October 17, 2024 — Regular Meeting
Conroe ISD Board Meeting — 2024-10-17
Regular Meeting — Unofficial Notes
Based on auto-generated transcript. Not an official record.
Generated 2026-03-28 17:30 UTC
Unofficial Meeting Notes
Conroe ISD School Safety and Security Committee
Regular Meeting — October 17, 2024
Note: These are unofficial notes based on an auto-generated transcript of the meeting. They are not a substitute for official minutes.
Opening Remarks
The meeting was called to order at approximately 4:00 PM. The chair thanked all staff, the CISD Police Department, and outside agencies for their work handling a recent wave of school threats — an issue experienced not just locally but nationwide. The chair emphasized that at no point were any CISD schools unsafe, despite rumors that caused community unease.
Item 1: Approval of Minutes (June 2024 Meeting)
- Motion to approve minutes as presented.
- Second by Ethan (last name not stated in transcript).
- Vote: Approved unanimously (by show of hands). No corrections, opposition, or abstentions.
Item 2: Conroe ISD Police Department Overview
Presented by: Chief (name not clearly stated in transcript)
Key Information:
- CISD Police Department is the 3rd largest law enforcement agency in Montgomery County.
- Currently has 89 police officers (up from 74 at the same time last year), including:
- 3 full-time detectives
- 3 K-9 officers (2 drug-detection dogs, 1 explosives-detection dog)
- Officers are assigned to every secondary school (all high schools and junior highs) during the regular school day.
- Elementary and intermediate schools have either a dedicated officer or a shared officer for co-located campuses; nearby campuses have officers who can respond in under a minute. The department is working toward full coverage at all campuses.
- 26 campus control monitors (security staff in blue shirts) serve as eyes and ears at secondary campuses.
- 104 crossing guards serve throughout the county.
- The department is a TCOLE contract training provider — one of only 216 out of 2,795 law enforcement agencies in Texas. Officers average approximately 100 hours of training per year (state minimum is 40).
- Detectives and select officers are now members of the FBI Threat Mitigation Task Force (new this year), providing access to federal databases and cross-jurisdictional information sharing for social media threats.
- The department is a 911 answering point (one of five in Montgomery County), enabling instant inter-agency communication.
- Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) exist with every law enforcement agency in Montgomery County for mutual aid.
- The department participates in the Montgomery County Special Threat Response Plan — described as the first of its kind in Texas — a multi-jurisdictional active shooter response plan involving law enforcement, fire, and EMS.
Community Outreach:
- Safety programs, first responder expos, student leadership events
- October 26: Cars and Coffee event + Trunk or Treat (91 cars participating)
- Annual Coats for Kids drive — coats can be dropped off at any campus, the admin building, the police department, or by calling for pickup
- Holiday Gift Drive to follow
Hiring:
- Contact: police.conroeisd.net or call 936-709-8900 for information on becoming a crossing guard, patrol coordinator, or officer.
- Committee members noted the extensive vetting process required to hire officers, emphasizing the importance of getting it right.
Committee Discussion:
- The chair praised school police officers for the special care required when working with children, noting that for many students, school officers may be their first positive interaction with law enforcement.
Item 3: Walk-Through Weapons Detection Demonstration Overview
Presented by: Mr. McCord, with input from Ethan and Chief
The committee received information on three types of weapons detection systems, following up on discussion from the June meeting. Demonstrations were conducted at district facilities.
1. Garrett Walk-Through Metal Detectors (Traditional Magnetometer)
- Currently in use at CISD stadiums
- Cost: ~$6,000 per unit (no ongoing subscription)
- Pros: Reasonably priced; no subscription fees; gives general location of detected item (high/medium/low)
- Cons: Heavy; not easily deployable; finicky and requires constant interaction; long reset time between individuals (slow throughput); high false-positive rate; battery power unreliable (needs AC); nearly impossible to find repair technicians; best for indoor use
2. Evolve (Machine Learning System)
- Cost: ~$70,000 for single-lane unit; ~$90,000 for dual-lane; ongoing software fee of $5,425–$7,500/year
- Pros: Frictionless (no reset time, two people can pass abreast simultaneously); provides iPad with exact location indicator ("red cube") on detected items; heavier/more stable in wind; handles outdoor use; machine learning improves over time
- Cons: Very expensive; requires wired AC power; requires dedicated iPad monitor with high focus; heavy
- Deployed at: NRG Stadium (Texans games, Rodeo), Disney World, Minute Maid Park, The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
- CISD trial: Deployed at Woodforest Bank Stadium at a College Park football game
3. Open Gate (Machine Learning System)
- Cost: ~$20,000+ per unit; no ongoing subscription (optional extended warranty ~$1,600/year)
- Pros: Frictionless; easily transportable; battery powered (uses large rechargeable batteries); lighter weight; indoor/outdoor capable
- Cons: Less stable in wind; battery-only (no AC option); does not provide location of detected item; less visually substantial
- CISD trial: Experienced some wind issues during first outdoor deployment
Key Takeaways from Discussion:
- All systems require personnel to monitor gates plus an armed officer present at each screening point — the Chief strongly emphasized this as a critical safety requirement.
- Sensitivity trade-off: Higher detection sensitivity catches more items but increases false positives and slows throughput. The "Holy Grail" is a setting just above the threshold where phones and keys would pass but dangerous items would be caught.
- This is research, not purchasing — the district does not currently have allocated funds for these systems.
- Potential future use: Home-base units at each high school for random checks; also deployable to stadiums and other campuses as needed. Daily screening of all students would be a significant community decision with structural building implications.
- No system is perfect — even schools with daily weapons detection have experienced incidents.
Camera-Based Detection Systems:
- Previously researched (discussed at June meeting); companies quoted $7 million startup for one system and $400,000–$500,000/year for others.
- Significant limitations identified: most systems required weapons to be brandished/visible (not concealed); did not detect edged weapons; limited range.
- A committee member (identified as a board member who attends Austin hearings) requested the list of companies previously reviewed, noting she had seen demonstrations of systems capable of detecting concealed weapons. Staff agreed to provide this information.
- A committee member asked about rental/lease/per-event options with third-party security companies providing equipment and personnel; staff noted evolve and open gate offer year-long leases (without personnel) but a per-event model would need further research.
- Durability concerns were raised about transporting sensitive equipment between campuses.
Item 4: Mental Health Initiatives Overview
Presented by: Tiffany Rodriguez, Coordinator of Guidance and Counseling
Mental Health Toolkits:
- Last year: Collaborated with Shaq (likely a partner organization) to develop a suicide prevention toolkit.
- This year: Expanded to a full series of mental health toolkits available via a district website, covering state-mandated topics:
- Human trafficking
- Bullying prevention
- Substance use prevention (including fentanyl awareness)
- Digital citizenship and online safety (developed in partnership with instructional technology)
- Toolkits include: board policies, legislation, educational materials, activities, social media content, and lists of local presenters.
- Customizable — campuses can tailor delivery to their specific community needs.
- Positive feedback received from campuses; described as a "one-stop shop."
School Counseling Department Structure:
- 189 school counselors district-wide
- District-level staff: 1 coordinator, 2 crisis interventionists, 1 mental health specialist, 1 elementary counseling specialist (added last year)
- 25-member volunteer District Crisis Team — school counselors who can deploy to other campuses during tragedies while allowing the affected campus to continue functioning
- High school structure: Lead counselor, college & career counselor, plus 8–12 additional counselors (alphabet-based caseloads)
- Junior high structure: 3–4 counselors per campus; new "point of contact" role established this year to improve communication (not a paid lead position)
- College & Career counselors are separated from general school counselors to handle the volume of college/career readiness work (CCMR, etc.)
Key Points:
- School counselors are not therapists — they focus on proactive support for academic achievement, decision-making, and connecting students/families to community resources.
- The profession has evolved from reactive "guidance counselors" to proactive "school counselors" (the state no longer uses the term "guidance counseling").
- Crisis interventionists provide immediate response and help connect people to resources — they do not provide ongoing therapy.
- Other districts are reaching out to CISD asking how they manage crisis response, as many do not have district-level crisis specialists.
- Multiple committee members praised school counselors for their behind-the-scenes work resolving issues that the public rarely hears about.
Item 5: Closed Session
The committee entered closed session at 4:57 PM pursuant to Sections 551.071 and 551.0785 of the Texas Open Meetings Act.
The committee returned to open session at 5:12 PM. No action was reported from closed session.
Next Meeting
April 24, 2025 at 4:00 PM — Email reminders will be sent.
Meeting Adjourned
The meeting concluded shortly after 5:12 PM.
These are unofficial notes based on an auto-generated transcript and may contain errors or omissions. Please refer to official Conroe ISD minutes for the authoritative record.