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

• Hamilton Middle School student Kei Harvin, who was the state finalist and one of two national essay finalists in the “Do the Write Thing Challenge” program. Harvin was one of more than 12,500 students selected from Harris County and 40,000 nationally. He, his parents and teacher Renie Frances attended conferences and recognition ceremonies in Austin and Washington, D.C., this summer; and

• Athletes from the Cy-Fair High School baseball team, who won the Class 5A state championship in Round Rock in June. Led by head coach Woody Champagne and assistants John Pope, David Maddox and Tadd Hammel, the Bobcats won the first state baseball title in the history of both the school and the district. Team members who were honored included Caleb Ramsey, senior outfielder; Robbie Grossman, junior outfielder/pitcher; Ryan Florack, senior second baseman; Thomas Collier, junior first baseman/pitcher; James Green, junior second baseman/shortstop; Jonathan Ogden, senior shortstop/pitcher; David Cardamone, junior shortstop/second baseman; Brandon Finken, senior pitcher/first baseman; Robbie Strasburg, junior third baseman/first baseman; Robbie Halliday, senior pitcher; Austin Coble, sophomore second baseman/pitcher; Michael Poulos, senior third baseman/pitcher; Cameron Goff, senior outfielder; Chris White, junior catcher; Scott Miller, senior outfielder; Zach Thomas, sophomore first baseman/pitcher; Landon Lee, junior catcher; Kevin Sah, senior pitcher/outfielder; and Logan Moss, senior pitcher.

Additionally, associate superintendent of Governmental Relations and Communication Dr. Cheryl Salyards recognized a group of staff members for honors and achievements earned in recent weeks. Congratulations were extended to the following:

• Adam O’Neal, a fourth-grade student from Farney Elementary School, who was the 2 millionth student to participate in Junior Achievement programs. He will be featured in the Junior Achievement annual report, and on June 27 he gave a speech at their annual meeting;

• Leslie Thomas, reading department chair at Truitt Middle School, who was selected as the Teacher of the Year by the Wal-Mart at FM 529 and Hwy. 6. In addition, she received a $1,000 donation to Truitt on behalf of Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club; and

• Post Elementary School fifth-grade teacher Janet Rancatore, who was recently honored as the Texas D.A.R.E. Educator of the Year. Rancatore is the first CFISD teacher to receive this statewide award. She was nominated by Jersey Village Police Department D.A.R.E. officer Sandy Joachim for making D.A.R.E. an everyday lesson for Post students, and making them aware that drug and alcohol resistance is something they can use for the rest of their lives.

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSIGNMENTS AND PROMOTIONS
The administration announced the naming of David Garcia as director of student services during the regularly scheduled Board meeting on Monday. His appointment fills the vacancy left by Deborah Stewart, who in April was announced as the assistant superintendent for student services. Garcia has served Cypress-Fairbanks ISD for five years as an assistant principal at Cypress Ridge High School.

BOND UPDATE
In preparation for a projected student enrollment of 116,500 students by 2011-2012, the Board unanimously approved a bond referendum totaling $807 million to be included in the general election scheduled for Nov. 6, 2007.

Passage of the $807 million bond referendum would fund: new schools, sites and buses ($500.5 million); instructional facilities renovations ($238.5 million) and technology ($68 million).

In other bond-related news, the Board:

• Approved the site, architect and completion date for Elementary #50. Used with 2004 bond money, the elementary school will be located at Round Robin Drive and the proposed Plantation Myrtles Drive, designed by PBK Architects, and scheduled for an opening date of August 2009; and
• Approved the site, architect and completion date for Elementary #51. Pending passage of the 2007 bond referendum, the elementary school will be located at Fairfield Place Drive and Schiel Road (contingent on closing on this property), be designed by Bay Architects, and scheduled for an opening date of August 2009.

2007-2008 CALENDAR CHANGE
The Board voted to change a professional day from April 28 to Feb. 18 on the 2007-2008 instructional calendar. Due to the state mandate that states school districts cannot have an earlier start date than Aug. 27, along with the requirements of SB 1031, testing dates for the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) will also run a week later. The TEA reserved April 28 as the first TAKS testing day, negating the scheduled student holiday. Presidents Day, Feb. 18, is now a student holiday and will serve as an inclement weather day.

Summer school has concluded and the district served 17,067 students in a variety of programs at the elementary, middle and secondary levels. A total of 181 students met graduation requirements and commencement exercises were held at the Berry Center on July 27. Among the graduates was Phuong Thao Nguyen. Phuong was the first graduate who went through the New Arrival Center (NAC) program. She arrived in the United States in January 2005 and enrolled in the NAC program at Cypress Falls High School. Since her exit from the NAC program, Phuong met all credit requirements and passed TAKS. The NAC was implemented two years ago, and Phuong is an example of the program’s success.

The school year starts on Aug. 27, and CFISD anticipates an enrollment of approximately 98,000 students. Three new schools will open their doors—McFee and Warner elementary schools and Hopper Middle School. Dr. Salyards publicly thanked the Technology and Maintenance and Operations teams for getting all buildings ready; the Facilities Planning Department and the Purchasing Department, along with all principals and their staff members, and curriculum staff for their efforts in getting the new schools completed and equipped with all the supplies and instructional materials; and the Human Resource Department, which has worked for the past year to ensure the children have high-quality teachers to greet them.

Parents and students are urged to reserve time to review together the Student Handbook and Code of Conduct that will be provided to each student during the first few days of school. The Code of Conduct includes a Safety Pledge that reminds students to immediately notify an adult should they become aware of any unsafe condition or situation occurring in their schools. Cypress-Fairbanks believes that students are a vital component in helping ensure safety in and around our schools.

The Cy-Fair Bus Buddies project will once again provide assistance to elementary students in exiting their bus at the correct location at the beginning of school. As a partnership between the Volunteers in Public Schools (VIPS), the Cy-Fair campuses and the district’s Transportation department, Bus Buddies is designed to assist the district’s students and drivers during the first week of school. Interested volunteers can sign up to be a Bus Buddy by calling their local campus, the Bus Buddies hotline (281-894-3949) or via the district’s website.

Those interested in conducting business with our district can attend the free seminar on “How to Do Business with CFISD” scheduled for Sept. 7, 2007, from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. The seminar will be held at the Berry Center, located at 8877 Barker Cypress, Cypress, TX 77433, next to Cy-Fair College. This opportunity is for any individual or business to learn more about the guidelines and procedures for selling products and/or services to the school district. For reservations, call the district’s Partners in Education office at 281-894-3952 or the Chamber of Commerce at 281-955-1100.

In observance of Labor Day, all district facilities will be closed on Monday, Sept. 3, 2007. In the event of an emergency, contact Security at 281-897-4337. Students will return to school Tuesday, Sept. 4, and all other facilities will also re-open for normal business hours.

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

• Dean Middle School’s incentive plan funded by a Texas Educator Excellence Grant 2 (TEEG) offered through the Governor’s Educator Excellence Award Program;
• an amendment to the district’s 2007-2008 Annual Action Plan to address education about and prevention of dating violence as required by HB 121;
• authorization for the superintendent to approve and sign an agreement with the American Red Cross for the use of the Berry Center as a volunteer intake center in the event of a disaster;
• the sale of district furniture and equipment through a surplus internet auction to be held in September 2007;
• bids and contracts to the recommended vendors;
• the tax refunds of $500 or greater for Cypress-Fairbanks ISD and/or Harris County Education District;
• the updated Internal Audit Charter;
• authorization for the superintendent to enter into miscellaneous professional service contracts related to Package C-2006 Miscellaneous Renovations at Francone, Lieder, Millsap and Yeager elementary schools to the amount listed below: HVAC System Testing and Balance: up to $55,000;
• the endorsement of Katherine Hanson, Tomball ISD, on the TASB Board of Directors for Position 4-A;
• an addendum to its Interlocal Agreement with Harris County for the provision of law enforcement services through Precinct 4 Constables Office, to cover the period of Sept. 1, 2007 through Dec. 31, 2007;
• the 2007-2008 Cypress-Fairbanks ISD Student Code of Conduct;
• the Memorandum of Understanding between Harris County Juvenile board and the Cypress-Fairbanks ISD to participate in the JJAEP for the 2007-2008 school year;
• on first reading additions, deletions or revisions to district policy: EHBB (LOCAL) SPECIAL PROGRAMS: GIFTED AND TALENTED STUDENT; and
• to suspend the rules and adopt on one reading, in accordance with BF (LOCAL), the following district policy: FNA (LOCAL) STUDENT RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITES: STUDENT EXPRESSION.

JUNE 28 SPECIAL-CALLED MEETING

BOND UPDATE
The Bond Steering Committee presented the Board with a recommendation for a bond referendum that will accommodate approximately 116,500 students by 2011-2012. BSC co-chair Ed Hogan, pastor of Jersey Village Baptist Church, presented a recommendation in line with the committee’s charge to develop a recommendation that:

• considers the educational needs of students;
• provides a solution for the facility needs brought on by the district’s rapid growth;
• ensures support for a quality education for all students;
• is fiscally sound;
• reflects community values and perceptions of needs;
• ensures an adequate and appropriate learning environment; and
• includes a five-year projection for preventative maintenance and facility renovation needs, including technology replacement and upgrades.

Factoring in a 7 percent inflation rate, Hogan recommended a bond recommendation in the amount of $806,836,474 to cover CFISD’s three greatest needs: Student Growth ($500,514,933), Instructional Support Facilities ($238,576,135) and Technology ($67,745,406).

In other bond-related news, the Board approved the sale of $250 million in new money bonds as well as the refinancing of $25.5 million of adjustable rate bonds (originally set in 2002), at a true interest rate of 4.78 percent.

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

• the budget amendments for the period of April 1, 2007 through June 30, 2007;
• a resolution designating the investment officers for Cypress-Fairbanks ISD;
• a resolution pursuant to CDA (LEGAL) policy, approving without change the existing CDA (LOCAL) policy: OTHER REVENUES: INVESTMENTS;
• authorization for the superintendent to enter into a contract with Region IV for a partnership with its Comprehensive Curriculum Assessment and Professional Development (CCAP) System;
• the administration’s recommendation for $4,000 out-of-district tuition for the 2007-2008 school year;
• the sale of district furniture and equipment through a surplus Internet auction held in July;
• an agreement between John Wesley United Methodist Church and Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District for the joint use of the parking facilities at Yeager Elementary and John Wesley United Methodist Church;
• the Professional Study Leave of Absence for Brenda D. Thonsgaard for the purpose of pursuing a doctorate degree in education as deemed beneficial to the district; and
• a settlement and release from the District’s former energy provider related to payment for electricity used in add-on meters (increment load) from June 2006 through May 2007 for Cypress Woods High School, Black, Andre' and Postma elementary schools.