Conroe ISD's board of trustees approved the FY 2017-18 budget, presented STAAR test results and revealed suggested names for the district's new intermediate school, set to open in August 2018. 1) Budget approval  During Tuesday's meeting the board unanimously approved a balanced budget of $473 million, a $25.45 million increase over the $447.58 million budget for the 2016-17 school year. The board also voted to maintain its tax rate of $1.28, which is 48 cents lower than the district’s approved tax rate of $1.76 for the 2005-06 school year. “Our state funding keeps decreasing,” Bush said. “I know we had a public comment about the consequences that the appraisals are having on our taxpayers, and that is not something that this board takes lightly at all. Unfortunately, we do not control that. What we control is what we are doing to provide the best education possible for our students at the lowest tax rate possible.” Chief financial officer Darrin Rice said the district's student population continues to grow, and predicted about 61,360 students will be enrolled by the end of the 2017-18 school year—a 1,400-student increase from 59,960 students in 2016-17. 2) STAAR results Conroe ISD students fared well in STAAR testing this year, said Jim Kacur and Debbie Phillips, assistant superintendents of secondary education and elementary education, respectively. “STAAR has been with us for six years,” Phillips said. “Since its inception there have been significant changes to the assessment system every year.” Major changes have included time limits to the exam and accounting of special education student scores, Phillips said. The state started to count the scores from special education students toward the district’s averages last school year. All preliminary scores reported were above the state average, Kacur and Phillips said. “In spite of this moving target year after year, we’re very proud of the accomplishments of our students,” Phillips said. 3) New school names  [polldaddy poll=9810275] Over 1,000 name suggestions for CISD’s new intermediate school—set to open in August 2018—have been submitted online since July 18. From local leaders to national sports stars, there is a wide variety of names for the board to choose from. Superintendent Don Stockton, who announced Monday he will retire at the end of the 2017-18 school year, was listed as a suggested name for the new school. However, Stockton withdrew his name from the list during the board meeting. “I have received more recognition than I need in my lifetime as superintendent and certainly more recognition than I ever deserve,” Stockton said. “So, I’d like respectfully to take my name off of this list and any future list also.” The board will vote to determine a name for the school during the Sept. 9 board meeting. Aside from Stockton’s name, several others were on the list. Take the poll and vote for your favorite option. (Note: these names were selected at random from the list of 1,000-plus suggestions.)