or 7-12
- District did not investigate enforcement practices at other districts
Benefits Discussed:
- Identifying who belongs on campus: Critical for large secondary campuses (4,000-5,000+ students)
- Preventing unauthorized individuals: Real-world examples shared:
- Three individuals from Westfield HS entered another campus intending to harm students — caught because they lacked IDs
- A high school-age student from another district entered a CISD campus, passed three layers of adults, and was found in a restroom with a large quantity of drugs and $1,300+ cash
- Reducing anonymity: Teachers cannot know every student; IDs help identify students involved in incidents
- Attendance potential: Teachers expressed interest in using badges for automated attendance
- Camera integration: IDs help correlate surveillance footage with student identity
Challenges Discussed:
- Teenager pushback: Students will test boundaries; task-avoidant students may exploit temporary ID processes to avoid class
- Enforcement consistency: Must be enforced uniformly across ALL staff and ALL campuses to be effective
- Discipline escalation: Repeated non-compliance leads to escalating consequences that can seem disproportionate
- Counterfeiting concerns: Acknowledged but mitigated by changing badge design annually (landscape vs. portrait, background colors)
- Faculty buy-in: Essential for success; if some teachers don't enforce, system fails
Committee Feedback:
- High school principals want ID badges and expect them
- Grand Oaks principal proactively started implementation
- Strong support from committee for moving forward
- Suggestion to start at secondary level (most critical due to campus fluidity, driving access, larger populations)
- Multiple members advocated for district-wide implementation (elementary through high school) to build early habits
- Acknowledged this involves multiple departments: principals, technology, processes for temporary IDs, etc.
- Parent/teacher member (Libra Thompson) reported positive personal experience with Grand Oaks implementation
- Committee member who previously lived in another district shared positive elementary ID experience
Outcome:
- No formal vote taken — Dr. Null confirmed the committee's feedback supports exploring and moving toward implementation
- District will begin working with principals and technology departments on processes
- Grand Oaks serving as pilot/test case
- Decision to be continued at future meetings; may eventually come to school board as part of dress code
Item 2F: TAC Chapter 61 Proposed Facility Security Requirements (Fencing)
Presenters: Chris McCord, Marshall Schrader (Director of Maintenance), Easy Foster (Director of Planning & Construction)
Context:
- Texas is proposing new facility security requirements under TAC Chapter 61
- State has not yet rendered final opinion on minimum fencing requirements for "secured areas"
- A grant with a February 17 deadline is available for fencing improvements
- District wants to order fencing that will meet likely future state requirements and beat the expected rush from other districts
Current District Status:
- All portables have been fenced in (major accomplishment, completed proactively)
- Egress gates installed (significant investment)
- Current standard: 6-foot black vinyl-coated chain link fence
- Some campuses still have 4-foot fencing
- District already locks/secures all perimeter doors (exceeds likely state requirements)
- Impact-resistant window film currently applied at front entry vestibules only
Proposed State Framework:
- "Secured area" concept: If an area is fenced to meet the state's secure definition, schools gain operational flexibility on door/window treatment within that area
- Without a secured area: All doors and glass near doors around the building must have impact-resistant film
- Likely acceptable fencing options:
- 6-foot fence with privacy slats (anti-scalable feature — prevents toe-holds)
- 8-foot fence (with or without slats)
- Other options (rod iron, stone) exist but are significantly more expensive
Cost Comparison (per linear foot):
- 8-foot chain link (no slats): ~$5 cheaper than 6-foot with slats
- 8-foot with slats: ~$20 more than 8-foot without slats
Maintenance/Planning Considerations:
- Maintenance preference: 8-foot non-slatted (easier to maintain; slats degrade over time, require hurricane prep)
- Aesthetic concerns: 8-foot fencing can look institutional/prison-like, especially at elementary campuses
- Wind concerns: Slats add wind load; do not come out easily for storm prep
- Windscreens (like at Rice and Paw elementary playgrounds): Can serve as anti-scalable feature on 6-foot fence; allow seeing out but not in; can include school logos; ~$4,000 for significant length; ~5-year lifespan; require zip-tie replacement after storm removal
Committee Discussion & Direction:
- Consensus emerged for a flexible, campus-by-campus approach:
- 8-foot non-slatted fencing in back/playground areas (not publicly visible, maximum security)
- 6-foot slatted fencing in forward-facing/visible areas (better aesthetics while meeting anti-scalable requirements)
- Windscreens with logos on forward-facing areas where appropriate
- Not a one-size-fits-all approach; administrator discretion by campus
- Some older campuses with 4-foot brick walls will require creative solutions
- Where secure areas cannot be created, district will comply by applying impact-resistant film to windows/doors
- Urgency emphasized: District wants to place orders ahead of statewide demand surge expected when rules are finalized
Item 2G: Texas School Safety Center Intruder Detection Audits
Presenter: Chris McCord
Audit Results:
- Governor Abbott mandated intruder detection audits starting January 2022
- 6 campuses audited in January 2023 → total of 19 campuses audited to date
- 10 campuses scheduled for audit in February
- 2 campuses had findings (one phase each) out of 19 total
- CISD success rate: 89% (17 of 19 passed) vs. state average: 71%
Required Actions for Findings:
- Safety and Security Committee must meet (accomplished at this meeting)
- Develop a detailed training plan for the 2 campuses with findings
- Training scheduled for February 17 (inservice day) for all staff, auxiliary, and subs at those campuses
- Follow-up meetings planned to catch anyone who misses the February 17 training
- Training plan must be submitted to Texas School Safety Center by March 13 (will be submitted before spring break)
Additional District Initiative:
- All campuses (not just those with findings) will view a new perimeter door safety and security video on February 17
- Video created by Andrew Stewart; premiered at the principal/director update meeting earlier that day
- All campuses will also review existing access control procedures
Closed (Executive) Session
- Committee entered closed session at 5:47 PM pursuant to Texas Open Meetings Act Sections 551.076 and 551.089 (security deliberations and security devices/audits)
- Committee returned to open session at 6:02 PM
Vote: Approval of Campus Training Plan
Following return from executive session:
- Motion: Made (unidentified member — "So moved")
- Second: Miss Yodweller
- Vote: Approved unanimously (all in favor, none opposed)
The training plan for the two campuses with intruder detection findings was approved.
Meeting Adjournment
- Motion to adjourn accepted
- Meeting concluded at approximately 6:02–6:05 PM
Summary of Key Outcomes
| Item | Outcome |
|------|---------|
| September 13 Minutes | Approved unanimously |
| Narcan/Naloxone Program | Informational; program already launched Jan. 4, 2023 |
| MEOP State Submission | Approved by Texas School Safety Center; informational update |
| 2023-24 MEOP Review | Document to be distributed to committee; feedback deadline TBD; approval at summer meeting |
| Smart Tag (Bus System) | Informational; implementation ongoing across feeders; goal to complete before spring break |
| Student ID Badges | Committee supports exploration/moving forward; no formal vote; principals and departments to begin planning; Grand Oaks serving as pilot |
| Fencing Standards | Direction given: 8-foot non-slatted in back areas, 6-foot slatted in front-facing areas, flexible by campus; grant application to proceed by Feb. 17 deadline |
| Intruder Detection Training Plan | Approved unanimously; training set for Feb. 17 |