Safety & security in CFISD

The last several weeks have been difficult for many throughout our state. Our hearts remain with those impacted by the May 24 tragedy at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde CISD, and we join the Tomball and Cypress communities in mourning the members of the Collins family who lost their lives on June 2. 

Following the Uvalde tragedy, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott called for special legislative committees to be convened to prevent future school shootings. The governor requested for recommendations to be made in five key areas—school safety, mental health, social media, police training and firearm safety. This summer, we will be reviewing all of our safety and security measures in order to see if we are doing the best possible job of protecting students and staff. However, I wanted to take some time to summarize how CFISD has previously made efforts in each of these components.

School safety
In 2011, CFISD formed its own law enforcement agency to enhance safety and security throughout the district.

• The department, which recently celebrated its 10^th anniversary, has expanded to more than 100 fully commissioned, well-trained officers and has added four K-9s that specialize in narcotics and gunpowder / explosives detection.
• The current assignment of officers is two per high school, one per middle school and zoned support for elementary schools.
• During its June 13 meeting, the CFISD Board of Trustees approved a budget that included funding for six additional police officers to help expand districtwide patrol coverage.
• The CFISD police department (CFPD)’s upgraded telecommunication systems allow the department to maintain close communication with neighboring law enforcement agencies in the event of an emergency.
• The CFPD monitors and patrols the district 365 days a year. In addition, CFISD police dispatch can be reached 24/7 at 281-897-4337.

In 2017, we expanded the office of emergency management (OEM) to complement the CFPD.

• This department conducts districtwide security audits to ensure all campuses are adequately prepared for emergencies.
• In 2018-2019, we worked with an outside consultant (True North Consulting) to prepare for safety recommendations for the 2019 bond program.
• The CFISD OEM implemented Navigate 360 technology to house all campus floorplans and emergency operation plans (EOP) for quick access in facilitating a coordinated emergency response with other emergency response agencies and track emergency drills and training. The EOP also outlines Traumatic Injury Response Protocol.

The 2014 bond program dedicated $55 million to safety and security upgrades including:

• secured vestibules at all campuses;
• bullet-resistant glass at front entrances;
• additional security cameras;
• lockdown panic buttons;
• card reader access locks; and
• security intrusion panels.

The 2019 bond program dedicated $207.6 million to even more safety and security enhancements, including:

• segmentation of open-concept floor plans in elementary schools;
• fencing around portable buildings and playgrounds;
• classroom phones;
• impact-resistant glass on doors and high-traffic areas;
• secure vestibule enhancements;
• replacement of classroom door hardware;
• addition of door prop alarms; and
• additional lockdown buttons and card reader access locks.

We have made significant progress on these projects; for example, classroom phones have all been installed and campus fencing is scheduled for completion by the end of the year. Major renovation projects including security upgrades are being completed in seven phases, and the third phase is currently under construction.

In 2018-2019, we implemented a clear backpack policy for all secondary students as well as a clear bag policy for visitors to Pridgeon and Cy-Fair FCU stadiums.

All campuses have implemented procedures for limiting entry points for faculty, students and visitors before and during the instructional day as well as between main and portable buildings. Their specific procedures are updated annually within the campus emergency operations plan and submitted for review to CFPD and the OEM.

The CFISD Safety and Security Committee was expanded in 2018 to help plan for heightened security protocols while remaining in close communication with district and campus leaders, as well as district and local law enforcement agencies and first responders. The committee meets regularly throughout the year.

Mental health
Through collaborations and partnerships among three different departments—guidance and counseling, psychological services and CFPD—the district mental health intervention team (MHIT) was formed in 2018-2019.

• The MHIT is comprised of four licensed professional counselors, two licensed psychologists and two mental health police officers.
• This unique and creative team was established for the purpose of developing a more proactive, targeted, and safe approach to dealing with mental health issues in our district.

We know that positive relationships are key in deterring potential situations, and our counselors work to maintain these with students throughout our campuses.

• Our Board of Trustees approved an additional elementary counselor allocation beginning in the 2020-2021 school year.
• Currently, CFISD has allocated 288 counseling positions. Depending on enrollment, each elementary school has 2-3 counselors, each middle school has 3-4 counselors and each high school has 8-9 counselors.
• Other initiatives include Positive Behavior Intervention Support (PBIS) methodology and campus mentoring programs.

All campus staff are required to complete mental health assessment training. CFISD elementary and secondary counselors are trained on completing threat assessment interviews using information compiled from recognized national curriculum.

Social media
Besides being available to respond in the time of a crisis, CFPD officers provide many proactive measures, such as:

• investigating all potential threats;
• monitoring social media through a collaboration with the Fusion Center;
• fielding Cy-Fair Tipline reports;
• making home visits;
• mentoring students; and
• providing classroom presentations.

Campus administrators, CFPD and our student services department routinely investigate social media tips and threats, and our students are continually reminded that if they see something, say something!

Police training
The CFPD routinely undergoes annual training and professional development for all officers and command staff, adapting to the latest state and local law enforcement standards.

• CFPD officers have attended “Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training (ALERRT)” and have also completed the state-mandated “TCOLE Active Shooter Response For School-Based Law Enforcement (#2195) Training,” and many officers will complete the trainings this summer.
• In addition, officers train yearly for “Use of Force/Active Shooter” incidents and often use campuses. This summer, officers will attend an active shooter response refresher course.
• In the summer of 2021, the OEM held “Active Incident Training” for CFPD officers.
• The OEM also conducted a “Reunification Functional Exercise” for a CFISD campus in the spring of 2022. This functional exercise is planned for all CFISD campuses.
• All CFPD officers will join health services staff in becoming certified in “Stop the Bleed” training, and will train campus staff during August professional development week to prepare for bleeding emergencies.
• All officers are trained in ALERRT’s “Civilian Response to Active Shooter Events,” or CRASE, and will provide the training to all campus staff in August.

Firearm safety
In addition to the CFPD’s regular internal training on firearm safety, the district posts signage outside of every campus reminding the public that firearms are not permitted on CFISD property. Campuses received updated signage the last week of school that will be displayed in time for the 2022-2023 school year.

 

As we have demonstrated over the last decade, CFISD will continue to review and evaluate and determine further safety and security enhancements and/or modifications that are needed moving forward.

We are determined to keep our schools the safest possible environments for students and staff.

~ Mark Henry, Ed.D.

Winter weather event update #3

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I wanted to provide you another update with additional information that we have learned since my letter to you yesterday. Although we are all eager to welcome our students back to school, there are a number of concerns we are still addressing across the district.

While power has become much more reliable in the last day, potable water continues to be an issue. Mayor Turner announced late yesterday that the City of Houston could be on a boil-water notice until possibly Monday. In addition, a large number of our campuses are located in municipal utility districts (MUDs) that have boil-water notices. We suffered total food loss at many of our schools. As I shared with you yesterday, several of our campuses sustained major water damage. In addition, one-fifth of our portable buildings were negatively impacted. Our maintenance and operations teams continue to work diligently to address the issues and make repairs. Damage to Swenke Elementary School was extensive, and a separate communication will be shared later today regarding plans for our Swenke students and staff.

After much discussion, we have decided that Monday, Feb. 22 will be a staff work day (no student instruction either on-campus or remote). On-campus instruction and CFISD Connect remote learning will resume on Tuesday, Feb. 23. Extracurricular activities resumed today and will continue next week as previously scheduled.

Not only will Monday provide us with an extra day for water quality to improve across the district, but it will also allow more time for our nutrition services team to restock food that was lost, maintenance and operations teams another day to repair damaged facilities, and teachers time to get into their classrooms and assess any damage they may have incurred to their instructional materials or classroom technology before students return.

Thank you for your continued support during this trying time, as I know many of you are dealing with your own challenges this week regarding water damage. We will continue to monitor and assess the situation throughout the district, and I will provide you with another update tomorrow.

 ~ Mark Henry, Ed.D.

Winter weather event update #1

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This has been a very difficult week for Texas and our community.

Extended below-freezing temperatures and resulting power outages throughout our state and region took their toll. Many of you were without heat and water for longer than anyone should have to endure. Ruptured pipes caused damage to many CFISD facilities and impacted countless employees’ and community members’ homes. The impact of the destruction from this unprecedented freeze will be felt for weeks and months to come.

In addition to the water damage, many schools’ food supplies were completely lost due to the sustained outages. Combined with the fact that several campuses are in areas where there was unreliable water service, we felt that it was best to close our schools this week in order to allow more time for recovery and restoration. 

I am very thankful for our outstanding maintenance and operations teams, who have already made great progress with inspection, clean-up and repairs that will continue throughout the weekend. Kudos to all the staff members working overtime to help us safely resume our school year as soon as possible. We are still hopeful that we will be able to return on Monday.

Restoration crews at Langham Creek High School, top, and Swenke Elementary work to clean up water from the floors following this week’s freezing temperatures that caused pipe damage to campuses.

We received confirmation from Texas Education Agency (TEA) Commissioner Mike Morath that CFISD will receive a waiver for the missed instructional days, exempting us from adding additional days at the end of 2020-2021. Although we lost a week of instruction, we will make sure our students catch up while providing additional support for those who need it.

I don’t need to tell you how challenging of a school year this has already been without the added stressor of this devastating winter weather event. My heart goes out to all of you who have spent the last week bundled up inside your homes, scrambling to find clean water or ripping out carpet and sheetrock.

I continue to be proud of this community and the resilience and support for each other you show amid the hardest of times. I will never forget your amazing response following the widespread flood damage after Hurricane Harvey in 2017. We made it through that tough time then and emerged stronger as a community. I know we will overcome this together as well.

We will be communicating further details to employees and parents about the status of specific campuses as we have more information this weekend.

~ Mark Henry, Ed.D.

Closing Out 2019-2020

Prior to the start of the school year, I challenged our staff members to give “a little extra, on purpose,” or lagniappe, to their students, parents and colleagues in 2019-2020. I had no idea at the time how much “extra” would be shown after COVID-19 forced us to be apart this spring!

• Our curriculum and instruction team worked around the clock to provide structured Learning at Home curriculum following the unexpected cancellation of in-person classes.
• Nutrition Services employees modified their procedures to provide more than 800,000 curbside meals at 19 campuses over 2 ½ months.
• Bus drivers delivered more than 5,500 Learning at Home packets to homes each week.
• Technology Services staff provided devices for students to help facilitate home instruction.
• Operations staff provided extra hand sanitizing stations throughout the district and implemented additional disinfecting procedures.
• Berry Center staff and the CFISD police department facilitated Mega Food Distributions for the Houston Food Bank and blood drives for the Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center.
• Teachers and administrators remained in contact with students and families and supported them through Zoom, Flipgrid and other resources.

And the list goes on and on. I am so proud of our school district for the way we finished the year despite such immense challenges. It is important that we celebrate these successes, as well as the many other achievements throughout 2019-2020.

We launched a full-day pre-kindergarten program districtwide, serving almost 4,000 students while hiring 80 new pre-K teachers and paraeducators. We know that when students start their educational careers with us, it leads to success.

We opened the Leonard Brautigam Center, a dawn-to-dusk program that meets the needs of today’s students, featuring a new district CTE trade building where certifications in plumbing, welding and culinary arts are all accessible.

We launched Spanish Action Based Learning Lab pilot programs at two elementary schools, with hopes to expand throughout the district, as a STEM Academy for Automation, Robotics and Computer Science (ARC) at Cypress Springs High School. We also expanded our College Academy partnership with Lone Star College-CyFair to 11 high schools where students can earn an associate’s degree along with their high school diploma.

For the third straight year, we earned a Best Communities for Music Education national designation from the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) Foundation. A total of 49 high school musicians were named to Texas Music Educators Association (TMEA) All-State ensembles.

 
Cypress Creek High School senior wrestler Amanda McAleavey captured her second straight state championship at the Berry Center in February. The Cypress Creek girls’ basketball team finished as state runner-up in March, continuing our district’s proud athletics tradition.

 

 

 

We learned that five CFISD students earned perfect ACT scores this spring—an incredible accomplishment earned by fewer than half of 1 percent of students who take the exam! Congratulations to Gabriel Bolanos of Cypress Ranch High School, Ananya Kaalva and Rohit Jha of Bridgeland High School and Toby Yi and Alexander Huang of Cypress Woods High School.

Next week, we will celebrate more than 8,000 graduates, including the inaugural graduating classes of Bridgeland and Cypress Park high schools. It will look a little different from past ceremonies as we accommodate new health and social distancing guidelines, but we look forward to celebrating with our Class of 2020—a group of graduates that will always have a special place in my heart.

I know that there have been many updates shared with you these last couple months, and I have been appreciative of your flexibility as we have all worked together to navigate a fluid situation amid COVID-19. I will continue to provide you with updates throughout the summer as soon as we have any news to share. 

Thank you for being a part of this special CFISD community that continues to give a little extra for one another each day.

~ Mark Henry, Ed.D.

COVID-19 Update (May 22, 2020)

This week's video update covers the end of the 2019-2020 school year, planning ahead for 2020-2021, upcoming graduation ceremonies and more. Please take a few minutes to watch the update here: VIEW VIDEO.

~ Mark Henry, Ed.D.

COVID-19 Update (May 1, 2020)

Please take a few minutes to watch my video message with updates on grading guidelines, graduation ceremonies and more: VIEW VIDEO.

~ Mark Henry, Ed.D.

COVID-19 Update (March 27, 2020)

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Classes resumed in CFISD this week, although learning and teaching look a lot different now than before spring break. I am so proud of the Learning at Home program that was launched on our website Monday, and my heart warms when I hear about the remote connections that our teachers and staff are making with students.

Please take a few minutes to view my video message to all of you. VIDEO LINK

Continue to check the district website at www.cfisd.net for updates and resources. Thank you for your patience and your support during this public health crisis.

Please stay safe,

~ Mark Henry, Ed.D.

Closing a Successful Year & Decade

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As the fall semester comes to a close, and with it, the 2019 calendar year, I wanted to take some time to share some of the successes we achieved in the final year of the decade. We have a lot to cheer about in Cypress-Fairbanks ISD, and you have much to be proud of from your local school district.

Our fine arts students continued to impress. Forty-eight students were named All-State musicians in January. Cypress Ranch High School theatre students earned two Tommy Tune awards in April. A Cypress Woods High School art student was one of eight national art portfolio scholarship recipients this summer.

Cypress Ranch theatre student Mia Velasquez, left, was named Best Leading Actress in the Tommy Tune Awards in April; and Cypress Woods graduate Taylor Powers, right, with teacher Tina Fox, won a $10,000 Scholastic Art scholarship in June. 

We had many University Interscholastic League (UIL) achievements, highlighted by Cypress Woods winning CFISD’s first-ever UIL Academic state championship in the spring. We also had individual athletics gold medals from Cypress Creek High School swimmer Hayden Miller and wrestler Amanda McAleavey.

Cypress Woods HS students and staff celebrate making history by winning CFISD’s first-ever UIL Academic state championship in May 2019.

I was proud of our community for helping raise $110,000 for the Cy-Fair Educational Foundation at the sixth annual Superintendent’s Fun Run in March. Save the date for the seventh annual event on March 21, 2020 at the Berry Center!

Runners begin the 5K at the sixth annual Superintendent’s Fun Run & Festival. The event raised a record $110,000 for the CFEF!

Voters approved a bond referendum in May that will address many critical district needs for the future. Among the bond’s components are a new visual and performing arts center and many safety and security upgrades that are already underway at numerous campuses.

The 2019 bond package includes a new visual and performing arts center that will be located near Cy-Fair High School.

A year that perfectly encapsulated Opportunity for All included 17 National Merit semifinalists and finalists. More than $670,000 was given to Livestock Show and Sale projects. Our New Arrival Center language immersion program won a prestigious national award. More than 8,200 Class of 2019 graduates earned diplomas.

We kicked off the 2019-2020 school year by launching a STEM Academy for Automation, Robotics and Computer Science (ARC) at Cypress Springs High School, and we piloted Spanish Language Action Based Learning Labs at Andre’ and Sampson elementary schools. The Leonard Brautigam Center opened with a district career and technical education (CTE) trade building, supporting programs and certifications in welding, HVAC and electrical trades.

 

New additions for 2019-2020 – the STEM Academy for ARC at Cypress Springs High School and Spanish Language Action Based Learning Labs at Andre’ and Sampson elementary schools.

The new year will bring more positive change for the district, as we expand our full-day pre-kindergarten program throughout our elementary schools. Our human resources team has been hiring qualified pre-K teachers to accommodate the transition. If you know of an interested educator, it’s not too late to apply!

2019 was a special year, and I look forward to 2020 as we usher in another promising decade of outstanding educational opportunities for all children in Cypress-Fairbanks ISD. Enjoy a safe and restful holiday break, and I will see you back in January!

~ Mark Henry, Ed.D.

Back to School 2019-2020

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We are thrilled to launch the 2019-2020 school year on Monday, Aug. 26! As you may know, the first week of school can present challenges as we work to efficiently transport more than 80,000 students to and from school while welcoming thousands of parents on campus for drop-offs and pick-ups. As we fine-tune these processes, I ask for your patience while we work together for our 117,000 students.

Several departments have collaborated throughout the summer to improve your child’s learning environment this year. Dozens of renovation projects, like The Leonard Brautigam Center (formerly Windfern School of Choice), were completed and some will continue through the fall. Meanwhile, new facilities like Harold R. Rowe Middle School (#19) are under construction for future opening dates. I am so appreciative that this community continues to invest in our facilities through school bonds like the one that passed in May.

The Leonard Brautigam Center, formerly Windfern School of Choice, opens Aug. 26 at 13102 Jones Road

Harold R. Rowe Middle School (No. 19) will open in August 2020 on the Cypress Park multi-campus site.

In 2019-2020, you will continue to see improvements to our facilities that enhance student safety, including secured vestibules at each campus and additional fencing in strategic areas. Policies such as ID badges for every student and our Z Pass tracking system on each school bus help ensure that your child is as safe as possible on the way to, during and home from school each day. Our CFISD police department even added a fourth K-9, Scout, to assist in threat deterrence.

Meet Scout, our newest CFPD K-9 who is a Shepherd/Malinois mix.

Thank you for your continued support of Cypress-Fairbanks ISD. Our goal in 2019-2020 is to provide quality service to this community, plus give a little lagniappe, which means “a little extra, on purpose.”

Our teachers and staff are ready to partner with parents and guardians in order to provide Opportunity for All through a quality education to your children. I wish you an enjoyable last few days of summer as we transition into the routines of the school year.  

~ Mark Henry, Ed.D.

Reflecting on 2018-2019

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It’s hard to believe, but today we wrapped up the 79^th school year of Cypress-Fairbanks ISD. Each year that passes, I grow prouder to lead our school district and live in our wonderful community, and 2018-2019 did not disappoint.

We began planning this school year last summer by instituting some major safety initiatives including the purchase of three K-9s and a Mental Health Intervention Team. We know our schools’ bolstered safety and security measures were effective threat deterrents.

As the year kicked off, we celebrated our own Jeanna Peña of Lamkin Elementary School winning Region 4 Teacher of the Year. I was also humbled to accept the region’s nomination for Superintendent of the Year, representing the best district in Texas!

Students and staff at Moore Elementary were delighted to return to their freshly renovated campus on the first day of school, Aug. 27. Moore was flooded by Hurricane Harvey a year before, but the Armadillos stayed strong and had a great year in their “new” old home.

CFISD is the home of Opportunity for All, where students thrive through fine arts. Marching bands from Cy-Fair and Jersey Village high schools placed among the top 33 in the state, and 46 students earned TMEA All-State recognition. Cypress Ranch High School theatre students won two Tommy Tune awards this spring for their amazing production of The Little Mermaid.

Every year, students enter our doors as athletes and leave as champions. Two Cypress Creek High School students, swimmer Hayden Miller and wrestler Amanda McAleavey, captured individual state championships in their respective sports in February. Today, the Cypress Ranch baseball team is competing for a chance to return to the state tournament for the fourth time in eight years.

Our students continued to achieve at the highest possible levels academically. Eight students were accepted into MIT, including four from Langham Creek High School—the most from a single comprehensive school in the entire nation! We celebrated 17 National Merit semifinalists at the Berry Center in March. 

Community members supported a $1.762 billion bond referendum in May that will address district needs through the year 2025 with a telling 70-percent approval rate. 

We could not have achieved all we did this year without a supportive and involved school board. One of our trustees, Christine Hartley, announced her resignation earlier this month after eight years and will be dearly missed.

It’s easy to see why I’m so proud of this district and community. For eight decades we have worked together to produce successful citizens, and there is no better portrait of that than the 8,000-plus graduates walking our stage at the Berry Center from Wednesday through Saturday.

As the final set of caps are tossed on Saturday evening and we start to set our sights on 2019-2020, we’ll take pride in a year that gave us so many incredible things to cheer about.

~ Mark Henry, Ed.D.

Thank You, CFISD Community

I was so proud to see that more than 15,000 voters came out to make their voices heard over the past two weeks in the 2019 CFISD Bond Election. The $1.762 billion referendum passed with a 70-percent approval mark, and will address instructional and support facilities; safety and security enhancements; transportation; technology; and facilities renovations and additions through the year 2025.  

I appreciate the overwhelming support for CFISD. My commitment to our community is that we will continue to be good stewards of your trust as we move forward with the bond program. We will continue to update the district on the progress of bond projects on our website (www.cfisd.net/bond) and social media channels (#CFISDbond).

Voting is a necessary component of a successful democracy, and it delighted me to see so many of you sharing your voting selfies and stickers on social media throughout the last two weeks. Thank you for being a key part of the CFISD community that I am proud to call my home.

~ Mark Henry, Ed.D.

CFISD Bond Election Day: Saturday, May 4

Early voting for the CFISD 2019 Bond Election concluded yesterday (April 30), and I was encouraged by the amount of people who shared that they voted. Election Day is this Saturday, May 4, with polls open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

As I mentioned in last week’s message, the Bond 2019 page of our district website (www.cfisd.net/bond) includes several helpful resources:

• an overview of the bond package;
• a video that breaks down the components and potential financial impact to taxpayers;
• frequently asked questions about the bond;
• campus-specific project sheets that highlight the work planned for each school; and
• a list of Election Day voting locations within the CFISD community.

Additional voting locations within Harris County are available at www.harrisvotes.com. As a reminder, Harris County has implemented the Countywide Polling Place Program, making this the first election in which voters can cast a ballot anywhere in the county on Election Day.

Thank you again to those of you who took the time to exercise an important civic responsibility by casting votes during the early voting period. Please encourage your friends, co-workers and family members who have not yet voted to do so between 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Election Day, Saturday, May 4.

~ Mark Henry, Ed.D.

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CFISD Bond Election Early Voting: April 22-30

Today is the first day of early voting for the CFISD 2019 Bond Election. The nine-day early voting period concludes on Tuesday, April 30. This helpful listing of early voting dates and times is also available on our bond webpage:

Here are some of the convenient early voting sites in or near our community:

• Lone Star College – Cypress Center (19710 Clay Road, Katy, 77449);
• Richard & Meg Weekley Community Center (8440 Greenhouse Road, Cypress, 77433);
• Juergen’s Hall Community Center (26026 Hempstead Highway, Cypress, 77429);
• Prairie View A&M University - Northwest (9449 Grant Road, Houston, 77070);
• Champion Forest Baptist Church (4840 Strack Road, Houston, 77069);
• Trini Mendenhall Community Center (1414 Wirt Road, Houston, 77055); and
• Fallbrook Church (12512 Walters Road, Houston, 77014).

To prepare for the election, please visit the Bond 2019 page of our district website at www.cfisd.net/bond. Here you will find an overview of the bond package, including a video that breaks down the components and potential financial impact to taxpayers. The page contains many frequently asked questions about the bond and campus-specific project sheets that highlight the work planned for each school. We have also included a list of Election Day voting locations within the CFISD community on our website.

Voting is a key component of the freedom and democracy we enjoy in the United States, and a voter’s impact holds even greater significance in local elections. Harris County had record-breaking voting numbers in the November 2018 elections, and I hope our community continues that trend of turning out for the CFISD Bond Election.

I encourage each of you to exercise your right to vote, either during the early voting period or on Election Day.

~ Mark Henry, Ed.D.