May 2000

SPECIAL RECOGNITIONS

The following middle school students were congratulated for winning first or second place at the Texas Science Olympiad:

-- Campbell Middle School: Vanessa Velasquez and Grant Oladipo, first place in Reach for the Stars, first place in Science Crime Buster, and second place in Bio Process; Enrique Culebro and Timothy Lei, first place in Water Strider; Michael Grysen and Elizabeth Holdcroft, second place in Road Scholar; and Michael Grysen and Enrique Culebro, second place in The Wright Stuff.-- Cook Middle School: Tara Grigg, Kyle Lartigue, Michelle Buehner, and Sara Exley, first place in Pentathlon.-- Dean Middle School: Kai Chu, Grazzia Gillamac, and Linda Ly, second place for in Picture This, and Christopher Cha and Nicole Bourgeois, second place in Physical Science Lab.-- Hamilton Middle School: Amartya Sengupta and Julia Lorenz, first place in Amphibans & Reptiles; Alex Harder and Krishanu Sengupta, second place in Science of Fitness; Sara Jones, Joseph Wozny, and Daniel White, second place in Sounds of Music; Nathan Tabb and Patrick Timmons, second place in Trajectory; Lon Kostelac and Josh Brantley, second place in Nature Quest.-- Labay Middle School: Kyle Alford and Zachary Thompson, first place in Mystery Architecture; Zachary Thompson and Tanveer Khan, first place in Water Quality; Kristen Parsley, Caitlin Issen, and Charles Liebling, first place in Sounds of Music; and Andrew Coats and Paul Will, second place in Dynamic Planet.

-- Watkins Middle School: Denee McKay and Jimmy Nguyen, first place in The Wright Stuff.

The following high school students who won first or second place at the Texas Science Olympiad:

-- Cypress Falls High School (second place team): Kyle Huang and Rachel Lai, first place in Qualitative Analysis; Brian Merritt and Atul Wadhwa, first place in Tower Building; Sapan Shukla and Sylvia Szafarczyk, first place in Rocks & Minerals; Matt Bell, Brian Merritt, and Atul Wadhwa, second place in Mission Possible; Rachel Lai and Keith Lawler, second place in Chemistry Lab; and Beth Sanders and Sylvia Szafarczyk, second place in Amphibians & Reptiles.-- Cy-Fair High School: Kenny Marek and Josh Harper, first place in Bio-Process Lab, first place in Practical Data Gathering, and second place in Reach for the Stars.-- Cypress Springs High School: William Lo and Richard Lam, first place in Bottle Rocket; Zhibo Chen and Ryan Perk, first place in Chemistry Lab and first place in Disease Detective; and Stephen Song and Aldrich Varilla, first place in Mission Possible.-- Jersey Village High School: Neer Patel and Deepy Mann, first place in Can’t Judge a Powder by It’s Color; Nitin Singla and Shawn Tian, second place in Practical Data Gathering; and Janie Tuble and Robyn Hodgkins, second place in The Wright Stuff.

-- Langham Creek High School: Markus Fleisch, Rick Spenser, and Johnathan Menger, first place in Experimental Design and first place in Water Quality; Vickie Nguyen and Jody Van Reet, second place in Write It, Do It; Markus Fleisch and Peter Soudek, second place in Bottle Rocket; and Daniel Soudek and Ana Lisa Gradassi, second place in Ground Zero.

The following students who won first or second place at the Future Business Leaders of America state conference:

-- Cypress Creek High School: Will Thompson, first place in Computer Concepts; David Hines, first place in Business Law; and Dawn Casillas second place in Computer Applications.-- Cypress Springs High School: Niesha Derrough, first place in Job Interview, and Celeste Hernandez, first place in Economics.

-- Jersey Village High School: Irvan Williams, first place in Chapter Web Site, and Nam Do, Vi Nguyen, and Kristian Ohlson, first place in Entrepreneurship.

1999-2000 Paraprofessional Services Committee Spotlight winner, Mary Jane Kendall, and the Spotlight runner-up, Zana Carter, were recognized.1999-2000 Educational Services Personnel Committee Spotlight winner, Peggy Brown, was recognized. Frazier Elementary School was recognized for earning Title I Honored School status, and Hancock Elementary School and Yeager Elementary School were recognized for earning Title I Commended School status.Superintendent Rick Berry recognized Trustees Barbara Hines and Alan Quintero for their service to the District from 1997-2000. Mrs. Hines held the office of alternate delegate to the Texas Association of School Boards’ (TASB) Delegate Assembly during 1998-99 and 1999-2000 and also served as the Board’s secretary during 1999-2000. Mr. Quintero held the office of delegate to the TASB Delegate Assembly during 1998-99 and 1999-2000 and served as the Board’s vice president during 1998-99. An appreciation plaque was presented to both trustees along with a lifetime pass to all school district events.The following teachers were selected for Spotlight, Volume XV, because of their high expectations for student success in the school year 1999-2000. They included:

-- Elementary Schools: Adam teacher Lawton Sesler, Ault teacher Dorothy Powell, Bane teacher Judith Quintanilla, Bang teacher Anita Carroll, Copeland teacher Pat Fort, Emmott teacher Linda Maginness, Fiest teacher Barbara Roseberry, Francone teacher Myrthala Fischer, Frazier teacher Susan Keene, Hairgrove teacher Judy Evans, Hamilton teacher Laura Crabb, Hancock teacher Leslie Lundquist, Holbrook teacher Jo Ann Lyons, Holmsley teacher Catherine Null, Horne teachers Karen Prante and Jill Williams, Jowell teacher Judie Schmidt, Lamkin teacher June Hurt, Lieder teachers Glenna Bulls and Melinda Faulkner, Lowery teacher Kathy Tubbs, Matzke teacher Susan Garrison, Metcalf teacher Karen Axtle, Millsap teacher Amy Collins, Moore teacher Leslie Ross, Owens teacher Cathy Sharpe, Post teacher Ann Buren, Reed teacher Paula Morris, Sheridan teacher Patti Paine, Willbern teacher Martha Lathon, Wilson teacher Kathy Pollock, and Yeager teacher Patricia Morrow.-- Special Assignment Campuses: Adaptive Behavior Center teacher Jeanine Smith, Alternative Learning Center teacher Paul Blume, Carlton Vocational Center teacher Trish Holt, and Windfern teacher Kay Faile-- Middle Schools: Arnold teacher Debra Steenhard, Bleyl teacher Shirley McCullough, Campbell teacher Robert Marrs, Cook teacher Jennifer Holman, Dean teacher Sherry Johnson, Hamilton teacher Ify Ogwumike, Labay teacher Deidre Douglas, Thornton teacher Michelle Ford, Truitt teacher Kathy Benz, and Watkins teacher Debbie Allen

-- High Schools: Cy-Fair coach Ronny Peacock, Cypress Creek teacher Richard Dixon, Cypress Falls teacher Kim Sempe, Cypress Springs teacher Kay Campbell , Jersey Village teacher Joann Walker, and Langham Creek teacher John Reed

PUBLIC HEARING ON FREEPORT EXEMPTION

A public hearing was held to give patrons of the District an opportunity to provide input regarding a resolution to obtain commitments from qualified companies to participate in a future freeport exemption.

FREEPORT EXEMPTION RESOLUTION

The Board approved a resolution to obtain commitments from qualified companies to participate in a future freeport exemption that may be offered by Cypress-Fairbanks ISD. The freeport exemption applies to inventory shipped out of the state within 175 days, allowing companies to remove a significant portion of their inventories from tax rolls. Texas is one of the few states in the nation that taxes inventory, therefore, many manufacturers and distributors often locate elsewhere. Many governmental entities within the state, like municipalities and school districts, offer freeport exemptions to facilitate economic development; the exemption is a tool that is used to attract new businesses and retain existing ones. Like other school districts offering freeport exemptions throughout Texas, Cypress-Fairbanks ISD will require businesses to compensate for short-term losses in revenue if the exemption is approved. Long-term revenue losses are offset by increased state aid and additional property value from new businesses. The Board is expected to consider implementation of the exemption on May 21, 2001, giving businesses with freeport inventory ample time to meet all stipulations included in the resolution.

ELEMENTARY HORIZONS PROGRAM REVIEW

The results of the Elementary HORIZONS Program Review were presented. The review was conducted by a 12-member team that included six district employees and six experts from outside the District. The review focused on five aspects of the HORIZONS program: organizational support; instructional support; curriculum development, alignment, and implementation; instructional effectiveness; and reliability and validity of identification procedures. The review team's report included many commendations, as well as some recommendations. In response to the review, the HORIZONS Department will implement a variety of activities designed to address the recommendations included in the report.

DISTRICT ANNUAL ACTION PLAN

The Board approved the District's Annual Action Plan, which is designed to implement the Board's goal priorities for 2000-2001. The plan has been restructured to create a document that is shorter and simpler. The Annual Action Plan includes sections on performance measures, curricular objectives, and “Portrait of a Cypress-Fairbanks ISD Graduate” areas. Goals IA and IB are combined, objectives and activities are grouped to avoid repetition, statements are more concise, and the language in the plan is simpler and emphasizes student-first language.

OUT-OF-DISTRICT TUITION INCREASE

Approval was granted to increasing out-of-district tuition from $3,000 to $4,000 for the 2000-2001 school year. Out-of-district residents whose children currently attend Cypress-Fairbanks ISD schools will continue to be charged $3,000 per year until their children graduate. District policy allows students living outside the District to attend district schools up to 30 days if they have proof of a contract on a home or an apartment lease. The new out-of-district tuition of $4,000 would increase the daily rate from $17.04 to $22.60.

MEAL PRICE INCREASE

The Board approved a 10 cent increase for school breakfasts and lunches. Since Food Service is self-supporting, this increase is needed for salary increases, additional cost of health insurance and workers’ compensation, expenditures for additional warehouse space, new equipment in the schools and the Food Production Center, and the possible reduction of the number of students participating in free and reduced school lunch and breakfast program.

BOND SALE

The Board approved the schedule of events for a $100 million bond sale. The bonds were approved by voters in 1998 to build eight new schools, renovate existing schools, and provide for the instructional technology needs of the District through the school year 2003-2004.

SUPERINTENDENT OF THE YEAR

The Board approved a resolution nominating Superintendent Rick Berry for the Texas Association of School Boards’ Superintendent of the Year.

SUPERINTENDENT’S BRIEFING

The Board considered several names for High School #7 before selecting Cypress Ridge High School, a name that makes reference to the adjacent street of Eldridge Parkway.The superintendent reported on the District’s method for selecting mascots and school colors for new middle schools. The school colors for Aragon Middle School will be purple and white, and Goodson Middle School’s colors will be crimson red and silver.The District projects a total savings of $7,250,906 from the 1998 bond package. In addition, $12,922,874 in interest income from the 1998 bonds is projected, for a total of $20,173,780 in additional income. The renovation of the Watkins Middle School pool and the purchase of additional portable buildings for the 2000-2001 school year will be funded from the surplus. In addition, several new projects will be presented to the Board for its consideration, including the following: a new security facility, the installation of air conditioning and insulation at the exhibit center, the purchase and renovation of a ninth-grade alternative center, and the construction of a new facility that will combine the tax office and athletic office. The new projects are expected to cost a total of $10,859,136, leaving a net surplus of $9,314,644 that will be used to build a sixth elementary school. In addition to building an extra elementary school, current projections indicate that the 1998 bond package will not require an I/S tax rate increase; projections in 1998 indicated a 10 cent increase in the I/S tax rate would be needed to pay for the bond referendum.

Preliminary results of the state’s accountability rating system indicate that Cypress-Fairbanks ISD will be a “Recognized” school district for the second consecutive year.