April 29, 2025 — Regular Meeting
Conroe ISD Board Meeting — 2025-04-29
Regular Meeting — Unofficial Notes
Based on auto-generated transcript. Not an official record.
Generated 2026-03-28 18:22 UTC
Unofficial Meeting Notes
Conroe ISD School Health Advisory Council (SHAC)
Regular Meeting — April 29, 2025
Note: These are unofficial notes based on an auto-generated transcript and may contain errors or omissions. They are not a substitute for official minutes.
Attendance & Opening
- Meeting called to order; members confirmed attendance via cards.
- Chair noted the end of the school year is approaching.
Approval of Minutes
- Motion to approve minutes from the previous meeting.
- Vote: Approved unanimously by show of hands.
Community Feedback
- No emails received.
- No public comments.
SHAC Subcommittee Updates
1. Compliance Subcommittee
The subcommittee met on April 22 and provided updates on several topics:
Credit by Exam / 4-Year and 6-Year Plans:
- A knowledge gap exists among students and parents regarding course planning and credit-by-exam options in junior high and high school. The subcommittee requested clarification from the district.
Vaping:
- The district provided vaping data, which is under review.
- The subcommittee wants to ensure consistent messaging is delivered to all CISD students regarding the health and legal consequences of vaping.
Parent Consent Forms:
- The subcommittee suggested adding QR codes to consent forms to make materials more accessible. The district (Mr. Kmart) is expected to add these for the 2025–26 school year.
Recess Recommendation (Major Discussion Item):
The subcommittee presented a detailed, research-based recess recommendation grounded in CDC guidance and Texas Education Code requirements. Key points from the presentation:
- Recess and PE have distinct benefits; recess provides unstructured time that builds resilience, creativity, and problem-solving.
- CDC recommends recess benefits extend K–12, not just elementary.
- CDC national guidance recommends 20+ minutes of daily recess and advises against withholding recess for disciplinary or academic reasons.
Proposed Recommendation by School Level:
| School Level | Current Daily Recess | SHAC Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| Elementary | 30 minutes | No change (continue as-is) |
| Intermediate (5th–6th) | 10–15 min (most campuses); 20 min at Collins | 20 minutes daily |
| Junior High | None (dedicated) | Offer 20 minutes of daily opportunity to get outside |
| High School | None (dedicated) | Offer opportunities to get outside creatively |
Additional Recommendations:
- Do not exclude students from recess for disciplinary, academic, or makeup work reasons.
- Keep lunch and recess as two separate periods for K–6.
- Notify parents if recess is withheld from a student.
Extensive Discussion Ensued:
- Dr. Todd (principal) raised concerns about manpower, safety, and the logistics of supervising students outside, particularly at junior high and high school levels. She noted some campuses already offer creative options (e.g., Stockton allows students access to courtyards, cafeteria, library, and gym before school).
- Dr. Klesky (intermediate principal, 28 years experience) raised significant concerns about scheduling constraints due to the newly adopted Bluebonnet Learning Program, which mandates a minimum of 120 minutes of daily language arts for K–5 (doubling current time for 5th grade). Combined with the recommended 90 minutes for math, there is very limited time remaining in the school day. She noted:
- Fine arts at her campus have been cut 50% to accommodate the new mandate.
- Science and social studies instruction time will likely be reduced.
- Teachers are already incorporating brain breaks and movement into instruction as best practice.
- She expressed concern that if the recommendation becomes a mandate, it could create an impossible scheduling situation.
- A nurse/parent member expressed support for the idea but concern about safety and accountability, particularly at high school campuses—how to ensure students don't leave campus, how to account for everyone.
- Miss McMullen argued strongly that SHAC's role is to recommend the gold standard based on research, and that it should be the CISD Board's responsibility to reconcile conflicting mandates (e.g., Bluebonnet curriculum vs. recess time). She stated the Board made the curriculum adoption decision and should deal with the repercussions.
- A member raised concerns that the state legislature may use SHAC recommendations to criticize districts that can't comply, given impossible conflicting mandates and flat state funding since 2019.
- Dr. Chavela cautioned that for junior high and high school, unstructured time could result in students simply being on their phones, which would defeat the purpose. She also noted that for older students, electives (band, choir, art, robotics) serve as their outlet and "recess."
- Multiple members shared examples of existing creative solutions: Knox Junior High's outdoor lunch period, College Park's courtyard, Grand Oaks' advisory period (25 minutes daily), outdoor PTO-purchased eating spaces, and teachers incorporating outdoor lessons.
- A member suggested adding language: "Each campus can work toward goal recommendations given individual campus time constraints" to acknowledge real-world constraints.
Final Motion on Recess Recommendation:
- Motion: To approve the SHAC recess recommendation as presented, with the added language: "Each campus can work toward goal recommendations given individual campus time constraints," and with accompanying documentation listing implementation concerns (manpower, safety, lunch waste, scheduling challenges with newly implemented curriculum).
- Vote: Approved unanimously (no nays, no abstentions).
2. Membership Subcommittee
- No meeting since March.
- Membership flyers for next year expected to go out to campuses soon.
- The subcommittee aims to move up the timeline: present membership to the board in August so the first SHAC meeting can be moved from October to September.
- Noted: Potential state legislation could change SHAC membership structure to give each board member equal appointment authority (similar to previous bylaws). Status of that bill is unknown.
- Current SHAC has 56 members vs. the bylaws' recommended number of 31. This is because the current board chose to include all applicants (consistent with practice from two years ago), after the previous board had limited appointments to two per board member plus seven chosen by the superintendent.
- No formal action taken.
3. Physical Activity & Fitness Subcommittee (Mr. Powell)
- Met four times, most recently the prior week.
- Had a direct meeting with Mr. Kmart regarding physical activity questions.
- Key concern: Campuses with 30-minute daily PE periods are struggling with transition time, instructional time, and large student groupings, leaving as little as 15 minutes of actual activity.
- The subcommittee developed a survey (version 1 shared via GroupMe) to gather feedback from principals and educators at campuses with 30-minute PE implementation regarding quality and quantity of PE time.
- Motion: To approve the Physical Activity & Fitness subcommittee putting together a survey and requesting board approval to survey principals and staff.
- Vote: Approved unanimously (no nays, no abstentions).
4. Mental Health / Suicide Prevention & Wellness Subcommittee
- Mr. Matics was not present.
- The district provided data that the subcommittee plans to review.
- No major updates.
5. Wellness Plan Update
- The updated wellness plan was sent out prior to the meeting.
- The full SHAC had previously approved the wellness plan; afterward, Dr. Merl sent approximately 13 additional recommended edits from the district.
- The wellness plan work group reviewed and incorporated those edits.
- Motion: To approve the wellness plan with the additional district edits.
- Moved by Mr. Powell, seconded by Miss Turner.
- Vote: Approved with one abstention, no nays.
SHAC Infrastructure / Meeting Time Concern (Miss Moore)
Miss Moore, a district employee and parent, raised concerns about subcommittee meeting accessibility for district staff. She noted that meetings at 10:30 AM and 2:00 PM conflict with her teaching responsibilities, preventing her participation.
- Initial Motion: To require all subcommittee meetings be held after 4:30 PM.
- Not seconded. Motion failed.
Discussion:
- Members noted that meeting times were previously determined by polling all members for availability.
- Historical reference: Two years ago, the SHAC was told district employees could not be expected to meet outside normal work hours; this led to time-availability polling.
- Concerns raised that restricting meetings to after 4:30 would disadvantage members with evening commitments (children's activities, etc.).
- Mr. Powell noted his Physical Education subcommittee meets at 8:00 PM successfully.
- Discussion about whether the district should have a mechanism to release staff to participate, given that SHAC is required to include district employees.
- Second Motion (as amended): To develop a list of ways to broaden all SHAC member involvement, including considering AM/PM alternating meetings and other participation tools (electronic documents, group chat access, etc.).
- Vote: Approved unanimously.
- Action Item: Miss Moore volunteered to compile the list of recommendations for broadening participation.
Future Agenda Items
1. 5G Towers on School Grounds (Miss Welch): Requested revisiting the topic of 5G tower dangers on school property, citing new research on effects on children's brains and fertility, and noting other districts nationwide are banning the practice. She will lead a new work group; volunteers to be connected via email.
2. Teacher Recruitment & Retention / Staff Wellness (unnamed member): Raised concerns about attracting young people to education and retaining top teachers. Referenced her dissertation on this topic. Will lead a work group on staff/employee health and wellness, which falls within SHAC's purview under Texas Education Code. Volunteers to be solicited via email.
Adjournment
- Motion to adjourn by Mr. Powell, seconded.
- Vote: Approved unanimously.
- Meeting adjourned approximately on time.
Summary of All Votes
| Item | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Approval of previous meeting minutes | Passed unanimously | Show of hands |
| SHAC Recess Recommendation | Passed unanimously | With added language re: campus constraints and listed implementation concerns |
| PE Survey to Board | Passed unanimously | For physical activity subcommittee survey of principals/staff |
| Wellness Plan with District Edits | Passed | One abstention, no nays |
| Meetings after 4:30 PM only | Failed | No second received |
| Develop list to broaden member involvement | Passed unanimously | Including AM/PM alternating meetings consideration |
| Motion to adjourn | Passed unanimously | — |
New Work Groups Established
1. 5G Towers on School Grounds — Led by Miss Welch
2. Staff/Employee Health & Wellness — Led by unnamed member (dissertation on teacher recruitment)
Key Action Items
- Miss Moore to compile list of recommendations for broadening SHAC member participation
- Recess recommendation and implementation concerns to be packaged and presented to the CISD Board
- Physical Activity subcommittee to finalize survey and submit to Board for approval
- Mental Health subcommittee to review district-provided data
- Membership subcommittee to coordinate with district on recruitment flyer timeline
- Volunteers for new work groups to be solicited via email