The January Coppell ISD school board meeting Monday night began with laughter.

Assistant Superintendent Brad Hunt announced the district campus’ Teachers of the Year to a large audience in the Vonita White Administration building, and kept rambling.

“I just realize I did all of [Board president Anthony] Hill’s part, so I apologize for that,” Hunt said to an echo of laughter. “But you know, as soon as I get this microphone, you have to pry it out of my cold, dead hands before I give it back to you.”

Hill proceeded to congratulate the winners from elementary, middle and high school levels.

“I’m still waiting for somebody to wake me up, or pinch me and say it was a dream,” Denton Creek Elementary dual language teacher Maricela Leon said. “I thank all my colleagues because they put me here. Also, I see some parents of my former students and my future students, thank you for for letting me do my job and keep passing the passion on.”

Keeping the laughter going, Hill said he worried about Hunt as they transitioned into School Board Recognition Month.

“These are seven individuals who spend countless hours and meetings, do a lot of planning and preparation, they provide us with guidance and leadership,” Hunt said.

Board members Tracy Fisher, Judy Barbo, Leigh Walker, Thom Hulme, Jill Polpelka, Amy Dungan and Hill were individually recognized to thunderous clapping throughout the room.

Behind their heads, signs hung on the wall in their honor, with which Hunt took the chance to poke fun once again.

“The baseball diamond with Mr. Hill on the plate there, [Superintendent Dr. Mike Waldrip] is the coach,” Hunt said. “They got a perfect likeness of all of the board members on that basketball court up there, you see that there is no hair on Dr. Waldrip’s head.”

On a more serious note, the open forum portion of the evening began with resident Bryan Black, who spoke about school vouchers and CISD performance ratings.

“I can assure the board that I am going to rally as many people as I can to call our geniuses in Austin and explain to them that vouchers are not a good idea and that we should have accountability for the tax dollars we put into the school system,” Black said.

Last to address the board was Coppell mayor Karen Hunt, who shared a Living Well in Coppell challenge with the board room.

“The Living Well in Coppell group here is a volunteer based organisation,” Hunt said. “I am here to specifically deliver the superintendent’s challenge, to invite every individual who is employed by the school district to sign up.”

Next the board transitioned into the discussion and report items, going over STAAR retest results, the locking of middle and high school facilities after school hours due to vandalism, CHS locker room renovations and the discontinuation of Pay to Play for the 2016-2017 school year, where parents pay for their student to participate in a UIL activity.