001June board meeting is a wrap. >> It is and we covered a lot last night. It seems like we cover a lot every board meeting. >> Well, you know, there's lots of requests. There's a lot of things going on. You know, the rapid fire of all the changes that have we've been made to try to do what's best for the district and the kids and the teachers and and our taxpayers. It just it takes a lot, but it's all really meaningful stuff. >> It was. Um, last night we got a report on the cell phone policy update and the implementation of it. Just a reminder, it was a state mandate although our board was very much in favor of it and already working towards it prior to the state law being put into place. But
002um, we we learned quite a bit from it. Our students are becoming compliant to the regulation and they're engaging a whole lot more with each other. >> They are and you know, the deal is I was nervous as a cat for starting this thing and I didn't know how it was going to go and it's been surprisingly much better than I thought it would ever. And there's still a couple of kiddos that we were talking about them last night, you know, that have that just have a hard time learning that really like that cell phone. So it's but I mean for the most part our kids are very compliant. >> I think um, the number from Dr. Moral when I asked last night was that we have approximately 22,000 high schoolers across the district. And
003in those 22,000 students we have 68 across the district that have nine or more infractions. >> Yeah. >> Other than that, you're not going to be able to make do I mean you're not going to be able to stop that from happening when you have someone that is going to just keep using it. However, our students are playing games with each other, conversing, they're communicating, they're engaged more in classes. Our educators are saying they're seeing less distraction and more attention to what's happening between them and their instructional time and I find that to be a a win-win. >> It's a win. That is definitely the case. And you know, we're moving closer, albeit a little slower in pace, with our education foundation. We hope to get that wrapped up. You know, we had tabled a
004resolution that didn't need to be passed, but now we're going to try to bring that home. And so >> I agree. I I'm so excited to continue working with the current education foundation. I just want us to be able to see the fruits of their work in the hands of our students. >> folk They're good folks. And the thing too is that one of the things that you mentioned that's not that's really important is that, you know, if someone's asked are we keeping all of the the the scholarship in you know, thing we we're going to honor those the scholarships that we've done all that business cuz you know, we know that was a question that we want to make sure you get to. >> We have a shared mission. >> Absolutely. >> We want
005to further education and make it better in Conroe ISD. >> So, one of the things that our communications audit revealed is that we need to have a system of how we communicate with kiddos and and parents in a more effective way and the one that's actually easier to use than the current system that we have. We took a big step last night with the group called Parent Square who was actually suggested and that I've actually used before that is an incredibly important and effective system um and the board was really excited about getting that implemented. >> Anything we can do to have better communication with our parents makes for a stronger partnership between the the news that needs to get out from the district, the news that needs to get out from each campus, and
006the communication for the individual groups and things. And anything we can do to make it safer for our students at is is a win again because we cannot we cannot um partner well if we don't have good communication. >> Absolutely. And I think this is going to be a big step taken towards that. Uh, I'm a believer as always the company in the fact that we just started as a pilot and you know, we are going to choose the Grand Oaks feeder to start that pilot. We think we believe today and the board encouraged us I if other people want it if there's a way that we could you know, fast track some other groups being able to get it if they'll be a good thing and so we're going to look at that today
007uh, and based on your suggestion or recommendation work towards doing that. I think that's a good thing cuz I think once the people start saying it they'll really want it. >> The the the pros and cons of doing that. The best thing is better communication for all. >> Yes. >> The worst thing that could happen is that we go too big too quickly and we don't implement it well. >> Yeah. >> So it the board's desire is to give everyone a better opportunity. However, we want to do it thoughtfully and carefully in the sense that what can we do and do it well and that's our biggest goal there. >> So we had our first annual and we'll have this throughout the coming years a special education update. >> Yes. >> Do you want to
008talk a little bit about that? >> I you know special education is near and dear to my heart. It's because I do have a special education grandchild, a special education daughter and I was part before ever being on the board of helping go and be a part of dyslexia becoming part of special education. >> Right. >> And so to me this is a great next step. Again, it's also communication. And so I was thrilled to have Dr. Wiggins share with us last night an update. I'm glad to see the the progress. We we can effectively improve not only here by this information, but we can take that information and use it to help across the state of Texas in special education. So, the report we got last night was meaningful to me. It's the next
009It was like kind of a a cherry on the top, but now we're ready for the next part of this this progress that steps. And I'm thankful all the work of our special education department, of all of our special educate education educators in this district. It is a very difficult task to It's one of our most expensive educational experiences in the district. But, it's the least of these. It's for the least of these, and we cannot stray away from it. We have to keep our foot on the pedal of servicing these students. >> a great moment, and the thing is we covered a lot of different from parent communication to the number of kids that we have to the growing number of children that we have to the ratings that we have, which is the
010highest rating that they could have that that the state provides. And all the different pieces and parts that goal that plan was to be cuz we did much more than what the requirement for that presentation was going to be. But, I think it was we're all better for it. >> I agree. >> So, the uh next one I want to to make sure that everyone knows that from yourself from our school district perspective, you know, we want to attract, retain, and value our employees. And at the we know that the most the biggest impact that we're going to have on our kids education experience is not books or technology or uh cafeteria whatever. It's going to be the teachers and and I know folks who support them. And when we looked at it, you know,
011we're coming into this situation right now with inflation included and with us trying to have a balanced budget that you know we had a the state legislature provided money last year and to to some teachers and then we we brought all that and kind of y'all even that out last year. This year, you know, when you look at the budget, you know, we're going to you know, there's not a whole lot in terms of teacher compensation that's going to be added in in terms of what we do. So, you know, you want to talk a little bit about that? >> That this is a as as a touchy subject for all of us because it is our educators. It's those teachers in the classroom >> Right. >> that are at the lower end of our
012educator pay scale >> Right. >> that are working hands-on in the trenches every day. We want to give them everything we can give them. We want to support them any way we can. And frankly, right now, we we just can't do more than we're doing. We we must carry through a balanced budget because if we don't a balanced budget if we don't adopt a balanced budget, it actually affects them on in the home life as well because it doesn't it doesn't bode well in a district that doesn't keep a balanced budget that carries deficits. All we can do at this point, we told them last year when Dr. Noe was here, we told them all we can do is either split the money up that we have and give you part last year and part
013this year or front-loaded all last year. And that's what we did. We front-loaded it last year getting them as much as we [clears throat] could up front and carrying it through and that's all we could do. And now we're ready to get our boots on the ground and legislate for better this next year. >> And we have a plan we think that's going to drastically help in some specific areas that will yield the kind of benefit in dollars that will you know, impact uh our our salary schedule. So, that let's let's be helpful. >> Yes. >> And then the uh the last thing, you know, one of the things that uh you guys uh have we talked a lot about is not only uh we had a board operating procedures that we're still trying to
014work through. And you know, one of the things that you don't want to do is make sure that we're all together on something. And so, at this point in time, you know, that we're going to take a little bit of break from that from what you did discuss. And then the second thing was we we uh we adopted some pretty big policies that you had requested that were to safety and security of our babies and to make sure that not only their safety, but we bring in folks that are that are going to be, you know, great for our kids. >> Correction, we didn't exactly adopt them. We had first read on them. I just want to make sure the public knows it was first read. >> And first reads are messy because it's the
015first time board the board members are able to communicate and and dialogue over policies. >> Uh we can't because of TOMA and open meetings act, we we can't have that open discussion at any point other than in a board meeting. So, >> um just for that interest and and clarification on it, I wanted to state that. But, it is our board's goal that whether it's a legislative update that we make sure that we read those policies and that they align and work for Conroe ISD. So, even though it may be may be just a standard you know, legislative update do do we need to look at it and change it in any way? And that's what all of these policies were last night. And most of them that we discussed had to do with the
016safety and security of our students and how can we make it stronger? As we tasked the district at looking just last month in the our board meeting saying we will do everything we can to do that. >> Actually, there was there was broad consensus about most of the most things that we were talking about. But the like you said the devil's in the details and we'll bring out final revision of that next month for the second reading and final approval. >> Absolutely. >> You know, that wrapped it up. You know, we have we wrapped up about 10 plus last night and but lots of good discussion and we are grateful to have the opportunity to to live and work in this district and I think all these different things that y'all were mindful about you
017know, we love our teachers. We love our kids. We love our community and all these things that we're doing here is going to make it a better place. >> I couldn't agree more and thank you for this summer break where we can focus on getting the all the pieces that we're trying to get done in a a time where we're not also focusing on educating those students in the classroom. >> My gracious, we need it. So we're doing good and you know, pray for us as we work through this whole process to make sure that we're ready and we will be for your kids next year.