September 15, 2026 — Regular Meeting

Conroe Independent School District Board of Trustees — Regular Meeting

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Conroe ISD Board of Trustees – Unofficial Meeting Notes

Date: September 15, 2026

Type: Regular Meeting

Time: Called to order 5:02 PM; Adjourned 9:14 PM

Meeting Highlights

Summary generated 2026-09-16 17:02 UTC

The board voted 6–0 to find that Elizabeth Monttomayer lacked good cause for abandoning her probationary contract and authorized the superintendent to file a complaint with SBEC seeking sanctions.
The board voted 6–0 to make the same findings and authorize the same action against Valencia Price for abandoning her term contract for 2026–27.
The consent agenda was approved 6–0, including a budget amendment, employment of professional personnel, approval of T-TESS appraisers, and award of RFP #26-06-02 for HVAC refrigerants.
The board voted 6–0 to adopt four annual investment governance items, including re-adopting policy CDA Local, appointing investment officers, approving PFIA training sources, and approving a list of qualified brokers and investment pools.
The board approved 5–1 a $872,430 change order to Nash Industries for fire suppression and alarm upgrades required at the South District Warehouse, after city permit review revealed the building had been non-compliant due to the absence of a fire sprinkler system.
The board voted 6–0 to approve the district's annual SB12 compliance certification and authorize the superintendent to submit it to TEA.
The board received an informational presentation on the Fine Arts Department review, which identified strategic sustainability, staffing, and facilities as areas of concern; no vote was taken.
Three policies — DC Local (employment practices), FL Local (student records), and FNCE Local (cell phone accommodations) — were introduced for first reading and will return for a vote at a future meeting.

Call to Order & Opening

The regular meeting was called to order at 5:02 PM with a quorum present. The invocation was delivered by Trustee Horton and the pledges led by Trustee Dawson. The board granted a request to move public participation and special recognition to the front of the meeting.

Public Comment (Citizen Participation)

Public comment was conducted per board policy BED Local, with each speaker allotted two minutes. The board listened but did not engage in discussion. Several speakers who arrived after the rescheduled start time were given an opportunity to speak when the board returned from closed session.

Speakers and topics:

Ryan Tsamouris — Raised concerns about the district's legal services contract with an Austin-based firm at $360,000/year. Cited district check register data showing total legal spending rose from approximately $382,000 (2022–23) to $671,000 (2025–26), an increase of roughly 75% in two years. Alleged a potential conflict of interest involving the firm's partner who co-founded Texans for Excellence in Education (TE), an organization with a paid relationship with CISD. Also raised concerns about attorney-client privilege being used to limit public information requests. Called on the board not to renew the contract and instead explore in-house general counsel or competitive bidding. (Trustee Horton requested that the district verify the spending figures cited.)

Mark Brooks — Responded to the board president's prepared statement from the August 18th meeting, in which she stated that criticism of the Bluebonnet curriculum constitutes a personal attack on those who implemented it. He disputed that characterization and argued that criticism of a curriculum is not an attack on teachers.

Robin DeFerrari — Expressed concern about the SVAS (Savvas) math curriculum implementation, citing student struggles particularly in Algebra 1 and Algebra 2, declining student confidence, and frustrated teachers. Urged the board not to let "fidelity to the curriculum" override student learning outcomes and to allow teachers flexibility.

Lorraine Rice — Briefly noted her understanding that teachers had requested the current math curriculum.

Teresa Kenny — Raised concerns about classroom libraries being removed because books had not been approved in the district's vetting software due to ISBN mismatches (different formats of the same book having different ISBNs). Shared that her nonprofit donated books that were rejected under one ISBN despite being approved in another format. Asked how many teachers were removing libraries due to software issues and whether this was consistent with the district's stated literacy priority. Announced a screening of the documentary The Librarians in October with over 200 constituents already signed up.

Emily Hippel — Encouraged voters to evaluate school board candidates on their commitment to all students and public schools rather than party affiliation, noting early voting begins October 19th.

Lorraine Rice (second opportunity) — Expressed appreciation for teachers, sharing observations from her experience as a long-term substitute this quarter. Thanked trustees for their service.

Wayan Hartley — Co-chair of the Special Education Parent Advisory Committee (SEPAC), provided an update on SEPAC activities and invited families of students receiving special education or 504 services to a parent meeting on September 24th at the Jet Center at 6 PM.

Special Recognitions

Texas Standard Student Recognition — Oak Ridge Elementary

Principal Tami Eldridge introduced Ava and Mia, two Oak Ridge Elementary students who noticed a fire at a neighbor's home and alerted their parents, allowing the neighbors to reach safety. The board recognized their quick thinking and courage. Teachers Mrs. Blatt and Mrs. Johnson and Assistant Principals Ren Keaton and Gabe Hernandez were also acknowledged.

Destination Imagination Global Championship Teams

Julie G., coordinator of gifted programs, presented recognition for two CISD teams from Collins Intermediate that competed at the Destination Imagination Global Finals in May 2026. CISD had 140 DI teams compete this year.

DI Adventure Squad — Took on the "Unforgettable Science" challenge (memory and misdirection); took 1st place at Global Finals.
Kidding Around — Took on the "Win It Big" technical challenge (invented a game show with special effects); took 1st place at Global Finals.

Both teams were 5th graders. Teacher Miss Harness was acknowledged.

CISD Police Department Reaccreditation

Kevin Lunsford, Director of Accreditation and Training for the Texas Police Chiefs Association (TPCA), presented the reaccreditation certificate to Chief Matthew Blacklock and the Conroe ISD Police Department under the Texas Law Enforcement Accreditation Program (TLEAP).

Key facts shared:

CISD PD first achieved accreditation in 2014, becoming the 86th agency in Texas and the first ISD police department to achieve and maintain accreditation.
Of approximately 2,700 law enforcement agencies in Texas, only 234 have achieved and maintained this accreditation.
The reaccreditation is effective August 19, 2026, and runs through 2030.
The process involves compliance with nearly 200 standards, annual compliance reports, and a rigorous on-site assessment every four years.

Closed Session

The board entered closed session at approximately 5:39 PM under Texas Government Code §551.071 and §551.074.

Reconvened Open Session — Action from Closed Session

The board reconvened in open session at 7:49 PM.

Item 4B1 — No Action

The board announced it did not intend to take action on this item.

Educator Complaint — Elizabeth Monttomayer

Dr. Vinson explained the district's process for addressing teacher contract abandonment, noting the district contacts employees, offers flexibility for documented reasons (medical, promotion, spouse relocation), and this is a last resort after all options are exhausted.

Motion: Accept the superintendent's recommendation; find that good cause did not exist under Texas Education Code §21.210 or 19 TAC §249.17(d) for Elizabeth Monttomayer's resignation of her probationary contract for 2026–27; find that the administration and board did not consent to the resignation; find that the employee failed to fulfill her contract; and authorize the superintendent to file a complaint with SBEC seeking sanctions.

Vote: 6–0 in favor

Educator Complaint — Valencia Price

Motion: Same findings and authorization as above, applied to Valencia Price's term contract for 2026–27.

Vote: 6–0 in favor

Item D — Delayed

At Dr. Vinson's request, and with board agreement, this item was postponed for additional time to clarify.

Consent Agenda (Section VI)

No trustee requested removal of any item. The consent agenda was approved as a single vote and included the following items:

VI.A. Approve minutes from a previous meeting
VI.B. Approve an amendment to the budget
VI.C. Receive financial reports
VI.D. Receive report on cooperative fees paid by CISD for 2025–26
VI.E. Receive HR report and approve employment of professional personnel
VI.F. Approve Texas Teacher Evaluation and Support System (T-TESS) appraisers
VI.G. Approve RFP #26-06-02 HVAC Refrigerants to awarded vendor(s)

Vote: 6–0 in favor

Administration — Audit and Investment Committee Report

CFO Ms. Garza and Ms. Burns (Internal Audit) presented a report from the Audit and Investment Committee meeting held September 9, 2026.

Investment Update

Ms. Garza explained the Public Funds Investment Act (PFIA, enacted 1995), which governs district investment decisions. The three investment priorities, in order, are: (1) safety of principal, (2) liquidity, and (3) competitive yield.

Investment strategy: $50 million of unassigned fund balance is allocated to a 36-month investment ladder for higher-yield, longer-term investments. Remaining funds are in state investment pools and short-term instruments (maturity one year or less).

Portfolio snapshot (as of August 31, 2026):

Total portfolio: $764.4 million (all funds)
81% in state investment pools (highly liquid)

- Capital Projects Fund: $514.2 million

- General Fund: ~$77 million

- Debt Service Fund: ~$22 million

~$87 million in money market funds
Remainder in agencies and treasury notes

Portfolio yields:

State investment pools: 3.81%
36-month investment ladder: 4.21%
Money market: 3.97%
Combined portfolio yield: 3.86%
Benchmark (90-day T-bill as of 8/31): 3.74%

Interest revenue: Peak was $51.2 million in FY2025. Interest revenue funds operations and is also used for critical infrastructure projects not in bond programs and potential arbitrage liability. Approximately $27 million in interest funds is currently available after earmarks, though that figure may shift as arbitrage calculations are finalized.

Bond fund snapshot (as of 8/31/2026): First three tranches of the 2023 bond referendum shown, plus ~$28 million in older funds (primarily 2019 bond funds remaining for Conroe High School project). Approximately $13 million in potential arbitrage liability is being tracked.

Audit Update (Ms. Burns)

Completed in 2025–26:

Bus inventory audit — no findings
Fine arts inventory audit — no findings; approximately 20% of inventory retired
Transportation audit — minor fixed asset/auction status observations

In progress:

External construction audit support
Activity fund work
Maintenance audit (ongoing)
Ad hoc audit of Schneider Elementary activity fund (full audit, requested)
Continuous monitoring to begin with September data

Upcoming: IRS 990 support for parent support groups; health services audit in Q4. Internal auditor held campus secretary training sessions on July 28 and 30.

Business and Finance — Annual Investment Program Resolutions

The board took a single vote on four required annual investment governance items:

1. Re-adopt CDA Local (investment policy) — Minor changes: requirement that pools be in good standing with regulatory agencies; explicit statement of PFIA compliance requirement added.

2. Appoint investment officers — CFO, Director of Finance, Assistant Director of Accounting, and Assistant Director of Budget and Treasury.

3. Approve training resources — Annual 4-hour PFIA training sources approved (8 hours required every two years).

4. Approve list of qualified brokers and investment pools — Includes state pools, Woodforest (money market), and Hub Investment Partners (ladder management), plus additional authorized brokers.

Vote: 6–0 in favor

Academic Programs — Fine Arts Department Review

Dr. Bob Horton, Director of Fine Arts (12-year tenure), presented findings from a review conducted by the Dentus Group through observations, interviews, surveys, facility tours, and stakeholder input (parents, students, teachers, administrators).

Key figures:

District enrollment as of the afternoon of September 15: 71,396 students
375 degreed, certified fine arts staff serving PreK–12 across 74 campuses
Central office fine arts staff: 3 (compared to Clear Creek ISD, which has 39,000 students and the same staffing level)

Survey findings (strengths):

73.5% of respondents agreed the district has strong community/culture
High agreement on safety, compliance, and risk management

Survey findings (areas of concern):

34–43% agreed resources, facilities, and assets are adequate
36% agreed human capital and staffing allocations are adequate
37% agreed there is strategic sustainability

Report themes (using a building analogy):

Foundation: leadership capacity, resources, and facilities
Load-bearing walls: instructional alignment and operational systems
Connective tissue: communication, culture, community outreach
Roof (critical concern): strategic sustainability

Recommended roadmap:

Immediate: Clarify district vs. campus roles; update staffing guidelines; address critical facility needs
Intermediate: Standardize procedures and handbooks; establish districtwide equipment replacement cycles; gather stakeholder voices
Long-term: Develop a comprehensive, strategic fine arts plan linking all elements

Dr. Vinson noted next steps include developing scorecards for participation metrics, comprehensive facility review benchmarked against peer districts, compensation and stipend review (not updated in 12 years), and building equipment obsolescence planning into the budget rather than relying on bonds.

Note: This was an informational presentation; no board vote was taken.

Academic Programs — High Quality Instructional Materials Update

Ted Landry provided an update on the implementation of new math and ELA curricula.

Savvas Mathematics (Grades K–12) — Year 1

Teachers have materials and initial professional development
Currently acclimating to conceptual changes; building familiarity with digital platforms and aligned approaches
Curriculum resources have been distributed; assessments ("topics" and cumulative assessments called CAs) are just beginning
A learning curve for both teachers and students is expected and acknowledged

Board members raised concerns about timing, student confidence, and students considering dropping from honors-level courses. A public commenter earlier in the meeting had also raised concerns about failures in Algebra 1 and Algebra 2.

Bluebonnet ELA (Grades K–5) — Year 2

Teachers are past initial exploration and moving into deeper implementation and instructional refinement
Additions this year:

- Course Mojo — AI-powered teaching tool piloting at 10 elementary and intermediate campuses, offering personalized student support aligned to Bluebonnet lessons; walkthroughs and onboarding training began the day of the meeting

- TEA Bluebonnet intervention/enrichment lessons — CISD is among the first districts to receive these; not yet a complete package but early units have been shared

- Read 180 — Purchased as a remediation/intervention tool for small group or one-on-one support

- Untapped Genius (via the Lasso Lift grant) — Coaches providing on-campus support and walkthroughs

- Shift from coaching model to interventionist model — Aimed at directly supporting Tier 3 readers

Key discussion points:

Minutes increased from 90 to 120 for ELA instruction; extra minutes had to come from elsewhere in the schedule, affecting areas including fine arts and volunteer/mentor time
Trustee Semmler raised concerns that community volunteers and mentors have been told there is no time for them during the school day due to scheduling changes
The district is on Zoom calls with TEA providing real-time feedback on curriculum implementation
The board discussed whether intervention services are expected to occur within the 120-minute block or in addition to it; administration confirmed flexibility exists but the ideal approach often requires additional time beyond the block
Dr. Vinson noted the district will also produce a leadership playbook for Texas through a grant

Note: This was an informational presentation; no board vote was taken.

Planning and Construction — South District Warehouse Renovation Change Order

Mr. Foster presented a proposed change order to the job order contract with Nash Industries for the South District Warehouse on Gifford Wright Road. The original contract (approved May 2026) was approximately $1.517 million (approved at $1.6 million including Gordian fee and contingency) to expand climate-controlled storage.

Issue discovered: During the city's permit review in June 2026, it was determined that the warehouse had been listed by the city as non-compliant for an extended period due to exceeding maximum allowable storage capacity for combustible materials without a fire suppression system. High-pile storage (combustibles stored above 12 feet) triggered a new building classification. Because the building had no fire suppression system, there had been no annual inspection to surface the issue previously.

Change order scope:

Fire loop and fire hydrants around the building
Interior fire sprinkler system
High-pile rack fire suppression system
Fire alarm upgrades

Change order amount: $872,430.15

(A separate Gordian program fee of approximately $17,000 will also apply)

Discussion: Trustee Dungan raised pointed questions about why the non-compliance was not discovered before the May approval, noting the awkward timing (city flagged it in June, one month after board approval). Mr. Foster acknowledged it was a significant oversight, attributing it to the fact that the city only conducted a formal site inspection as part of the permit review process. Board members also discussed the district's broader warehouse needs and the original impetus (storage of Bluebonnet materials, which were ultimately drop-shipped instead).

Motion: Approve the change order as presented.

Vote: 5–1 (one opposed)

Legal — Annual SB12 Certification

The board held a separate public comment opportunity for this item; no speakers registered.

Board President Odenweller presented the district's annual certification of compliance with Texas Senate Bill 12 (Texas Education Code §§11.05, 28.022, and 39.08). She noted the district goes beyond classroom compliance, applying the same standards to employees, volunteers, contractors, and vendors under Policy EM.

She summarized the district's intended approach: teaching critical thinking, patriotism, entrepreneurship, and character traits (self-discipline, responsibility, honesty, etc.), and not teaching "victimhood" or that race, sex, or circumstances define a child's worth.

She also specifically reminded staff of the prohibition on assisting or promoting social transition, noting a specific situation had arisen that day and that violations would be investigated and reported to the Commissioner.

Motion: Approve the district's annual certification and authorize the superintendent to submit it and supporting documentation to TEA (with notarization).

Vote: 6–0 in favor

Board Policy — First Readings

Three policies were presented for first reading (no vote required at this stage).

DC Local — Employment Practices

Presented by district legal counsel Kara Belew. The proposed change would remove the board from approving most individual hires, delegating that authority to the superintendent. The board would retain approval authority for the superintendent, internal auditor, and other top-level positions. Rationale: TEA best practices recommend boards focus on holding the superintendent accountable rather than being involved in individual hiring decisions. A practical driver cited was that board approval timelines delayed a principal hire by 2.5 weeks in July. Trustees discussed whether public visibility into hires would be maintained and were assured that announcements would continue. The board noted it would still approve new positions through the budget and organizational chart process.

FL Local — Student Records

Presented by Ms. Shelly. The proposed change would replace the title "general counsel" with "superintendent designee" as custodian of records for purposes of signing business record affidavits in response to subpoenas. This is an operational change to ensure continuity regardless of who serves in the legal counsel role.

FNCE Local — Student Conduct / Personal Telecommunications Devices

This policy tweak would establish a standardized district process for campus staff to know when a student's IEP or 504 plan includes an accommodation for a personal device (e.g., cell phone or headphones), without requiring the student to disclose their accommodation publicly. The policy would also cover all three statutory exceptions to the cell phone restriction.

A trustee suggested adding the third statutory exception (health or safety requirement imposed by law or district safety protocol) and applying training requirements to all three exceptions, not just ARD and 504 accommodations. This was agreed to. Implementation will involve online training through the district's existing platform. Ted Landry confirmed the approach is manageable based on existing campus practices.

Adjournment

Seeing no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 9:14 PM.

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.