The Spring ISD Board of Trustees met at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, May 9, in person, and streamed via video conferencing, to address items on the agenda. President Justine Durant called the meeting to order. The Dekaney High School Wildcat Navy JROTC Battalion led the presentation of colors, with Cadet Cmdr. Andrea Villarreal leading the pledges to the flags. Carrying the U.S. Flag was Cadet Lt. Cmdr. Deisy Alcocer. Carrying the Texas Flag was Cadet Master Chief Petty Officer Gabriella Lopez. The Left Rifle Guard was Cadet Petty Officer 3rd Class Christopher Zetino. The Right Rifle Guard was Cadet Lt. Angelo Lozada. The Dekaney Wildcat Navy JROTC Battalion is led by Chief Petty Officer Victor Adams and Chief Petty Officer Robert Dunn.

Recognitions

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.

More than 200 students recognized for earning honors at regional, state and national levels

More than 200 students from across the district gathered for the annual May Board Meeting – held this year in the Dekaney High School Star Theater – to be recognized by the Spring ISD Board of Trustees for a range of individual and team accomplishments.

“I think I can speak for the entire Board of Trustees when I say this May Board meeting is the highlight of our year,” said Board President Justine Durant during the opening remarks at the start of the awards ceremony.

Students and teams with high-level achievements on the state or national level received Points of Pride awards, while Spotlight Awards were given out to students celebrating a range of additional accomplishments, including outstanding achievements at the local and regional levels or qualifying for state meets. 

“We have outstanding students here in Spring ISD, and it’s truly a pleasure and honor to be able to recognize their hard work and accomplishments in this special setting,” Durant said. “You’ll see scholars, athletes, musicians and others walk this stage tonight. They provide us all with inspiration and motivation to always strive for excellence.”

Spring ISD Superintendent Dr. Lupita Hinojosa thanked the families of the student honorees in attendance – not only for being there to celebrate their students' accomplishments, but for the longstanding support leading up to that moment.

“Our appreciation also goes to those families who are there every step of the way to encourage, support and maintain our students’ focus on finishing their goals and continuing with their education,” Hinojosa said. 

Hundreds of parents, family members, and fellow students filled the Star Theater to cheer on the honorees, while student emcees Mariah Simon and Kemarr Taylor – both members of the award-winning Westfield High School Theatre Department – announced each student’s name and recognition as they crossed the stage.

“The future looks bright for all of us,” Simon said. “It is filled with promise and hope. We just need to always remember the driving forces that brought us to this point, and to pay it forward at every opportunity we have available to us.”

For a complete list of student honorees, click here. You may also view and download photos of this year’s student honorees.

Superintendent's Report

Superintendent Dr. Lupita Hinojosa began by expressing her excitement at being able to take part in the end-of-year recognition ceremony that made up the first portion of the meeting.

“I don't know about you all, but I had chills as each one of the students came by and we read out their recognitions. It was amazing,” Hinojosa said. “We have amazing students here in Spring ISD.”

She also spoke about Teacher Appreciation Week and the district’s efforts to show support and appreciation for all Spring ISD teachers.

“We are super-excited to celebrate our teachers,” Hinojosa said, before introducing a special video created for the occasion featuring the trustees offering messages of thanks and encouragement to educators across the district.

The full video was featured on the district’s YouTube channel and other social media outlets, and can be viewed here.

“I want to thank our super-proud board members for their continued support of our teachers, and the value that they place on their service,” Hinojosa said.

She continued by discussing the upcoming Employee Recognition Banquet on Friday, May 12, where Elementary and Secondary Teachers of the Year would eventually be named.

Hinojosa said that she and other district administrators were joined by members of the Spring ISD Ministerial Alliance for a special prayer breakfast held at Northwest Assistance Ministries in honor of the National Day of Prayer, celebrated annually on the first Thursday in May.

“I'd like to thank our leaders from all the different denominations for joining together to pray for our schools,” Hinojosa said, “and for keeping our students, staff and families in their constant prayers.”

She also mentioned the Dekaney High School Saxophone Quartet, which had performed before the start of the evening’s recognition ceremony. In addition to garnering numerous regional and statewide honors, the ensemble was recently invited to participate in the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition at the University of Notre Dame. Founded in 1973, the Fischoff Competition has grown to become one of the largest and most prestigious classical chamber music competitions in the world.

“Who can't help but be super-proud when we have these amazing students here?” Hinojosa said.

Hinojosa concluded by mentioning the upcoming end of the school year and Spring ISD’s fast-approaching graduation ceremonies, and encouraged those across the district to take part in end-of-year campus events celebrating students’ accomplishments.

“Keep supporting our students, keep celebrating our students,” Hinojosa said. “I know at our campuses, we will be having lots of graduation and recognition celebrations, so keep supporting our students as they enter a new phase in their lives.”

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

Assistant Secretary Rhonda Newhouse began the remarks by discussing her recent experience witnessing high school freshman signal their commitment to pursue a career in education as they enter the district’s Education Career Pathway, followed just days later by having the opportunity to attend the Future Educators Signing Ceremony, where graduating seniors from across the district signed commitment papers to return and teach in Spring ISD after completing their college education.

“From the freshmen to the seniors, our career pathway in education is going great for our students,” Newhouse said. “We have some outstanding students to look forward to going into education in the future, so hats off to the Education Career Pathway.”

Vice President Winford Adams Jr. mentioned attending the recent Outstanding Alumni Recognition Banquet hosted by the Spring ISD Education Foundation.

“These were graduates of our system, many of them my contemporaries, so there was a lot of 80s nostalgia on that night,” Adams said. ”But the Education Foundation brought them back, held a fundraiser for upcoming graduates, and celebrated the outstanding work of alumni in the community, so I wanted to shout that out.”

Adams also mentioned his experience working through Spring ISD’s Vine Mentoring Program to mentor a student at Spring High School, and he encouraged others in the community to consider getting involved in the program.

“It's a really rewarding way to serve, if you have an hour out of your week, once a week, to go out and mentor a young person in the district and give that support to our teachers and counselors in our system,” Adams said.

Trustee Dr. Deborah Jensen commented on all the excitement surrounding the end of the school year, including the many invitations trustees receive each spring to attend celebrations, campus awards ceremonies and other end-of-year events.

“We are now getting invitations that go neck-to-neck and back-to-back – and sometimes conflict – and I wish I could be two or three places at once,” Jensen said. “But it is just such an amazing season to recognize what our students have done and what they hope to do, so it’s a wonderful time of year!”

President Justine Durant agreed, and concluded the remarks by mentioning a few upcoming events – including the annual valedictorian and salutatorian dinner – as well as recent events of note, including the G/T Expo, the Boys’ Empowerment Summit, and the Spring ISD Tri-Club Buyers Group Luncheon, which helped raise more than $20,000 for student scholarships at the 72nd annual Spring Livestock Show & Fair.

Updates

Audit Committee provides update

Assistant Secretary Rhonda Newhouse explained that the committee had been in the process of reviewing a survey of audits completed by Internal Auditor Patricia Rios at district campuses and facilities, the contents of which will next be presented to the full board during an upcoming closed session.

“I applaud Ms. Rios because she went through all of our elementary, middle and high schools to evaluate the bookkeeping at each one of those,” Newhouse said.

Board Governance Committee provides update

Trustee Dr. Deborah Jensen spoke about the committee’s work reviewing recent board policy updates, and the suggestion to move forward with establishing best-practice guidelines for trustees in accordance with recommendations from the Texas Education Agency’s Lone Star Governance framework.

“We also looked at the first iteration of advocacy items for posting on the Spring ISD website,” Jensen said. “I will tell you that the legislative activity is really fast and furious right now.”

In the busyness of the legislative session, Jensen said the board was grateful that administrators – including Superintendent Dr. Lupita Hinojosa and Chief Financial Officer Ann Westbrooks – were helping to keep the Board up to speed on pertinent legislation being introduced and debated at the State Capitol in Austin.

“We really appreciate that we have a team effort here,” Jensen said.

Jensen also thanked all those who submitted nominations for consideration for the year’s final Employee Excellence Awards, and mentioned a few additional items the committee is currently discussing, including potential updates to Spring ISD’s vision and mission statements.

Trustee Natasha McDaniel added mention of a recent trip to Austin with Raise Your Hand Texas and the progression of House Bill 4402 from the Texas House to the Senate.

“It's one of the bills that adds more indicators to the accountability system, and it actually passed pretty overwhelmingly yesterday in the House,” McDaniel said, “so just encouraging everybody to continue to follow what's happening – just as Trustee Jensen mentioned – with what's happening in the Legislature, continuing to call and email and share information with family and friends as the legislative session continues.”

Board President Justine Durant added that, with so much legislation on the table that could potentially impact Texas public schools, she appreciated the dedication and commitment of her fellow trustees to monitoring the legislative process and advocating for the district.

“I want to applaud this Board for being so engaged,” Durant said, “and partnering with other boards – as well as other organizations – to speak up, speak loud, and make sure that our elected officials are advocating and making decisions that are best for our kids here in Spring ISD.”

Equity Committee provides update

Vice President Winford Adams Jr. talked briefly about the committee’s work to support the district’s cross-functional budget committee, which is seeking to identify budget cuts in order to prepare Spring ISD for the phaseout of federal funding through the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund (ESSER), originally established by Congress to support schools during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Community Engagement Committee provides update

Board President Justine Durant presented a report submitted by Board Secretary Kelly P. Hodges, who attended the meeting virtually. 

“The Community Engagement Committee has compiled the feedback from the Table Talks and Building Bridges events that we hosted,” Durant read. “The summary will be posted to the Spring ISD website. You will see the strides that have been made in the first 30 and 60 days after the outreach events, and the plans for the next 90 days.”

Hodges added thanks to all of the staff, teachers, and community members who provided feedback to the Board, as well as to Executive Director of Family & Community Engagement Tranita Carroll and Chief Communications Officer Shane Strubhart for their assistance in compiling the data.

Action Items and Presentations

In other action, the Board approved:

• Minutes from the March 29, 2023 special called session; April 6, 2023 work session; and the April 11, 2023 regular meeting;

• 2023-24 Optional Flexible School Day Program (OFSDP) for Momentum High School (Annual Renewal);

• First Reading of Proposed Revisions Affecting the Following Board Policies:

  • DMA(LOCAL) - PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT - REQUIRED STAFF DEVELOPMENT

  • BDB(LOCAL) - Board Internal Organization - Internal Committees

  • CKC(LOCAL) - SAFETY PROGRAM/RISK MANAGEMENT - EMERGENCY PLANS

  • FNG(LOCAL) - STUDENT RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES -STUDENT AND PARENT COMPLAINTS/GRIEVANCES

  • FO(LOCAL) - STUDENT DISCIPLINE;

• Lease Agreement Between Spring ISD and Site Concepts, Inc. for a Wireless Communications Facility and Tower;

• Interlocal Agreement Between Spring ISD and the Texas General Land Office to Supply Natural Gas to Spring ISD Buildings;

• Master Job Order Contracts for districtwide projects;

• Request for Proposals (RFP) #23-016 - Physical Education (PE) Uniforms;

• Request for Proposals (RFP) #23-017 - Medical Products, Supplies and Services;

• Request for Proposal (RFP) #23-020 - Tax Office Collections Software;

• Approval of Construction Costs for the Renovation of Clark Primary to Accommodate Spring Leadership Academy and the Renovation of Spring Leadership Academy to Momentum High School;

• List of Investment Brokers/Dealers (Recurring Item);

• Resolution Adopting Prevailing Wage Rates for Construction Projects; and

• Taxpayer refunds (Recurring item).