Ballistic shields donated by Montgomery County District Attorney’s office
The Montgomery ISD Police Department added four ballistic shields to their department’s tactical inventory last month. Thanks to a donation from the Montgomery County District Attorney’s office, the school district police force now has two rifle shields and two handgun shields at their disposal.
“We are grateful for the donation of these ballistic shields,” Montgomery ISD Police Chief Stephen Phillips said. “As a police department, we always appreciate the opportunity to partner with neighboring law enforcement agencies. Our department is fortunate to have a strong relationship with the Montgomery County District Attorney’s office. We are thankful for their support of our department with this equipment, and for their willingness to share their expertise to help keep our MISD campuses safe.”
Training to complement the addition of this new tactical gear will be provided by the Montgomery County District Attorney’s office. All Montgomery ISD campus officers will participate in the training exercises. The donation of this equipment from the district attorney’s office enhances the district police department’s ability to respond quickly and efficiently to an emergency.
The MISD Board of Trustees approved two additional police officer positions for the 2022-23 school year, bringing the total number to 15. Each MISD campus is assigned one officer, and each high school is assigned two officers. Since 2020, the district has added seven officers to the department.
MISD police officers are highly visible sworn Texas peace officers and are provided statutory authority to enforce the law throughout the geographical jurisdiction of the school district, as well as the authority to address offenses committed in their presence throughout the state of Texas. Officers complete all required TCOLE training and certifications. In addition to general law enforcement duties and responsibilities, Montgomery ISD police officers are liaisons within the district and help provide community-oriented policing services for all MISD campuses, facilities, and the surrounding community.
District legislative platform addresses school funding concerns
The Montgomery ISD Board of Trustees held a regularly scheduled monthly meeting on Tuesday, October 18, 2022. During the meeting, trustees voted to approve the district’s legislative platform in advance of the 88th Texas Legislature. The legislative platform adopted by the Board encompasses three main areas: School Funding, School Safety and Local Control.
“The development of priorities outlined in this platform has truly been a journey,” Board Vice-President Laurie Turner said. “As a Board and leadership team, we have spent a considerable amount of time studying how our district receives state funding compared to other districts across Texas, and there are many areas within the state’s school finance system that present significant challenges for Montgomery ISD. This platform addresses some of our most urgent issues, and we have had very productive conversations with our legislative delegation leading up to this moment.”
The district’s top priority encourages state lawmakers to reinstate legislation that was put into law by HB 7 in 2015 but subsequently removed from law in 2019. HB 7 offered additional financial assistance to school districts that had maintained maintenance and operations (M&O) tax rates below the state’s maximum tax rate ($1.50 per $100 of assessed value) prior to a statewide reduction – or “compression” – of $0.50 enacted by lawmakers in 2006. Montgomery ISD maintained an M&O tax rate of $1.457 when the $0.50 compression was adopted in 2006. As a result of the elimination of HB 7 in 2019, Montgomery ISD has experienced funding losses and a widening gap in terms of per-student funding when compared to the state average. Before the elimination of HB 7, Montgomery ISD was receiving approximately $2,000 less than the state average in terms of per-student funding. Since its elimination, that gap has grown to nearly $3,000 per student.
“School districts like Montgomery ISD have effectively been penalized for maintaining conservative tax rates, and our proposed legislation aims to mitigate this loss in funding,” Trustee Trey Kirby said. “During the next legislative session, we have an outstanding opportunity to work with our state lawmakers to change the trajectory of school finance in Texas to ensure fair funding for all school districts. Just as important, the legislation we are putting forward to our lawmakers ensures Montgomery ISD does not continue to fall further behind the state average in per-student funding, impacting our ability to balance our budget, attract, retain and grow high-quality educators, and fund educational programs important to our students.”
Lawmakers return to Austin in January 2023 for the state’s 88th regular legislative session.
“The silver lining for MISD is that we have incredibly strong representation in Austin,” Superintendent Dr. Heath Morrison said. “Senator Creighton, Senator Kolkhorst and Representative Metcalf understand these issues, and we are grateful for how receptive each of them has been to our outreach. Over the next several weeks, we will educate our community and continue to engage with our lawmakers leading up to the legislative session.”
You can read more about the district’s legislative platform here.
There were also several special recognitions during the meeting. The board recognized MISD Fishing Team members Fallon Clepper and Wyatt Ford, winners of the Bass Federation Student Angler National Championship, held this past summer in Lake Pickwick, Alabama. This was a historic accomplishment for the pair, becoming the first Co-Ed team to win the national title. Clepper and Ford beat 235 other teams from 40 states, earning $240,000 in scholarship opportunities.
Congratulations to MISD Fishing Team National Champions Fallon Clepper and Wyatt Ford!
“I continue to be amazed by the outstanding achievements of students in Montgomery ISD, whether they are in the classroom, on the playing field, or even out on the lake,” Trustee Nate Robb said. “It is awesome to say that national champions attend school and live in Montgomery, Texas!”
Finally, in observance of National Principal’s Month in October, the trustees honored MISD’s principals for their leadership on MISD campuses and commitment to MISD students and staff members.
MISD Trustees recognize campus principals in honor of National Principals Month.
“In my years of having the privilege of serving as a school district superintendent, it has been very apparent that all great schools have one very important quality in common – an outstanding principal,” Morrison said. “Our district is blessed with amazing campus leaders who work passionately every day to meet the needs of students and families. I could not be more grateful for their leadership.”
Montgomery HS, Lake Creek HS students advance to Pre-Area
Montgomery ISD high school students recently competed in the 6A/5A All-Region Choir auditions held at The Woodlands High School. These auditions are the second of a four-round competition to select members of the Texas All-State Choir. The third round is the Pre-Area competition that will be held on November 29, 2022.
At Montgomery High School, 22 students advanced to the Pre-Area competition. Additionally, eight Montgomery High School students were named to the All-Region Treble Choir.
“I am thrilled for these scholars,” Montgomery High School Choir Director Heather Orr said. “Collectively, they broke the previous Montgomery High School record for the largest number of students advancing to Pre-Area.” The previous record was 16 students.
At Lake Creek High School, eight students earned a spot in the All-Region Mixed Choir and will advance to the Pre-Area level. Nine students were named to the All-Region Treble Choir.
“We are so incredibly proud of our singers,” Lake Creek’s Director of Choirs Cameron Carnley said. “These individual accomplishments are the result of hard work, and pure dedication of our students. We are also grateful for the support from our parents and the entire Lake Creek High School family.”
Trustees also approve final land purchase for Elementary School #7
The Montgomery ISD Board of Trustees held a regularly scheduled meeting on Tuesday, September 20. During the meeting, trustees approved construction firms for projects funded by the district’s $326.9 million bond referendum approved by voters in May 2022.
Stewart Builders will serve as the Construction Manager at Risk for the Montgomery ISD CTE and Ag Science Centers, projects approved in Proposition A of the district’s May 2022 bond referendum.
“We are very excited to work with Stewart Builders in the design and construction the MISD CTE and Ag Science Centers,” Board President Matt Fuller said. “We truly want these educational spaces to be strong points of pride for this community, and we are confident that the district will benefit from Stewart Builders’ expertise and commitment to innovation, efficiency and collaboration during all phases of the project.”
Marshall Construction will serve as the Construction Manager at Risk for the facility upgrades at Montgomery Junior High, Lincoln Elementary and Montgomery Elementary, approved in the bond’s Proposition A.
“We believe Marshall Construction will be an excellent partner for our district,” Trustee Trey Kirby said. “We were impressed by their track record of delivering client projects with exceptional quality, on time and on budget, and are eager to get started on these renovations that will result in enhanced learning environments for our students.”
Additionally, trustees approved the final land purchase for Elementary School #7. The property is located off FM 2854, behind Lake Creek High School. The planned elementary school was part of Proposition A in the district’s May 2022 bond referendum.
A survey to collect suggestions for the school name and mascot will be sent to the Montgomery ISD community in the coming weeks. A special district committee consisting of staff members and parents in the Lake Creek High School feeder pattern will meet to review suggestions and make a recommendation to the Board later this fall.
Trustees also recognized Montgomery ISD employees from Human Resource, Technology Services, Finance and Student Services for the extra effort they’ve put forth during the district’s recent technology transition.
Montgomery ISD Human Resource, Finance, Student Services and Technology Services Departments
Montgomery HS, Lake Creek HS students move on to regional competition
Montgomery ISD students choir students completed the first round of auditions in the All-State selection process. Students from Montgomery High School and Lake Creek High School competed against talented singers from 5A and 6A schools from neighboring districts including Conroe, Magnolia, Tomball and Klein. Montgomery High School advanced 37 students and Lake Creek High School had 25 students move on to the next round.
“I am thrilled with our results and proud that Montgomery High School leads the 5A schools with the largest number of qualifiers,” MHS Choir Director Heather Orr said. “The next step is the Region auditions on October 8 where our students will face other qualifiers from area 6A and 5A schools.”
The Texas Music Educators Association (TMEA) choir auditions are a four-part process, with District, Region, Pre-Area, and Area auditions with the end goal being State. The TMEA audition process is designed to provide both recognition and meaningful musical experiences for Texas’ student musicians. Selection to a TMEA performing organization requires stamina, talent, and a strong work ethic.
“I am so proud of everyone who auditioned, and impressed with their hard work and dedication,” Lake Creek HS Choir Director Cameron Carnley said. “Congratulations to all of our students for an incredible showing.”
Each fall, over 70,000 Texas high school students begin the All-State audition process. 1,810 are ultimately selected to rehearse and perform during the annual TMEA Clinic/Convention in one of 18 Texas All-State ensembles, including four choirs: Mixed Choir, Treble Choir, Tenor-Bass Choir and Small School Mixed Choir.
“We are thrilled with the continued success of our outstanding choir programs in Montgomery ISD, and excited to have so many students advance to the next level,” Superintendent Heath Morrison said. “This is an amazing accomplishment by our students and a testament to how well they were prepared for these competitions. We wish them all the best of luck in the next round.”
As part of the Montgomery ISD employee recognition program, MISD employees can send praises to other employees to recognize their extraordinary effort in their work. The employees listed on the praise page below are MISD employees that were recognized by their peers in August. Congratulations and thank you to these individuals for helping Montgomery ISD start the school year with excellence in mind.
These National Recognition Programs grant students with academic honors that can be included on college and scholarship applications to distinguish students to universities across the country, helping them meaningfully connect with colleges and stand out during the admissions process. Colleges and scholarship programs identify students awarded National African American, Hispanic and/or Rural/Small Town Recognition through College Board’s Student Search Service.
“We’re thrilled for these outstanding Bears and Lions who have earned these recognitions. We are very proud of them for their achievements in their classrooms and on College Board assessments,” Montgomery ISD Superintendent Dr. Heath Morrison said. “These programs recognize hard work and help our students stand out during the college admissions process.”
According to College Board information, students who may be eligible have a GPA of 3.5 or higher and have excelled on the PSAT/NMSQT or PSAT 10 or earned a score of 3 or higher on two or more AP Exams; and are African American or Black, Hispanic American or Latinx, and/or attend school in a rural area or small town.
“The recognitions earned by our students are particularly impressive in light of disruptions to the learning environment due to the pandemic,” MISD Board of Trustee Vice-President Laurie Turner. “This is another example of how our teachers and staff worked tirelessly to ensure that our students’ academic performance remained a top priority. I am proud of these remarkable students for representing our school district so well.”
Eligible students are invited to apply during their sophomore or junior year and are awarded at the beginning of the following school year. Students receive their awards in time to include them in their college and scholarship applications.
As the cost of utilities continues to rise, an energy savings partnership is supporting Montgomery ISD’s commitment to sound fiscal management and conservative budgeting practices.
Montgomery ISD partnered with energy management company Cenergistic during the 2020-21 school year to create energy efficiencies across the district. The combined efforts of Cenergistic’s energy specialists, MISD technicians and district employees generated a cost avoidance of more than one million dollars in the first year.
Montgomery ISD is using these funds to bridge the gap between the state funding Montgomery ISD receives per student, which is considerably less than the average per student funding received by other school districts across Texas. Additionally, Montgomery ISD is subject to a state law referred to as “Robin Hood”, which, because of Montgomery ISD’s rising property values, requires the district to send a portion of its local property tax revenues back to the state for redistribution to other school districts and charter schools.
“With the gap between the state per pupil funding and MISD significant and growing, we must always work intentionally to be efficient with taxpayer dollars in order to remain competitive with teacher compensation and academic programming,” Superintendent Dr. Heath Morrison said. “Conservative fiscal management is a top priority for our board and leadership team, and we are constantly examining ways we can manage our limited resources more effectively. Our partnership with Cenergistic gives us extra assistance to conserve energy and identify ways to put those savings back into our budget.”
Cenergistic is also helping Montgomery ISD identify areas that may need equipment upgrades so that the facilities are running most efficiently. The Cenergistic program also allows the district to realize cost avoidance on an ongoing basis.
“We know how important it is to ensure every facility, every classroom has proper ventilation in order to provide a comfortable and productive learning environment for students and teachers,” Dr. William S. Spears, Founder and CEO of Cenergistic said. “Additionally, our goal is to help school districts save money on energy costs with no up-front capital investment.”
“Our school district budget is incredibly lean,” Montgomery ISD Board Trustee Mike Hopkins said. “The cost avoidance from this partnership has been critical to the district as we planned our budget for this year. I applaud our district’s focus on fiscal management to bridge the per-student funding gap we see in our district compared to the rest of the state.”
The Cenergistic energy conservation program delivers financial savings as well as an environmental benefit from a reduced carbon footprint. Cenergistic partners typically save 24% on expected energy costs without adding any new equipment and have earned more than 13,000 ENERGY STAR recognitions.
About Cenergistic
Since 1986 Cenergistic has partnered with 1,500+ educational, local government, healthcare and faith-based organizations, delivering $6.4 billion in utility savings. These strong results come from the application of Cenergistic’s science-based strategies enhanced by our patented Cenergistic Optimize™ software platform to drive building and equipment optimization. Our energy conservation program reduces utility consumption by an average of 24% with no capital investment while maintaining or improving the comfort and quality of building environments. For 14 consecutive years, Cenergistic has been recognized by the Environmental Protection Agency as ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year or Partner of the Year – Sustained Excellence. To learn more, visit www.cenergistic.com.
As the cost of utilities continues to rise, an energy savings partnership is supporting Montgomery ISD’s commitment to sound fiscal management and conservative budgeting practices.
Montgomery ISD partnered with energy management company Cenergistic during the 2020-21 school year to create energy efficiencies across the district. The combined efforts of Cenergistic’s energy specialists, MISD technicians and district employees generated a cost avoidance of more than one million dollars in the first year.
Montgomery ISD is using these funds to bridge the gap between the state funding Montgomery ISD receives per student, which is considerably less than the average per student funding received by other school districts across Texas. Additionally, Montgomery ISD is subject to a state law referred to as “Robin Hood”, which, because of Montgomery ISD’s rising property values, requires the district to send a portion of its local property tax revenues back to the state for redistribution to other school districts and charter schools.
“With the gap between the state per pupil funding and MISD significant and growing, we must always work intentionally to be efficient with taxpayer dollars in order to remain competitive with teacher compensation and academic programming,” Superintendent Dr. Heath Morrison said. “Conservative fiscal management is a top priority for our board and leadership team, and we are constantly examining ways we can manage our limited resources more effectively. Our partnership with Cenergistic gives us extra assistance to conserve energy and identify ways to put those savings back into our budget.”
Cenergistic is also helping Montgomery ISD identify areas that may need equipment upgrades so that the facilities are running most efficiently. The Cenergistic program also allows the district to realize cost avoidance on an ongoing basis.
“We know how important it is to ensure every facility, every classroom has proper ventilation in order to provide a comfortable and productive learning environment for students and teachers,” Dr. William S. Spears, Founder and CEO of Cenergistic said. “Additionally, our goal is to help school districts save money on energy costs with no up-front capital investment.”
“Our school district budget is incredibly lean,” Montgomery ISD Board Trustee Mike Hopkins said. “The cost avoidance from this partnership has been critical to the district as we planned our budget for this year. I applaud our district’s focus on fiscal management to bridge the per-student funding gap we see in our district compared to the rest of the state.”
The Cenergistic energy conservation program delivers financial savings as well as an environmental benefit from a reduced carbon footprint. Cenergistic partners typically save 24% on expected energy costs without adding any new equipment and have earned more than 13,000 ENERGY STAR recognitions.
About Cenergistic
Since 1986 Cenergistic has partnered with 1,500+ educational, local government, healthcare and faith-based organizations, delivering $6.4 billion in utility savings. These strong results come from the application of Cenergistic’s science-based strategies enhanced by our patented Cenergistic Optimize™ software platform to drive building and equipment optimization. Our energy conservation program reduces utility consumption by an average of 24% with no capital investment while maintaining or improving the comfort and quality of building environments. For 14 consecutive years, Cenergistic has been recognized by the Environmental Protection Agency as ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year or Partner of the Year – Sustained Excellence. To learn more, visit www.cenergistic.com.
The Montgomery ISD Board of Trustees held a regularly scheduled monthly meeting on Tuesday, August 16 and adopted a lower district tax rate.
The total tax rate for the school district is made up of two components: Maintenance & Operation (M&O), and Interest and Sinking (I&S). The M&O rate provides for general maintenance and operations of the district, including employee salaries and instructional costs. The I&S rate is used to pay down debt that finances the district’s facilities.
The new Montgomery tax rates for the 2022-23 fiscal year are $0.8546 (M&O) and $0.3743 (I&S) for a total of $1.2289 per $100 property valuation. The 2021-22 Montgomery tax rates, before tonight’s decrease, were $0.8857 (M&O) and $0.3743 (I&S) for a total of $1.26 per $100 property valuation. The previous 2020-21 tax rate was $0.9423 (M&O) and $0.3375 (I&S) for a total of $1.2798. Over the past three years, the district’s tax rate has decreased 5 cents per $100 valuation.
“It is worth noting that our I&S tax rate did not change,” Superintendent Dr. Heath Morrison said. “During the bond campaign, it was shared publicly that a $.07 cent tax increase may be necessary. The district sold $100 million in bonds over the summer without the need to increase our I&S rate in this budget cycle. The speaks to our district’s commitment to excellent fiscal management.”
Under state law, school districts are required to decrease their M&O tax rates when the assessed property values within the district increase.
“We are pleased to adopt a lower property tax rate for the district and provide our taxpayers with needed relief. However, we are concerned about the level of funding our district receives per student as compared to the rest of the state,“ Montgomery ISD Board President Matt Fuller said. “We continue to engage our legislators in conversations about potential funding solutions that will allow the district to maintain a balanced budget while providing our teachers and staff members with competitive compensation packages.”
Assistant Superintendent of Finance and Operations Kris Lynn gave a status report on projects funded by the district’s 2022 bond initiative and highlighted the timeline for naming the district’s Elementary School #7, slated to open in 2024. This fall, the community will have an opportunity to submit suggestions for the school name, mascot and colors. A voting survey with top suggestions will be shared with the public and top choices submitted for board approval by the end of the 2022-23 school year.
“During the bond campaign, we committed to transparency and collaboration with the community – not just during the campaign, but moving forward as projects begin,” Trustee Shawn Denison said. “Tonight’s board meeting and update reflect the sincerity of that commitment.”
There were also several special recognitions during the meeting. The board recognized the 2022 State Champion Softball Team, the Lake Creek High School Lions, and the Region 6 Paraprofessional of the Year, Lily Salas Nino from Montgomery Elementary School. Dr. Catherine Bartlett, who retired as Lone Star Elementary Principal at the end of the 2021-22 school year, was also recognized for her leadership and contributions to the campus and Montgomery ISD.
2022 State Champion Lake Creek High School Softball TeamRegion 6 Paraprofessional of the Year, Montgomery Elementary School’s Lily Salas NinoFormer Lone Star ES Principal Dr. Catherine Bartlett
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