Conroe ISD board prioritizes increased state funding in legislative agenda

Members of the Conroe ISD board of trustees on Jan. 23 discussed the board's legislative priorities for the 89th Texas Legislature, which commenced Jan. 14.

The framework

The board’s legislative priorities, according to the agenda packet, include the following:

• Protect and invest in public schools through an updated funding system, increased support for special education and targeted teacher incentives
• Focus on reforming assessments and improving technology infrastructure to better prepare students for future success
• Secure essential and stable funding for school safety, expand mental health resources and enhance digital safety measures
• Revise Chapter 37-Safe Schools Resources to give districts discretion over student discipline and not penalize districts for implementing discipline to keep staff and students safe

A motion to adopt the priorities as-is failed by a vote of 2-5, but the board voted 7-0 to add several items to the list.

One addition would be to advocate reducing the number of mandated state tests, and another would support changing the grade where students begin taking State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness tests from third to fifth grade.

Items worth mentioning

The board also discussed and approved the following:

• The purchase of Chromebooks as well as charging carts for $5 million
• An application to the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Hazard Mitigation Grant Program for $55,000 due to post-Hurricane Beryl damage