Education
BY ANGELA BONILLA, WESLEY GARDNER & JULIANNA WASHBURN
TISD considers new dual language feeder The Tomball ISD board of trustees could consider a new dual language feeder program throughout the district. In a nutshell At the district’s Oct. 13 workshop meeting, Chief Academic Officer Michael Webb proposed a dual language program that would begin in one of the district’s elementary schools and eventually feed into Tomball High School. Webb said the elementary school in the feeder program will be determined after the district gets its demographic report. The district will have to determine whether the new feeder program will be a one- or two-way dual language program based on space, availability and cost, he said. Conroe ISD approves policies following new state legislation The Conroe ISD board of trustees on Oct. 21 approved 11 new district policies as a result of legislation passed by the 89th Texas Legislature earlier this year. The setup The slate of new education laws at the state level includes updated requirements from Senate Bill 12 that aim to expand parental authority on students’ moral, religious, educational and medical decisions, Community Impact previously reported. Among the updated policies adopted in October in accordance with SB 12 are one providing guid- ance on teaching controversial subjects, requiring instruction to be objective and based on Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills requirements, according to meeting materials. CISD Superintendent David Vinson told the board and public at the Oct. 21 meeting there are two types of policy—legal policy to comply with Texas laws and local policy adopted by trustees
Lone Star College lowers tax rate
Adopted policies include:
Board Policy EA: The policy covers where the district will post class syllabuses. Board Policy BED: The policy requires that parents of enrolled students can speak first during public comment. Board Policy FM: The policy pertains to student participation in student activity groups, establishing certain prohibitions and guidelines.
Lone Star College System board members on Oct. 2 voted to lower the system’s property tax rate for fiscal year 2025-26. The action taken The board unanimously approved a FY 2025-26 tax rate of $0.1060 per $100 valuation, down from last year’s rate of $0.1076. The board passed a balanced budget of $548 million for FY 2025-26 on Aug. 7, which included a 3% raise for staff. Projected revenue for the FY 2025-26 budget increased by about $35 million compared to last year.
SOURCE: CONROE ISD/COMMUNITY IMPACT
Conroe ISD developing 2026-27 calendar Conroe ISD is in the process of developing a calendar for the 2026-27 school year, which officials expect will be presented for approval to the board of trustees in January. What to know Hedith Sauceda-Upshaw, the district’s assis- tant superintendent for teaching and learning, discussed the calendar at an Oct. 21 board of trustees meeting. As a District of Innovation, the district has the flexibility for the first day of school to occur before Aug. 25. Even with this flexibility, there is a minimum of 75,600 instructional minutes in the school year, Sauceda-Upshaw said. She said the calendars affect planning for families and the region. “Our calendar greatly affects all family schedules [and] it affects the county as a whole. that can be clarified or expanded. He said the cellphone ban, which was adopted at the Aug. 22 meeting to take effect this school year, is another example of a legal policy based on state law, as previously reported by Community Impact . “I think it’s important for the public to know when you pass a policy, it’s not just, ‘Here’s a group of stuff’ and you approve it, but that you actually have five steps that we take,” Vinson said. Those steps include determining policy needs; research and drafting; legal review, and first and second readings, he said. The board adopted 11 policies at the Oct. 21 meeting and 12 more are in process to potentially be adopted in November, Vinson said.
Tax rate reduced Maintenance and operations FY 2024-25 $0.0757
Interest and sinking
$0.0319 Total: $0.1076 Total: $0.106 $0.0275
FY 2025-26
$0.0785
NOTE: PER $100 VALUATION SOURCE: LONE STAR COLLEGE SYSTEM/COMMUNITY IMPACT
Upcoming plans Dec. 8-17: Additional community survey Jan. 14: Consider feedback Jan. 20: Board could adopt calendar Suggested 2026-27 holidays Election Day: Nov. 3, 2026 Spring holiday: March 26, 2027 Memorial Day: May 31, 2027
SOURCE: CONROE ISD/COMMUNITY IMPACT
If Conroe ISD is not in session, neither are most daycares,” Sauceda-Upshaw said. She later clari- fied there are several area preschools that follow the CISD calendar. Digging deeper The calendars can work as a recruitment tool, especially with the flexibility for work days for the teachers to meet the required 187 days, Sauceda-Upshaw said.
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