The board convened Monday, Oct. 9, to preview and discuss several items on the regular meeting’s agenda, including the waiver request.
“The majority of our waivers—if not all of them—are for unanticipated growth,” Deborah Stewart, associate superintendent of human resources and student services, said at Monday work session. “We have surpassed our projected enrollment, and so therefore those classes are a little larger than we anticipated.”
Stewart said overall, enrollment has increased at the elementary, middle and high school levels, and administrators are still analyzing how Hurricane Harvey has affected enrollment numbers.
The board will also vote on requesting a missed school day waiver from the Texas Education Agency after missing nine instructional days during Harvey. All districts within the 58-county disaster area—including Harris County—are eligible to apply.
The waiver would allow the district to not have to make up the missed days or adjust school calendars. CFISD missed Aug. 28-Sept. 1 and Sept. 5-8. However, even with nine missed days, the total number of instructional minutes will still satisfy the state requirement, officials said.
In addition to decisions on these two issues, agenda items for Thursday evening’s meeting include:
- A public hearing on Financial Integrity Rating System of Texas accountability ratings from 2015-16
- A report on the start of the school year
- A report on the district bond program
- A report on a pre-K partnership planning grant
- A vote to approve construction proposals and contracts paid from bond funds for Ault Elementary School and Hancock Elementary School additions and renovations
