May 14, 2024 — Regular Meeting
Conroe ISD Board Meeting — 2024-05-14
Regular Meeting — Unofficial Notes
Based on auto-generated transcript. Not an official record.
Generated 2026-03-28 17:01 UTC
Unofficial Meeting Notes
Conroe Independent School District Board of Trustees
Regular Meeting — May 14, 2024
These are unofficial notes based on an auto-generated transcript and may contain errors or omissions.
Opening
- Meeting called to order at 6:00 PM by Board President Hubert with a quorum present.
- Invocation: Led by Melissa Dungan
- Pledge of Allegiance: Led by Tiffany Nelson
Special Recognitions (Item 2)
2A — STAR Program (Students Together Achieving Results)
- Tiffany Rodriguez, Director of Guidance and Counseling, presented the 15th graduating class of the STAR program.
- School counselors identify 9th-grade students with academic potential who face challenges entering high school; students participate in a four-year program.
- 72 graduating seniors from seven high schools recognized this year.
- Highlights included field trips to Lone Star College, Harris County Clerk's Office, University of Houston, Universal Technical Institute, Sam Houston State University, and Minute Maid Park.
- Student Speaker: Nadia Yates, senior at The Woodlands College Park High School, shared her experience as a first-generation college student heading to Texas A&M University to study public health. She credited the STAR program with empowering her through college preparation support.
- The district will celebrate over 5,100 graduating seniors this year.
2B — 2024 6A Boys Golf State Champion
- Dr. Ted Landry (Principal, The Woodlands High School) and Coach Eric Nooski introduced Cooper Paul, sophomore at The Woodlands High School.
- Cooper shot rounds of 72 and 66 (138 total) to win the UIL 6A Boys Golf Individual State Championship.
- The Woodlands boys golf team also finished 2nd place at the 6A state tournament.
- Board recognized Cooper for his composure and sportsmanship.
2C — Life-Saving Recognition
- Barbara Robertson, Director of Health Services, presented a recognition for School Nurse Julie Lackey and the Emergency Response Team at Wilkinson Elementary.
- In late October 2023, a student went into cardiac arrest in a classroom. Teacher Leora Croy noticed distress and called for help.
- Nurse Lackey performed CPR, activated the Emergency Response Team, called 911, and deployed the AED (administered by Clinic Assistant Rebecca Tarvin). Coach Alistair Bernie provided rescue breaths.
- The student was stabilized and transported to Texas Children's Hospital in The Woodlands.
- The student, Sebastian, recovered and returned to school several weeks later. Sebastian and his family were present and recognized.
- Texas Children's Hospital praised the school's quick response and proper AED use.
- Principal Cassie Herzenberg introduced the Emergency Response Team members.
Citizen Participation (Item 3)
Approximately 25+ speakers signed up. Key themes included:
Campus Naming
- Kelly McMahon nominated Dr. Sharon McMahon (retired 26-year CISD orchestra director) for the new Woodlands feeder elementary school.
- Keith Cartwright nominated his mother, Lyn Cartwright, a 40-year English teacher at Conroe High School (1964–2004).
Transgender/Gender Identity Policy (Proposed FNA Local)
- Multiple speakers opposed a proposed gender fluidity policy, including students, parents, licensed professionals, and community members:
- Sua Perri (junior at The Woodlands HS) cited suicide statistics for trans youth and argued the policy would mandate outing trans students, increasing risk of abuse and mental health harm. Noted the policy mirrors Katy ISD's, which is under federal investigation.
- Ben Myto (student) spoke about their experience as a trans student, asking the board if they could be trusted.
- Rachel Walker cited census data (only ~1% transgender population, ~720 CISD students), questioned the disproportionate time spent on the issue, and referenced a poll showing 89% of Texas parents satisfied with public education quality.
- Molly Kees (Christian parent of a transgender daughter) argued the policy codifies a lack of belonging and urged the board to recognize the gifts of trans youth.
- Brenda Cooper spoke as a religious ally, calling defense of queer students a "moral imperative."
- Ashley Barlowe Crawford urged the board to reject discriminatory policies.
- Landon Richie (Transgender Education Network of Texas) cited UT Austin research showing students in gender-affirming environments report 71% fewer symptoms of severe depression and 65% decrease in suicide attempts.
- Emily Hoppel argued the agenda items reflected outside influence and noted Katy ISD's recent board election defeated extremist candidates in record turnout.
- Multiple speakers supported a gender fluidity policy or expressed related concerns:
- Rebecca Smith (licensed professional counselor) argued that using pronouns different from biological sex in secrecy undermines family integrity.
- Tina Orbal argued against "grooming" children and referenced regret statistics for gender transitions.
- Diane Daniel argued children have been "indoctrinated" and called for offering religious alternatives alongside existing library materials.
- Evan Kendricks argued that morality should be based on "the laws of nature and Nature's God" and opposed transgender-related books.
Library Books / Sora App
- Melissa Simler raised concerns about inappropriate content on the Sora library app, specifically citing books available to 7th graders containing explicit sexual content. Called for stronger policies on app monitoring.
- Susan Scruggs objected to the book Lily and Duncan remaining on shelves after a 3-3 vote, arguing it contained inappropriate medical/pharmaceutical treatment information for children.
- Audrey Warner requested that votes by President Hubert and Trustee Williams on book reconsideration be "disqualified," citing their November 2023 statements that they would "always" support the reconsideration review committee's decisions.
SHAC Bylaws
- Lindsay Dawson criticized the proposed SHAC bylaw rewrite, arguing it strips parents of ability to apply/serve, allows cherry-picking by the board, removes SHAC's ability to amend its own bylaws, and adds excessive bureaucratic steps.
- April Kiley (SHAC member) noted no collaboration with SHAC occurred despite President Hubert's stated intention, and highlighted concerns: bylaws limit SHAC effectiveness, reduce membership to 21 (less than half of current), restrict communication to routing through district co-chair then superintendent then board, and let the board set priorities without SHAC input.
- Nicole May raised concerns about SHAC bylaws language removing special education parents who file grievances (conflict of interest provision), calling it discriminatory.
Teacher Appreciation / Support
- Maryann Horton thanked CISD teachers during Teacher Appreciation Week and urged the board to listen to teacher needs regarding safety, financial security, classroom resources, and dangerous student policies.
Curriculum / Science Textbooks
- Alex Harris expressed concern about the SAS Biology textbook potentially disregarding SBOE mandates regarding evolution and intelligent design.
Librarian Departure
- An unnamed librarian (8 years in CISD) announced leaving education due to the climate around book banning and policy decisions affecting libraries. She thanked Trustee Chase and Trustee Williams for their support of libraries.
Consent Agenda (Item 4)
- Vote: Approved unanimously (no items removed)
Personnel Appointments (Item 5)
5A — Principal, The Woodlands College Park High School
- Dr. Null recommended Robert McFarland, current principal of Irons Junior High, to succeed Dr. Murle as the second principal in College Park history.
- McFarland previously served on the College Park staff for 17 years before becoming principal at Irons.
- Vote: Approved unanimously
5B — Director of Purchasing
- Dr. Null recommended Brian Brussard, current assistant director of custodial maintenance, citing his purchasing background and institutional knowledge of CISD.
- Vote: Approved unanimously
5C — Director of Finance
- Dr. Null recommended Cindy Westrip, a nearly 24-year CISD finance office veteran, to succeed in the role previously held by CFO Karen Garza.
- Vote: Approved unanimously
Campus Naming Process (Item 6A)
- Dr. Sarah Blakelock presented submitted names for three new campuses (information only — no action taken):
- Flex 24 (The Woodlands, Conroe Road, opening August 2025): 653 submissions
- Flex 25 (Oak Ridge/Caney Creek feeders, Evergreen off 242, opening August 2025): 1,200+ submissions
- New High School (Conroe area, opening August 2027): 228 submissions — many names reflected the area's timber/milling heritage
- Names will be posted online with rationale. Discussion and naming votes scheduled for June.
Intruder Detection Audits (Item 6B)
- Chris McCord, Executive Director of Operations, reported all 65 CISD campuses completed state-mandated random unannounced intruder detection audits as of May 1.
- 64 out of 65 campuses had zero findings; one campus (in November) had a door mechanical failure that was resolved the same day.
- This was an improvement over the prior year (50 of 56 campuses clean).
- No human error was reported this year.
- Board members praised the results as evidence of proactive safety culture.
Instructional Materials Adoption (Item 7A)
- Dr. Upshaw presented recommendations for Proclamation 2024 instructional materials:
- Career & Technical Education (CTE): Multiple publishers, 8-year commitment (except ICS at 2 years); serves 8,356 students
- Personal Financial Literacy: Ramsey Education recommended for 1-year adoption (new course, only 4 of 6 campuses offering it next year); 16 survey respondents
- Science K-12: SAS recommended; 4-year commitment; 320 teacher respondents; ~$7M total from IMTA funds (balance of ~$14.9M)
- Technology Applications K-8: Learning.com; 4-year adoption; 62 respondents; impacts 47,930 students at $1.4M cost
Significant Discussion on SAS Biology Textbook
- Trustee Nelson raised concerns about specific content in the SAS Biology textbook not aligning with SBOE Proclamation 2024:
- Investigation 9: Publisher confirmed in writing they will revise the student edition to include intelligent design language (already in teacher edition), to be presented to SBOE in June.
- Investigation 10, Experience 3: References "primate evolution" which SBOE removed from proclamation language.
- Investigation 16: Contains content perceived as anti-energy/anti-American, violating HB 4549.
- Investigation 13: Extensive COVID-19 content describing it as a disease and emphasizing vaccine effectiveness — Trustee Nelson argued this was inaccurate per TEC §6 standards.
- Investigation 8, Experience 2: Favorably portrays GMOs (Trustee Nelson cited cancer research concerns) and includes a passage about Thomas Jefferson's Y-chromosome connection to a child fathered with an enslaved person (argued as irrelevant to biology).
- Dr. Upshaw confirmed that removing these sections would not compromise TEKS coverage and would require no additional teacher work. The district can "turn off" electronic content but cannot alter printed copies.
- First Amendment (Nelson): Motion to approve all materials except SAS Biology, then adopt SAS Biology subject to omitting Investigations 9 (pending revision), 13, 16, 8 (Experience 2), and 10 (Experience 3).
- Vote: FAILED 3-4 (Nelson plus 2 in favor; 4 opposed)
- Trustee Williams strongly objected to the amendments, calling them "censorship at its finest" and arguing the board should trust teachers to navigate content per TEKS, not impose personal beliefs on curriculum.
- Second Amendment (Trustee Wagerman): Motion to approve all instructional materials, adopting SAS Biology subject to compliance with SBOE Proclamation 2024 — specifically Investigation 9 (publisher's confirmed revision), Investigation 10 Experience 3, and Investigation 16 only.
- Vote: PASSED 4-3 (four in favor, three opposed)
Fentanyl/Drug Abuse Prevention Curriculum (Item 7B)
- Dr. Mark Murrow recommended adopting the Catch Global Foundation's Health Ed Journeys curriculum for grades 6-8 to comply with HB 3908 (Tucker's Law) requiring annual fentanyl/drug abuse prevention instruction.
- SHAC voted 23-2 to recommend the curriculum at their April 23 meeting.
- The suicide-related slides were removed per SHAC feedback; suicide prevention is covered through a separate program.
- This curriculum serves as a resource — the district will develop its own curriculum map, which will be brought back to SHAC for review.
- Trustee Odin-Meller noted the district has been non-compliant with the September 1, 2023 deadline all school year.
- Vote: Approved unanimously
Standards-Based Report Cards (Item 7C) — Information Only
- Dr. Winkler presented information on expanding standards-based report cards to 2nd grade districtwide (currently piloted at 13 campuses).
- Already in use for Pre-K, K, and 1st grade since 2018-2019.
- Uses a proficiency scale (Emerging to Mastery) rather than single numerical grades.
- Principals surveyed in February were overwhelmingly ready for full 2nd grade implementation.
- Students need 70% of skills at 2.5 or above to meet promotion standards.
- Trustee Nelson expressed concern about the system being confusing for parents new to it and questioned the evidence base. She also noted her children attend school outside the district but plans to enroll them in CISD next year.
- Trustee Chase spoke positively about the system from personal experience as a parent of a second grader.
- Dr. Winkler confirmed this is the final stage of the K-2 initiative; no plans to extend above second grade.
- A board policy change (EIE Local) will be needed — presented as first reading under Item 11A.
Construction and Facilities (Item 8)
8A — Natatorium Renovation CMAR Selection
- Mr. Foster recommended Nash Industries as construction manager at risk for the natatorium renovation (life cycle project from capital maintenance fund, not bond-related).
- Four companies responded to RFQ.
- Vote: Approved unanimously
8B — GMP Amendment for New 7th-8th-9th Grade Campus (Grand Oaks Feeder)
- Guaranteed Maximum Price of $40,444,095 for Elysor Constructors.
- Vote: Approved unanimously
8C — Capital Improvements Update (Information Only)
- Safety & Security 2019 Bond: Final installment on schedule, testing through end of 2024.
- Jane K. Bartlett Elementary: On schedule to open August 2024; furniture and playground equipment being installed.
- Flex School 24 (Woodlands): Foundation work underway; on schedule for August 2025 opening.
- Flex School 25 (Evergreen): Foundation work underway; on schedule for August 2025 opening. Site stayed dry during recent flooding.
- Conroe High School Renovation: Fine Arts wing nearing completion for summer practices; dining commons on track for August kitchen start-up; project continues through December 2025.
- 2024 Campus Renovations: David Elementary (roof 90% complete), Lamar (kitchen/serving line), Hower (fire sprinkler addition — final campus to receive sprinklers, a milestone for the district's insurance program). All on schedule.
- Trustee Chase gave a shout-out to campus staff packing up classrooms for summer construction.
Business/Purchasing (Item 9)
9A — Copier Equipment Rental/Lease
- Award RFP 24-302 to Marathon Incorporated for annual estimated expenditure of $850,000; effective July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2027, with two optional one-year renewals.
- Vote: Approved unanimously
Financial Reports (Item 10)
- CFO Karen Garza presented:
- General fund revenue: $510 million; expenditures: $383.51 million (through April 30)
- 2023 Bond: $226.24 million expended/encumbered
- Self-insurance: Running a surplus of $1.4 million for the year (April showed a deficit due to 5 weeks of claims in the calendar month)
- Investments par value: Just over $1 billion; pools yielding 5.47%; combined portfolio at 5.38%
Policy Items (Item 11)
11A — EIE Local (Academic Achievement, Retention & Promotion) — First Reading
- Minor revision to accommodate standards-based report cards in 2nd grade.
- First reading only; no vote. Will return in June for adoption.
11B — SHAC Bylaws — Consider and Adopt
- Miss Gadus presented rewritten bylaws drafted at the board's direction, incorporating best practices from other large districts.
- Key changes include:
- Board and superintendent appoint members (parents by board, employees by superintendent)
- Membership reduced to 21 (66% parent ratio, up from state-mandated 51%)
- One-year terms, maximum three consecutive years
- Board sets priorities for SHAC focus areas
- Requests for information routed through district co-chair, then superintendent, then board
- Conflict of interest provision removing members involved in litigation/grievance proceedings against the district
- Removal of public comment period within SHAC meetings (public comments to go to the board instead)
Significant Discussion:
- Trustee Chase questioned why changes were needed, arguing SHAC does excellent work.
- Trustee Odin-Meller raised concerns about: reduced membership limiting representation, potential for complete annual turnover, conflict of interest provision discriminating against special education parents, and overall reduction in parent voice.
- President Hubert defended the changes, citing SHAC members not following existing bylaws (including a membership application he alleged contained inaccurate school enrollment information) and the need for enforceable structure.
- Trustee Williams argued for moving forward, characterizing SHAC communications as having "a sense of arrogance" toward the board.
- Trustee Wagerman suggested expanding membership to include community subject matter experts, which received general support.
- The board agreed community members with relevant expertise could serve in an advisory capacity.
- Vote: PASSED 4-3 (Hubert, Nelson, Williams, and one other in favor; Chase, Odin-Meller, and one other opposed)
11C — FNA Local Policy: Student Welfare, Parental Authority, and Gender Fluidity Matters
- Trustee Odin-Meller requested the board discuss writing a new local policy addressing:
- Bathroom/locker room usage based on biological sex
- Pronoun usage requirements and parental notification
- Gender fluidity content in classroom instruction
- Housing arrangements during school travel
- Parental notification when students show signs of "gender confusion"
Significant Discussion:
- Trustee Odin-Meller cited specific incidents: a high school teacher at Grand Oaks using preferred pronoun questionnaires, a third-grade teacher with an "other" bathroom pass option, and educator email signatures with pronouns.
- Trustee Chase repeatedly asked for specific current problems the policy would address, arguing the district handles issues on a case-by-case basis and noting the similar Katy ISD policy is under federal investigation by the Department of Education.
- Trustee Williams strongly opposed, calling the effort "bully-like behavior" targeting a specific demographic and comparing it to historical systemic discrimination. He stated: "Keep that racism, the homophobia, the xenophobia... in your houses and your churches. Don't bring that to the school district."
- Trustee Odin-Meller and others argued this was about student safety and having enforceable written policies.
- Trustee Wagerman noted she could support some basics (biological sex for bathrooms/locker rooms) but wanted more specifics.
- No vote was taken; no motion was made. The discussion ended without action.
11D and 11E — Postponed
- Both items were postponed to the June 18 meeting by request, without discussion.
Executive Session (Item 12)
- Board entered closed session at 11:12 PM pursuant to Texas Government Code §§551.071, 551.072, and 551.074.
- Board returned to open session at 11:39 PM.
- No action taken on executive session items.
Future Agenda Items (Item 14)
- No requests from trustees for future agenda items.
Adjournment
- Meeting adjourned at approximately 11:39 PM.
Summary of All Votes
| Item | Description | Result |
|------|-------------|--------|
| Item 4 | Consent Agenda | Approved unanimously |
| Item 5A | Principal — College Park HS (Robert McFarland) | Approved unanimously |
| Item 5B | Director of Purchasing (Brian Brussard) | Approved unanimously |
| Item 5C | Director of Finance (Cindy Westrip) | Approved unanimously |
| Item 7A (1st amendment) | SAS Biology with 5 omissions (Nelson motion) | Failed 3-4 |
| Item 7A (2nd amendment) | All materials + SAS Biology with SBOE-compliant omissions (Inv. 9, 10 Exp. 3, 16) | Passed 4-3 |
| Item 7B | Catch Global fentanyl prevention curriculum | Approved unanimously |
| Item 8A | Nash Industries — Natatorium CMAR | Approved unanimously |
| Item 8B | GMP — Grand Oaks 7-8-9 campus ($40.4M) | Approved unanimously |
| Item 9A | Copier lease — Marathon Inc. ($850K/yr) | Approved unanimously |
| Item 11B | SHAC Bylaws adoption | Passed 4-3 |
| Item 11C | Gender fluidity policy discussion | No motion/no vote |
| Items 11D-E | Postponed items | Deferred to June 18 |
Notable Items Flagged
- Non-compliance with Tucker's Law (HB 3908): District acknowledged being non-compliant with fentanyl education requirements since September 2023 deadline; curriculum resource now adopted.
- SHAC Bylaws: Significant controversy; passed 4-3 over objections from SHAC members, community speakers, and minority board members. Multiple speakers during public comment opposed the rewrite.
- Biology Textbook Debate: Extended discussion (~1 hour) over content alignment with SBOE Proclamation 2024. Trustee Nelson's broader amendment (including personal objections to GMO and COVID content) failed; narrower SBOE-compliance amendment passed.
- Gender Fluidity Policy (11C): Discussion only; no action taken. Highly contentious with strong opinions on both sides. Referenced Katy ISD policy under federal investigation.
- Items 11D and 11E: Deferred without discussion to June 18 meeting.