Cy-Fair Edition | November 2023

Education

BY DAVE MANNING

Cy-Fair ISD explores District of Innovation designation process The Cy-Fair ISD board voted 7-0 on Oct. 9 to initiate the exploration of the District of Innovation designation from the Texas Education Agency. The DOI designation allows districts to have exibility in school calendars, and the TEA’s website lists 968 districts across the state that have the designation, including neighboring Katy, Tomball, Klein and Spring Branch ISDs. The board last discussed pursuing this designa- tion in 2019 but did not move forward with it. Current situation The Districtwide Educational Improvement Council, which is made up of teachers, parents, community members and business leaders, will develop a DOI plan and, if approved, bring it before the board for approval later this year.

Cy-Fair ISD lowers property tax rate

District of Innovation exemptions

Not exempt: • Elected board of trustees • Curriculum and graduation requirements • Bilingual and special education programs • Open meetings

Potentially exempt: • Uniform start date • Class size and 22:1 student/teacher ratio • Teacher beneits, including state minimum salary, duty-free lunch and planning periods

The Cy-Fair ISD school board approved the scal year 2023-24 tax rate of $1.0811 per $100 valuation—a 16.5% reduction from FY 2022-23—during its meeting Oct. 9. District ocials said this is the lowest property tax rate in 37 years. The details The tax rate includes: • $0.6811 for maintenance and operations, or day-to-day district costs • $0.40 for servicing the district’s existing debt As part of the tax proposal adopted, CFISD also oers a local optional homestead exemp- tion of 20% of the appraised value of a home in addition to the $40,000 state exemption.

SOURCES: CYFAIR ISD, TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCYCOMMUNITY IMPACT

What’s next • November: The DEIC will host a public meeting to discuss the plan and then vote on the plan. • December: If approved, the DEIC will present its plan to trustees who will then vote on the plan. The plan would then be posted online and shared with the TEA. • January/February: The school calendar commit- tee meeting will be held, and the board will vote on the calendar resolution.

Whatever happens in our community, we’re here, ready to serve. Providing Level I trauma care at Ben Taub Hospital for people experiencing the worst day of their lives. Reaching out to families struggling to find or afford healthy food. Offering the gold standard in nursing at our Magnet®-recognized Lyndon B. Johnson Hospital. Treating everyone with respect, compassion and gratitude for giving us the opportunity to care for them, work with them, know them. You may not know our name. And that’s okay.

YOU’LL KNOW US BY THE WORK WE DO.

CYFAIR EDITION