The Spring ISD Board of Trustees met at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, April 12 in person, and streamed via video conferencing, to address items on the agenda. President Justine Durant called the meeting to order and the Westfield High School Army JROTC led the presentation of colors, with Battalion Cmdr. Fabiana Cisneros leading the pledges to the flags. Carrying the U.S. Flag was also Battalion Cmdr. Cisneros. Carrying the Texas Flag was Cadet Cpl. Mia Brown. The left rifle was Cadet Pvt. 1st Class Virgie Mott, and the right rifle was Cadet Pvt. 1st Class Nayeli Collazo. The Westfield High School Army JROTC is led by Maj. Charles R. Thompson.

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.

Board recognizes students named 2021-22 All-State Musicians by Texas Music Educators Association

Trustees recognized three Spring ISD students – from Dekaney High School and Spring High School – selected as 2021-22 All-State Musicians by the Texas Music Educators Association (TMEA).

“All-State is the highest individual honor a Texas music student can receive,” said Chief of Communications Lester Gretsch during his introductory remarks, “and being chosen for the All-State ensembles is an honor that goes to just a select few across the state each year – truly the cream of the crop among student-musicians.”

The All-State student-musicians representing their schools and the district at this year’s TMEA Clinic/Convention in San Antonio were:

Student: Diego Chapela-Perez
Campus: Dekaney High School
Grade: 10
Ensemble: 2022 All-State Concert Band (Alto Saxophone)

Student: Jeanna Edquist
Campus: Spring High School
Grade: 11
Ensemble: 2022 All-State Mixed Choir (Alto 1)

Student: Rafael Izquierdo Santacruz
Campus: Spring High School
Grade: 12
Ensemble: 2022 All-State Symphonic Band (B-flat Clarinet)

Students are chosen for the prestigious honor through a competitive audition process held across the state at District, Region, and Area levels before each year’s All-State musicians are finally selected. This year, approximately 1,800 students were chosen through a process that began with over 70,000 students auditioning statewide, all competing for placement in one of 18 TMEA All-State ensembles, including bands, orchestras, percussion and jazz ensembles, and choirs.

The achievement puts Chapela-Perez, Edquist, and Izquierdo Santacruz among the top 2.5% of high school student-musicians in the state, a fact pointed out by Director of Performing and Visual Arts Dr. Joe Clark during his remarks.

“Our students continue to amaze me every day, and I'm proud of their work, and of their teachers,” said Clark, before welcoming music faculty from each of the programs to help introduce the students.

Dekaney High School Director of Bands Chase Giddings said that, despite still being a sophomore, Chapela-Perez had already achieved a milestone for the campus.

“Diego is a sophomore at Dekaney High School making the all-state band,” Giddings said, “and actually he's made history for Dekaney, as he’s our first saxophonist to make the all-state band.”

Spring High School Assistant Choir Director Jessica Melancon, meanwhile, praised Edquist as an all-around talent – both in choir and in the classroom – as well as a well-rounded person.

“She's a great student, but she's a really phenomenal human being as well, and we’re really proud of her,” Melancon said.

Finally, Spring High School Assistant Band Director Jason Smith introduced Izquierdo Santacruz, saying the senior had been accepted to music programs at multiple colleges and was now weighing scholarship offers to help him fund his postsecondary goals.

“Even though he's a soft-spoken young man, not a man of many words, he's found a resounding voice in the clarinet and the study of clarinet performance,” Smith said. “He is truly an incredible young musician and brilliant young man to work with every day. We're really grateful for him.”

Clark went on to thank the students’ parents and teachers, and gave a special thanks to principals and administrators for continuing to support strong arts education in Spring ISD schools.

“I'm just so grateful for all of the campus leadership,” Clark said. “They continue to go out of their way for all their students, both in and out of the classrooms. They recognize the importance of pushing and supporting excellence in their programs, and we'd like to thank them for their leadership.”

In addition to performing with their respective all-state ensembles, participating students also receive a valuable masterclass-style learning experience during the convention, training under the baton of nationally recognized conductors during the days of rehearsal leading up to each group’s final performance.

“I'd like to congratulate Diego, Jeanna and Rafael,” said Board President Justine Durant after each of the students had been introduced. “We're very, very proud of you.”

Superintendent's Report

Superintendent Dr. Lupita Hinojosa began her remarks by asking parents, guardians, teachers, and middle school and high school students to take the School Quality Survey. 

“This survey is extremely important to us in Spring ISD administration, and also our Board,” Dr. Hinojosa said. “This survey is to get feedback, to get your feelings about our schools. It’s called the School Quality Survey, and we want to hear from our parents, our guardians, our students, and our teachers, on how we are doing.”

The survey is now open. Parents and staff can access the survey through a link sent to their Spring ISD email addresses. Students in the 6th through 12th grades can access the survey online. The survey will be open through April 24.

Dr. Hinojosa then discussed Pre-K and Kindergarten registration, which is now available to parents. Any student that will be 4 years old on or before September 1 is eligible to apply.

“It’s so very important that we get all of our little ones in, because that starts the foundation for their education,” Dr. Hinojosa said. “In reality that's our future. We've got plenty of room in our schools, we want you to come in!”

She shared that in just five days of registration, more than 500 students have applied. More information can be found at springisd.org/prek.

The superintendent then went on to recognize National Public Safety Telecommunications Week, which honors the trained professionals who are the first point of contact during an emergency, like a 9-1-1 operator. 

“We want to recognize them and we want to celebrate them,” Dr. Hinojosa said. “We want to thank them for the work that they're doing.”

Dr. Hinojosa finished her remarks by sharing an update to the Superintendent’s Stampede fundraiser, which helped raise funds to contribute toward the auction at the annual Tri-Club Livestock Show and Fair. The goal was to raise $20,000, which was exceeded by $6,000 this year. 

She shared that she had recently helped out with lunch duty at Reynolds Elementary, after the school won a challenge to become the first campus to meet their Stampede fundraising goal.

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 1

Kelly P. Hodges
Position 2

Justine Durant
Position 3

Winford Adams Jr.
Position 4

Rhonda Newhouse
Position 5

Carmen Correa
Position 6

Natasha McDaniel
Position 7

Trustee Dr. Deborah Jensen began the remarks with some comments about professional development opportunities for the Board of Trustees. She mentioned a recent training she received on cybersecurity, and how it helped her avoid two recent attacks on her own personal cell phone.

She then mentioned the parental guidance resources on raising digitally responsible children that the Spring ISD Police Department has made available on the Spring ISD website.

Trustee Natasha McDaniel shared her experience at the 2022 Tri-Club Livestock Show and Fair, her first time to attend. 

“I had a chance to talk to one of our high schoolers. She talked about how every day after school she goes straight to her animals and takes care of them, every single day,” McDaniel said “I just wanted to say kudos to all of the children who are a part of this program.”

President Justine Durant echoed those thoughts, mentioning that this busy end-of-school season is one of her favorite times of the year. 

“We get rewarded when we're able to spend time with the students and see their successes and graduation,” Durant said. 

She also mentioned that she helped judge the Capstone Projects at Carl Wunsche Sr. High School. She mentioned one student who created a machine that could help remove plastics from the ocean to be recycled. 

“I’m just really always in awe of our students and what a wonderful job they do,” Durant said. 

Vice President Winford Adams Jr. followed up with a recognition of Spring High School coach Julie Wyrick, who recently celebrated her 600th career win as a softball coach. 

“Anytime we can celebrate an educator who has spent more than two decades supporting and coaching and teaching our children, it is something worth mentioning,” Adams said.

Assistant Secretary Rhonda Newhouse finished trustee remarks by recognizing the Spring ISD Education Foundation, and their recent Grant Express, which awarded more than $20,000 to teachers across the school district.

Updates

Board Audit Committee Provides Update

Trustee Rhonda Newhouse announced the creation of the newly developed committee, which will meet monthly to provide oversight of the district’s financial statements and reporting.

“The Audit Committee and Internal Auditor, Patricia Rios, has sent out a survey request to the board members, so I would like for you to please check your email,” Newhouse said to the trustees. “We have a report that we want to bring to you next month, but we need your input from that survey.”

Board Governance Committee Provides Update

Trustee Dr. Deborah Jensen briefly discussed a recent meeting of the Board Governance Committee, where they discussed using local, state and national issues to address the district’s advocacy priorities, along with reviewing past policies.

“When we make our decision on where we're going, we really have to trim it down because we can't work for every single issue we care about, so we're going to have to prioritize,” Jensen said.”We will be trying to join other advocacy groups, and if there aren't any [groups] for our issues, we will be trying to form our own.”

Jensen also discussed the planned relaunch of the Employee Excellence Award, awarded by the Spring ISD Board of Trustees each month during the school year, recognizing district employees who exemplify the district’s guiding principles, core values and attributes outlined by the Leadership Definition.

“During the pandemic, for some reason, we were getting very few nominations,” Jensen said. “I’m going to make a plea out to the whole Spring ISD community — you can be a parent or a community member — if you know of a wonderful Spring ISD employee, please submit a nomination and you'll find that form on our website.”

Board Equity Committee Provides Update

Trustee Winford Adams Jr. provided an update of the Board Equity Committee, which he explained received a summarized training on cultural competence and awareness that will be used for a summer professional development opportunity for teachers.

“I’m not sure if the rest of the Board might like to experience the summary, but I think I’m speaking for all of the committee that we approve and think it's something that is very necessary for our students and teachers,” Adams said.

Board Community Empowerment Committee Provides Update

Trustee Kelly Hodges provided an overview of the newly created Community Empowerment Committee — formerly known as the Community Engagement Committee — formed under the leadership of President Durant. 

“The committee is essential because it is important that we work to empower our stakeholders and to work to tell our own stories,” Hodges said. “I want to thank Dr. Hinojosa for pulling together such a great group of our school leaders working on this committee. Our goal is to plan engagement activities and events that are going to empower not only our students and families, but the community as a whole.”

Hodges noted some of the upcoming events to be held by the committee, including a Mental Health Awareness Fair this month, an Anti-Bullying Fair in May, and a College Readiness Fair over the summer.

“We have some things planned throughout the rest of this quarter and during our summer months, then we're going to hit the ground running in May with planning activities for the fall, so look for a lot more information from our committee,” Hodges said.

Action Items and Presentations

Presentation on the Wunsche High School Green Phoenix Environmental Club's Tree-Plenish Project

Student leaders from the Green Phoenix Environmental Club at Carl Wunsche Sr. High School attended the meeting to give the trustees a presentation on the group’s tree-planting project, undertaken in partnership with the nonprofit group Tree-Plenish.

Originally founded by a small group of Wunsche students in 2019, the Green Phoenix Environmental Club engages in projects and activities aimed at raising environmental awareness and building a sustainable future. Despite setbacks during the pandemic, the group has grown to more than 230 student members and has completed several projects, including a disaster relief drive after Hurricane Ida and other events to help raise money toward environmental causes and sustainability programs.

This school year, the group launched its partnership with Tree-Plenish, a national volunteer-run nonprofit originally founded during the 2018-19 school year by students in Massachusetts. The group now works with students and schools across the country, providing organizational and financial support for tree-planting events specifically designed to replenish the number of trees used to satisfy each school’s annual paper requirements.

In 2021, Tree-Plenish worked with students at 85 different schools in more than a dozen states to plant close to 20,000 trees.

After spending time in the fall semester learning about Tree-Plenish and how the initiative worked, members of the Wunsche environmental club partnered with campus administrators and support staff to determine the school’s annual paper needs. Based on that, they then set their initial goal of planting 100 saplings in and around the community in order to offset the school’s paper usage.

Specifically, the Wunsche students selected three different types of trees especially well-suited to the local environment – Pin Oaks, American Sycamores, and the Bald Cypress.

“All three of these tree species were thoroughly researched by our officers and club members, and they fit well in the Spring area and the climate and habitat and soil types we have,” said Wunsche senior Sarah Taylor, the environmental club’s Vice President and co-founder. “All of them grow around 50 to 100 feet, and they take quite a while to get fully mature.”

Collectively, Taylor said these new trees will not only offset Wunsche’s paper usage, but also help make the local ecosystem healthier, providing microclimates that will support environmental diversity and sustainability, while at the same time providing beauty, shade and inspiration for students and other members of the community.

The group surpassed its initial goal, and is now set to plant 120 saplings this year.

“People don't understand how important green spaces are,” said Trustee Carmen Correa, “so it's exciting to see this happening in our district.”

The saplings will be planted along the Spring Creek Greenway and at select Spring ISD campuses. The student group is collaborating with the district’s Operations Department to identify good planting sites, including at elementary and middle school campuses.

“We do have our overall planting date as April 22, on Earth Day,” said the environmental club’s President and co-founder, Wunsche senior Lauren Jugon. “We plan to make it a big event, with lots of awareness, and this will be where we plant at the local park.”

In addition to ongoing care for the trees provided by members of the Green Phoenix Environmental Club, the group is also partnering with Laura Medick, a local arborist currently with the Harris County Precinct 4 Commissioner's Office, who will be assisting with the short- and long-term maintenance of the trees.

Following the presentation by the Wunsche students, the Board voted to approve the project and any necessary contracts with Harris County related to ongoing care of the trees. The trustees also noted the fact that – because of the students’ fundraising efforts, combined with funding provided through Tree-Plenish – the project would have no impact on the district’s budget. 

All three students thanked the Board for its support, along with the club’s faculty sponsors, Stephanie Galloway and Courtney Johnson, and Wunsche Principal Dr. Alfred James. Several of the trustees commended the Wunsche students for their efforts, including Trustee Winford Adams Jr. 

“I wanted to comment on the leadership skills that I just saw demonstrated by these students,” said Adams following the presentation. “I want to congratulate all three of you for seeing a challenge, working collaboratively to develop a solution to the challenge, and then not being stopped the first time you ran into some obstacles, and persisting and persevering to be here.”

Wunsche senior Devin Morgan, who currently serves as Secretary for the club, said the group’s current leaders were all focused on empowering younger students to continue the project and carry the initiative forward into the future.

“We want to make this thing something that lasts for a really, really long time,” Morgan told the trustees, “and with that, we want to transform Spring ISD into a sustainability-driven school district.”

Board votes to name Spring High School softball field after longtime coach Julie Wyrick

The Board voted unanimously to name Spring High School’s softball field in honor of Coach Julie Wyrick, who recently celebrated her 600th career win as a softball coach.

“We've received a request from a lot of our community members, our school namesakes, former teachers and principals in support of naming that [softball] field after Julie Wyrick,” said Board President Justine Durant.

Wyrick has been at Spring High School for 22 years, and is much beloved by current and former students and their families. During that time, Durant explained, Wyrick has led her teams to 19 playoff appearances and 10 district championships, as well as one regional final appearance and one state tournament appearance. With 600 total wins and counting, she has also been named the district’s Coach of the Year four times, and is a two-time Board of Trustees Point of Pride recipient.

Trustees discussed a recent event at the school – honoring Wyrick’s 600-win milestone – that brought a number of former students out for a surprise recognition of the school’s longtime softball coach.

“It was so much fun seeing that surprise recognition of her at the softball field and having her past players come,” said Trustee Deborah Jensen, “and seeing what amazing young women they are and what they've done with their lives.”

She also emphasized the importance of sports and other extracurricular activities as vital elements of a well-rounded education.

“I love, love, love the strong extracurricular activities Spring ISD offers all our students,” Jensen continued. “I really think that it helps them become an all-around wonderful person.”

The trustees also praised Wyrick’s commitment to the Spring ISD community and her dedicated example as an educator. 

“Whatever we can do to get more of our teachers and our people to stick around with us for 20 years and have that impact on our students, we have to figure out a way to do that,” said Trustee Winford Adams Jr.

Trustee Rhonda Newhouse added that the naming of the field was a way of honoring Wyrick’s legacy as a coach, teacher, and mentor to her players.

“I tell you her girls really show the love that they have for their coach and the relationships that she has built over the years,” Newhouse said. “I think we have a jewel in Coach Julie.”

2022-23 Budget Discussion

Spring ISD Chief Financial Officer Ann Westbrooks helped facilitate continuing discussion regarding the development of the district’s 2022-23 budget. 

During the April 7 board work session, trustees and administrators reviewed three separate recruitment and retention incentives for all current core content teachers, and for new teachers joining Spring ISD. Based on feedback, trustees were asked to vote on a resolution for the upcoming 2022-23 school year.

“We’re trying to actively recruit as well as hold on to the teachers that we have, so we do want the opportunity to let them know what it is that the district wants to do in order to keep them here — as well as bring new teachers in,” said Dr. Julie Hill, Chief of Human Resources and Human Capital Accountability.

In the end, the Board voted to approve a 2022-23 recruitment and retention incentive package for new and current teachers, including a one-time retention stipend that includes $2,000 and two wellness days.

“Our primary focus is to ensure that we recruit the best in education,” said Superintendent Dr. Lupita Hinojosa. “We also want to let our teachers know that we value them and appreciate their commitment to our students. We want them to stay in Spring ISD. Not only are we offering a retention stipend to all of our teachers, but also additional wellness days to use at their discretion. I want to thank our Board of Trustees for their continuous support in these efforts to reward our own, and for their support of our Human Resources team in recruiting the very best.”

Read more.

In other action, the Board approved:

• The minutes from the March 8, 2022 work session; and the March 22, 2022 regular meeting;

• Approval of awarding a contract for team and club shirts;

• Approval of awarding a contract for art supplies, furniture and equipment;

• Approval of awarding a contract for a warehouse management system for Distribution Services;

• Approval of the TASB Risk Management Fund Interlocal Participation Agreement (IPA); and

• Taxpayer Refunds.