CFISD Leads the Way into our 75th Anniversary School Year

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The 2014-2015 school year marks the 75th Anniversary for Cypress-Fairbanks ISD.

In a matter of days, we will step into another exciting school year for Cypress-Fairbanks ISD. This one is particularly special for us, because 2014-2015 marks the 75^th Anniversary of the 1939 merger between the Cypress and Fairbanks school systems. 

We cannot wait to get back to work and fulfill our annual theme as we Lead the Way into our 75^th school year for more than 113,000 CFISD students.

The 2014-2015 theme for CFISD is "Lead the Way."

The 2013-2014 school year was a banner one for CFISD. The following achievements represent a few among many: 

• the community overwhelmingly supported our $1.2 billion bond referendum, allowing for safety and security upgrades, transportation upgrades including elimination of the 2-mile bus rule, new facilities and renovations through the year 2020. We thank you for voting in the May election, and pledge to be wise stewards of your tax dollars for years to come; 
• our Board of Trustees passed a budget this summer that includes no increases to the tax rate; 
• the Education Resource Group rated CFISD the No. 1 district for financial and academic performance for the second consecutive year; 
• Texas Comptroller Susan Combs gave CFISD a “Platinum” Leadership Circle rating for financial transparency, and even visited our district to praise us for our model efficiency in school construction; and 
•  the inaugural Superintendent Fun Run was a community-wide success last February, and raised more than $30,000 for the Cy-Fair Educational Foundation.

The inaugural Superintendent Fun Run drew more than 3,000 participants from the community.

As you can tell, it is a good time to be part of the CFISD community. Numerous studies show that the most important factor in an area’s continued growth and development is a quality education system. Our goal is to continue a positive partnership with you so everyone can benefit from this growth.

As a sign of that upward trend, we are opening our 18^th middle school, David Anthony, Ed.D. Middle School, to students on Monday.

The 247,500-square-foot David Anthony, Ed.D. Middle School opens to students on Monday.

We are pleased that, as a result of the Bond’s passage, we will be restoring bus service to the majority of our students beginning Aug. 25. Please remember, though, that many students will continue to walk and ride bicycles to our 86 district campuses, and we want to urge drivers to exercise caution on the roads. The safety of our children is of utmost importance.

On that note, if you would like to volunteer to help our young first-time riders as a Bus Buddy, we would love to have you sign up by Aug. 22 through the community engagement department.

A total of 185 volunteers signed up to be Bus Buddies in 2013.

There are many ways to stay plugged into our educational community, regardless of whether you are a parent or an empty-nester. Residents who are 60 years or older can sign up for a Super Senior discount card through the communication department to earn free admission to CFISD athletic events, fine arts performances and high school libraries, among other perks.

More than 2,700 senior citizens are currently enrolled in the Super Senior discount program.

Whether you are new to our district or have been here for years, you are a part of our 75^th Anniversary story. As we celebrate this monumental year, we look back and honor those from Cypress, Fairbanks, Carverdale, and all of the communities that helped make this one of the fastest-growing areas not just in Texas but in the country.

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It is an honor for me to serve this fine community, which is truly a destination for educators, parents and businesses. I hope you feel at home in CFISD. Have a great year!

~ Mark Henry, Ed.D.