A Texas political strategist in September texted three Conroe ISD trustees as they prepared to vote on how many new members to add to the school district’s health advisory council, according to a open records request.
Board President Skeeter Hubert was so concerned about the potential for outside influences during voting that he requested the issue be placed on Tuesday’s board meeting agenda. He reviewed meeting footage that showed several board members using their phones as they were voting on agenda items, specifically during a Sept. 19 meeting.
Local and state elected officials have long taken guidance from outside lobbyists, activists and operatives before votes, but doing so during voting was troubling to Hubert and others.
“I felt like we should discuss how prepared should we be and is it a concern of others that outside influences are being allowed while we are talking about specific agenda items,” Hubert said.
Conroe ISD’s three newest board members took offense to allegations they were being told how to vote on agenda items through text messages during the Sept. 19 meeting.
Trustees Misty Odenweller, Tiffany Nelson and Melissa Dungan, who ran as the conservative-leaning “Mama Bears” slate in the board’s November 2022 election, said no one was influencing their votes on agenda items during meetings. Each said they use their phones during meetings to research topics being discussed and to communicate with their families.
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Conroe ISD does not prohibit board members from using their phones during meetings.
“I have noticed over the last several months some of us have been distracted during the meetings and looking at phones and things of that nature,” Hubert said. “I have thought about this the last month and it is something I wanted on the agenda.”
Hubert said his concern was raised after the district received information from a Freedom of Information Act request Sept. 22 regarding all “text messages sent to or from CISD Trustees during the September Board meeting — from 6-11 p.m. on 9/19.” The request was filed by a resident and obtained by the Courier.
According to the district’s response, Odenweller reported she received a text message from Cassandra Crowe at 9:19 p.m. on Sept. 19 during the board’s discussion and action to select members for its school health advisory council and the bylaws relating to member selection.
Crowe is a Conroe ISD resident and political strategist for the Texas House and staffer for state Rep. Steve Toth, R-The Woodlands.
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The school health advisory council weighs in on whether community values and health issues are reflected in the district’s health and physical education instruction.
During the Sept. 19 meeting, Bryce Speer, with the advisory council, recommended a list of 31 members to fill seats on the council for the 2024 school year. She said five parent members were rejected because council bylaws limit membership to 31 people.
District administration requested the addition of 12 district employees. Trustee Stacey Chase motioned to amend the number of members to include the five rejected parents, if the district would be allowed to add 12. That passed 5-2 with Odenweller and Dungan voting against the amendment.
During the vote to add the five parents, Crowe texted Odenweller, Nelson and Dungan “If you vote on this amendment it will also violate other bylaws regarding voting members.”
Odenweller, Nelson and Dungan said during Tuesday’s meeting they did not open or read the message from Crowe while they were voting on the amendment.
Crowe, who lives in Conroe, said the text was not meant to tell Odenweller, Nelson or Dugan how to vote. She said she specializes in education issues and sent the message as a constituent in Conroe ISD, not as a political strategist.
“They are strong, independent women who make their own decisions,” Crowe said. “It makes me feel bad that a message I sent that they have no control over has caused their integrity to be questioned.”
Toth said he was not aware of Crowe’s message to the board members.
While Hubert, who has filed to run against Toth in November 2024, did not name Crowe or Toth during the meeting, he said the text during the meeting was “concerning.”
Nelson, Odenweller and Dungan said they were offended by the “insinuation” someone outside the board was influencing their votes.
“I am an adult,” Nelson said. “I don’t really see a problem with constituents reaching out to us and communicating. I don’t know that it is anybody’s business what conversations I have on my phone.”
Odenweller called Hubert’s comment about preparedness for the meetings “hilarious.”
“You are mistaken,” Odenweller said. “This was a waste of board time.”
The board took no action on regulating cellphone use during board meetings.
