September 2000

SPECIAL RECOGNITIONS

The following students were recognized for winning first or second place in state and national journalism competitions, as well as earning a place on the UIL All State Journalism staff:

• John Livas, Cypress Falls High School, won first place at the Interscholastic League Press Conference, first place at the National Newspaper Association’s Quill and Scroll International Writing and Photo Contest, and second place at the National Scholastic Press Association. He was also appointed to the UIL All State Journalism Staff. Andrew Mitcham, Jersey Village High School, won second place at the Interscholastic League Press Conference. Ben Rajabi, Cypress Falls High School, won first place at the state UIL competition and first place at the National Newspaper Association’s Quill and Scroll International Writing and Photo Contest. He was also appointed to the UIL All State Journalism Staff. Katie Kroll, Cypress Creek High School, won first place at the state UIL competition. Bo Allaire, Cypress Falls High School, won first place at the National Newspaper Association’s Quill and Scroll International Writing and Photo Contest. He was also appointed to the UIL All State Journalism Staff.
• Vickie An, Cypress Falls High School, was appointed to the UIL All State Journalism Staff.

INDIVIDUALIZED READING ASSESSMENTS

The Board heard a report on the second annual results of the individualized reading tests required by the state for kindergarten through second grade. These assessments are part of the governor’s Texas Primary Reading Initiative, a program that requires all children to read at or above grade-level by the end of third grade and every year thereafter. All school districts have submitted to the Texas Education Agency the number of K-2 students who are showing progress toward meeting the third-grade literacy standard. The results of the CFISD assessments indicate that 98 percent of kindergarten students, 96 percent of first-grade students, and 97 percent of second-grade students in this district are showing progress. A variety of plans were shared with the Board to ensure that all students read on grade-level by the end of third grade.

LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES

The Board approved Cypress-Fairbanks ISD’s legislative priorities for the 77th Texas Legislature.

• School Safety:

-- Provide state funding to address the additional costs of required alternative education programs.

-- Provide additional state funding to enhance all aspects of school security.

• Instruction:

-- Provide additional state funding for assessment, educational programs, and teacher training to improve reading/language arts, math, social studies and science achievement of students in elementary and middle schools.-- Extend the testing waiver for non-English-speaking students from one year to two years.-- Continue and expand the current ninth-grade initiative to reduce the number of at-risk students and to promote increases in the number of students who graduate under the Recommended High School Program.-- Provide state funding for extended year programs and teacher training to support improvement in educating Limited English Proficient (LEP) students.-- Support use of technology to deliver instruction and allow districts to count participating students in the calculation of ADA.-- Continue funding for Pre-K and kindergarten grant programs.

-- Maintain the current statewide accountability system.

• Finance:

-- Provide facilities funding for fast-growing school districts.-- Continue to use prior year property values in computing state aide to school districts.-- Increase the equalized debt service tax rates in the Existing Debt Allotment (EDA) program from $0.12 to $0.29.-- Move the effective date for EDA to include debt issued through 2000-2001.-- Increase the new facilities start-up allotment to $500 per student.-- Enhance educator compensation.-- Recognize the impact of rapid enrollment growth in the facilities and operations funding formulas.-- Fund student transportation at a level that more accurately reflects the actual cost of this service.-- Increase the technology allotment funding level.-- Maintain a cost-of-education index mechanism to address the operations cost differences that vary from district to district and that are beyond the control of individual districts.-- Correct the disparity in the state's contribution to the TRS system for administrators, support staff and teachers.

-- Continue state funding for the optional homestead exemption.

• Personnel:

-- Increase the TRS multiplier from 2.20 to 2.25 to be equal with the ERS system.-- Provide a fully state-funded health care program for educators equivalent to the state employee program.

-- Provide state funding to assist non-certified school employees in completing teacher preparation and certification programs.

• Governance/Other:

-- School start-date decisions should be the responsibility of local communities through their elected local boards of trustees.

2000 BUDGET AND TAX RATE

A public hearing was held regarding the 2000-2001 budget and proposed tax rate. Following the hearing, the Board approved a balanced budget of $343,871,081 and a tax rate of $1.709, the same tax rate as last year. Because Cypress-Fairbanks ISD offers a 20 percent homestead exemption, district taxpayers pay less in taxes than taxpayers in every other Houston-area school district except Deer Park ISD and Houston ISD.

SURPLUS INVENTORY AUCTION

Approval was granted for a surplus inventory auction on October 14, 2000, at the Cypress-Fairbanks ISD Distribution Center. Items to be auctioned will include furniture, A.V. equipment, food service equipment, white fleet vehicles, and miscellaneous shop equipment.

CY-FAIR HIGH SCHOOL RENOVATION

The final guaranteed maximum price for the renovation of Cy-Fair High School was approved in the amount of $34,850,000. The contract with Gilbane Building Company includes several additions to the original project, including:

• curriculum changes, such as the addition of a day care program and new orchestra room;equity and maintenance-saving enhancements, such as additional ceramic tile, new student lockers, additional parking, and brick walls in the main corridor and library; and
• unforeseen discoveries, including a double slab under the building, a small basement under the slab, a rotten roof deck, abandoned underground utility systems, and resupporting load-bearing walls and structural steel systems.

Despite the additional expenses, the construction management approach to the renovation project is estimated to have saved the District approximately $5 million.

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL #35

Coles Crossing subdivision was approved as the location for Elementary School #35. The school is expected to open in 2002 and relieve Ault, Farney, and Lamkin Elementary Schools, campuses that currently serve some of the District’s fastest-growing neighborhoods (Coles Crossing, Fairfield, Cypress Point, Cypress Mills, Riata Ranch, and Stonegate). Projected enrollment in 2002-2003 for each of the above-mentioned schools follows.

STUDENT ENROLLMENT

Superintendent Rick Berry provided the following enrollment information to the Board:

• As of September 11, 2000, 63,516 students were enrolled in the District, 234 more students than the peak enrollment projected for 2000-2001.Cypress-Fairbanks ISD is currently the sixth largest school district in Texas.Enrollment has increased 3,040 students over last year, a one-year record.
• District enrollment is expected to approach 64,000 during the current school year.

STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS
The Board approved several staff recommendations, inclusive of the naming of Archie Hayes as director of maintenance and Matt Morgan as director of food service. Mr. Hayes, who was supervisor of grounds for Cypress-Fairbanks ISD, has 25 years of experience in public education. Mr. Morgan’s diverse background includes restaurant management, consulting, and public education food service. Most recently, he was Rice University’s associate director of food service.