Dear CFISD Community,

Here we are at the conclusion of yet another successful school year in Cypress-Fairbanks ISD. Thank you to our students, staff and community for combining to make 2022-2023 so special.

We began our graduation ceremonies on Tuesday, and by the time we are finished on Saturday, nearly 9,000 graduating seniors from 12 high schools will have walked the stage at the Berry Center. This includes 511 College Academy graduates, who simultaneously earned associate’s degrees along with their high school diplomas. Way to finish strong, Class of 2023!

Our graduations capped an entire school year of noteworthy achievements, starting last August with the announcement that we were the largest A-rated district in the state! 

Three high school marching bands—Bridgeland, Cy-Fair and Cypress Woods—qualified for the UIL State Marching Contest in November.

The 29^th annual CFISD Livestock Show and Sale generated more than $760,000 for student projects in February, and we dedicated the CFISD Exhibit Center in honor of longtime supporters Mike & Darlene Jarrar.

Our athletics programs produced multiple state champions! At the state swim meet in February, Cypress Woods senior Benjamin Scholl won two gold medals in the 50 and 100 freestyle. At the state track meet in May, Cypress Ridge junior Rylee Hampton (100 hurdles), Cypress Ranch sophomore Celeste Robinson (100 dash) and Langham Creek senior Alex Ornelas (300 hurdles) all took gold. This week, the Cypress Woods baseball team will compete in the Region II-6A semifinal against Rockwall Heath. The Bridgeland and Langham Creek softball teams are also competing this week for the Region II championship and ticket to state!

The 10th annual Superintendent’s Fun Run shattered previous years’ fundraising marks, generating $210,000 for student scholarships through the Cy-Fair Educational Foundation! I was touched by such an overwhelming response from the CFISD community.

We recognized 514 National Merit Scholars or College Board Recognition Scholars at a ceremony at the Berry Center in April. 

Bridgeland High School’s One-Act Play, Henry Lumper, was state runner-up at the UIL One-Act Play Competition on May 6—an incredibly difficult achievement. Bridgeland’s production of Damn Yankees was also selected to perform on the main stage of the International Thespian Festival next month at Indiana University.

It is hard to believe that this will be my last “last day of school” with this incredible school district. Enjoy a safe and relaxing summer. I can’t wait to continue Bringing Out the Best with you in the fall of 2023-2024.

Please take a minute to watch this video showing some of the highlights from the past school year.

Dear CFISD Community,

After 42 years as an educator, 32 years as superintendent and 12 years in CFISD, I am announcing my retirement effective Dec. 31, 2023.  

This is the hardest decision I have ever had to make. To be superintendent of Cypress-Fairbanks ISD has been the capstone of a blessed career. The friends I’ve made, being involved in the community and seeing so many dedicated educators guide our students to reach their goals has been a blessing. My wife, Cindy, and I love it here so much that we are making Cy-Fair our forever home.  

Although the Board of Trustees will be searching for a new superintendent, I will be here for the remainder of the calendar year. I promise to advocate for our staff and students until the last day.

Together, we have achieved so much over the past 12 years, and the key word is together. In good times and bad, we are always stronger together. I am looking forward to new experiences and challenges in this next stage of my life, but the memories I’ve made over the past 12 years will continue to bring a smile to my face.  

Thank you for your support and prayers for our community, our students and me. God bless you!

Dear CFISD Community,

With fewer than five weeks until the end of the 88th Texas Legislative Session, concern with the proposed legislation impacting public education funding is increasing significantly. We entered this legislative session with four critical priorities related to school finance:

1. Increase the Basic Allotment (BA) by $1,000 and add an inflationary index
• The Basic Allotment is how the legislature funds schools on a per-student basis. Currently, the allotment is $6,160 and has not been increased since 2019 (and has no inflationary factor). CSHB 100 is the current legislative vehicle for an increase in the BA and includes ONLY a $140 increase in the BA over the biennium (a $90 increase in 2023-24  and an additional $50 increase in 2024-25). A $90 increase to the Basic Allotment would yield approximately $13.1 million for CFISD in the 2023-24 fiscal year; and the additional $50 increase yields approximately $7.3 million in the 2024-25 fiscal year. CSHB 100 requires 50% of the increase in the BA to be used for an increase in compensation for teachers, counselors, librarians and nurses. CSHB 100 is significantly short of our request for a $1,000 increase in the BA, to offset inflationary costs and to provide a raise for all employees (a 1% raise costs approximately $9 million).
  
  In addition to the provisions outlined in CSHB 100 addressing employee compensation, SB 9 establishes the Teacher Retention Allotment for a one-time payment of $2,000 for teacher compensation for 2023-24. Currently, the bill does not address compensation for all other employees and has no provision for an ongoing funding source, resulting in district’s allocating the payment as a one-time bonus versus a permanent raise.
   
2. Modify the adjustment in the Comptroller's property value assignment for the Local Optional Homestead Exemption (OHE) 
• Both Chambers have prioritized providing property tax relief. We support the property tax relief priority; however, although the state is increasing its share of public education funding, these bills do NOT provide additional funding to school districts. Additionally, there is currently no bill or vehicle to address our priority for a modification in the adjustment in the Comptroller’s property value assignment for the OHE.
   
3. Provide reimbursement for safety expenditures and increase the school safety allotment to $100
• We continue to monitor three key bills addressing the Safety and Security Allotment:
• CSSB 11 lacks an adequate increase in the current Safety and Security Allotment from $9.72 to $10. This amount does not come close to covering our current expenditures. The current allotment of $9.72 generates $1.04 million, but we spend over $43 million.
• CSHB 3 includes an increase to $100 for the Safety and Security Allotment, which does address our priority.  However, the bill requires an armed security officer at each campus, which would significantly impact CFISD—59 additional officers, totaling over $4 million dollars.
• CSHB 13 includes a $100 increase in the Safety and Security Allotment, and the committee substitute was improved by removing the restrictions on expenditures.  This bill does address our priority of an increase in the allotment to $100 and flexibility in the use of the funds.
   
4. Oppose legislation that diverts funding from public to private or home schools
• The Senate continues to support diverting funding from public school districts ($8,000 per participating student for Education Savings Accounts/vouchers for private schools in comparison to the $6,160 BA that public schools currently receive). 

In summary, if there are no drastic improvements in the key bills related to public education funding before the end of the session, CFISD will be faced with some extremely difficult budget decisions that will negatively impact district programs, students and employees.

If there was ever a time for a call to action, it is now. Please contact your local state representative and senator, and ask them to vote for legislation that significantly increases funding for public education and allows for flexibility in spending. This Who Represents Me? link reveals your legislators after you enter your address. This is a listing of representatives and senators in the CFISD community:

• Rep. Sam Harless (Dist. 126) - 512-463-0496
• Rep. Tom Oliverson (Dist. 130) - 512-463-0661
• Rep. Mike Schofield (Dist. 132) - 512-463-0528
• Rep. Jon Rosenthal (Dist. 135) - 512-463-0722
• Rep. Lacey Hull (Dist. 138) - 512-463-0727
• Rep. Jarvis Johnson (Dist. 139) - 512-463-0554
• Rep. Penny Morales-Shaw (Dist. 148) - 512-463-0620
• Sen. Paul Bettencourt (Dist. 9) - 512-463-0107
• Sen. John Whitmire (Dist. 15) - 512-463-0115
• Sen. Lois Kolkhorst (Dist. 18) - 512-463-0118

Thank you for your help during this critical time for public education.

Dear CFISD Community,

During the current 88th Texas Legislative Session, our Community Leadership Committee (CLC) has developed some key priorities to communicate to our state legislators. This first video addresses the essential priorities relating to school finance. Please take a few minutes to watch the video below and see how you can get involved. 

 

Dear CFISD Community,

The winter season seemed to come and go in the blink of an eye, and the first official day of spring is only 10 days away! Before we head into spring break, I wanted to share some of our recent celebrations throughout the district.

In athletics,

• Cypress Woods High School swimmer Benjamin Scholl won two gold medals (50 & 100 freestyle), and two other swimmers placed in the top three at the UIL State Championships on Feb. 18;
   
  
  
• the Cypress Ranch High School girls’ wrestling team placed third overall and seven of our wrestlers medaled at the UIL State Championships at the Berry Center on Feb. 18;
  
  
• Cypress Ridge High School placed third for the Touchdown Club of Houston’s Sportsmanship Award on Jan. 26;   
  and
• nearly 90 athletes signed letters of intent on National Signing Day on Feb. 1.

In fine arts,

• 10 students were named winners in the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo School Art Program, and their artwork will be on display through March 19;
  
  
  
  
• Cy-Fair and Cypress Creek high schools (17-6A) and Cypress Ranch, Cypress Woods and Bridgeland high schools (16-6A) advanced past the UIL One-Act Play district contests to qualify for bi-district competition; and
  
  
• 45 musicians were named to TMEA 2022-2023 All-State ensembles.
  
  

In other achievements,

• Langham Creek High School senior Nitya Kodali won a Student Voice scholarship and represented CFISD on a student panel at TASB Governance Camp on March 3;
  
  
  
• Woodard Elementary School is one of the final four schools in the Read to the Final Four competition;
  
  
• student projects generated more than $760,000 at the 29th annual CFISD Livestock Show & Sale, Feb. 2-4;
  
  
  
• Bridgeland High School senior Haylie Stum was named Texas JEA Journalist of the Year;
  
  
• the Board of Trustees approved namesakes for Middle School #20 (Sprague Middle School) and Elementary School #58 (Brosnahan Elementary) on March 6; and
  
  
• we joined the Cy-Fair Educational Foundation in recognizing our campus Teachers of the Year, as well as districtwide Paraprofessional & Support Staff of the Year, at the Salute to the Stars Gala on March 9 at the Berry Center.

I am continually proud to be a part of a district that celebrates Opportunity for All. Each achievement reminds me of this!

The 88th Texas Legislative Session is underway, and one of the key priorities from our CFISD Community Leadership Committee is to increase the basic allotment (the method by which school districts are funded) of $6,160 by $1,000. This would help offset inflationary costs since the last increase in the allotment was in 2019. You can learn more on the CLC webpage, where there are instructions to sign up for Remind updates or follow the group on social media.

Today is the final day to register for the 10th annual CFISD Superintendent’s Fun Run, an event that is very personal to me in that it funds student scholarships for graduates through the Cy-Fair Educational Foundation. The Fun Run has raised more than $764,000 for scholarships over nine years, and we’re hoping for another big turnout in year 10! Even if you can’t join us in person, a “sleep-in pass” is only $10 for a great cause. See details on the event webpage here.

I hope you all enjoy some well-earned rest, fun and time spent with loved ones during spring break. I will see you back on March 20!

Sincerely,

Mark Henry, Ed.D.
Superintendent of schools

 

Dear CFISD Community,

I invite you all to join me for the 10th annual Superintendent’s Fun Run on April 1, 2023! Registration for the highly anticipated community event, which features a 5K run and 1-mile family-friendly course, a fun-filled kids zone, student performances, vendors, and food trucks is now open. The event will take place at the Berry Center, with the 5K winding through Towne Lake and Lone Star College—CyFair, and the 1-mile course will take participants through Cy-Fair FCU Stadium.

Proceeds from the Superintendent’s Fun Run benefit the Cy-Fair Educational Foundation (CFEF), which awards student scholarships and staff development grants, directly benefitting our CFISD community. Because of the generosity of our parents, students, staff, business partners, and community members, we have contributed more than $764,000 to the CFEF in the last nine years, and I hope you will join us for another successful event!

Please enjoy this brief video and encourage your friends, family and colleagues to register!

Dear CFISD Community,

As we reach the end of the fall semester, we can look back on some terrific accomplishments as a school district. Among the accolades:

• we were the largest district in Texas to achieve an “A” rating in the state accountability system;
• our schools earned $34,500 in school supplies through Kroger’s “Backpack Boosters” program;
• 25 CFISD seniors were confirmed as National Merit semifinalists;
• CFISD College Night returned in person, welcoming nearly 3,400 guests;
• our Board of Trustees passed a budget with another staff raise and stipend, and adopted the lowest tax rate in 33 years;
• we were one of 59 districts in the state to earn a TAEA District of Distinction designation;
• three of our high school marching bands—Bridgeland, Cy-Fair and Cypress Woods—completed the season at the UIL State Marching Contest; and
• 11 more of our campuses established Adopt-a-School partnership with local businesses or faith-based organizations.

I can’t wait to see what other accomplishments await us in the spring of 2023, a year that will signify new beginnings in CFISD.

We move into a new administration building in January, and later in the spring we will open the Visual and Performing Arts Center on the same property near Cy-Fair High School. This facility will not only be an impressive venue for our fine arts and visual arts students to showcase their work, but it will be an attractive location for outside talent to host performances. It is evident why CFISD has been named a “Best Community for Music Education” by NAMM for five straight years. Thank you for your support of the arts in CFISD!

The holiday season always causes me to be thankful and look for ways to help others who may be less fortunate. We don’t have to look further than our own amazing students for great examples of generosity. Student-athletes throughout the district have been collecting toys for children in Harris County Child Protective Services care through the CFISD Athletics Leadership Initiative (CALI) Be A Resource (BEAR) toy drive over the last few weeks.

Thousands of items have already been donated, and I thank our students for continually setting the standard of how to treat one another. You are making a big impact.

One blessing I continue to be thankful for is this CFISD community. My wife, Cindy, and I have decided to make this our forever home. Our three children and seven grandchildren all live in the area and are proud to call Cypress “home.”

Thank you for being a key part of our story. We wish you a safe and happy holiday season.

 

 

Sincerely,

Mark Henry, Ed.D.
Superintendent of schools

Dear CFISD Community,

This is a time of year when I am reminded of the many blessings I have, both in my personal life and in my role as superintendent of the best school district in the state of Texas. CFISD has so many great characteristics that I appreciate—a few examples which I have listed below.

I am thankful for student involvement. Did you know that 21,097 high school students participated in CFISD athletics during the 2021-2022 school year? Another 37,155 students participated in middle and high school fine arts. These students work hard and compete together for combined success. Research has shown that students who participate in extracurricular and cocurricular activities such as these demonstrate higher levels of academic achievement, character development and community involvement.

I am thankful for our teachers and parents who helped us have a more normal return to a school year for the first time in several years. We have seen greater success as we have been able to focus more on instruction and respect, to the benefit of our students.

I am thankful for a community that supports academic rigor. A total of 40,000 students in grades 7-12 are involved in career and technical education curriculum. They earned more than 93,000 certifications in 30-plus career-related programs of study in 2021-2022. Our College Academy partnership with Lone Star College—CyFair produced 199 graduates in 2022, with more to come this year: all 12 of our high schools will have students earning both a high school diploma and associate’s degree from LSC-CyFair.

I am thankful for civic engagement. Each election season, I see hundreds of our staff, students and community members posting on social media that they voted—and I know there are many more that I don’t see. Thank you all for taking the time to participate in an essential part of our society as a free nation.

I am thankful for a community that supports cultural enrichment and growth. In 2019, voters approved a bond that included a Visual & Performing Arts Center. The facility, scheduled to open next spring on property adjacent to Cy-Fair High School, will rival many professional venues around Houston. This will be an impressive stage for students to showcase their artistic talents and host world-renowned performances in the middle of our community.

We have a lot to be thankful for in 2022-2023. I am sure you can think of some blessings to add to the list as we approach the holiday season. I hope you have a safe and restful Thanksgiving break, and I look forward to seeing everyone back on Nov. 28.

Dear CFISD Community,

We are excited to kick off the 2022-2023 school year, and our facilities, operations and maintenance teams have been working hard to prepare all campuses for welcoming back students on Monday, Aug 22.

A new year comes with positive news from the Texas Education Agency: CFISD has been named an A-rated district—the largest one in the state with this top designation! The academic success we achieved during the 2021-2022 school year throughout a difficult couple of pandemic years is truly outstanding, and I am proud of everyone for keeping the focus on students.

We appreciate those of you who participated in a community survey last spring, the results of which we recently received. We have learned that student discipline has risen to the top of concerns for staff and the community, and that one of the most important characteristics for students is respect. Undoubtedly, many campus issues are preventable when there is mutual respect in place. We approach this year maintaining high expectations for student conduct, and ask teachers and parents to work together for the betterment of students. As parents remind their children to respect their teachers, I am reminding our staff to respect students. Together, we can set a great example that respect is essential for us to have a successful school year.

Safety and security are equally important precursors to that success. In June, I shared a letter detailing the layered approach to school safety that we have been working on for more than a decade. Since then, we have made even more improvements to better protect our students and staff. We will continue to review our Safety & Security Action Plan throughout the year, modifying and enhancing as necessary while uniformly training all staff.

As more vehicles including school buses are on the roadways this month, I ask that you please show patience with the increased traffic as we make sure students are delivered safely to and from school. Similarly, I ask for your courtesy to our school staff as they institute back-to-school procedures for campus visitors.

There is so much for us to celebrate in 2022-2023. Water polo is officially a UIL sport for the first time, and we will have many competitive teams vying for statewide accolades. We are opening our 57^th elementary school, McGown Elementary, in the Bridgeland community. In the spring, we will open a new administration building and a Visual & Performing Arts Center—a world-class facility that will allow our talented fine arts and visual arts participants to shine even brighter.

Thank you for your continued support of CFISD as we all work to bring out the best in nearly 118,000 students and counting.

Dear CFISD Community,

The last several weeks have been difficult for many throughout our state. Our hearts remain with those impacted by the May 24 tragedy at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde CISD, and we join the Tomball and Cypress communities in mourning the members of the Collins family who lost their lives on June 2. 

Following the Uvalde tragedy, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott called for special legislative committees to be convened to prevent future school shootings. The governor requested for recommendations to be made in five key areas—school safety, mental health, social media, police training and firearm safety. This summer, we will be reviewing all of our safety and security measures in order to see if we are doing the best possible job of protecting students and staff. However, I wanted to take some time to summarize how CFISD has previously made efforts in each of these components.

School safety
In 2011, CFISD formed its own law enforcement agency to enhance safety and security throughout the district.

• The department, which recently celebrated its 10^th anniversary, has expanded to more than 100 fully commissioned, well-trained officers and has added four K-9s that specialize in narcotics and gunpowder / explosives detection.
• The current assignment of officers is two per high school, one per middle school and zoned support for elementary schools.
• During its June 13 meeting, the CFISD Board of Trustees approved a budget that included funding for six additional police officers to help expand districtwide patrol coverage.
• The CFISD police department (CFPD)’s upgraded telecommunication systems allow the department to maintain close communication with neighboring law enforcement agencies in the event of an emergency.
• The CFPD monitors and patrols the district 365 days a year. In addition, CFISD police dispatch can be reached 24/7 at 281-897-4337.

In 2017, we expanded the office of emergency management (OEM) to complement the CFPD.

• This department conducts districtwide security audits to ensure all campuses are adequately prepared for emergencies.
• In 2018-2019, we worked with an outside consultant (True North Consulting) to prepare for safety recommendations for the 2019 bond program.
• The CFISD OEM implemented Navigate 360 technology to house all campus floorplans and emergency operation plans (EOP) for quick access in facilitating a coordinated emergency response with other emergency response agencies and track emergency drills and training. The EOP also outlines Traumatic Injury Response Protocol.

The 2014 bond program dedicated $55 million to safety and security upgrades including:

• secured vestibules at all campuses;
• bullet-resistant glass at front entrances;
• additional security cameras;
• lockdown panic buttons;
• card reader access locks; and
• security intrusion panels.

The 2019 bond program dedicated $207.6 million to even more safety and security enhancements, including:

• segmentation of open-concept floor plans in elementary schools;
• fencing around portable buildings and playgrounds;
• classroom phones;
• impact-resistant glass on doors and high-traffic areas;
• secure vestibule enhancements;
• replacement of classroom door hardware;
• addition of door prop alarms; and
• additional lockdown buttons and card reader access locks.

We have made significant progress on these projects; for example, classroom phones have all been installed and campus fencing is scheduled for completion by the end of the year. Major renovation projects including security upgrades are being completed in seven phases, and the third phase is currently under construction.

In 2018-2019, we implemented a clear backpack policy for all secondary students as well as a clear bag policy for visitors to Pridgeon and Cy-Fair FCU stadiums.

All campuses have implemented procedures for limiting entry points for faculty, students and visitors before and during the instructional day as well as between main and portable buildings. Their specific procedures are updated annually within the campus emergency operations plan and submitted for review to CFPD and the OEM.

The CFISD Safety and Security Committee was expanded in 2018 to help plan for heightened security protocols while remaining in close communication with district and campus leaders, as well as district and local law enforcement agencies and first responders. The committee meets regularly throughout the year.

Mental health
Through collaborations and partnerships among three different departments—guidance and counseling, psychological services and CFPD—the district mental health intervention team (MHIT) was formed in 2018-2019.

• The MHIT is comprised of four licensed professional counselors, two licensed psychologists and two mental health police officers.
• This unique and creative team was established for the purpose of developing a more proactive, targeted, and safe approach to dealing with mental health issues in our district.

We know that positive relationships are key in deterring potential situations, and our counselors work to maintain these with students throughout our campuses.

• Our Board of Trustees approved an additional elementary counselor allocation beginning in the 2020-2021 school year.
• Currently, CFISD has allocated 288 counseling positions. Depending on enrollment, each elementary school has 2-3 counselors, each middle school has 3-4 counselors and each high school has 8-9 counselors.
• Other initiatives include Positive Behavior Intervention Support (PBIS) methodology and campus mentoring programs.

All campus staff are required to complete mental health assessment training. CFISD elementary and secondary counselors are trained on completing threat assessment interviews using information compiled from recognized national curriculum.

Social media
Besides being available to respond in the time of a crisis, CFPD officers provide many proactive measures, such as:

• investigating all potential threats;
• monitoring social media through a collaboration with the Fusion Center;
• fielding Cy-Fair Tipline reports;
• making home visits;
• mentoring students; and
• providing classroom presentations.

Campus administrators, CFPD and our student services department routinely investigate social media tips and threats, and our students are continually reminded that if they see something, say something!

Police training
The CFPD routinely undergoes annual training and professional development for all officers and command staff, adapting to the latest state and local law enforcement standards.

• CFPD officers have attended “Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training (ALERRT)” and have also completed the state-mandated “TCOLE Active Shooter Response For School-Based Law Enforcement (#2195) Training,” and many officers will complete the trainings this summer.
• In addition, officers train yearly for “Use of Force/Active Shooter” incidents and often use campuses. This summer, officers will attend an active shooter response refresher course.
• In the summer of 2021, the OEM held “Active Incident Training” for CFPD officers.
• The OEM also conducted a “Reunification Functional Exercise” for a CFISD campus in the spring of 2022. This functional exercise is planned for all CFISD campuses.
• All CFPD officers will join health services staff in becoming certified in “Stop the Bleed” training, and will train campus staff during August professional development week to prepare for bleeding emergencies.
• All officers are trained in ALERRT’s “Civilian Response to Active Shooter Events,” or CRASE, and will provide the training to all campus staff in August.

Firearm safety
In addition to the CFPD’s regular internal training on firearm safety, the district posts signage outside of every campus reminding the public that firearms are not permitted on CFISD property. Campuses received updated signage the last week of school that will be displayed in time for the 2022-2023 school year.

As we have demonstrated over the last decade, CFISD will continue to review and evaluate and determine further safety and security enhancements and/or modifications that are needed moving forward.

We are determined to keep our schools the safest possible environments for students and staff.

Sincerely,

Mark Henry, Ed.D.
Superintendent of schools