December 17, 2024 — Regular Meeting
Conroe ISD Board Meeting — 2024-12-17
Regular Meeting — Unofficial Notes
Based on auto-generated transcript. Not an official record.
Generated 2026-03-28 17:45 UTC
Unofficial Meeting Notes — Conroe ISD Board of Trustees Regular Meeting
Date: December 17, 2024
Called to Order: 6:00 PM
Adjourned: 10:09 PM
Note: These are unofficial notes based on an auto-generated transcript and may contain errors.
Board Attendance
A quorum of members was present (all 7 trustees participated in votes throughout the meeting).
Opening
- Meeting opened with prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance
- New Tradition Announced: District veterans will now lead the pledges at each monthly meeting. The first veteran recognized was Karen Garza, Conroe ISD Chief Financial Officer, who served in the U.S. Army from 1988–1992, achieving the rank of Specialist at Fort Ord, California, supporting the 7th Infantry Division. She received the Army Commendation Medal.
- High school Junior ROTC programs will also be invited to lead pledges in the future.
Special Recognitions
Montgomery County Food Bank Partnership Award
- Christine Marlo, President and CEO of Montgomery County Food Bank, presented Conroe ISD with the "Brighter Future Award" to be formally presented at the Fighting Hunger Feeding Hope Gala on February 8, 2025.
- Key partnership highlights shared:
- 23 schools participate in the backpack food assistance program, serving 750+ students per week
- 11 schools have food pantries
- 1 school (Maylum Elementary) hosts drive-up mobile food distribution
- Summer food distributions served over 1,000 families / 4,500 people since 2022
- Nutrition education reached over 1,000 students
- The Food Bank served a record 97,000+ client contacts in November 2024 — higher than during COVID
- Dr. Null serves on the Montgomery County Food Bank board.
Grand Oaks High School Volleyball — Back-to-Back 6A State Champions
- Principal James Bush and Head Coach Morgan Rogers presented the team.
- Grand Oaks volleyball won their second consecutive UIL 6A Division 1 State Championship.
- The team has won 45 consecutive district games since September 6, 2022.
- They also earned their third consecutive undefeated district championship.
- Notable: Senior Samara Coleman (recent graduate) earned MVP at the TGCA All-Star Game and will attend the University of Pittsburgh to play Division I volleyball.
- Coach Rogers highlighted the team's growth, travel (1,200+ miles in 3 weeks during playoffs), and the player-led culture.
- Board President Oden-Weller congratulated the team on behalf of the board.
Public Comments (6 speakers)
1. Santiago Acosta — Retired 29-year teacher and district taxpayer; volunteered to conduct a study on waste and inefficiency in the district, referencing a "DOGE-type" approach; expressed interest in running for the board.
2. Natalie Adams — CISD parent since 2012 and former teacher; raised concerns about declining opportunities (e.g., culinary competitions), unstable bus service with vaping issues; opposed blanket book bans; urged the district to focus on learning, safety, and fiscal responsibility rather than "outside agendas."
3. Diane Daniels — Thanked the board for their work; requested more emphasis on the religious meaning of Christmas in schools rather than solely focusing on Santa; expressed confidence in the board's curriculum and budget work.
4. Deborah Liber — Expressed concern about the Bible-based Bluebonnet Learning K–5 reading/language arts curriculum recently adopted by the State Board of Education; urged the board not to select this curriculum for Conroe ISD, citing parental rights over religious upbringing, respect for diverse faith traditions, and the young age of elementary students.
5. Courtney Egan — Raised concerns about inclusivity, integration of Christianity into board meetings, treatment of LGBTQ+ students (citing Trevor Project statistics on suicide), questioned financial expertise of board members (referencing the December 3 special meeting), and criticized Trustee Dawson's suggestion to ask taxpayers for more funding.
6. Carrie Freemer — Wished the board happy holidays; urged them to remember the district's cultural diversity and that not all families practice Christmas or the same religion.
Consent Agenda
- Motion: Accepted as posted
- Vote: Unanimous (7-0) — Carried
Item 5A: 2024–2025 District Improvement Plan (DIP)
Presented by: Dr. Medford
Key Points:
- Comprehensive ~100-page document developed with the District Level Planning and Decision-Making Committee
- Covers 5 goals with required provisions including: instructional methods, evidence-based practices, suicide prevention, dropout reduction, technology, career education, staff development, and more
- Follows an extensive timeline from summer through November committee approval
- New initiative: "Board RAM" — weekly updates to the board on curriculum areas, starting with social studies, showing performance objectives and progress
Amendment Motion (Trustee Dungan): To amend page 3, second paragraph to read: "Conroe ISD has not received an official rating for the 23-24 school year in the STAAR A through F accountability system. The Texas Education Agency has not released the official ratings due to a pending lawsuit, but the district has received the raw data that is used to calculate ratings and the information in this report."
- Trustee Dungan explained TEA hasn't released official accountability ratings for two years due to lawsuits, but the district has raw data to calculate an unofficial rating.
- Vote on Amendment: Unanimous (7-0) — Carried
Discussion on Interim Testing Change:
- The district moved from using TEA interim assessments to released STAAR tests for benchmarking
- Reason: TEA tightened restrictions so teachers could no longer review questions or work with students on interim results; the released STAAR tests allow more meaningful teacher-student interaction
- This is a swap (same testing window, same number of days), not additional testing
Vote on DIP (as amended): Unanimous (7-0) — Carried
Item 5B: 2024–2025 Campus Improvement Plans
Presented by: Dr. Medford
- Campus plans follow same structure as DIP with campus-level committees
- Include academic achievement assessment, performance objectives, parental involvement, violence prevention, and fund allocation
Vote: Unanimous (7-0) — Carried
Item 5C: 2025–2026 School Calendar — Spring Break Discussion
Presented by: Dr. Upshaw
Key Issue: The board approved a two-year calendar in January 2024. The adopted spring break for 2025–2026 (March 9–13, 2026) now differs from Lone Star College and several Texas universities, whose schedules weren't finalized at the time of adoption.
Key Details:
- Lone Star College (dual credit partner) has March 16–20, 2026
- Universities and districts are split roughly evenly between the two weeks
- Lone Star College ties spring break to March 15; since the 15th falls on a Sunday in 2026, it created uncertainty
- Moving spring break would affect nine-week balance (currently wraps up 9 weeks then spring break; change would make 10 weeks before and 9 after)
Board Discussion:
- Multiple trustees expressed frustration that a two-year calendar was adopted, noting three trustees had argued against it at the time
- Concerns raised that families may have already booked travel based on the adopted calendar
- Some trustees wanted to move quickly; others wanted community feedback first
Outcome (No Vote Taken): Board directed administration to:
- Send a community survey (via email to all parents, not social media)
- Bring feedback to the District Level Planning Committee meeting on January 15
- Return to the board in January or February with information and recommendation
- Include notice on the survey that the spring break date may change
- Board advised against adopting two-year calendars in the future
Item 6: Teaching and Learning
- Moved to January 7 Workshop — Will cover literacy and feature presentation from Dr. Audrey Young, State Board of Education member and chair of the SBOE Committee on Instruction.
Item 7A: Accept Construction Projects as Complete
Presented by: Mr. Foster
Projects accepted as complete:
1. Hope Elementary (Flex 20) — New campus, 2019 Bond
2. Gordon Reed Elementary (Flex 21) — New campus, 2019 Bond
3. Hines Elementary (Flex 22) — New campus, 2019 Bond
4. Oak Ridge High School Overhaul — Phase 1 renovation, 2019 Bond (included new perimeter road, HVAC improvements, safety upgrades)
Discussion:
- Trustee raised concerns about zero returned savings on all four projects
- Mr. Foster explained COVID-era construction cost escalations consumed all contingencies
- The 2019 bond modeling included escalation for two years then went flat; COVID escalations exceeded projections
- Subcontractors went out of business during this period
- Construction costs have leveled somewhat but labor costs are rising; no decreases expected
Vote: Unanimous (7-0) — Carried
Item 7B: Capital Improvement Update (Information Only)
Presented by: Mr. Foster
| Project | Status |
|---------|--------|
| Safety & Security (2019 Bond) | Field work essentially complete; final fire marshal commissioning during winter break; financial review begins January |
| Conroe High School Renovation | Foundation/retaining wall work underway; expanded parking lot excavation in progress; completion in 2026 |
| Eisler Elementary (Flex 24) | On schedule for August 2025 opening; exterior masonry and roof in progress |
| Campbell Elementary (Flex 25) | Slightly ahead of Eisler; waterproofing and brick veneer going on; August 2025 opening |
| Grand Oaks 7/8/9 Grade Campus | Vertical construction; building slab to be complete by January; steel arriving; opens January 2027 |
| Timber Mill High School | Dirt work/clearing underway; opens August 2027 |
| Conroe HS Tennis Courts | Courts poured; curing in progress; playable when students return from winter break; ready before first tournament |
| Critical Infrastructure (Roofing) | Work at Snyder, Collins, Tough, Armstrong, Austin, Burnwood, Broadway, Derring, Kaufman, Oak Ridge Elementary, Milam, Houston, Runion — all scheduled for August 2025 completion |
| Knox Junior High Renovation | Full campus renovation underway; parking lot and demolition work progressing; completion August 2026 |
| Buckalew, Haley, Ford, Creighton | Gym additions and infrastructure; portable moves during winter break; contractor mobilizing; completion December 2025 |
Notable: Haley and Ford each receiving 100 additional student seats to reduce portable dependency.
Meeting recessed for approximately 10 minutes at 7:49 PM
Item 8A: Maintenance Repair & Operations Job Order Contract (JOC)
CSP 25-09-01
- JOC program supports maintenance and technology departments for larger-scope projects
- Used for items like chiller/boiler replacements, portable moves, hurricane recovery, and Chapter 61 fence/film compliance
- Estimated spend: up to $15.5 million (includes some grant project spending)
- Two pre-proposal meetings held; vendors vetted by evaluation committee
Discussion:
- Trustees asked about evaluation criteria and scoring rubrics
- Board requested a future workshop presentation on the vendor evaluation/scoring process for greater transparency
Vote: Unanimous (7-0) — Carried
Item 8B: Fire Protection Systems RFP
RFP 25-09-02
- Covers inspections, testing, monitoring, maintenance, and parts for fire alarms, kitchen suppression, sprinklers, emergency responder systems, etc.
- Evaluated by maintenance leadership team and reviewed by purchasing department
Vote: Unanimous (7-0) — Carried
Item 8C: Mass Communication & Two-Way Messaging System
RFP 25-09-03 — Award to APPTEGY Inc.
Key Details:
- Replaces expiring School Messenger mass communication contract
- Adds new two-way messaging system ("Rooms") — teachers can communicate with parents through one platform
- Same company that built the district's new website (approved August 2024); bundles all communication into one app
- Teachers can set office hours; parent responses go singularly to teacher (no group conversations)
- District has full audit access to all communications
- Expectation that all staff will use this platform (replaces GroupMe, Remind, etc.)
- Company designed by teachers; reports 90% engagement rate in other districts
- First-year cost: ~$293,000; renewal years: ~$247,000 each for up to 4 additional years
- Contract includes termination option at end of any term
- Includes $20,000 current customer discount on mass communication system
- Training package included for ~5,000 staff members
- Target implementation: start of 2025–2026 school year
Budget: Covered by existing software line item; current School Messenger contract was ~$73,000/year
Vote: Unanimous (7-0) — Carried
Item 9A: Financial Reports
Presented by: Karen Garza, CFO
- Balance Sheet & Income Statement: Presented for General Fund, Debt Service, Child Nutrition, and Self-Funded Insurance through November 30, 2024
- Bond Referendum Update: $329.99 million expended; second bond sale of $600 million planned for the week after winter break
- Self-Funded Insurance: Running a $1.6 million deficit early in the plan year; attributed partly to summer claims processing through the system; healthy fund balance exists; plan design changes for next year already being discussed
- Investments: Par value at $791 million; portfolio yielding 4.85% vs. benchmark 90-day T-bill at 4.36%
Item 12A: Purchase of 4.63-Acre Parcel in Oak Ridge Feeder Zone
Discussion:
- Property intended as permanent home for the agriculture (Ag) barn serving Oak Ridge and Grand Oaks high schools
- Current Ag barn site is on leased land (Otwell property) with no formal contract; landowner has indicated the district should find a new solution, possibly by end of school year
- Property located on Robinson Road; includes:
- Steel pole barn (estimated replacement value ~$700,000)
- House (potential CTE use)
- Good fencing, corrals, moving pins
- Tifton 85 grass
- Commercial utilities at property line
- 6 miles from Grand Oaks, 2.5 miles from Oak Ridge (~15 min for students)
- Property is in a commercial zone; neighboring properties are commercial
- Adjacent comparable property (no structures) under contract for similar price
Funding:
- Land purchase from Proposition A ($50 million land fund)
- Renovations/improvements from Proposition C ($3 million allocated for Ag barn renovations)
- Total bond allocation for all three Ag barns: $17 million (~$6 million remaining after previous approvals)
Concerns Raised:
- Frontage costs more than non-frontage property
- Surprise timeline crunch — board was unaware the current site arrangement was at risk
- Multiple trustees expressed frustration that no formal lease/contract existed with the current landowner
- Trustees strongly requested: Review all district leased properties to ensure contracts and end dates are in place going forward
- Feasibility period (~90 days) included in purchase process to evaluate the property
Tally (CTE/Agriculture Director) spoke to the property's value for the program, including infrastructure, safety, and neutral location between the two high schools.
Vote: Unanimous (7-0) — Carried
Item 12B: Montgomery County Central Appraisal District (MCAD) Board of Directors Nominations
Discussion Item Only — No Vote Taken
- New legislation (88th session) expanded MCAD board from 5 to 9 members: 3 elected by voters, 5 appointed by taxing jurisdictions, plus additional changes
- Staggered terms being implemented over 3 years
- Conroe ISD, as the largest taxing entity, has significant voting power (~enough to influence 2-3 seats)
- Voting uses a point/allocation system — the district can distribute votes strategically among nominees
Process:
- Board opened nominations to the public: interested candidates should email the board by end of week (Friday) with contact info, short bio, qualifications, and reasons for wanting to serve
- Nominations will be finalized at the January 7 special meeting/workshop
- Ballots expected to be mailed ~February 14; board will cast votes at the February 18 meeting
- Commissioner's Court already made their nominations
Why MCAD Matters: Dr. Null explained that MCAD's property value study failure put $30 million in state funding at risk for the district. Board needs qualified, ethical people ensuring proper property assessments.
Item 12C: District Counseling Resource List
Brought by: Trustee Dungan
Motion: Make counseling provider information, including responses to the district's resource list application, forward-facing on the CISD website's Counseling Services page.
Discussion:
- Currently, the counseling resource list is just an alphabetical list of links to providers' websites — no additional information visible to parents
- Trustee Dungan proposed publishing providers' application responses (services offered, insurance accepted, payment options, specialties, etc.) directly on the website
- Dr. Null agreed and suggested moving to an annual update cycle
- Board discussed potentially categorizing providers (e.g., large navigation agencies like Tri-County at top) but some trustees preferred keeping it alphabetical to avoid perceived favoritism
- Dr. Null will work with trustees to combine/refine the application form, rebuild it for forward-facing use, and bring it back for review
Vote: Unanimous (7-0) — Carried
Executive Session
- Entered closed session at 9:42 PM pursuant to Texas Government Code §551.071 and §551.072
- Returned to open session at 10:09 PM
- No action taken following executive session
Future Agenda Items
- No specific requests made at the meeting; trustees may submit later
Adjournment
- Motion to adjourn: Approved
- Meeting adjourned at 10:09 PM
These are unofficial notes based on an auto-generated transcript. For official minutes, please refer to the documents published by Conroe ISD after board approval.