Enrollment
CCISD’s enrollment is declining and is projected to continue to decline over the next decade, according to a recent demographic report by Zonda Education.
Officials are currently discussing solutions, including its tuition-based pre-K and limited open enrollment programs.
Board members recently postponed a vote to expand the district’s limited open enrollment program, which would’ve loosened its current policy for students residing outside of the district’s boundaries to attend CCISD.
The decision to postpone the vote stemmed from uncertainty from multiple board members. The board will potentially vote on the possible expansion at its February meeting.
Until then, officials noted they are still working on solutions, including increased advertising of the two programs to gain interest.
Potential bond
Officials began discussing a potential $214 million bond at the board of trustees’ Dec. 9 workshop.
The bond, which could be on the May ballot, would mainly target rebuilding aging campuses and land acquisition.
According to district documents, other items in the bond include the following:
- Bus replacements
- Secondary school restroom safety
- Reimbursement resolution for the Clear Lake High School culinary arts program expansion
- Rebuilding Clear Creek Intermediate School
- Rebuilding Clear Lake Intermediate School
- Funding Vision 2030
- Infrastructure and priority repairs
- Technology
Officials plan to consider the potential bond at the board’s January board meeting, which will be held Jan. 27, according to district documents.
Further discussion will be held with the board and district officials, and the cost of the potential bond package is subject to change.
School board elections
Local elections across Texas are slated for May.
CCISD will have two board seats—currently held by Scott Bowen and Jessica Cejka—on the ballot in May, according to the district’s website. Both terms will be for three years.
Candidate application packets will be available Jan. 6. The filing deadline will open Jan. 15 and close Feb. 14, according to the district’s website.
The election routine for school board members may also change in the coming years due to the board allowing Superintendent Karen Engle to seek legislative action to extend board term lengths from three years to four years.
District agenda documents note increasing the trustee term length of three years to four years “would promote stability and save time and money by only requiring the district to conduct elections every other year instead of every year.”
Officials said if the increase is approved by the state, they believe a bill for CCISD would be best to allow the district to have elections during odd-numbered years during primary elections in May.
Engle will seek legislative action in January, officials said. The new legislative session for the state begins Jan. 14.
If the state approves such a measure for CCISD, the board will then consider increasing board term lengths.
If those actions occur, board terms could be increased to four years by 2027, and elections will be held every other year.
Budget
While CCISD adopted a balanced budget for fiscal year 2024-25, officials are looking to the state to increase funding in the following areas for the upcoming legislative session:
- School safety
- Staff salaries
- Special education
- Storm insurance expenses
At the event, legislators said they were hesitant about meeting some of the school districts’ needs.
While the state will have a $20 billion surplus going into the legislative session, legislators noted that allotting funds to a number of different areas may be difficult for this upcoming legislative session.
The 89th Texas Legislature will begin Jan. 14 through June 2.
Over 2,400 bills have been filed within the state ahead of the legislative session.
