Trustees also approve design development for new Creekside Elementary School

During the January meeting of the Montgomery ISD Board of Trustees, leaders from the Montgomery, Texas community were on hand to share their appreciation for school board members. Each January, communities across the state honor the elected leaders who serve on their local school boards.

“Recognizing our trustees during school board appreciation month ensures that these amazing servant leaders receive the appreciation they deserve,” Superintendent Dr. Heath Morrison said. “Every day, Montgomery ISD students and employees benefit from the service of our school board members. They are extraordinary leaders who voluntarily tackle the job of governing our school district. They recognize the tremendous responsibility entrusted to them and take their roles seriously. We are grateful for their leadership and appreciate their unwavering commitment to our employees and students.”

Over the past three years, the Montgomery ISD Board of Trustees has worked with stakeholders to establish new district goals, adopt Montgomery ISD’s strategic plan, approve school safety enhancements including expansion of the MISD Police Department and plan for the future of the district by overseeing the process to explore and ultimately call a successful bond election in May 2022. The Board of Trustees has focused on MISD employees, approving enhancements to employee pay and establishing a ‘Culture of Respect’ initiative to ensure a strong workplace culture. With an increased focus on transparency and community engagement, the trustees were instrumental in the successful 2022 bond referendum to accommodate the needs of the growing school district.

“Strong local elected leadership is more important now than it ever has been, and that is exactly what the MISD Board of Trustees is exemplifying,” Lake Conroe Area Republican Women President Stephanie Johnson said. “We are so proud of the Montgomery ISD Board of Trustees’ commitment to the district’s students, parents and taxpayers, and we applaud them for working tirelessly to move the district forward, and for working to ensure Montgomery continues to be a great place for families to raise and educate their children.”

During the meeting, trustees also approved the design development for the district’s seventh elementary campus, Creekside Elementary School. Funding for the facility is provided as part of the district’s voter-approved 2022 bond initiative, and the school is set to open in August 2024, for the 2024-25 school year.

A committee comprised of MISD staff members, parents, and representatives from Huckabee Architects worked to finalize the designs for the new school.

“Completing the design for the campus involved a wonderful collaborative process with parents, teachers and staff,” Trustee Linda Porten said. “MISD trusted the team and expertise provided by Huckabee Architects to develop a design that is highly functional, educationally innovative, and truly beautiful. We are confident that the facility will accommodate our growing district and provide an excellent learning environment for our students.”

The one-story building is equipped for 900 students. The design features a centrally located library with makerspaces to encourage problem-solving, creative thinking and collaborative learning. The interior finishes are inspired by Sam Houston National Forest and the natural beauty of the area surrounding the campus. The school’s blue and gold color scheme is reflected in the forest-themed interior to create a warm, welcoming atmosphere.

Trustees also received an update from the Montgomery ISD Education Foundation. Last week, the 2022-23 educator grants were awarded across all 10 MISD campuses. Thirty grants totaling over $64,000 were delivered by the MISD Education Foundation’s ‘Grant Express’. Teachers across the district were encouraged to submit grant proposals in the fall semester, seeking funding for creative and innovative teaching programs to benefit MISD students.

“We are so appreciative of the fundraising efforts of the MISD Education Foundation and their amazing directors,” Trustee Nate Robb said. “It was rewarding to be able to see the surprise and excitement from a classroom teacher who learned their grant application had been funded by the foundation, and to know that those grant funds will be used to engage students through original and creative learning experiences.”

Finally, trustees received a progress report on Academic Achievement Goal 1 of the district’s strategic plan. Dr. Chris Summers, Executive Director of Curriculum and Instruction shared information from the Texas Academic Performance Report (TAPR), supporting Montgomery ISD’s districtwide A Rating from TEA, for the 2021-22 school year.

Honored as one of three statewide finalists in small district category

H-E-B has named Montgomery ISD as a statewide finalist for the Texas-based organization’s 2023 Excellence in Education Awards. MISD is one of three finalists in the small district category, encompassing those with less than 10,000 students enrolled.

H-E-B launched the Excellence in Education Awards in 2002 as a positive way to support education in Texas. Since the program’s inception in 2002, H-E-B has awarded more than $13 million in funding to outstanding Texas teachers, principals, public school districts, school boards, and early childhood facilities.

“Being named as one of three finalists in H-E-B’s Excellence in Education Awards is an incredible honor,” Superintendent Dr. Heath Morrison said. “I am so proud of our amazing educators, dedicated support staff and committed Board of Trustees who are supremely invested in the success of our students. This distinction reflects Montgomery ISD’s commitment to becoming the Premier School District in Texas, achieving the goals set forth in the district’s strategic plan.”

The H-E-B School District Awards recognize school districts based on the following criteria:

• Commitment to student achievement through innovative programs
• Parent/Community involvement
• Professional development opportunities for teachers and administrators

“We are thrilled that Montgomery ISD has been named as a statewide finalist by H-E-B. The Excellence in Education Awards highlight the values that our community has come to expect of our school district.” MISD Board President Matt Fuller said. “We appreciate the tremendous responsibility of educating our children and are united in our commitment to doing our very best to set our students up for success.”

To determine overall statewide winners, a panel of judges will tour campuses and visit with administration, staff, parents, students and community members. 

Winners will be announced at the H-E-B Excellence in Education Awards Ceremony on April 30, 2023 in San Antonio.

Trustees recognize members of MISD Police Department, MISD theatre programs

During the December meeting of the Montgomery ISD Board of Trustees, the Board approved the name and mascot for Elementary School #7, set to open for the 2024-25 school year as part of the district’s 2022 bond program.   

Montgomery ISD’s newest campus will be named Creekside Elementary School. The school will be located on FM 2854 behind Lake Creek High School. The school mascot will be the Cubs and the school colors will be blue and gold.  

A school naming committee convened this fall and reviewed over 600 school name, mascot and school color suggestions from MISD parents, students and staff members that were submitted via a districtwide survey. During the meeting, the naming committee shared their process and recommendation with the trustees. The board approved the committee’s recommendation.    

“We appreciate the thoughtful input from our community, and the work that was performed by the naming committee to review suggestions and make their recommendations,” Trustee Linda Porten said. “Choosing Creekside Elementary School as the name and selecting the Cub mascot with blue and gold color scheme is the perfect acknowledgement to the building’s proximity to Lake Creek High School. The branding package recognizes the school’s place in the LCHS feeder pattern while also conveying a unique identity for the new campus. I know the school’s inaugural students and staff members will be excited to be Creekside Cubs!”

Also, during the meeting, Dr. Amy Busby, MISD Assistant Superintendent for Student Services and Innovation, and MISD Chief of Police Stephen Phillips gave an update on Goal 2 (School Safety) of the district’s Strategic Plan, which addresses policies and procedures that promote a safe and orderly environment. As part of the district’s work under the strategic plan, the board is provided updates on each district goal during public meetings throughout the school year. Additionally, members of the Montgomery ISD Police Department were recognized for their service to the district, ahead of National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day on January 9, 2023.

“While safety is listed as goal two in our district strategic plan, it is always our top priority for our students and staff,” Board Vice President Laurie Turner said. “We are grateful for the dedication and service of our Montgomery ISD police officers, who work diligently to ensure our learning environments are safe and are very intentional about building meaningful personal relationships with students and staff on our campuses.” 

The meeting also included performances from students in the Montgomery High and Lake Creek High theatre programs who were recently named national qualifiers at the Texas Thespians State Festival. Fourteen students from Montgomery High School and ten students from Lake Creek High School earned recognition in a variety of categories including dance, acting, costuming, stage management and lighting design.

“The Board and I are extremely proud of these talented students for representing Montgomery ISD at the state thespian festival,” Superintendent Dr. Heath Morrison said. “Participation in a fine arts program no doubt increases the depth of a student’s complete educational experience, and we are thrilled to acknowledge these impressive accomplishments by our theatre students along with their directors.”

Finally, trustees reviewed the annual performance evaluation for MISD Superintendent Dr. Heath Morrison and extended the superintendent’s employment contract. 

“We are extremely grateful for Dr. Morrison’s continued leadership of our school district as superintendent,” Board President Matt Fuller said. “The board is confident that under his guidance, as a school district, we will continue to meet the high expectations of our community and continue to see outstanding achievements in student academic outcomes, workplace culture, and district operations and finances.

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.

“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.

“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.” 

Montgomery High School 

All-Region Mixed Choir & Pre-Area Candidates 

All-Region Treble Choir

Lake Creek High School  

All-Region Mixed Choir & Pre-Area Candidates  

All-Region Treble Choir

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 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.”

Congratulations to these talented students:

Montgomery High School:

Mason Ainsworth

Aiden Anderson

Benjamin Barajas

Saida Borque

Mackenzie Davis

Hannah Dobbs

Mary Rose Hoke

Sarah Hoke

Aniyah Holiday

Kalea Johnson

Zoe King

Baron Lockridge

Jacqueline Lucas

Catherine McCorquodale

John McCorquodale

Owen McWhirter

Grayson Moore

Joel Morgan

Emily Morris

Jacob Morris

Riley Morton

Robin Neill

Taylor Perrine

Jarod Peschl

Adelyn Radel

Kaitlyn Reeves

Braedyn Ritchie

Ella Grace Roberston

Kailey Rooney

Sahely Sanchez

Alyssa Schelski

Raegan Sells

Sam Siemonsma

Jax Tweto

Caden Villasenor

Audrey Wendele

Kristen Wendele

Lake Creek High School:

Kimberly Boyd

Briley Brown

Abby Carswell

Kenny Chalk

Adrah Eales

Madelyn Fellman

Emma Gober

Lexi Howell

Brenna Lovan

Blayne Lusk

Molly Marshall

Caden McDonald

Calder McDonald

Donovan Miller

Krystal Moons

Mia Pazderny

Madi Perry

Macey Pool

Zoe Powell

Alexia Romo

Jacob Sadler

Lily Sample-Conley

Jacob Silver

Levi Turner

Jennifer Whitlock

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.