The Spring ISD Board of Trustees met at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, April 13 at the Gordon M. Anderson Leadership Center to address items on the agenda. President Rhonda Newhouse called the meeting to order and led the United States and Texas pledges of allegiance.

Since January 1984, the Board has recognized students and staff for major accomplishments beyond the District with Points of Pride awards. ABCD awards are presented to individuals or groups that go Above and Beyond the Call of Duty.

Points of Pride

Trustees Recognize Two National Medalists in 2021 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards Contest

Trustees began by recognizing two Spring ISD seniors recently honored as National Medalists in the 2021 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. The students include:

• Ruth Hardy (Spring High School), Silver Medal in the National Competition for her work "Real Fear"

• Ashley Romero (Spring Early College Academy), Silver Medal in the National Competition for her work "Dysphoria"

Both students qualified for the national-level Scholastic Art & Writing Awards competition after their individual submissions earned Gold Keys earlier this semester in the regional-level event, overseen by the Harris County Department of Education (HCDE).

Across the U.S., more than 80,000 students submitted nearly 230,000 entries to this year’s competition. Out of those 230,000 individual art and writing submissions, approximately 2,000 received National Medals this year – with less than one percent of students’ individual works receiving recognition at the national level.

“We would also like to both congratulate and thank their teachers,” said Visual Arts Coordinator Amanda Byers during her presentation, going on to offer special thanks to Spring High School art teacher Lizbeth Ramagnoli, who worked with Hardy on her Scholastic piece, and Spring Early College Academy art teacher Val Hassel, who helped coordinate Romero’s writing submission for the contest. “And while this is not our first national award in art, this is the first time in recent memory that a student placed at the national level in the Scholastic writing contest.”

Byers also thanked Spring High School Principal Diaka Melendez and Spring Early College Academy Principal Kristine Guidry for their leadership and support of the arts on their campuses.

“And, lastly, thank you to both Ruth’s parents and Ashley's parents for sharing these amazing young scholars with us and supporting their creative efforts at every turn,” Byers said.

This year, 21 Spring ISD students received awards at the regional level, including seven students whose Gold Key awards in that event qualified their works to be judged in the national competition.

“The district is proud of all of these talented young artists and writers,” Byers said, “and grateful for the opportunity to recognize both Ruth Hardy and Ashley Romero for placing at the national level in this year’s Scholastic Art & Writing Awards competition.”

The trustees also gave a special Excellence in Visual Art Point of Pride award to Spring High School senior Ruth Hardy for her broad range of accomplishments and consistent high placement in art competitions.

“As you know, a Point of Pride is given to a scholar for placing first or second at the state or national level,” said Visual Arts Coordinator Amanda Byers. “But what happens when a scholar repeatedly places at the state or national level? Well, tonight we get to celebrate such a student.”

Hardy was honored for consistently receiving high marks across numerous important visual art competitions, include the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards Contest, the Texas Visual Arts Scholastic Event, the Pearl Fincher Museum of Fine Arts Student Art Contest, the Spring ISD Rodeo Art Contest, and the annual Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo School Art Contest, where Hardy’s piece “The Chicken Whisperer” was one of a select group of entries chosen for this year’s official School Art Auction in May.

“These are the competitions that we in Spring ISD consider the gold standard,” Byers said. “Over the course of her high school career, Ruth has collected numerous awards; however, this year, she has risen to new heights and has represented Spring ISD with nearly unmatched distinction.” 

Hardy earned a perfect score of four at the Texas Art Education Association’s Visual Arts Scholastic Event (VASE) and qualified for this year’s State VASE. She also won Best of Show in Spring ISD’s Rodeo Art Contest before her piece went on to be selected as one of only 72 to go to auction through the school art contest at the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo. Earlier in April, another of her pieces was selected in the competitive Pearl Fincher Museum of Fine Arts Student Art Contest, and will be on display at the museum through May 1. 

“Ruth’s work is truly remarkable and she has a sophisticated style all her own,” Byers told trustees. “Ruth works to represent the underrepresented through her art and, in her own words, ‘My goal with my artwork is to shine light on others and provide a fresh perspective by showing the viewer what is in my mind and how I see the world. I work to make art for everyone, and to one day become a household name while I'm alive.’”

Byers also pointed out the contributions of Spring High School art teachers Edward Barnett and Lizbeth Ramagnoli – both of whom have worked as teachers with Hardy – and Spring High School Principal Diaka Melendez, together with other district leaders.

“This accomplishment would not have been possible without the support of our district’s leadership team, Dr. Watson, and our wonderful Board of Trustees, who understand the importance of ensuring a meaningful education that is rich in fine arts,” Byers said.

Trustees Recognize Spring High School Navy JROTC Cadet for National Academic Achievement Award

Trustees also recognized Spring High School senior and Navy JROTC Cadet Commander McKenzie Abbott, who was selected as the Area 10 winner of the Joseph C. Gilliam Academic Achievement Award. The Gilliam Award annually recognizes one cadet from each Navy JROTC area for outstanding academic achievement. This year, Abbott is one of only 13 recipients nationwide to receive the honor.

“I couldn’t believe it,” said Abbott before the meeting. “I was honestly really shocked, but I’m super excited that I was chosen to be one of the recipients.”

The Gilliam Award recognizes one cadet from each Navy JROTC area, and is extremely competitive, with senior naval science instructors from around the country able to nominate only one cadet from their program each year. After her selection and nomination from Spring High School’s own Lion Regiment – the largest Navy JROTC unit in Texas and one of the largest in the country – Abbott was then further chosen over 62 other Area 10 Navy JROTC unit nominees based on her academic achievement and high GPA, overall cadet performance, and an essay she wrote in response to the question, "How do you meet the challenges of leadership during COVID-19 in your unit and personal life?"

The award was established more than 40 years ago to honor outstanding cadets who balance exemplary work in their Navy JROTC activities with excellence in academics. Along with the board recognition, Abbott – who in her role as Cadet Commander serves as the regiment’s executive officer and second-in-command – will also receive a certificate and medal from the Thomas and Elliot M. Senn Memorial Fund. 

“I am thrilled that McKenzie Abbott was selected for the Joseph C. Gilliam Academic Achievement Award and that she’s being honored here tonight,” said the unit’s lead instructor, retired U.S. Navy Capt. Tim Symons, during his presentation to trustees. “She's an incredibly hard worker who leads by example. She's a great teammate who consistently seeks to help out others at every opportunity. McKenzie is certainly a source of pride for the NJROTC program writ large, and I can think of no one more deserving for this Spring ISD Point of Pride recognition.” Read more.

Superintendent's Report

Superintendent Dr. Rodney E. Watson started his remarks by recognizing the Week of the Young Child, which began Monday, April 12 and extends through Friday, April 16. “We are celebrating this event with a program of virtual activities every day at our Spring ISD Community Engagement Center,” Watson said, noting the importance of early education. 

He went on to note that the district’s annual pre-K and kindergarten round-up is well underway, with the goal of enrolling new students at their neighborhood school or at the district’s newest program. 

“This year, for the first time, we’re inviting families from across the district to consider our new pre-K program at the School for International Studies at Bammel, which will be offering a dual-language program,” he said. “This program is open to any pre-K student, regardless of attendance zone, and will be a great opportunity to develop bilingual and bicultural skills.” For more information on the district’s pre-K program, visit

He then urged everyone to mark their calendars for the 70th Annual Spring Livestock Show and Fair, which will be taking place Thursday, April 22 through Saturday, April 24 at the Nagy Pavilion on Hardy Road.

“This will be an in-person event with masks and social distancing and will give our Tri-Club students the opportunity to showcase all of their hard work from over the past year,” he said. A highlight of the event will be the auction on Saturday, April 24. “We hope to see everyone out to support our students, who have worked hard, especially during the pandemic.” 

To close out his remarks, Watson highlighted the discussion the Board of Trustees had last week on the district’s summer school program, which is being designed to help students enrich and accelerate their learning to overcome any learning loss because of COVID-19.

“We’re going to be offering both in-person classes and virtual opportunities for three weeks in June and – for some students – into July,” Watson said. Earlier Tuesday, he sent a special video message to the district’s very best educators to encourage them to consider teaching this summer for premium pay. 

Trustees Remarks

At each regular board meeting, during Opening Remarks, each board member is given the opportunity to share information with those present.

Deborah
Jensen
Position 1Kelly P.
Hodges
Position 2Justine
Durant
Position 3Winford
Adams Jr
Position 4Rhonda
Newhouse
Position 5Donald
Davis
Position 6Jana
Gonzales
Position 7

Trustee Donald Davis recognized Westfield High’s JROTC for their recent accreditation from the U.S. Army. In order for the program to remain in Spring ISD, Davis stated that the unit must meet accreditation standards – even during the ongoing pandemic.

“I’m proud to announce that Westfield scored 97.3 percent out of 100 points,” said Davis. “I'm excited because it was the highest score in the school’s history of the program. They will continue to get slots for Congressional scholarships in the future.”

Davis also recognized former Westfield student Mariah Campbell, who was recently crowned as Miss Texas Southern University.

Trustee Dr. Deborah Jensen congratulated the Mustang Players at Westfield High School for their advancement to the Regional Finals in the 2021 UIL One-Act Play Contest. The group’s Regional Finals performance will take place on Friday, April 16 in Waco. Jensen also recognized Spring High School’s Lion Players Theatre Company for their UIL One-Act Play Contest entry, which she says was a hilarious in-person comedy show.

“Everything was socially distanced, we wore masks and even the actors wore masks, so I felt very safe,” Jensen stated.

Trustee Winford Adams Jr. echoed Jensen’s remarks on the recent theater performances at Westfield and Spring high schools.

“I want to particularly give kudos to the actresses that participated in the play ‘Eclipsed’ – it's a riveting story,” said Adams. “And the performances, even behind masks, were really impressive, so I want to give those ladies and their instructor a round of applause.”

President Rhonda Newhouse congratulated Dekaney High School’s Wildcat football team for being recognized recently at the Touchdown Club Luncheon. The team was one of 10 6-A finalists for the Sportsmanship Award, presented annually by Fellowship of Christian Athletes and the Touchdown Club of Houston. In addition, Newhouse recognized two seniors for their academic and athletic excellence.

“We have one young man [Elroyal Morris], who is receiving a full ride and football scholarship to Rice University, and another young man [Gabriel Rivas], who is attending Houston Baptist University,” said Newhouse. “Both of them were recognized for academics and scholarships at the Touchdown Club Luncheon last week, so congratulations to them as well as Dekaney.”

Updates

Board Governance Committee Provides Update on Legislative Priorities

Trustees provided an update on the four major priorities for the district, which include addressing COVID-19, equity, public school finance, and charter schools.

COVID-19

Trustee Dr. Deborah Jensen addressed the Texas Legislature to help provide the district with extra support and to identify the needs of students during and after the pandemic. “This is a big deal that we would really appreciate the state of Texas to prioritize helping school districts with this,” said Jensen, mentioning that the pandemic has affected how virtual and in-person students are being reached, curriculum and instruction, and maintenance and cleaning of school campuses.

Equity

Trustee Winford Adams Jr. gave an overview of the district’s priority to encourage diversity and cultural awareness in Spring ISD, stating the Board’s ongoing work with the Equity Committee. “There is some work being done in the Texas Legislature around issues of curriculum, particularly as it relates to social studies, so there's some opportunities there,” he said.

Public School Finance

Jensen reported on some legislative bills currently being supported by state leadership, including House Bill 3 which aims to provide funding to school districts that have seen enrollment and attendance declines amid the ongoing pandemic. “The  good news right now is that it looks like House Bill 3 from the last legislature will be funded,” Jensen said. “I really compliment the State of Texas for standing up to their promises made two years ago and to keep that level of funding up.”

Charter Schools

Jensen then addressed the ongoing concern of funding for charter schools in comparison to public school districts in Texas. “We have not lost huge amounts of students to charter schools, but we feel that this is a systemic issue across the State of Texas, where taxpayer dollars are going into schools that are not always up to snuff compared to public schools,” she said.

During the meeting, Jensen also presented a new Spring ISD Governance Committee Legislative Update, which includes the district's top legislative priorities, Texas Senate and House Bills of Interest, ways people can make their voices heard and other next steps for anyone seeking more resources and information.

Among all the legislative activity this year, the newsletter identifies four top bills to watch, including:

• HB 1525 State Funding: House Bill 3 “clean up” bill to fix multiple issues

• HB 3445 Fund Balance: Requires use of excess funds to pay down debt, cut taxes, etc. instead of building a fund balance for disasters, such as hurricanes and pandemics

• HB 1391 Tax Rate Election (TRE): Makes a tax rate election hazardous for school support, may result in an even lower tax rate

• HB 4465 Stimulus Funding: Gives the TEA Commissioner control of federal stimulus funding intended for public schools by means of state control of TEA grant programs

To read the Spring ISD Governance Committee Legislative Update, click here. 

Presentations and Discussions

Board Hears Details on Z Pass+ Notification System for Bus Riders

Trustees heard about a new rider visibility system that the district is planning to implement for the 2021-22 school year to help boost student safety and keep parents informed about the location of their child’s bus. 

“This was part of the safety and security program for the 2016 bond,” said Executive Chief of District Operations Mark Miranda. 

Students will carry a small card that they will swipe upon entering or exiting the bus. The information is then instantly and securely available to parents, who can receive notifications directly to their computer or cell phone via the MyView app, which is available for free download. Parents can create and set alerts to let them know when the bus enters their neighborhood or gets close to the drop-off point, which is especially helpful on bad weather days. 

In response to trustee questions, Miranda noted that the new system is an extension of how the district is already keeping track of its buses with global positioning data. 

He also said the system will help the district better assess bus riding trends, including data on overall ridership and which bus stops have the most activity.

The district’s transportation staff will be able to use the realtime tracking to enhance safety protocols, including ensuring no child is left on the bus at the end of the route, adding another layer of protection in case of children who get off at wrong stops, and better and faster notifications in cases of emergency.

Board members also questioned the new program’s privacy features, which Miranda assured them are secure and cannot be used to track students except for when they badge on and off the buses.

Action Items

Trustees Approved 2021-22 Additional Days School Year Calendar for Clark Primary and Clark Intermediate

On Tuesday evening, the Spring ISD Board of Trustees approved a 2021-22 Additional Days School Year (ADSY) calendar for the 2021-22 school year that will have Clark Primary and Clark Intermediate students starting classes on July 19, 2021 and finishing on June 22, 2022.

The approved calendar is one of two innovative options recently presented to the Clark Primary and Clark Intermediate staff and community during a town hall meeting and followed by a survey. Under the approved ADSY calendar, students will attend school 15 days before the start of the district’s 2021-22 calendar and 15 days beyond the last day. Students at both the Clarks will attend school for four days a week during the summer until June 22, 2022.

The Additional Days School Year (ADSY) is a program provided by the Texas Education Agency (TEA) that provides elementary schools in Texas with additional half-day funding to add up to 30 additional days of school to prevent the summer slide. The effort is designed to help students stay on track to maximize achievement gains.

Trustees received a presentation on the program at their work session, held on April 8. 

“We held parent town hall meetings to inform our parents about ADSY and how excited we are to be receiving this TEA grant, which will help us to close the achievement gap for our students,” Clark Primary Principal Cynthia Gomez told trustees during that meeting.

Both options represent a different approach to the traditional school year, with the school year starting in July and ending the following year in June. One of the goals of the program is to help schools rethink their daily schedule to include more planning time for teachers, as well as opportunities for students to have more brain breaks and play time.

At the work session, trustees not only heard from the principals of the two ADSY campuses but also from parents who took part in the planning process.

“I just want to thank Clark Primary for allowing me to be a part of the process,” said parent Nakita Atkins, a parent of a special needs pre-K student. “This is a big decision and it affects families greatly, so I’m glad that we were able to have a say so, and voice our opinions and concerns when it comes to decisions that affect the whole family.”

In Other Action the Board Approved:

• Minutes from the March 4 Board Work Session, the March 9 Regular Meeting, and the March 26 and 27 Board Workshops;

• The prevailing wage rates for school construction trades for the Texas Gulf Coast Area, prepared by PBK Architects with an effective date of June 12, 2019;

• Second reading of proposed revisions to Board Policy EIA(LOCAL), EIC(LOCAL), EIE(LOCAL) – To update grading and grading cycle policies for a nine-week grading cycle at the secondary grade levels;

• Second Reading of TASB Local Update 116, including CQB(LOCAL) regarding technology resources and cybersecurity; DCD(LOCAL) in reference to employment practices and at-will employment; FFAC(LOCAL) on wellness and health services and medical treatment; GKA(LOCAL) on community relations and conduct on school premises;

• Taxpayer refunds;

• Extending the contract for Funds of Independent School Districts under Texas Education Code, Chapter 45, Subchapter G; specifically, Bank Depository Services with BBVA Compass for an additional two-year term;

• An additional renewal term, up to one year, for the previously awarded Custodial Supplies contracts;

• Authorizing the superintendent or designee to negotiate, execute, and amend contracts for the Summer 2021 CMAR projects.