Sabercat Update

Dear Sabercat Families,

We have made it through the first week of the 2024-2025 school year! I want to thank you for your understanding and patience. Having been in education for 30 years, 16 of which I have served as a principal. I have led through many educational challenges, with the most recent including COVID, loss of learning from COVID, and now the lack of state funding for education. Every district in the state of Texas received reduced funding. Fact: CFISD does not receive the same funding due to the additional local homestead exemption you are afforded as a homeowner. The state says we could get 100%, but you choose to give our taxpayers a 20% break with the local optional homestead exemption. The bottom line is our funding from the state will always be 20% less than other districts. The 20% is approximately 60 million dollars. Fact: Bond funds cannot be used for the daily operations of a school district. School bonds must be spent on what they were approved for in the passing of the bond, such as buildings, infrastructure upgrades, and capital outlay.

Now we arrive at the 2024-2025 school year and CFISD is charged with balancing the budget with a huge funding deficit. Just like in your household, you can't spend money you don't have. Where do you cut? The goal is always to not cut in the classroom, because to do so would increase class size. Many positions outside the campus were eliminated. Even with all the cuts, the amount left was still extremely significant. So additional cuts had to be made. The areas hit the hardest for our families was transportation. Please do not believe that I or anyone in the district does not care about the individual transportation issues and concerns that have arisen. We are all trying to deal with a public education financial crisis.

So where do we go from here? We need to all continue to work together, neighbor helping neighbor. This will not be forever, but I believe it is who we are in a time of crisis that defines us. Reach out to your state representative and request/demand that Governor Abbott release the funds to public schools.

Respectfully,

Becky Koop

Principal

When we need to have a SEVERE INCLEMENT WEATHER DISMISSAL, we will be changing our procedures at the end of the day. We do not have enough available covered space outside to house the students safely while they wait for their parent’s arrival. To manage the numbers and keep students safe, we must alter our car rider dismissal.

During SEVERE INCLEMENT WEATHER (lightning/torrential downpour) we will activate our SEVERE INCLEMENT WEATHER DISMISSAL at 3:00 PM. Watch the local weather for our location and monitor your phone.

1. Sign up for SCHOOLMESSENGER. We will notify you using SCHOOLMESSENGER via text.

2. Do not arrive to campus early. We will be dismissing in 2 waves.

3. We will dismiss car riders with the last name A-M. The car riders N-Z will remain in their classroom. (Each time we have a SEVERE INCLEMENT WEATHER DISMISSAL we will communicate in the message who we will be loading first, as we will alternate the starting group each time.)

4. If you arrive before your time, you will be waved through, and you will have to circle back into the line.

1. Everyone (except transfer students) in our car rider line lives within 2 miles of the school. Stay home and leave when we send the second SCHOOLMESSENGER that we are ready to bring the second group to the front.

2. Carpools will go in the last group every time, regardless of last name.

For our SEVERE INCLEMENT WEATHER DISMISSAL to work quickly and efficiently, we need EVERYONE’S cooperation.

Walkers will not be dismissed when lightning is present in the area. Students will be held until the lightning has passed. However, it is between you and your student if they walk in the rain.

When possible, please send a note with your student. Early release notes should be dropped off at the Attendance Office before first period. Include the student's name, date, time leaving and the name of the person who will be picking up your student. A parent/guardian signature is required.

If you forgot to send a note or need to pick up your student during the school day, you may fax or email a note. Include the information listed above plus a picture of your driver's license. Late requests will need to be made at least 2 hours before pick up time. We cannot guarantee a student will be notified of an early pick up if it is less than 2 hours.

You can still pick up your student without a note, but you can expect a 10 - 20 minute wait time. Please plan accordingly. All parents, guardians or designees checking out a student will need to present a valid form of identification at the front desk. Family members, friends, etc. are not allowed to check out students without a note from the parent or guardian that includes their signature. If sending an e-mail, include a picture of the parent or guardian's driver's license. The latest early release is 2:45 p.m.

ATTENDANCE OFFICE FAX: 281-213-1019

ATTENDANCE OFFICE E-MAIL: smithattendance@cfisd.net

Students who are absent due to a doctor's appointment or illness need to provide a "Return to School" note. A doctor's note or parent note (with a copy of parent/guardian's driver's license) may be emailed to smithattendance@cfisd.net or faxed to 281-213-1019. Students may also drop off their note when they return to school.

2 - Student/Staff Holiday

3 - Football Game 8 Home / 7 @ Aragon

5 - Volleyball Games @ Aragon

10 - Progress Reports

10 - Football Game 8 @ Aragon / 7 Home

11 - Cross Country Meet @ Anthony

12 - Volleyball Games Home (Campbell)

17 - Football Game 8 Home / 7 @ Anthony

18 - Cross Country Meet @ Aragon

19 - Fall Portraits (Yearbook Photo)

19 - Volleyball Games @ Hamilton

23 - CPOC Meeting

24 - Football Game 8 @ Thornton / 7 Home

26 - Volleyball Games Home (Kahla)

28 - Cross Country Meet @ Smith