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• Board Highlights - 10-14-2013

RECOGNITIONS

The superintendent recognized students and staff members for honors and achievements earned in recent weeks. Congratulations were extended to the following:

• Cypress-Fairbanks ISD, for earning a rating of Superior Achievementby the Texas Education Agency (TEA)’s Schools FIRST (Financial Integrity Rating System of Texas) program, marking the 11th consecutive rating for CFISD. While a score of 52 indicated a passing score, CFISD attained the highest possible score of 70. The Superior Achievement rating is the state’s highest mark, an indicator of the quality of the district’s financial management and reporting system.

PUBLIC HEARING

The Board held a public hearing on the 2011-2012 Schools FIRST accountability rating.

TAX RATE

The Board approved the 2013 Tax Rate Resolution to support the 2013-2014 Maintenance and Operations (M&O) and Debt Service budgets by setting the 2013 M&O and Interest and Sinking (I&S) tax rates.

The M&O tax rate was set at $1.04 per $1,000 of property valuation, while the I&S tax rate was set at $0.41 per $1,000 property valuation, leaving the total 2013-2014 tax rate unchanged at $1.45 per $1,000 property valuation.

BOND UPDATE

Representatives from PBK architecture presented a report on the progress of the design of High School No. 11. The school will follow an education village concept—a multi-campus site where each individual school works in close connection with the other schools to provide for a community of learners. Within the site, schools share facilities and resources in order to maximize the learning experience for each student. The schools will be organized in a manner that provides for enhanced outdoor learning areas and multi-use courtyards.

The proposed multi-school site will be located on a 179-acre plot of land north of FM 529, east of Freeman Road and west of Westgreen Blvd.

The new high school will feature three floors and include 21st-century learning environments, as well as career pathways based on HB5 for STEM, business and industry, public services, arts and humanities and multi-disciplinary study areas.

SUPERINTENDENT’S BRIEFING

The Salute to the Stars Gala will be held Thursday, Oct. 17 at the Berry Center. The gala is sponsored by the Cy-Fair Educational Foundation.

The Northwest Harris County Heart Walk is scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 2.  Last year, CFISD had more than 760 participants and raised more than $14,600 for the American Heart Association. The 3-mile walk will start at Lone Star College—CyFair.

CFISD will celebrate Red Ribbon Week Oct. 23-31. This national campaign is designed to encourage healthy, drug-free and violence-free lifestyles among youth. 

Parents, students and staff are invited to attend the district’s 22nd annual Health Organization of Physical Educators, or HOPE Fun Run, which will be held on Saturday, Oct. 26 at the Langham Creek High School track. Last year, more than 2,000 students, staff and community members participated in the event.

Employees and community members have the privilege to exercise their right to vote on Nov. 5 for CFISD Board of Trustees positions 5, 6 and 7. Early voting dates are Oct. 21 – Nov. 1. A Candidate Forum is scheduled for Oct. 15 from 7 to 8 p.m. at the Berry Center. This forum is a formal question-and-answer session for the candidates in front of an audience of interested voters. Those who cannot attend in person can view the event live on CFTV Comcast Channel 16 and online on the district website.    

AGENDA ITEMS

In other action, the Board approved:

• bids and contracts and authorized purchase orders as recommended in the posted agenda item;
• and submitted to the Commissioner of Education a Request for Maximum Class Size Waiver;
• on second reading additions, deletions or revisions to district policies:
• CNA (LOCAL) Transportation Management: Student Transportation (Add)
• DFE (LOCAL) Termination of Employment: Resignation (Revise);
• cancellation of the special-called Board meeting boundary workshop on Oct. 28, 2013;
• tax refunds of $500 or greater for Cypress-Fairbanks ISD;
• the District Improvement Plan for the 2013-2014 school year;
• designating the Superintendent and the Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources as the authorized individuals to accept a contract employee’s resignation;
• changing the date of the April Committee-of-the-Whole and Regular Board meeting from Thursday, April 3, 2014 and Monday, April 7, 2014 to Thursday, April 10 and Monday, April 14, 2014; and
• the granting of a 0.0069-acre tract for a drainage easement to Harris County located on Jack Rabbit Road at Owens Elementary School.

ADDENDUM
The Board authorized the superintendent or designee to negotiate and execute an interlocal agreement and related documents with the Harris County Municipal Utility District No. 168 for the donation and installation of playground equipment at Emmott Elementary School. The approximate value of the donation is $40,000.