July 16, 2024 — Regular Meeting
Conroe ISD Board Meeting — 2024-07-16
Regular Meeting — Unofficial Notes
Based on auto-generated transcript. Not an official record.
Generated 2026-03-28 17:13 UTC
Unofficial Meeting Notes
Conroe Independent School District Board of Trustees
Regular Meeting — July 16, 2024
These are unofficial notes based on an auto-generated transcript and may contain errors or omissions.
Opening
- Meeting called to order at 6:01 PM by President Hubert with a quorum present.
- Invocation by Trustee Dayron Williams; Pledge of Allegiance led by Trustee Tiffany Nelson.
Special Recognitions
Destination Imagination Global Champions
- Presenter: Chris Reichelt
- Conroe ISD had 146 teams participate in Destination Imagination during the 2023–2024 school year.
- 24 teams advanced to state; 15 teams advanced to Global Finals in Kansas City.
- Two teams won first place at Global Finals (world champions):
- DI Veterans from Vogal Intermediate — Team Manager: Sher Cusano; Members: Garis Bailey, Haley Bahus, Alex Cusano, Chris Masa (absent), Kenzie Miller, Abby Privet, Shan Shukla (absent)
- Martha Team from Knox Junior High — Team Manager: Tina Patel (second consecutive year at Globals); Members: Benjamin Zhao (absent), Ava Checkman, Hayden Patel, Kishma Pary, Maddie Dillard, Rishab Yadav
- Teams competed against delegations from around the world (Australia, South Korea, India, Norway, Switzerland, etc.).
- Reichelt thanked the board for continued support of the DI program.
Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) Winners
- Presenter: Dr. Deborah Creel, Headmaster, Academy of Science and Technology at College Park High School
- Justin Wong and Victoria O (rising seniors) won:
- First place in Environmental Engineering at ISEF
- Second place overall (Gordon Moore Award for Innovation) — accompanied by a $55,000 prize
- Their project: Using ultrasound to filter microplastics from water
- They earned their bid to ISEF through the Texas State Science and Engineering Fair
- Both students are working on a patent for their project
- Students credited Conroe ISD education going back to Mitchell Intermediate (6th grade) and sponsor Miss L. Aofe at AST
- President Hubert praised their accomplishments and humility
Ambassador Awards — Transportation Department
- Presenters: Chris McCord (Chief Operations Officer) and Juan Melindes (Director of Transportation)
- McCord reported transportation is in its best position in many years, citing improved morale, professionalism, customer service, and equipment
- Two new transportation centers opened (Caney Creek and Conroe)
- 31 new buses received last year; 82 new buses scheduled to arrive November–May
- 30 of the 82 are part of a Heavy-Duty Vehicle Grant application; if awarded, could refund nearly $3 million
- Ambassador Award Recipients:
- Jamie Heraldo (Conroe Center, Bus 1021) — ensured safety of a scared 2nd grader
- Telicia Price (Conroe Center, Bus 1028) — 9-year employee; excels in field trip management and training
- Stephanie Malone (Conroe Center/Caney Creek router) — 10-year employee; excels in routing and mentoring
- Stacy Broadway (Caney Creek, Bus 2043) — safeguarded a 1st grader when parent was absent at bus stop
- Caroline Co Pepper & Heather Jones (Oakridge Center, Bus 4217) — found a firearm (later determined fake) at a congested intersection, followed safety procedures (Jones absent; Co Pepper accepted for both)
- Caesar Moa (Oakridge, Bus 4062) — not present
- Stella Pearson (Woodlands Center, Bus 3023) — not present
- John Canary — left district but recognized for service
Ambassador Awards — Police Department
- Presenter: Chief Blake Loock
- Ambassador Award Recipients:
- Douglas Stalinsky (Prevention Control Monitor, York Junior High) — not present (on vacation); goes above and beyond for safety including directing traffic during dangerous storms
- Officer David Branson — Advanced peace officer, ALERT active shooter instructor; assigned to Washington High School; participated in staff vs. student basketball game
- Officer Dean Beckwith — not present; recruited from San Diego; assigned to Pete Junior High; newly certified as police instructor and ALERT trainer
- Dispatcher Melissa Holmes — since 2015; master telecommunicator license; participates in community outreach; known for patience and empathy on 911 calls
- Crossing Guard Miranda West — Powell Elementary and Mitchell Intermediate; crosses 200+ students daily; greets them by name; active in school events. Her mother is also a CISD crossing guard recognized two years prior.
Citizen Participation (Public Comments)
12 speakers addressed the board. Topics included:
School Safety/Drills
- Gwen Melin asked about drill compliance tracking at Vogal Intermediate, stating attempts to get information from campus administrators were unsuccessful. Administration committed to having someone reach out.
Books/Library Materials
- Alexander Harris read an explicit excerpt from The Color Purple (on the AP list), arguing it is inappropriate for minors. Criticized specific trustees for their positions on the book/materials policy.
- Audrey Warner urged the board to strengthen the materials policy to make it harder for inappropriate content to enter schools and harder for removed materials to be reinstated.
- Susan Scrubs noted 19 out of 5,000 instructional books were removed by a committee; argued this is not "book banning." Cited After the Ink Dries as an example of inappropriate content still on library shelves. Thanked Trustees Odin, Weller, Nelson, and Dungan for protecting children.
Title IX / Transgender Issues
- Lindsay Dawson supported Trustee Nelson's previous resolution against new Title IX changes. Noted a federal judge issued a preliminary injunction on July 11 prohibiting enforcement of the new Title IX rule in Texas starting August 1. Also noted HB 3908 (fentanyl prevention training, 2023) has not been implemented. Criticized Trustees Chase and Williams.
- Carolyn Nene cited a 5,000% increase in transgender ideology, referenced the American College of Pediatrics statement against transgender treatment for children, and the Texas Supreme Court's 8-1 decision upholding the state's ban on gender-affirming care for minors.
- Robert Leteel made comments opposing transgender accommodations in schools.
- Deborah Ferris thanked conservative board members; shared a personal story about a great-niece who identified as transgender briefly but later changed her mind; urged the board to keep sexuality discussions out of schools.
Teacher/Parent Rights
- Reena Beetle (former Conroe ISD teacher, Grangerland Intermediate) stated that in a 2021 Zoom meeting, teachers were told they must call students by their preferred name/gender and could not inform parents. She said she raised concerns with administrators who confirmed the directive came from the district. She asked the board to create a policy supporting Senate Bill 11 (parental rights).
General Comments
- Robert Holden made wide-ranging critical comments about DEI, transgender policies, and board performance.
- Diane Daniel urged the board to focus on basics (reading, writing, arithmetic), communication skills, and respect; criticized the board for various perceived failures.
- Paul Laskoski reviewed 11 years of board meetings on YouTube; praised Dr. Null, staff, and Trustees Wagman, Chase, and Williams; criticized the "mama bears" group for doubling meeting durations since 2022 with discussions he deemed unproductive.
- Cassandra Crow (staff for State Rep. Steve Toth) announced a Texas House resolution honoring a 12-year-old Conroe ISD student (rising 9th grader at Grand Oaks who skipped two grades); details to come when the student can be present. Called for unity and community spirit.
Incident During Public Comments
- Trustee Nelson stated on the record that Trustee Williams said "sit your ass down" under his breath to a speaker during public comments, calling it "completely inappropriate."
Consent Agenda
- Item D (Professional Development Plan) was extracted from the consent agenda for separate discussion.
- Remaining consent items approved.
- Vote: Passed (one "no" vote noted during voice vote, though the member then clarified they were "for" it)
Item D — Professional Development Plan (2024–2025)
- Extracted at the request of Trustee Nelson for clarification.
- Dr. Null explained this item covers required SBOE annual trainings (e.g., pest management, sexual harassment, cybersecurity), not the full staff development plan.
- Key point: Multiple trainings contain Title IX components. Given the recent federal judge's ruling blocking new Title IX rules, the district will revert to the 2020 versions of affected trainings, ensuring none of the new Title IX tenets are included.
- Vote: Approved unanimously (by show of hands)
Hurricane Beryl Impact and Response (Information Item)
- Presenters: Dr. Null, Chris McCord, Karen Garza, Marshall Shrader
- Hurricane Beryl hit July 8, 2024. McCord had flagged it to Dr. Null on June 29.
- Key points:
- Maintenance team was out the same day the hurricane hit, restoring buildings even as their own homes lacked power
- Supply distribution coordinated with Montgomery County and Food Bank at Woodforest Bank Stadium, Grand Oaks HS, and Caney Creek HS
- Anti-scaling fencing (Chapter 61 compliance) sustained significant damage at multiple locations; repair is underway
- Electrical outages damaged HVAC systems including chillers and air handlers
- Communication challenges — cell service was out ("SOS for days"); higher-powered radios were used by key personnel
- Debris/tree cleanup costs expected to be "expensive and significant"
- Construction timeline lost one week on already tight schedules
- Transportation and maintenance departments provided diesel to county ambulances during the crisis
- The Jet Center served as a rally point; the Network Operations Center (NOC) performed flawlessly on generators
- Payroll was processed on time thanks to Karen Garza's team and Rachel Jimenez working in the building without power/AC
- A church displaced from Burnham Woods (no power) was relocated to Bradley for Sunday services
- Financial Impact:
- Could exceed $1 million in losses
- Property insurance has a 2% deductible per location (wind claim) — unlikely to recover anything
- District monitoring for possible FEMA assistance
- For FY 2025–26, the board could consider disaster pennies (additional golden pennies allowed by tax code after a federally declared disaster) — could generate approximately $24 million — board approval only, no voter approval required, one-year duration
- The district used disaster pennies once before during Hurricane Harvey
- Discussion on fencing: Trustee Nelson raised concerns about recurring damage to anti-scaling fencing (particularly at York JH), the ongoing cost, and whether grant funds can be used for repairs (currently grants allow installation but not repair). Discussion about possibly using 8-foot non-slatted fencing in high-wind areas.
Student Code of Conduct (2024–2025)
- Presenter: Dr. Medford
- Changes: Removed reference to behavior coordinators; added nicotine pouches to prohibited items; defined electronic devices in glossary
- No legislative or case law changes warranting other modifications
- Vote: Approved unanimously
Updated Outside Facility Use Fee Schedule
- Presenter: Chris McCord
- Facility rental rates last updated in 2016 (effective January 2017)
- Internal audit (July 2022) recommended cost recovery increase based on CPI (up 22% from Jan 2017 to July 2022, plus another 6.1% since)
- Nearly 800 general rentals between August 2023 and May 2024
- District was running a negative delta of ~$50,000 (not recovering costs)
- Key recommendations:
- General rate increases averaging ~20%, with some categories (e.g., auditoriums) seeing larger increases
- Classrooms will no longer be rented (only one church currently rents a classroom; their lease ends in December)
- Staff support fees increased ~20%
- New athletic facility rental rates established (including reduced rates for employee-sponsored camps/clinics per board policy GKD)
- Jet Center rental rates established (though rarely rented due to heavy district use)
- Rates include custodian and supplies
- Effective January 1, 2025 (to give organizations time to plan)
- Expected to generate an additional $200,000–$250,000 in revenue
- Rates compared with Tomball, Klein, Spring, and Humble ISDs
- Vote: Approved unanimously
TEA Waivers (Items 6A–6E)
All five waivers were presented by Dr. Medford and approved unanimously.
6A — Low Attendance Waiver
- For campuses where attendance fell 10+ percentage points below prior year average due to the April 8 total solar eclipse
- Vote: Approved unanimously
6B — Missed School Day Waiver
- Patterson, Bosman, and Stockton closed May 17, 2024; Broadway Elementary closed May 22, 2024 due to prolonged power outage from severe weather
- Vote: Approved unanimously
6C — Teacher Data Portal / Texas Assessment Management System Waiver
- Allows use of local system (Edoria) instead of state system for assessments, appraisals, and certification tracking
- Three-year waiver (2024–25 through 2026–27); continuation of existing practice
- Vote: Approved unanimously
6D — Modified Schedule for State Assessment Testing Days Waiver
- Allows non-testing upper-level students late arrival on testing days without attendance penalty
- Through 2026–27 school year; continuation of existing practice
- Vote: Approved unanimously
6E — Foreign Exchange Student Waiver
- Limits foreign exchange students to six or fewer per high school due to capacity issues
- Three-year waiver through 2026–27; continuation of existing practice
- Vote: Approved unanimously
Capital Improvements Update (Information Item)
- Presenter: Mr. Foster
| Project | Status |
|---------|--------|
| Safety & Security Program (2019 Bond final installment) | On schedule; inspections disrupted by hurricane but resumed; expected completion end of 2024 |
| Bartlett Elementary | Substantially complete; scheduled to open August 2024; learning materials arriving this week |
| Isolde Elementary (Flex School #24) | On schedule for August 2025 opening; detention ponds and foundations under construction |
| Campbell Elementary (Flex School #25) | On schedule for August 2025; slightly ahead in construction |
| Grand Oaks 7-8-9 Grade Campus | On schedule for January 2027 opening; building pad ~50% complete; developer constructing surrounding roads |
| Campus Renovations (4 campuses) | Affected by Hurricane Beryl (lost a few days); AC coming on this week; ceiling grids going back in; freezer/cooler delayed at Lamar but rental equipment in place; will not affect first day of school |
| Conroe High School (phased construction) | Fine Arts wings turned over before July 4; band students moving in; new dining courtyard turfed; kitchen floor finish delayed by power loss — working on contingency plan with Child Nutrition; "Tower" (3-story section) demolition nearly complete; Phase 3 (new front door) scheduled for completion December 2025 |
No Red Ink Purchase Authorization
- Request to add No Red Ink (premium student licensing) to the over-$50K vendor list for FY 2023–24
- Required by local board policy CH
- Vote: Approved unanimously
2024–2025 Preliminary Budget Update (Information Item)
- Presenter: Karen Garza, CFO
Key Budget Highlights:
- Projected deficit improved from $17.7M (April estimate) to $11.9M — improvement of $5.8M
- Improvement driven by: modified state calculations for SB 12 hold harmless (over-65 tax ceiling recalculation), and full year of attendance data
- Student enrollment growth: ~1,500 projected
- Certified property value growth: Estimated at 8.5%, reaching $55.5 billion
- Projected tax rate: Overall decrease of ~1.5 cents (despite voter-approved 2-cent increase from 2023 bond) due to 3.5 cents of M&O compression; I&S increases from 26 to 28 cents as voter-approved
- Tax rate history: Decreased 26.56 cents since 2021
Revenue & Expenditures:
- Total estimated revenue: ~$700 million
- Total estimated expenditures: $711.97 million
- Estimated budget shortfall: $11.92 million
Personnel:
- 147 new FTE positions at $10.8M cost
- Over half (70.5 FTE / $5.6M) for special education
- Special education student count grew from 7,230 (2023) to 9,680 (June 2024) — increase of ~2,450; projected to grow another 1,500
- No new district-level support positions added
Fund Balance:
- Target: 20–25% of budget (~$142.5M)
- Projected unassigned fund balance at end of FY 2023–24: $152.23M
- After $11.9M deficit: ~$140.3M (19.7%) — below the 20% target by ~$2.1M
Looking Ahead to FY 2025–26:
- Projected deficit of $17.43 million (including $12M for new campus staffing, but no pay raises)
- ~225 positions equivalent to the deficit amount
- Administration will begin developing a "menu" of potential cuts internally this fall
- Will involve campus principals in prioritization
- Will present to the board in December/January
- Will consider ease of adding positions back if state funding materializes
- Special program compliance spending requirements must be maintained
- Goal: Assure all current employees they will have jobs (though positions may change)
Budget Strategy Discussion:
- Disaster pennies could generate ~$24M (two pennies) — board approval only, one year
- Could be used to balance the budget and replenish fund balance
- Could be combined with a future VATRE (Voter-Approved Tax Rate Election) in November 2025 or 2026 for perpetual access
- VATRE would require efficiency audit by July 5 and November election
- The November 2023 pay raise (~$15M) is the primary driver of the current deficit position
- Esser funds did NOT contribute to the deficit — all Esser-funded positions were absorbed into regular formulas
- ADA percentage: Ended year at ~92.4% (budget assumes 92.5%); 1% = $4.5M impact
- Bond rating agencies are aware of statewide deficit trends; as long as the district has a plan, ratings should not be affected
Tax Assessor-Collector Resolution
- Resolution designating Tammy McCrae (Montgomery County Tax Assessor-Collector) to calculate truth-in-taxation requirements
- Continuation of existing practice; now required to be formally designated
- Vote: Approved unanimously
Financial Statements (as of June 30, 2024)
- Presenter: Karen Garza
- General Fund assets: $291.52M
- Year-to-date revenue: $554M; Expenditures: $491.3M
- 2023 Bond: $274.5M encumbered/expended life-to-date; $1.7M remaining
- Self-funded insurance: June loss of $63,100; year-to-date surplus of $1.6M (averaging $167K/month surplus)
- Investments: Par value $996.5M; portfolio yield 5.37%; benchmark (90-day T-bill) 5.2%
Local Board Policy Updates
- Presenter: Miss Gadus
- Policies updated as part of Update 123, primarily driven by state agency regulatory changes
- Policies adopted: BBD, BBFA, CKC, CKEA, CQ, DCE, DEC, EH
- Described as "benign and rather dull" changes
- Vote: Approved unanimously
Item 10B — EFA Policy
- Removed from the agenda at the request of the board member who placed it
- Trustee Nelson questioned the removal, noting she was prepared to discuss and make changes; asked if it would be on the next meeting's agenda
- President Hubert stated the requesting board member asked for removal (similar to past practice by other members); next month's agenda has not been set
- Trustee Nelson requested EFA and EFB be placed on the next meeting's agenda
Executive Session
- Board entered closed session at 9:20 PM pursuant to Texas Government Code Sections 551.071 and 551.074 (legal consultation and personnel matters)
- Returned to open session at 9:31 PM
- No action taken on executive session items
Future Agenda Item Requests
1. Trustee Nelson: EFA and EFB policy discussion
2. Trustee Odenweller (via Nelson): Setting legislative priorities for the upcoming state legislative session
Adjournment
- Meeting adjourned at approximately 9:31 PM
Note: These are unofficial notes based on an auto-generated transcript. For official minutes, please refer to the approved board minutes on the Conroe ISD website.