December 16, 2025 — Regular Meeting
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Conroe ISD Board Meeting — 2025-12-16
Regular Meeting — Unofficial Notes
Based on auto-generated transcript. Not an official record.
Generated 2026-03-28 19:23 UTC
Unofficial Meeting Notes
Conroe Independent School District Board of Trustees — Regular Meeting
December 16, 2025
Note: These are unofficial notes based on an auto-generated transcript. They may contain errors in names, spellings, or details. Official minutes should be consulted for the authoritative record.
Meeting Overview
- Called to Order: 5:04 PM
- Adjourned: 10:35 PM
- Board Members Present: 6 of 7 (Trustee Tiffany Nelson resigned; her absence was formally acknowledged)
- Presiding: Board President Misty A. Odenweller
Closed Sessions
Workshop (5:05 PM – 6:22 PM)
- The board entered closed session under Texas Government Code §551.074 for a superintendent goal planning workshop.
Evening Closed Session (7:43 PM – 10:29 PM)
- The board entered closed session under Texas Government Code §§551.071, 551.074, 551.0821, and 551.089.
- Included a Level 3 grievance hearing regarding a family member's access to district facilities, heard in closed session because it involved personally identifiable student information.
Special Recognitions
National Merit Scholarship Semi-Finalists
- 40 semi-finalists from four CISD high schools were recognized for the 2025–2026 class.
- Dr. Murrell provided context: approximately 1.3 million students take the PSAT; roughly 16,000 qualify as semi-finalists nationally. Approximately 15,000 are expected to advance to finalist status in February 2026.
- Principals present: Robert MacFarlane (College Park), Dr. Debra Creel (Academy of Science & Technology), Dr. Rotasha Smith (Conroe High), Melanie Bujnoch (Academy for Science & Health Professions), Dr. Frederick Black Jr. (Grand Oaks), Dennis Muehsler (The Woodlands High School).
- Students were honored at a pre-board meeting reception.
Naming of New Principal — Oak Ridge High School
- Nina Norman was announced as the new principal of Oak Ridge High School.
- Trustee May congratulated her on behalf of the board.
- Dr. Vinson spoke about selecting her for her relationship-building with students, integrity, and love for children.
- Ms. Norman delivered remarks thanking the board, Dr. Vinson, her family, her mentor Dr. Rotasha Smith, and Assistant Superintendent Dr. Murrell. She expressed her readiness to serve and enthusiasm for the Oak Ridge community.
Montgomery County Food Bank Partnership
- Dr. Vinson and President Odenweller recognized the Montgomery County Food Bank (representatives: Christine Mara, Joe Traers, and Zette).
- CISD students helped raise funds resulting in approximately 15,000 meals for the community.
- The Food Bank shared details of its partnership with CISD:
- Backpack program at over 22 elementary campuses, feeding over 1,030 students per week
- School food pantries at all 14 junior high and high schools with free/reduced lunch rates over 50%
- A rapid response mobile distribution at Woodforest Stadium following a recent government shutdown served 753 families (3,127 individuals) with less than one week's notice.
- A ceremonial check was presented to the Food Bank.
Citizen Participation (Public Comments)
Six members of the public spoke, plus one student:
1. Bea Gaska — International parent requesting the district help spread the word about an onboarding program for international parents across all CISD campuses (not just The Woodlands), to help international students reach their full potential. Requested that information be published in the district newsletter or communicated to all principals.
2. Robin de Ferrer — 10-year CISD parent and PTO leader; expressed interest in serving on the board to fill the Position 1 vacancy. Cited her MBA from Rice University, corporate board governance certification, and 20+ years of oil and gas industry experience in budgeting and risk management.
3. Laura Lansbomb — Retired 20+ year CISD educator; urged the board to reinstate the district's "All Means All" slogan, which she said was removed from the website. She described it as central to how educators approached differentiated instruction and inclusive education, calling it "the very heart of public education."
4. Charles (Chuck) Meyer — CISD resident, technology lawyer, and substitute teacher. Addressed the board vacancy process, urging transparency. He referenced the Montgomery County Commissioner's Court filling a JP vacancy without an open process and cautioned the board to publicly advertise the vacancy, accept applications from all qualified candidates, and conduct interviews publicly.
5. Evan Berlin — Reminded the community about mental health challenges during the holidays, citing Mosaics of Mercy as a resource. Expressed interest in submitting his resume for the Position 1 vacancy, noting 20+ years of service to CISD in various capacities including bond committee work, dyslexia legislation lobbying, mentoring, and coaching.
6. Jeff Zedler — Advocated for appointing someone to fill the vacancy rather than holding a special election. Made politically charged comments referencing Charlie Kirk and criticizing perceived political bias in schools.
7. Prosperity Jones (student) and Renee Jones (parent/guardian) — Raised concerns about Ford Elementary School:
- A student who previously threatened Prosperity was placed back in her class the following school year without the family's knowledge.
- Allegations that a teacher (Miss Ramos) singled out the student, rushed her during math, and made comments in front of peers about her being "below everybody," causing embarrassment.
- The parent stated the issue was reported to the principal in early November but had not been resolved.
Consent Agenda
Vote: Approved unanimously, 6-0 (Transcript stated 7-0; corrected to reflect the board vacancy.)
All consent agenda items were approved in one motion with no items pulled for separate discussion.
Administration Items
Item A: Fowler Intermediate School — Mascot Options (Discussion Only, No Action)
Paula Klapesky presented information on the new Fowler Intermediate School:
- Capacity: 950 students
- Opening: Fall 2025
- School colors: Blue ("Great Falls") and Green ("Grasshopper")
- Purpose: Alleviate overcrowding, primarily at Bozman Intermediate (currently at ~1,200 students)
- Projected rezoning: 267 from Bozman, 36 from Cryar; projected opening enrollment of 592
- Top four mascot nominees (from family submissions): Dolphins, Falcons, Sea Turtles, and Sea Lions
- It was noted that the school's namesake, Janine Fowler, was passionate about ocean preservation and sea turtles were her favorite animal.
- An electronic vote will be sent to families, with a recommendation expected to come to the board in January.
Item B: Facility Rental Fees & Policy GKD (Discussion Only, No Action)
Trustees Horton and Semmler initiated this review. Robert McCord (Assistant Superintendent of Operations) presented background and current status:
Background:
- Online rental system went digital in 2012
- In July 2024, the board was informed the district was losing $150,000–$160,000 on facility rentals over an 11-month period; rates were below surrounding districts
- New cost-recovery rates went into effect January 2025; the district does not profit from rentals
Key Discussion Points:
- Teacher use of facilities for profit (e.g., SAT prep courses, art lessons, tutoring after school): Currently not permitted under board policy CQ. Multiple trustees expressed support for exploring reduced-rate or no-cost options for teachers, similar to what athletic coaches receive for summer camps.
- Booking window: Currently 3 months out; discussion of extending to 6 months. Mr. McCord indicated this could be done procedurally without a policy change.
- After-school programs: Discussion about reduced costs for programs operating in the hour immediately after school when buildings are already occupied and powered. Spring ISD and Humble ISD were cited as having tiered rental systems.
- Playground access: Playgrounds were enclosed per Texas Education Code Chapter 61 requirements; discussion of potentially reopening them for community use.
- Community awareness: Mr. McCord noted the district keeps at least one track open per feeder for public use; trustees suggested better advertising of available community facilities.
- Jet Center (district event facility): Rental rates were presented; the facility is used almost constantly by district groups (booster clubs, bands, academies, honor societies, etc.) with only a handful of outside rentals per year.
- Trustee Dawson requested New Caney ISD be added to the comparison chart and shared that a basketball league in the Grand Oaks area was quoted ~$18,000 for an 8-week gym rental and was considering moving to New Caney ISD facilities due to lower costs.
- Trustee Dawson also cautioned about fiscal responsibility, asking that the board be mindful of costs given tight finances.
- President Odenweller emphasized the importance of understanding the full cost breakdown so the public and trustees understand the financial implications.
Next Steps:
- Dr. Vinson will survey campus principals (~20 questions) regarding facility use
- Data will be analyzed and shared with legal/policy counsel
- Distinction will be made between what requires policy changes vs. procedural changes
- A draft policy proposal will be brought back for board review at a future meeting
Board Policy Actions
Item A: Policy DH (Employee Standards of Conduct) — Nicotine/Tobacco
- Updates the policy to align with Texas Health and Safety Code §161.081 regarding prohibition of tobacco, e-cigarettes, and nicotine products on district property and at school-related events.
- Amendment: Struck the sentence allowing employees to "request an exception from this provision for a smoking cessation product," as no such exception is permitted under Texas law.
- Legal/policy counsel assisted with the language.
Vote on Amendment: Passed 6-0
Vote on Policy as Amended: Passed 6-0
Item B: Policy GKA (Community Relations — Conduct on School Premises)
- Same tobacco/nicotine language amendment applied to this policy as well.
Vote on Amendment: Passed 6-0
Vote on Policy as Amended: Passed 6-0
Closed Session Action Items
Level 3 Grievance — Access to District Facilities
- Motion: To uphold the Level 2 determinations and deny the grievance.
- Vote: Passed 6-0
Retention of Legal Counsel — Lesser Crass PC
- Motion: Pursuant to board policy BDD, retain Lesser Crass PC as legal counsel for the district.
- Vote: Passed 6-0
Board Vacancy — Position 1
Following Trustee Tiffany Nelson's resignation, the board discussed four options:
1. Take no action (leave vacant)
2. Call a special election
3. Open an application and interview process
4. Direct appointment
Discussion:
- Trustee Dawson argued against Option 1 (leaving the seat vacant for nearly a year could impair board function with potential split votes) and Option 2 (a special election would be fiscally irresponsible, costing potentially hundreds of thousands of dollars and only filling the seat ~6 months earlier than the regular November election).
- Multiple trustees expressed enthusiasm for a transparent application and interview process.
- President Odenweller stated she looked forward to reviewing all applications.
Motion: To initiate the process to appoint a school board member to fill the Position 1 vacancy through an open application and interview process, in accordance with board policy and applicable law.
Vote: Passed 6-0
Timeline announced:
| Date | Action |
|------|--------|
| December 18, 2025 (noon) | Public statement and application information posted on CISD website |
| December 18, 2025 | Application process opens |
| January 6, 2026 (5:00 PM) | Application deadline |
| January 7–9, 2026 | Individual trustee review of candidates |
| January 13, 2026 | Candidate interviews conducted |
⚑ Items to Watch
- Board Vacancy — Position 1 appointment process: Applications open December 18, 2025 with a January 6, 2026 deadline; interviews scheduled for January 13, 2026. Multiple community members expressed interest during public comment. Constituents wishing to apply or observe the process should monitor the CISD website.
- Student safety concern at Ford Elementary: A parent and student alleged unresolved issues involving a student threat and teacher conduct reported to the principal in early November. No public resolution was announced.
- Facility rental policy (GKD) overhaul in progress: Significant discussion on teacher access to facilities, after-school program costs, playground access, and booking windows. A principal survey and legal review are underway; a draft proposal will return to the board at a future meeting. This could affect community organizations, sports leagues, and teachers who use district facilities.
- Fowler Intermediate School mascot vote: Families will vote on four options (Dolphins, Falcons, Sea Turtles, Sea Lions); a recommendation is expected at the January board meeting.
- Retention of legal counsel (Lesser Crass PC): Approved 6-0 in closed session action.
- "All Means All" slogan removal: A retired educator urged reinstatement of the district's former inclusive education slogan, which she said was removed from the website. No board action was taken.