February 1999

Special Recognitions

• The Board recognized the Cy-Fair Rotary Club for its donation of $40,000 to the ROPES program during the last five years.  In particular, the following four members were recognized for their support in building the pavilion at Moore Elementary School: Stan Eisenberg, Dale Worsham, Diane Balentine, and John Clough.
• Three students were congratulated for being named to the 5A All-State Football Team, and one student was  honored for his selection to the Texas All-State Academic Team.   Named to the first team all-state squad were Jersey Village High school seniors William Kennard, running back, and Ragan Washington, punter.   Langham Creek High School senior Daniel Combs was named a second team defensive lineman, and Cy-Fair High School senior Shaw Clifford was selected to the all-state academic team.  In addition, Cy-Fair High School seniors Chad Stevens and Ryan Beard were named honorable mention tight end and running back, respectively.

Design of Elementary School #33 Presented to Board

PBK Architects presented the final design of Elementary School #33, which will be located at West Road and Beltway 8.  The campus will be a duplication of Ault Elementary School with some changes, including:  multipurpose spaces have been rearranged, the media center is slightly smaller to accommodate an additional classroom should it be needed in the future, minor wall modifications were made, and the music and art rooms are larger.  The total cost of the 92,500-square-feet school is expected to be no more than $8.9 million or $87 per square foot, which is in the lowest 25th percentile of similar projects recently completed in the Region IV area.

Enrollment Projections Reported

Dr. Barton Smith, professor of economics at the University of Houston, reported on long-term enrollment projections for the District.  Smith described Cypress-Fairbanks ISD as a dynamic school district, meaning that families are continuing to move into, within, and out of the District, but for the most part, families moving into particular homes in the District are demographically similar to hose moving out.  Because the Houston economy is beginning to slow down, Smith expects the rate of new home construction in Cypress-Fairbanks ISD to decrease about 20 percent and apartment construction to decrease dramatically by the end of the summer.  Despite the slowdown, Cypress-Fairbanks ISD will continue to experience rapid enrollment growth, because families who purchased homes during the last five boom years have young children who will soon be ready to attend school.  This trend will continue into the foreseeable future, with the District averaging an enrollment increase of about 2,000 students annually.  Smith added that Cypress-Fairbanks ISD's current residential population of 575,000 is expected to approach 1 million by 2020.  He described the District's growth as equal to that of Fort Bend County or Montgomery County.

Board Approves 1999-2000 Meeting Calendar

The Board approved its official 1999-2000 meeting calendar for the 1999-2000 school year.  The Board will meet on the following days:  July 12, 1999; August 9, 1999; September 13, 1999; October 11, 1999; November 8, 1999; December 13, 1999; January 18, 2000; February 14, 2000; March 13, 2000; April 10, 2000; May 8, 2000; and June 12, 2000.  Work session meetings are held on the Thursday prior to regular Board meetings.

Non-Optional Holidays Approved

The Board approved non-optional holidays for 250-day contract and 12-month hourly personnel as follows: Monday, July 5, 1999; Monday, September 6, 1999; Wednesday-Friday, November 24-26, 1999; Thursday-Friday, December 23-24, 1999; Thursday-Friday, December 30-31, 1999; Monday, January 17, 2000; Friday, April 21, 2000; and Monday, May 29, 2000.

Principal Appraisal Changes Approved

Effective with the 1998-99 school year, consideration of student performance became part of the appraisal process for building principals.  To comply with section 21.354 of the Texas Education Code, a committee of principals was established to evaluate Cypress-Fairbanks ISD's current principal appraisal process and the state commissioner's recommended student performance domain.  The committee recommended modifying the District's current principal appraisal process and instrument.  The committee's recommendations also received the approval of the District-wide Educational Improvement Council.

Take Our Daughter to Work Day

The Board approved a resolution to recognize the formerly named "Take Our Daughter to Work Day" as "Take Our Child to Work Day" and recognize the event on June 16, 1999.  The resolution allows more children to participate in the event and avoids disruption to a regular school day, as has occurred in the past.  Other school districts in Region IV are in agreement with the resolution and have agreed to recognize "Take Our Child to Work Day" on the third Wednesday in June.

Board Calls Trustee Election

The Board called a trustee election on Saturday, May 1, 1999, for Positions 3 and 4, currently held by Lou Bertoli and Fred Ziehe, respectively.  Fred Ziehe announced at the meeting that he would not seek reelection.  Early voting for the election will be held at the Cypress-Fairbanks ISD Instructional Support Center, 10300 Jones Road, in Room 413, on the following dates.

• Wednesday-Friday, April 14-16, 1999, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.;
• Monday-Friday, April 19-23, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.;
• Saturday, April 24, 1999, from 8 a.m. to noon; and
• Monday-Tuesday, April 26-27, 1999, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

In addition, branch early voting will be held from 2:30-7 p.m. on:

• Wednesday, April 14, 1999, at Cy-Fair High School;
• Thursday, April 15, 1999, at Matzke Elementary School;
• Monday, April 19, 1999, at Francone Elementary School;
• Tuesday, April 20, 1999, at Lieder Elementary School;
• Thursday, April 22, 1999, at Reed Elementary School;
• Friday, April 23, 1999, at Copeland Elementary School; and
• Monday, April 26, 1999, at the Houston Community College on Clara Road.

Construction Manager Hired for Cy-Fair HS Renovation

The Board approved the Administration's recommendation to hire Gilbane Building Company as the Construction Manager for the renovation of Cy-Fair High School.  The company was selected from a total of 11 that responded to the District's publicly-advertised Request for Proposals.  Gilbane, a company that has 125 years of experience in the construction business and 35 years of experience specializing as a construction manager, has been actively involved in construction management for public school districts throughout the nation.  Projects recently completed by the company in Texas include renovation of Lufkin High School and Bryan High School, as well as the construction of two intermediate schools in Clear Creek ISD.  In addition to Gilbane's extensive experience, the company has agreed to return 100 percent of the buy-out savings to Cypress-Fairbanks ISD.