A question for board president Melanie Bush
What is the biggest issue facing Conroe ISD in terms of the upcoming legislative session?
The biggest challenge for CISD is continuing our fiscal responsibility while meeting the needs of our high growth. This legislative session is interesting because of the unknowns ... regarding funding and requirements.
Big decisions made in 2016
District of Innovation approval
The Conroe ISD board of trustees unanimously voted to adopt a District of Innovation plan in December. The move allows the district to begin and end the school year earlier, adjust winter break dates and add in additional days off in the spring and fall.
Teacher pay increased
In June, the board voted in favor of increasing starting teacher salaries to $51,500 for the 2016-17 school year, up from $50,000 the year before.
New school names announced
After requesting public feedback on new school names in July, the board decided to name the district’s new elementary school after Lucille J. Bradley, a long-time CISD educator who died in 2014 at age 100. It also voted to name the new high school Grand Oaks High School, after the Grand Parkway and the Imperial Oaks subdivision.
Top issues for 2017
Attendance rezoning
As construction on Bradley Elementary School and Grand Oaks High School progresses, the board of trustees has held several forums welcoming feedback on rezoning options, which were formulated by an appointed Attendance Boundary Committee consisting of parents, teachers and administrators. The district approved its new school boundaries during its Jan. 17 board of trustees meeting..
Implementation of school calendar changes
The Conroe ISD board of trustees approved a new school calendar during its Jan. 17 meeting. The calendar includes an earlier school start date, Aug. 16, and end date, May 31. The district was able to adjust its school calendar because of exemptions granted under its District of Innovation plan, which gives the district more flexibility with regard to state mandates.
