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March 19, 2024 — Regular Meeting

Conroe Independent School District Board of Trustees — Regular Meeting

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Conroe ISD Board Meeting — 2024-03-19

Regular Meeting — Unofficial Notes

Based on auto-generated transcript. Not an official record.

Generated 2026-03-28 16:43 UTC

Unofficial Meeting Notes

Conroe Independent School District Board of Trustees

Regular Meeting — March 19, 2024

These are unofficial notes based on an auto-generated transcript and may contain errors or omissions.

Opening

Special Recognitions

Forbes America's Best Large Employers 2024 (Item 2A)

State Wrestling Champions (Items 2B–2D)

College Park High School (Introduced by Dr. Martin Morel and Coach Eric Spute):

The Woodlands High School (Introduced by Dr. Landry and Coach Jeff Rayome):

President Hubert noted this is the third consecutive year recognizing CISD wrestling state champions.

State Swimming & Diving Champions (Items 2E–2I)

The Woodlands High School (Introduced by Dr. Landry and Coach Jeremy Wade):

Boys Team — District and Regional Champions; 3rd place overall at state meet

Girls Team — Back-to-Back State Champions (12th state title in program history)

President Hubert (former Highlander swim mom) noted The Woodlands HS moved from 5th to 3rd place in the UIL Cup due to wrestling and swimming/diving wins.

Citizen Participation

Maryanne Horton — Raised concerns about inequitable Chromebook-to-student ratios across campuses. Cited specific examples: McCullough JH is short ~200 Chromebooks while York JH has ~220 excess; Moorehead has ~375 excess; Peet has ~518 excess; Grand Oaks HS is short ~100 while College Park has ~1,000 excess. Asked if the 2023 bond technology funds would address disparities or if redistribution could be considered. (Related to agenda item 8B)

April Cy — Addressed comments made by President Hubert at the previous meeting about rewriting SHAC bylaws. Stated the SHAC bylaws were recently updated to align with Texas Education Code and DSHS guidelines, using the same processes as prior SHACs. Listed current SHAC projects (mental health/suicide prevention, opioid/fentanyl awareness, recess times, bullying). Expressed concern that the board is attempting to silence parent voices. Asked board members to have open minds during bylaws discussion.

Scott Nelson — Expressed concern about a CISD policy he believes keeps pronoun/gender discussions between students and teachers confidential from parents. Warned this puts the district on a "slippery slope." Dr. Null clarified during the comment period that no such policy exists in Conroe ISD, and that assistant principals and counselors are trained to include parents. The referenced situation was from approximately four years ago and was addressed at that time.

Bryce Spear — Criticized President Hubert's stated goal to rewrite SHAC bylaws. Argued the SHAC operates in compliance with Texas Education Code §28.004 and is structurally independent from the district. Described the effort as an attempt to silence parents. Referenced a prior incident where President Hubert allegedly commented that the board wouldn't let 12 people decide policy regarding the cell phone recommendation.

Melissa Sendler — Discussed a classroom assignment about Viet Quan (described as "from bullying target to reality TV star"). Argued the assignment focuses too much on trauma rather than resilience, grit, and determination. Questioned why schools are teaching students to focus on trauma when adolescent mental health and test scores have been declining.

Carolyn Nene — Requested removal of the book This Is Our Rainbow from Veterans Memorial Intermediate library. Cited concerns about alternate sexualities, gender ideologies, and content ratings suggesting it is inappropriate for students under 13. Stated she would follow up. Referenced recent primary election results as evidence of grassroots action.

Teresa Nean — Criticized the district's quick disposal of removed library books (seven pallets sent to auction). Discussed the November book policy's references to literary/artistic merit and the Pico decision. Specifically defended The Kite Runner, arguing the challenged content depicts violence based on power, not sexual content, and teaches about guilt and standing up to bullies.

Audrey Warner — Stated she had emailed all board members about a biological male allegedly dressing in women's clothing at Snyder Elementary and received no response. Said she confirmed it was true and learned of a similar situation at Giesinger Elementary. Requested district policy requiring employees to dress according to their biological sex. President Hubert noted he did respond to her email and had an email conversation.

Consent Agenda (Item 4)

Item 4C pulled by Trustee Oldenweiler for discussion (Human Resources report / employment of professional personnel).

Remaining consent agenda items approved:

Discussion on Pulled Item 4C — Rolling Two-Year Contracts

Trustee Oldenweiler raised questions about the district's practice of rolling two-year contracts for coordinator-level and above administrators:

Item 4C approved as presented:

Principal Appointments (Items 5A–5E)

Dr. Null noted the five recommended principals have a combined 109 years of service in Conroe ISD.

5A — Milam Elementary: Ryan Stepp

5B — Stewart Elementary: Kristen Belcher

5C — Travis Intermediate: Pam Brittain

5D — McCullough Junior High: Joshua Hughes

5E — The Woodlands 9th Grade Campus: Dennis Misler

All five appointments were met with enthusiastic applause from attendees.

Campus Mascot — Janet K. Bartlett Elementary (Item 6A)

Construction Manager at Risk Selections (Items 7A–7E)

All projects relate to the 2023 bond program. Mr. Foster presented; selection followed a two-step RFQ/RFP process per district policy.

| Item | Project | CM at Risk Selected | Vote |

|------|---------|-------------------|------|

| 7A | Oak Ridge HS 9th Grade Campus Renovation | Satterfield & Pontikes | Unanimous |

| 7B | Snyder, Tough & Collins Renovation | Anslow Bryant (new contractor) | Unanimous |

| 7C | Armstrong, Austin, Burnham Woods & Broadway Elementary Renovation | Teal Construction (new contractor) | Unanimous |

| 7D | Deretchin, Kaufman & Oak Ridge Elementary Renovation | GTT | Unanimous |

| 7E | Milam, Houston & Runyan Elementary Renovation | GTT | Unanimous |

President Hubert noted for the public that board members review detailed documents and meet with staff in advance, which is why discussion appears brief during the meeting.

Capital Improvement Updates (Item 7F)

Mr. Foster provided updates:

RFP/RFQ Awards (Items 8A–8B)

8A — Portable Building Moving Services (RFP 24-103)

8B — Micro Form Factor Computers (RFQ 24-201)

Financial Reports (Item 9)

Presented by Miss Garza:

Balance Sheet (as of Feb. 29, 2024):

Income Statement:

2019 Bond Referendum: $27.2M estimated to complete; most projects winding down

2023 Bond Referendum (first update): All but 3 projects have begun spending; $123M total expended/encumbered to date; $1.8 billion remaining; $595M of approved bond sold to date

Self-Funded Insurance: Running a surplus of just under $2.5 million for the year. Dr. Null noted the Employee Benefits Committee is working on a plan to return savings to employees; update expected at April workshop.

Investments: Par value ~$1.2 billion; combined portfolio yield 5.39%; benchmark (90-day T-bill) at 5.27%

Contingency Fund ($18M set aside for potential bond overruns): Confirmed untouched; will be returned to the general fund, likely at April or May meeting. This resolution was originally approved in November 2022.

Incoming CFO Karen was nicknamed "CFO 2.0" by the community collaborative group (takes over in June).

No motion required — informational item.

Discussion Items (Item 10)

10A — Library Book Reconsideration/Complaint Process

Brought by Trustee Chase. Discussion focused on three issues:

1. Informal reconsideration process concerns: Trustee Chase expressed concern that the informal process allows a few people (including potentially outside interests) to influence book removals without sufficient oversight or appeal process, placing undue burden on librarians. She advocated that all challenges should go through formal reconsideration with ultimate board responsibility.

2. Lack of recourse for those who object to book removals: Parents contacted Trustee Chase wanting to know their options if they disagreed with a book being removed through informal reconsideration. Miss Gattis (district counsel) confirmed that the existing complaint policy (FNG) could be used — a person who disagrees with a removal can file a complaint within 15 days of when they knew or should have known of the action.

3. Transparency improvements requested:

- Add a "reason for removal" column to the library website list (e.g., "low readership," "did not meet selection criteria #4," etc.)

- Add language to the FAQ section of the library website directing people to the complaint process if they disagree with a removal

- Update the website on a regular monthly schedule so the public knows when to check and the 15-day complaint window is clear

Outcome: Dr. Null committed to implementing the website changes (reason column, FAQ update, regular update schedule). No formal vote required — staff will implement procedurally. Miss Gattis stated she would bring back draft FAQ revisions. Trustee Chase's suggestion to add complaint process language directly into policies EFA/EFB was not adopted; Miss Gattis advised against it as not best practice, recommending the website FAQ approach instead.

10B — SHAC (School Health Advisory Council) Bylaws

Brought by President Hubert. This item generated the most contentious discussion of the evening.

President Hubert's position:

Trustee Oldenweiler/Duncan/Nelson's position:

President Hubert's response:

Trustee Williams:

Trustee Chase:

Outcome: President Hubert directed Miss Gattis to work with SHAC co-chairs and interested board members to draft revised, simplified bylaws (suggested reducing from ~9-10 pages to ~5) incorporating:

No formal vote taken — this was a discussion item. The AG opinion request remains pending.

Executive Session

The board entered closed session at 9:34 PM pursuant to Texas Government Code sections 551.071, 551.072, and 551.074.

Return to Open Session

Upon return, a motion was made, seconded, and approved (details not fully captured in transcript).

Key Takeaways