[{"_1":2,"_124":-5,"_125":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100,112],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6070195,"mediaKeyId","3060260-cce9da76d29ab067591bfaededc74b82","parentId",3060260,"title","Board confirms new CFO and approves consent agenda in unanimous votes","audioSeconds",61,"startMs",10326000,"endMs",10387000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3060260-cce9da76d29ab067591bfaededc74b82&start=10326&end=10387","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3060260-cce9da76d29ab067591bfaededc74b82/thumbnail_10326000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6070195/Texas/Board-confirms-new-CFO-and-approves-consent-agenda-in-unanimous-votes","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6070195-6faed9d6c908832a79b987f57cdcb2a4/orig.mp4?Expires=1771145375&Signature=YZ~bg30Xv6IQb285gl91EiA~ISJHMz-ghr6pWc6NEc42j1KhLBgaEB4Em9YR0-XNtXkPexgrYsErrHnpylivrR6PA5kPTsKrgWb-UVJHkNR1OEqgZ5FxXwYuSuuMfEXmYlSVjnS5WYwrdpYuUSdzEzRfzCKj1TuT~GzGZ~~mjZdmFKtYXdvz-AD4F23PIvtE5Rgy7toolEMwCODRgqnIlzLsiZu10ctWhpvvdrulwrlcJyKFGYqrDUezYNNDE5ojrAdNQWzuJTK5Mx5lfro2kPXnQAZzn6hDP6NjR4PZP7tHfLMInBZtmMik04XjqnXHVq5eNezyQimZCaYcCHvUUw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Cedar Hill ISD","date","2025-02-03T00:00:00Z","article","The Cedar Hill ISD Board of Trustees took two formal actions during the meeting’s action portion: the board approved the superintendent’s recommendation to appoint Jack West as chief financial officer and approved the meeting consent agenda.

When the superintendent presented the recommendation to hire Jack West as CFO, Trustee Ayanna Cook moved to approve the appointment and Trustee Ramona Ross Bacon seconded. The board voted by show of hands; the motion to appoint Jack West passed unanimously, recorded as 6‑0 in favor.

Later the board considered the consent agenda as presented and voted by show of hands; the consent agenda was approved by a unanimous 6‑0 vote.

Neither vote included recorded roll‑call tallies beyond the show‑of‑hands counts reported in the meeting. No other formal motions or ordinance/adoption votes were recorded in the transcript.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Cedar Hill ISD Called Meeting\tFeb 03, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Cedar Hill ISD Board approved the superintendent’s recommendation to appoint Jack West as chief financial officer and approved the consent agenda; both motions passed unanimously by show‑of‑hands votes.","taxTitle","CEDAR HILL ISD, School Districts, Texas","taxId",38350,"location","Texas","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6070200,"Cedar Hill ISD midyear tests show mixed results; writing and some math grades lag",765,7654000,8419000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3060260-cce9da76d29ab067591bfaededc74b82&start=7654&end=8419","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3060260-cce9da76d29ab067591bfaededc74b82/thumbnail_7654000.jpg","/articles/6070200/Texas/Cedar-Hill-ISD-midyear-tests-show-mixed-results-writing-and-some-math-grades-lag","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6070200-a430a76b464ee851f116153b7ed094e5/orig.mp4?Expires=1771145375&Signature=Ftv3UFftlf3UkqHAa62qX-Gx9N3hHRcJ4mKokFvhiLlmXYo36pwqLHsSFiK4ZfnAt6YjHJ1UPnN~OaVY3YUei00Wl~zmJkWpBZkAZQodc3edsP3Ln-aB3XlEm3tMMwA8KYxWSeYiwxPgKjKUncEbit3MNV5KvlH1bsWzsqN2KC21fL3ApthcmkaUFaustvG8CpS~f2Jdy3dDamxUs6s5mGxlrAg1KJI4wkA0KCwJtCjHTKLGNxE0yVjJhbtQUIYJQtzjo6pLPAYCD7gn0dtip~19Pqm0KOETb3Llz4o9yT~MZMt9Nd5HlcgTgnw0K1OZ7bsSta9RgpLZl9ytSgyMHA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","District curriculum staff told trustees Thursday that midyear district common course assessments (DCCA 3) and preliminary MAP results show improvements in specific grades but also systemic weaknesses — notably in writing and in particular math grades — and persistent achievement gaps for special education and emergent bilingual students.

The presenter said third‑grade reading performance was roughly on par with last spring’s STAR results but that the district still needs growth to reach the board’s target (the administration noted a target of 46 percent meets for third‑grade reading). Fifth‑grade reading and eighth‑grade reading showed positive middle‑year trends compared with the prior year. The presenter emphasized the need to convert midyear progress into end‑of‑year gains and to narrow equity gaps.

Staff flagged writing as a districtwide concern. The presentation said “roughly 48 percent” of students received a 0 or 1 on the writing rubric during recent scoring of writing samples; staff said a large share of those low scores represented students who either did not place an answer in the response box or failed to address the prompt. To address the issue, the district is emphasizing a short‑response rubric and an instructional routine (RACE — restate, answer, cite, explain), exemplar posters and teacher modeling, shared writing, and peer review to improve students’ ability to write to the prompt.

Math performance was mixed. Staff reported concerns at third and fifth grade and called seventh grade a persistent challenge, while sixth and eighth grade results were closer to or ahead of prior performance in some measures. The presentation said algebra‑course retesters showed low December pass rates in some cohorts; district staff said targeted algebra boot camps, dedicated re‑teaching cycles and external tutoring partners will work with those students ahead of the spring testing window.

Administrators described multiple operational steps: weekly PLC data reviews, use of intervention software (including Exact Path and other adaptive tools), increased in‑school intervention time (including Saturday sessions at some campuses), targeted co‑teaching and coaching in inclusion classrooms, and practice STAR administrations leading to a February 18 professional‑development day focused on data analysis ahead of the April state assessment window.

Trustees asked for the district’s calculated component scores that feed the state A–F model so the board can see how current results map to a district‑level rating; staff said they have calculated component scores internally and will provide those tables to trustees in a follow‑up matrix.

District leaders said they will continue monitoring MAP and DCCA practice tests, refine intervention groupings and update the board as the spring assessment season approaches.","District staff presented DCCA and interim MAP results, noting gains in some grades but widespread weaknesses in writing and concern over third and fifth grade math and special‑education achievement gaps.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6070205,"Cedar Hill ISD proposes 2025–26 calendar with fall break, earlier end to school year and option to add daily minutes",583,6279000,6862000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3060260-cce9da76d29ab067591bfaededc74b82&start=6279&end=6862","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3060260-cce9da76d29ab067591bfaededc74b82/thumbnail_6279000.jpg","/articles/6070205/Texas/Cedar-Hill-ISD-proposes-202526-calendar-with-fall-break-earlier-end-to-school-year-and-option-to-add-daily-minutes","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6070205-6532e748c71aa2762181c54ee6cee96b/orig.mp4?Expires=1771145375&Signature=CmNfg~bZ7C0q4bcT-vzqVPgqtqN5VbhzzFVgIbhZER-3djdBFnYOQ2Be5wUpx8rUlkAQ5Z70AGGEjpylPhvgmw2YVw-IOOn5I~DQxQbB03-0O5DxpvU9Z~Cfb87ixNnYNCu7H2horyk~acHR1Jogg1WrPCyQNK5Fj1kE1CvQ-4n4edt3Q2eerfGmm31gnF2v~UFoSQoDhRWjgYK5wJjejwqo-yyp6lhHZINlU0rwJ5gr5kT1VNA0gFfdyr6s9OUeSseMp7rLx1ymvcl~eyoROsBxc7ETpSgw6yWQRwjBw-8-2RaUzDjzDQS2B~GqxZzhU~CxneE-vZZBKF6VeVE9FQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Cedar Hill ISD staff presented a draft 2025–26 school calendar that would keep a full week fall break and a full Thanksgiving week, move one parent‑teacher conference to the fall and keep students out of class before Memorial Day while assigning staff three post‑Memorial Day in‑service days.

Calendar planners said they surveyed staff and parents: roughly 78 percent of staff said they favored a fall break, and district outreach showed a community preference for students to finish before Memorial Day and to avoid Good Friday as an instructional day if possible. Staff told planners they preferred a single parent‑teacher conference in the fall rather than dual spring conferences.

The draft calendar the administration will bring to the board for action proposes 170 student days (the state minimum is 168 days and 75,600 minutes). The staff recommended a modest increase in daily minutes — presented as an optional separate item — to create more built‑in make‑up minutes for bad‑weather closures. The presentation showed that adding five minutes per day would allow an extra makeup day in the schedule; adding ten minutes would allow more flexibility and reduce pressure to ask students to attend on holidays.

Transportation and bell times were discussed by trustees. Several trustees raised concerns that starting and ending times — particularly for middle schools — already push student arrival and dismissal late in the afternoon, and they asked the administration to return with adjusted bell‑time scenarios that would limit very late bus drop‑offs. Administration said start/end times are constrained by a three‑tier bus rollout and that they will model alternative bell times before the board takes a final vote.

Administrators said the calendar recommendation will be on the board agenda for formal action in the next meeting and that final documents will be posted to the district website when the agenda is released.","District staff recommended a 2025–26 calendar that keeps a full fall break and a full Thanksgiving week, ends student classes before Memorial Day, includes one fall parent‑teacher conference and proposes increasing school‑day minutes to bank additional snow‑makeup days.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6070210,"Interim CFO warns Cedar Hill ISD faces $6M shortfall; trustees briefed on priority cuts and two‑path plan",428,828000,1256000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3060260-cce9da76d29ab067591bfaededc74b82&start=828&end=1256","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3060260-cce9da76d29ab067591bfaededc74b82/thumbnail_828000.jpg","/articles/6070210/Texas/Interim-CFO-warns-Cedar-Hill-ISD-faces-6M-shortfall-trustees-briefed-on-priority-cuts-and-twopath-plan","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6070210-308fa192ef49194e623683d6aeec0253/orig.mp4?Expires=1771145375&Signature=ZOO~~kF-wYXFkkHcXC0nyOdIDS2Udeh12zZXGgHJ75FvjvPR9YgK9B4CAXZQnZR5nFVfzy0QMkb9EJWzVHJLZg00KCGh49Yoltbb208yTMfi2ApSdpt8TURnZzmKB8vvj5gNVh87LV6lYebgEDHKWJhppC~qKESv7hNrQa0UrsNPebSWs3dqcH9BhkKuOEQI1l~5GPEqeicXoHTdXS7cmCQhIuRE91oMfHKcPJsllr4ZmGdDiXjau2o2fDFsoHU2xYVm5y26kOTybEOHjTAgrz-XWjkXiEkn~cngqpDXqrQYc7btKZ2~ygK-LgscBQcQCcMCfzU5bfqPVRF7FBhCww__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Cedar Hill ISD’s interim chief financial officer told trustees Thursday the district faces an estimated operating shortfall for fiscal 2024‑25 of roughly $6 million and presented a menu of staffing and operating adjustments, revenue options and two multi‑year recovery scenarios.

Amy Drozd, who said she has served as interim CFO since mid‑September, told the board the district’s revenue picture for the current year had improved in some respects — she estimated “we're going to be about $3,000,000 better in revenue than what we budgeted” — but payroll and staffing costs have outpaced those gains and left a projected deficit. Drozd said the district had received about $1.1 million in one‑time revenue following a property‑value audit settlement, but she warned that this is not recurring funding.

Drozd outlined four priority tiers of actions the administration has grouped by feasibility and urgency. Priority 1 items are already under work and are expected to be implemented for 2025‑26 if resignations and attrition allow; examples include holding elementary vacancies (estimated 3–10 positions) and sharing assistant principal assignments at small campuses, moving some transportation work in‑house, and postponing some security hires. Priority 1 savings were estimated between roughly $425,000 and $1.6 million depending on scope. Priority 2 options would be more structurally impactful — examples include elementary rezoning and repurposing a campus (noting the district would prefer repurposing rather than leaving buildings vacant) and middle‑school consolidation; Drozd estimated priority 2 savings in the $2.0–$2.6 million range. Priority 3 items (longer‑term or revenue generating) include expanding Montessori enrollment, pursuing an 1882 agreement with charter partners, and selling surplus real estate (one‑time revenue). Priority 4 items were options the administration is not recommending now, including moving child nutrition in‑house or large vendor leasing arrangements such as a solar‑battery lease that would surrender property rights for many years.

Drozd presented two recovery scenarios she labeled Plan A (more aggressive) and Plan B (less aggressive). Both scenarios rely on a mix of the priority actions, continued recruitment to slow enrollment decline, and possible one‑time property sales. She said Plan A would implement more of the priority 2 items sooner and help restore fund balance faster, but risks community unrest and potential enrollment losses if families object. Plan B would extend the timeline and allow more time to plan but would leave fund balance lower for a longer period.

Drozd gave specific fund‑balance figures in her presentation. With the currently projected deficit the district’s general‑fund balance could decline to about $10.9 million at the end of 2024‑25 (the CFO said two years earlier the fund balance was about $20.8 million). In the presentation she said the district needs roughly $7.0 million in either additional revenue or expense reductions to balance recurring revenues and expenses going into 2025‑26 (she cautioned that amount did not count one‑time revenue that had been recorded to 2024‑25).

Board members pressed for more specificity on timelines, the projected savings tied to particular personnel actions and whether property sales used in the scenarios were reasonably realizable before the next fiscal close. Trustees also raised operational concerns: some said they opposed merging middle schools or cutting campus leadership and counseling positions because of potential impacts on instruction and student safety; others asked what state legislative relief would be required to fully close the gap and discussed the implications of the 2019 state funding rule that earmarks roughly 30 percent of any new state allotment for salaries and benefits.

Drozd said the administration will produce a tracking sheet, continue weekly administrative budget meetings, and return to the board with more detailed timelines and a three‑year projection that shows step‑by‑step how reductions and one‑time revenues change fund balance. No board action was taken on specific cuts at the meeting; trustees directed staff to continue developing the recommended actions and share firmer figures for the next meetings.","Interim CFO Amy Drozd told the board the district expects a fiscal 2024‑25 deficit near $6 million and outlined four tiers of budget actions, two recovery scenarios and potential one‑time property sales to shore up fund balance.",{"_33":113,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":114,"_41":115,"_43":116,"_45":117,"_47":118,"_49":119,"_51":120,"_53":121,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":122,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":123,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6070215,"Cedar Hill ISD reviews bond construction progress and technology upgrades",531,163000,694000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3060260-cce9da76d29ab067591bfaededc74b82&start=163&end=694","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3060260-cce9da76d29ab067591bfaededc74b82/thumbnail_163000.jpg","/articles/6070215/Texas/Cedar-Hill-ISD-reviews-bond-construction-progress-and-technology-upgrades","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6070215-ac3eff4cee462adca4425ca9d6a205e7/orig.mp4?Expires=1771145375&Signature=TpHqbodAWV3Uq9XoTCwzz9RQm6~n0GJMPdNjLkDHkG7veJtAItlvT2SvvxB45646TwNPCEFWdOxDTa16anmeEMt2v-g6C-Sr1CNArkBwMiLDu8IXlcqwXZvpHkXy7u4KMOr3gHkKEMvup91Oz-azn5hg4v2zIps0g5LG815P8dXHUmIM8dLWsSC8J0YsMyX4AQQpN7QV4Y76Sk~mqzqYsOnGbip7wMI8G~2LVkPgCrKtWfl1maN9etCudORtreyxqIzY79GlCRUIW1eyEo72oghO~xTqgmsKXhSuWh3UXth9os5CytEsYdisXZ2jhTGcpkM9RSKVTXknFhoG5EQNxw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Cedar Hill ISD trustees received a progress update Thursday on bond-funded construction and parallel technology upgrades, including schematic design work at High Point Elementary Fine Arts Academy and districtwide wireless and network replacements supported by federal E‑Rate funding.

The update explained why the campus work is moving forward now and how district technology investments will support classrooms. Superintendent Gerald B. Hudson told the board the High Point project team has completed schematic design and that the campus will receive a black-box theater, dedicated rooms for vocal music, dance and orchestra, a ceramics lab and an updated computer lab. He gave a construction timeline of about nine months and said, as presented, the High Point project budget is $14,600,000 with expected completion in July 2026.

District staff said schematic design is also underway for Waterford Oaks Elementary and for an auxiliary services center that will include a bus barn and fueling area. The district reported that it has reached purchase agreements for some parcels needed for expansion but that a closing date on a small, remaining parcel was not yet set.

On technology, a district IT presenter reported the bond program will pay for a broad refresh: core network infrastructure replacement, a disaster‑recovery site split between the administration building and the high school, a districtwide wireless access‑point replacement this summer and later in‑year firewall upgrades. The presenter said the district increased Internet bandwidth from 5 gigabits to 15 gigabits and had been awarded nearly $600,000 through the federal E‑Rate program; because Cedar Hill ISD’s free/reduced lunch rate is about 80 percent, the presenter said the federal program will cover roughly 80 percent of eligible costs and the district will cover the remainder.

Communications staff described a refreshed bond web page and outreach plan: campus pages with progress updates, a monthly video and handout rotations, mailers to nearby neighborhoods, new on‑site signage at High Point and enrollment of students on the bond oversight committee to give updates.

Trustees asked about schedule and community outreach, and staff said presentations to campus staff and mailers to neighbors are planned in coming weeks. No formal board action was taken on the bond or technology items during the update.

Trustee and staff remarks occurred in the presentations portion of the meeting and during later budget and academic discussions that referenced bond planning and use of construction “swing space” if campuses are repurposed. The district noted that bond funds must be used in ways consistent with the bond order (construction, acquisition, renovation, improvement, safety and equipment) and that any diversion from the order would require board approvals and legal review.

The board will receive future, detailed design documents and regular bond oversight updates as projects progress.","Superintendent Gerald B. Hudson and district staff updated trustees on schematic designs, High Point Elementary’s Fine Arts Academy plans and a technology refresh funded largely through E‑Rate, including new wireless access points and district disaster recovery sites.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Board confirms new CFO and approves consent agenda in unanimous votes

Cedar Hill ISD midyear tests show mixed results; writing and some math grades lag

Cedar Hill ISD proposes 2025–26 calendar with fall break, earlier end to school year and option to add daily minutes

Interim CFO warns Cedar Hill ISD faces $6M shortfall; trustees briefed on priority cuts and two‑path plan

Cedar Hill ISD reviews bond construction progress and technology upgrades