April 2003

RECOGNITIONS

The Board of Trustees recognized the following students and staff members for their achievements:

• Cypress Falls High School Science Bowl team members Mitch Bellis, Charles Liebling, Peter Vu and Po Wang for placing second at the U.S. Department of Energy Regional Science Bowl February 22 at Texas A&M University. Cy Falls teacher Jennifer Wuellner coached the team.
• Fourteen high school government and economics students were recognized as participants in the Board Shadowing Project. These students were Gauhar Hussain and Matt Jancaitis of Cypress Creek; Mike Pelaez and Christen Parker of Cy-Fair; Jennifer Russell and Mariana Vignolo of Cypress Falls; Lisa Reyes and Pamela Carrales of Cypress Springs; David Deveau and Celso Hernandez of Jersey Village; Lynsie Martinez and Steve Perry of Langham Creek; and Jennifer Camarillo and Muhammaed Afkaim Niazi of Windfern. Each student sat with his or her designated Board member or administrator throughout the course of the meeting to observe the democratic process in action.

Superintendent Berry recognized students, staff members and athletic teams for recent achievements during his comments to trustees. The list of honorees and their accomplishments are as follows:

• Three district students have advanced to the finals in the "Coca Cola Share the Dream Essay Contest." Finalists in the competition are eligible for scholarships and personal computers. The three district finalists are Andrew Richardson, Cypress Creek High School; Sylvia Szafarczyk, Cypress Falls High School and Charlie Van Lee, Jersey Village High School.
• Winners from the recent soccer season were honored. Cy-Fair High School captured the district title in girls’ soccer while Cypress Springs High School placed second and Cypress Creek High School was third. In boys’ competition Cypress Creek High School won the district title, Cy-Fair High School was second and Jersey Village High School finished third.
• The Cypress Creek boys’ soccer team and Coach Mike Simpson were congratulated for advancing to the regional finals after a come-from-behind win over perennial powerhouse Plano in the semifinals. Simpson led the Cougars to a 20-4-4 overall record and a 12-0-2 district record in his first year as Cypress Creek’s head soccer coach.
• The Moore Elementary chess team earned the third place team trophy and several individual trophies in the Klein Winter Chess Tournament in January. Team members include Mark Walker, Ty Williams, Jasiu Zawitkowski, Josh Caten, Paul Norris, Eric Chin, Sam Sammons, Mark Gealsen, Zach Leonard, James Walter, Mark Richardson, Tyler Stamps, Kevin Pappas and James Hollas. Amy Moore is the club sponsor.
• Cypress Creek High School senior Grant Oladipo was recently names as a finalist in the national competition for the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation Scholarship. He excels in science, math and computer science.
• Goodson Middle School Principal Phyllis Hamilton is the winner of the 2003 Educational Leadership Award. This award acknowledges the many contributions she has made not only to her school, but also to the district, Region IV and the state. The honor also recognizes her ability to share her expertise with other administrators as well as focuses on the idea that her first priority is always the academic and social development of her students.

PERSONNEL

After approving personnel transactions for April, the Board recognized Dr. Robert Worthy as the new principal of Cypress Falls High School, Sandra McNeely as principal of Gleason Elementary, Tim Rocka as director of human resource systems and Nadine Fidler as the assistant superintendent for educational support services.

Worthy has been the principal at Jack Yates High School in Houston ISD since 1999 and has 19 years experience in education. He will assume his new role following the retirement of current Cypress Falls Principal Sue Pope in June.

McNeely has 31 years of experience in education and has earned 18 of those years as an employee of Cypress-Fairbanks ISD. McNeely is currently the assistant principal at Copeland Elementary and will begin her duties at Gleason this summer. She will replace current Gleason Principal Janet Hoover, who was named assistant superintendent for elementary administration in March.

Rocka, currently the director of business and finance in Brenham ISD, began his education career in 1990 and will report to CFISD in May. He will assume the duties previously assigned to George Dugger, who resigned from his position in January.

Fidler has earned 20 of her 29 years of education experience in CFISD and has served as principal at Bleyl Middle School for the last nine years. She will begin her duties as the assistant superintendent for educational support services this summer. The position is currently held by Cheryl Salyards, who was reassigned by Mr. Berry to become the assistant to the superintendent in July.

BOND UPDATE

The Board approved and executed contracts for plats in the construction of Jane Maloy Tipps Elementary School (Elementary School No. 38) and Dr. Peggy Bell Duryea Elementary School (Elementary No. 39).

Trustees also approved the schedule of events for refunding $9.2 million in series 1991A and $1 million in 1993A bonds. This will result in a savings of $1,181,614 for the district. A special called board meeting is set for June 25 at 6 p.m. in the Board Room to complete the transaction.

TEA WAIVER APPROVED

Trustees approved a request for a Texas Education Agency expedited waiver to modify the schedule of classes on TAAS/TAKS testing days during the 2003-2004 school year. The modified schedule of classes could be used as needed on the following dates to reduce interruptions during testing periods: October 21-23; February 24-26, 2004; March 3, 2004; and April 27-29, 2004.

DEC REPORT PRESENTED

Jennabeth Bogard and Cheryl Salyards presented information about the District Effectiveness and Compliance (DEC) visit in February. Trustees were presented a summary report, letters from Division of Accountability Evaluations, the DEC visit report and plans for corrective actions in special education and gifted/talented education.

SURVEY RESULTS

Dr. Robert Stein, dean of the school of social sciences and professor of political science at Rice University, conducted a survey of 500 registered voters between February 19-26, 2003. The interviews were conducted via telephone by the University of Houston Center for Public Policy. The survey was designed to measure public perceptions about current district personnel, operations, policies and support for spending and revenue proposals. This was the sixth survey of CFISD voters conducted since 1997.

Results from Dr. Stein’s survey indicated that the district’s personnel, programs and facilities continue to receive strong positive evaluations from district voters. Since 1997, the district’s approval rating remains high with 78 percent of those surveyed giving favorable responses to questions about CFISD.

Stein also indicated that changes in the economic climate as well as current events might have been a factor in a slight change in the respondents’ evaluation of the district. While there was no increase in the percent of survey participants who disagree with district operations, there was a nine-percent increase of respondents who answered "undecided" to a greater number of survey questions.

Additionally, Stein reported that while voters continue to recognize enrollment and growth as the greatest challenge facing the district, a growing number of respondents indicated that finances and property taxes were increasingly difficult for CFISD. Voters were also polled for opinions about the state’s Robin Hood plan as well as input on the Maintenance and Operations tax cap and removal of the optional local Homestead Exemption to avoid cutting academic programs.

SUPERINTENDENT’S BRIEFING

Mr. Berry reminded the audience of the remaining dates for TAKS testing. Those are April 24, April 30, May 1-2 and July 8.

He discussed the Board Candidate Forum, April 15 in the Board Room. Candidates for Position 5 are Alan Quintero, John Ogletree, Jr., and Earl Springer. Candidates for Position 6 are Chuck Brandman and Don Ryan. Candidates for Position 7 are Bill O’Brien and Barry Watson.

The election date is May 3 and early voting at the ISC will be held April 16-18 and April 21-25 from 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m., April 26 from 8 a.m. until noon and April 28-29 from 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. April 29 is the final day for early voting.

The annual employees service banquet is scheduled for Friday, April 25 at Cypress Ridge High School from 7 to 10 p.m. This event honors employees with 20, 25 and 30 or more years of service to the district as well as those who are retiring or have retired.

The VIPS appreciation luncheon is scheduled for Thursday, May 8 at 11 a.m. at the Sam Houston Race Park. The luncheon provides a great way for the district to extend gratitude to district volunteers for their generous contributions to the success of CFISD students.

Mr. Berry wished everyone a pleasant break during the April 18 student/staff holiday. Students were also out of school Monday, April 21, while teaching staff returned for a professional day.

AGENDA ITEMS

In other action, the Cypress-Fairbanks ISD Board of Trustees:

• received a written report on legislative issues and the activities of the State Board of Education, Texas School Alliance and the Fast-Growth School Coalition;
• heard a presentation regarding the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996;
• approved the external auditors Deloitte & Touche to perform the annual audit of the district’s financial statements for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2003;
• approved the auditor’s report on the district’s annual dropout records for the 2001-2002 school year;
• approved a list of advanced high school courses for 2003-04;
• authorized tax refunds of $500 or greater for Cypress-Fairbanks ISD and/or the Harris County Education District in the amount of $246,911.98;
• approved the district’s Annual Action Plan designed to carry out the goal priorities established for 2003-2004;
• approved Stop Loss and Group Life Insurance for the insurance plan year beginning May 1, 2003;
• approved a resolution against private school vouchers;
• approved bids and contracts from recommended vendors for goods and services;
• approved on second reading three local policy revisions. Policies approved pertained to miscellaneous instructional policies teaching about controversial issues, community relations, conduct on school premises and community relations, use of school facilities for non-school purposes; and
• approved 108 personnel recommendations, resignations, retirements, promotions, terminations and discharges.