Crowley ISD Boardroom Rewind

Crowley ISD's demographer updated the school board on the growth happening in Crowley ISD and its impact on projected enrollment and capacity at schools.

"We all said, thank goodness we were able to pass the bond," Superintendent Dr. Michael McFarland said of the continued growth shown in the report. "We know we have to take care of capacity today. Also, we know we have to purchase additional land for elementary schools. We are aggressively pursuing property for schools."

McFarland said the district would examine capacity at schools and look at redrawing boundary lines with the goal of sharing those plans with the community early next year.

The district also will consider accelerating construction timelines because of rising costs.

Demographer Report Highlights:

• The annual closings pace is up 29% Year over Year and remains at the highest rate in more than 15 years.

• A near-record, 3,147 single-family lots are currently under development in the district.

• CISD's new home activity currently ranks 9th most active among all DFW school districts and continues to be the most active market on the south side of DFW.
  

• If enrollment growth averages 2-3% (Moderate Scenario), CISD enrollment would grow by more than 2,000 students over the next five years and increase by about 5,300 students by 2032.
  

• Under the moderate growth rate, district enrollment would reach 19,000 within the next five years and top 22,000 total students by 2032-33, resulting in major capacity issues at the elementary level.
  

• If growth continues to trend towards the high scenario of 3-4% annually, then all attendance levels will face capacity issues within the next 10 years.

View the full report.

September is Attendance Awareness Month. Attendance can impact student achievement and the amount of state funding for school districts.

Crowley ISD is strengthening its effort to improve student attendance through a multi-tier system of support and streamlining of processes across the district.

The goal is to increase academic performance. Attendance also significantly impacts state funding for the district, with an increase of 1% in the attendance rate resulting in an additional $1 million.

CISD administrators presented data on attendance rates at various campuses in the district so far this school year.

View the presentation with recent attendance rates for campuses.

Attendance Facts:

• Absences earlier in the year predict later absences without interventions
  

• Student who missed two to four days of school in September were five times as likely to be chronically absent

• Students who missed five or more days of school in September were 16 times likely to be chronically absent

Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month from Sept. 15 - Oct. 15 with Crowley ISD as we honor the Hispanic Americans who have positively influenced and strengthened our nation.

The 2023 Hispanic Heritage Month theme, “Todos Somos, Somos Uno: We Are All, We Are One,” reinforces the diversity inherent within the Hispanic community, as well as the power that comes from being a united community.

The Hispanic community in this country represents many different things (many cultures, skin colors and points of view). At the same time, we are one people, we are one voice. Let’s unite to celebrate all of us, the beauty in our variety and in our sameness in our humanity!

The district will host its fifth annual Hispanic Heritage Quiz Bowl from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 21 at North Crowley High School.

Team Competition | Four Students Per Team | Three Age Divisions

Elementary: Grades 3-5; Elementary Spanish: Grades 3-5; Senior: Grades 6-12

For more information, contact Maria Anguiano at maria.anguiano@crowley.k12.tx.us

Each year, new questions are added in order to build students’ knowledge of both historical and current events

Student trustees returned to serving in Crowley ISD Board of Trustees meetings. For September, Sarai Abram (CHS) and Jaidyn Mayfield (NCHS) provided feedback from their campuses. Both students are returning student trustees from last school year.

Student trustees include:

Crowley High School

Sarai Abram, 12th

David Fernandez, 12th
Nevaeh Hamilton-Roberts, 11th

Vincent James, 10th
Rose Jones, 11th

North Crowley High School

Guadalupe Gomez, 12th

Ethan Hunt, 11th

Jaidyn Mayfield, 12th

Mikayla Nicholas, 11th

Tommy Tran, 12th

The Chisholm Trail Education Foundation has awarded 15 Innovative Teaching Grants to Crowley ISD educators, totaling $26,148 this school year. To donate to the foundation, which benefits Crowley ISD, visit ctefforCISD.org.

Recipients include:

•Cindy Weems for her project titled Cougar Closet at Jackie Carden Elementary in the amount of $350

•Laura Smith for the project titled Engaging Little Engineers with Squishy Circuits at Bess Race Elementary, Sidney Poynter Elementary, Jackie Carden Elementary and Deer Creek Elementary in the amount of $1,240

•Jana Cocanougher for the District project Battle of the Books in the amount of $2,720

•Catherine Emerson for her project titled SH Crowley Robotics and Coding at SH Crowley Elementary in the amount of $1,733.88

•Laneece Anderson for the District CISD Panther Olympics to benefit the District high school special education and leadership students and the District Special Education Dance benefitting the district high school special education students in the amount of $5,000

•Greshall Griffin for the Adult Transition students at North Crowley High School for the Cooking with Cool Kids program in the amount of $1,000

•Robyn Gotcher for the Bess Race Outdoor Learning Garden program in the amount of $2,500 •Karina Pena, Brittany Douglas and Will Tillman for their program titled Classroom in the Community benefitting Students at Crowley High School and Summer Creek Middle school in the amount of $1,600

•Desiree Scott for her District wide program titled STEM for Special Education for the amount of $1,000

•Becky Oliver for the North Crowley Panther Emporium in the amount of $1,000

•Chase Russell and Beverly Simants for the sixth grade innovative program, Around the World in One School Year in the amount of $1,000

•Becky Oliver, Monique Carson-Dawson, Charlene Johnson and Jacque Linville for the District and Community Disability Fair in the amount of $1,000

•Sara Ross and Kelee Shaw-Nunley for the Crowley Montessori Academy program titled Taking Learning Outside in the amount of $1,000

•Lauren Kelly for her program at Oakmont Elementary titled Unleashing Innovation: Exploring Computer Science, Engineering, and Robotics with the Power of Robotic Arms in the amount of $3,980

•Lauren Kelly for the Oakmont Elementary Program Winning the Game with Stem Board Games in the amount of $1,024.65

Trustees approved the hiring of two bond project coordinators.

Rodrigo Perez and Richard Aguirre will serve in those roles. They both work in Crowley ISD. Perez is the Grounds supervisor, and Aguirre is the manager of Maintenance and Operations.

Perez has worked in CISD since 2007 and Aguirre since 2015. Each has 27 years of administrative experience.

Join the Crowley ISD superintendent each month for Mondays with Dr. McFarland on Zoom.

The next event is scheduled for Monday, Oct. 16.

All meetings will be held at 12 p.m. and 6 p.m. on Zoom.

Click here for more information.

The Solar Eclipse Community Day to watch the Annular Solar Eclipse is set for 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 14 at Richard Allie Middle School.

Crowley will see the moon cover 86 percent of the sun. The last annular eclipse in Texas was in 1919.

The Total Solar Eclipse will happen April 8, 2024.

Crowley is excited to announce a new partnership with Texas Wesleyan University that will allow the university to play its home football games at the Crowley ISD Multi-Purpose Stadium for the next two seasons.

Benefits of Partnership:

• All students can attend TXWES games for free with an ID
• All CISD Staff can attend TXWES games for free with an ID
• Exposure to more partnership and sponsorship opportunities
• Opportunity to host more events through established partnerships
• Scholarship opportunities for our students and athletes
• Employment opportunities for community members and CISD staff to work the games

2023 Texas Wesleyan Football Schedule at Crowley ISD Multi-Purpose Stadium:

• 12 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 23 — St. Thomas University-Miami
• 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 21 — Wayland Baptist University
• 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 11 — Louisiana Christian University

For all the details and ticket information, visit: www.crowleyisdtx.org/txwes

Front row (L-R): Nedra Robinson, board secretary; Superintendent Dr. Michael D. McFarland;
Dr. La Tonya Woodson-Mayfield, board president; Gary Grassia, board first vice president

Back row (L-R): June W. Davis, board member; Kelicia Stevenson, board member;
Daryl R. Davis II, board member; Dr. Mia Hall, second vice president

MEETING VIDEO: To watch a recording of this meeting, please click here.

Previous Board Summaries