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
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.
