Dr. Mark Ruffin reflects on first 100 days as Superintendent

At the April school board meeting, trustees approved the selection of new principals at two Montgomery ISD campuses, and two new members of the district’s senior leadership team.    

Jewel Tucker will be the new principal at Madeley Ranch Elementary and Julie Roth has been named principal at Montgomery Junior High School. Albert Rosales-Korrea will serve as Assistant Superintendent of Communications and Public Relations, and Brad Mansfield was named Chief Facilities and Operations Officer.  

“Having served the past two years as the assistant principal at Madeley Ranch, we believe Mrs. Tucker’s experience and established relationships with staff and families will make for a smooth leadership transition,” Superintendent Dr. Mark Ruffin said. “We are confident she will continue building the strong culture that is such a big part of the Madeley Ranch school community.”  

Tucker brings to this position 15 years of experience as an educator. She has served as a classroom teacher, instructional coach, and assistant principal. Her work at Madeley Ranch has been recognized as outstanding, particularly in her ability to foster a collaborative school culture that sets high expectations for students and staff.  

“I am thrilled by the opportunity to lead at Madeley Ranch Elementary and look forward to continuing to build on the foundation of excellence that is already in place at the school,” Tucker said. “I have loved serving Madeley Ranch and I’m so proud of what our students and staff have been able to accomplish.  Having this opportunity to lead this amazing campus is truly an honor.” 

Tucker succeeds Shelby Smith as Madeley Ranch principal. Smith, who has served in the role since 2018, was named principal at MISD’s new Creekside Elementary School in December 2023. Creekside Elementary, constructed as part of the district’s 2022 bond package, will open in August 2024.

“Mrs. Tucker’s leadership style and the culture she has helped to develop at Madeley Ranch made her an excellent candidate for this role,” MISD Assistant Superintendent of Elementary Schools, Carrie Fitzpatrick said.  “She is a leader with a servant’s heart and we are confident that under her guidance, Madeley Ranch teachers and students will continue to achieve excellence for years to come.”  

New Montgomery Junior High principal, Julie Roth, currently serves as the associate principal at Montgomery High School.   

“We are thrilled for Mrs. Roth to become the new leader at Montgomery Junior High and believe that her knowledge of what lies ahead for students at the high school level will greatly benefit staff and students at the junior high,” Ruffin said.  “She is a skilled communicator and valued for her ability to partner with families to create excellent learning opportunities for every student.“ 

Roth brings to this position two decades of experience as an educator.  She has served as a classroom teacher, instructional coach, student success coordinator and administrator. She has served at Montgomery High School since 2022.  

“I am so excited for this opportunity to lead at Montgomery Junior High,” Roth said.  “I love being part of this community and I am especially proud to be a Bear! Working at the high school has given me a real appreciation for the ways educators can help prepare kids for their next chapter, focusing on their development both as students and as young adults.” 

Roth succeeds Angie Chapman as Montgomery Junior High principal.  Chapman, a 26-year public education veteran, is retiring at the end of this school year.   

“Mrs. Roth is a proven, well-respected leader in our district who consistently demonstrates a passion for seeing that all students learn,” Assistant Superintendent of Secondary Schools, Dr. Chris Summers said.  “She will be able to make strong connections and develop meaningful relationships with students, staff, and families. I am excited about the future of Montgomery Junior High under her capable leadership.”  

Albert Rosales-Korrea will be the district’s new Assistant Superintendent of Communications and Public Relations.  

“With two decades experience in public relations and communication, Albert has built a reputation as an experienced and trusted spokesperson, an expert in communication and in building community partnerships,” Ruffin said.  “He is skilled in planning and executing a district communications plan, managing and monitoring social media campaigns, and serving as the liaison for district communication. I am confident his experience will bring immediate value to the district’s communication efforts and our leadership team.” 

Rosales-Korrea’s career spans a variety of fields, including education, medical, city government and business. His experience in public education includes service as the Chief Communications Officer for Centennial School District in Portland, Oregon and Harlandale Independent School District in San Antonio. He also worked as the Multimedia and Bilingual Communication Coordinator for Spring ISD, Communications Officer for Hidalgo ISD, and the Multicultural Outreach Coordinator and Radio Producer for Austin ISD. Rosales-Korrea has also worked as an international communications consultant.   

“As I step into the role of Assistant Superintendent of Communications, I look forward to the opportunity to collaborate closely with district leaders, students, families, and community,” Rosales-Korrea said. “Together with the talented communications team, we’ll embark on a journey of innovation, engagement, and inclusive storytelling, ensuring that every voice is heard and celebrated.” 

Brad Mansfield will be the new Chief Facilities and Operations Officer.   

“Brad brings to the role extensive experience as a leader in public education,” Ruffin said.  “In addition to his background supporting and supervising transportation, maintenance, and child nutrition departments, he is skilled in collaborating with construction contractors on behalf of a school district. He also has considerable experience in school safety and security and served campuses as a principal and assistant principal. We believe the breadth of his experience in public education will serve MISD well as he takes on the role of Chief Facilities and Operations Officer, as a member of our district leadership team.”  

Mansfield is a 26-year educator, with over two decades experience in a leadership capacity, primarily in Leander ISD and Liberty Hill ISD. Since 2021, he has served as the Executive Director of Student Services in Willis ISD.

“I am grateful and excited to join the Montgomery ISD team,” Mansfield said. “I look forward to working on building strong relationships with all stakeholders in this wonderful district. There is so much to be proud of in Montgomery ISD and so much to look forward to as we grow together.” 

As part of the meeting, the MISD board took time to recognize the MISD Class of 2024 Valedictorians and Salutatorians. Principals from each high school shared accolades about each student and the wonderful ways their success has contributed to the culture on their campus.

From Montgomery High School, Brooklyn Lowe is the Valedictorian and Lucas Hyman is the Salutatorian.  Lake Creek High School’s Valedictorian is Brayden Adams and the Salutatorian is Grace Nichols.   

The board also recognized members of MISD’s Project Impact, a mentoring program that matches community members with MISD students to increase positive relationship building and support for students.  

“We are so grateful for the support of our Project Impact mentors,” Trustee Linda Porten said.  “They consistently invest their time to support the academic and emotional growth of the students participating in the program. MISD is fortunate to have these wonderful volunteers who help set our students up for success.” 

The board also approved purchases for items included in the district’s 2022 bond referendum, including new playground equipment at Steward Creek Elementary, new lighting and technology upgrades at Stewart Creek, Madeley Ranch and Lone Star Elementaries, and a chiller upgrade at Oak Hills Junior High School.    

Finally, Dr. Mark Ruffin shared a reflection of his first 100 days as MISD Superintendent.  Since January, Dr. Ruffin has attended more than 100 meetings and events to learn about the people and culture of the school district.  He also surveyed parents, students and staff members to get their input about MISD.  

“The surveys were designed to dig a little deeper into the themes that emerged during my initial meetings,” Ruffin said. “The survey data supported the collective belief that MISD’s people are its most valuable asset, and that in the face of growth, our people want to maintain our small-town feel. Our larger community is incredibly supportive of the school district and wants to see our students succeed.” 

Ruffin identified five key conclusions about MISD and specific growth opportunities in each of these areas: investing in MISD’s people, addressing funding challenges and opportunities, celebrating and growing MISD’s climate and culture, aligning academic opportunities for students districtwide, and focusing advocacy efforts with the support of MISD stakeholders.  

“These will be the areas we will focus on moving forward,” Ruffin said. “While there are challenges, I am incredibly optimistic about the future of the district, and the opportunities we have to make a difference in the lives of our kids. I look forward to continuing to build relationships and working together to give our students a premier learning experience.” 

Budget Development and Strategic Plan Refresh Updates Shared

Montgomery ISD leaders hosted a town hall meeting tonight, to provide updates about the district’s 2024-25 budget development process and the refresh of the MISD Pathway to Premier Strategic Plan.  

“After four special called sessions of the 88^th Texas Legislature, no new educational funding legislation was passed. With no additional funding provided by the state, not even a mechanism to account for historic levels of inflation, we knew it would be an extremely difficult fiscal year for MISD. Legislative actions did bring about welcomed changes for our stakeholders such as an increased homestead exemption and tax compression. But even as the MISD tax rate fell 18 cents last year, Montgomery ISD still finds ourselves significantly underfunded in comparison to districts around the state,” MISD Superintendent Dr. Mark Ruffin said. “All the higher costs our families are experiencing at places like the grocery store, the gas station, utilities for your home – school districts feel those increases too.”

In Montgomery ISD, 85 percent of the budget is allocated to staff salaries and benefits. The district receives funding from three sources: Local property tax, state revenue and federal dollars. Local property tax collections fund approximately 75 percent of the budget.

LOCAL FUNDING

Each year, the district adopts two tax rates, Maintenance & Operations (M&O) that funds salaries, supplies, utilities – all the things needed for day-to-day operations, and Interest & Sinking (I&S) that pays the debt on voter-approved bonds that fund facility construction and renovations, land acquisition, and buses. 

Montgomery ISD’s tax rate adopted by the board for trustees for 2023-24 was a historic low, $1.0487 per $100 property valuation, an 18 cent decrease from the previous tax year.

The 2023-24 tax rate represented the largest decrease to the district’s rate since 2006 when all school district property tax rates in Texas were decreased by $0.50. Also, for 2023-24, no increase to the district’s I&S tax rate was necessary or adopted, despite the district communicating the need for a small increase as part of the 2022 bond program.

STATE FUNDING

MISD continues to be funded at a level significantly less than the state average. The gap between MISD per-student funding versus the state average has increased since 2016:

If Montgomery ISD was funded at the state average, $4,000 additional dollars per student x 10,000 students would translate to approximately $40M. This additional funding would allow the district to eliminate the salary gap between MISD employees and those in surrounding districts, reduce class sizes, increase course offerings, academic programs, and increase campus support and safety personnel.

RECAPTURE

For the 2022-2023 school year, MISD returned to the state over $3M in recapture. This system, often referred to as “Robin Hood” requires property-wealthy school districts like Montgomery ISD to give money back to the state to be redistributed to other districts.  

Over the past ten years, MISD has paid almost $10M in recapture:

A question the district often hears is, “How can we keep our money in MISD?” The reduction in property tax rates and increase in homestead exemption should reduce the frequency of recapture for MISD. There are available funding options that would only become available through a Voter Approved Tax Rate Election (VATRE). A VATRE is an election required by the state that asks voters to consider approving a modified tax rate to increase revenue for student programs and teacher and staff salaries. 

Public school funding allows a district to access 8 “golden pennies.” Taxes collected through these pennies are not subject to recapture. Currently MISD is only accessing 5 golden pennies, meaning an additional 3 are available. Each additional golden penny equates to $1.38 million in additional funding. It is imperative to understand that this additional $4.1 million in funding, that would stay in Montgomery ISD, is only accessible through a tax rate election. MISD has never requested voters to consider approving a tax rate election. Therefore, this opportunity for LOCAL control of our funding has not been operationalized. 

COMPENSATION

Even with the constrained budgets, MISD has worked to make improvements to teacher pay and now ranks no lower than fourth among neighboring districts.  Campus staff salaries have improved as well, to 96% or more of market value.

LOOKING AHEAD

In the ongoing work to develop the 2024-25 school year budget, leaders are are working to reduce the district’s structural budget deficit. The budget priorities are staff compensation, school safety, ensuring excellent educational programs and enhanced professional development opportunities. 

The district continues to explore ways to reduce expenses and increase revenue in the absence of any new funding from the state. MISD has strong legislative representation and will continue to work collaboratively with them to address funding. The district is also growing, which is better than the alternative. 

The MISD Board of Trustees must formally adopt the 2024-25 budget prior the start of the start of the district’s July 1 fiscal year.

STRATEGIC PLAN REFRESH

Work is underway on the MISD “Pathway to Premier” Strategic Plan refresh.  Task forces have been formed around the five district goals that were established in 2021:

Goal 1: Academic Achievement

Goal 2: School Safety

Goal 3: Finance & Operations

Goal 4: Human Capital

Goal 5: Communications & Customer Service

The task forces are comprised of MISD administrators, parents and community members. They have been working this spring to review and update the district’s current performance objectives, key performance indicators, and initiatives and strategies to ensure the strategic plan reflects the needs of MISD students and families. Task Force leaders will review feedback and recommend revisions to the current plan that will be reviewed by district leadership, then submitted for school board approval this summer.

The community is invited to review the district’s strategic plan progress and share feedback during this time of evaluation via the QR code below:

During the March school board meeting, Montgomery ISD trustees approved the guaranteed maximum price for renovations at Montgomery High School.

“We are very excited to begin these renovations at Montgomery High School,” Board President Laurie Turner said. “These improvements will positively impact the learning environment at the school and allow our teachers and staff to support the needs of our students for years to come. We will continue to focus on transparency and share frequent updates about the progress of this project, consistent with how we’ve communicated about all projects funded by our 2022 bond.”

Trustees also heard an update about the MISD Athletic Department. MISD Athletic Director Clint Heard highlighted the accomplishments of the athletic programs across the district. MISD hosts 32 sports at the secondary level.

“While we are incredibly proud of the achievements of the student athletes who participate in our programs, we are equally proud to share about their performance in the classroom,” Heard said. “We had 123 students earn academic all-district honors this year, and 31 earned academic all-state honors. The district is also home to 33 student athletes who have committed to pursuing their athletic endeavors at the collegiate level next year.”

Also during the meeting, in acknowledgement of Career & Technical Education month, trustees recognized students from the district’s Robotics Programs, along with their sponsors Russell Reid from Montgomery High School and Eric Moons from Lake Creek High School.

Finally, to acknowledge the district’s commitment to music education, reflected by a long tradition of successful music programs across all secondary campuses, and to recognize Music In Our Schools Month in March, the trustees heard a performance from the newly formed Men’s a capella group from Montgomery High School, under the direction of Heather Orr and Emma Cockerham.  For nearly 40 years, March has been designated by the National Association for Music Education as Music in Our Schools Month. This March, music educators and students are celebrating music education in their school communities, demonstrating how the theme “I See ME in Music Education” resonates with them.

New medical pathway CTE program providing future for current seniors

Montgomery ISD continues to expand the Career and Technical Education opportunities for students with additional course selections and certifications being offered each year. For the 2023-2024 school year, the Practicum in Health Science EMT class was added to the course catalog and fourteen students have been participating, with plans to graduate high school as certified EMTs, ready to serve their community through their career.

Practicum in Health Science EMT is taught at Montgomery HS by Wade Johnson, paramedic turned teacher, who shares both his personal and professional experience with his students, helping make this pathway a reality for their future. Johnson became an EMT at the age of 18 and a paramedic in 2001, serving for over a decade as a field training officer. This is his second year teaching in Montgomery ISD.

“When I learned that health science classes were going to be offered in high schools to prepare students for a future as an EMT, I was immediately interested in continuing my career as a teacher,” said Johson. “The beauty of teaching in a CTE program is that the kids want to be here, they chose to be learning this material and we get immediate engagement from them when the class begins. The students are what make the program.”

The students, all with a variety of backgrounds and varying reasons for pursuing the medical pathway, come together through this practicum class and build a foundation for their future in medicine. Though several students plan to start working immediately following graduation, some plan to go directly to paramedic school and others will continue their education at four-year colleges, pursuing degrees in nursing, biology, pre-med and pre-vet. Most college bound students in the EMT program plan to use their EMT certification to work their way through school, lowering their accumulation of college debt and supporting themselves through school.

“I’ve enjoyed the classes and know that I’ve learned so much,” said Skyler Brannon, a senior that plans to work immediately following graduation. “I’d like to start just using what I’ve learned and make sure I like the job first, before I spend money or time on more education. I plan to be a paramedic eventually, but making money and being able to help people, without going to college for four or eight years, is definitely my priority. No matter what, I will always have these skills.”

All students in the practicum-level class are seniors, finishing a pathway that began with Principles of Health Science and included medical terminology and medical theory, as well as anatomy and physiology and pathology courses that were prerequisites to the practicum.

“I took this pathway in high school to put me ahead in what I want to do with my future,” said Camari Adams. “I plan to go to college and will work as an EMT to support myself through school. Being an obstetrician has been a dream of mine since I was a little girl, and learning all the skills through this program has gotten me even more excited about my future plans. Babies are a blessing and I want to be a part of bringing that joy into the world!”

Students in this practicum level class are required to earn 72 hours of skills training with an EMS crew and 40 hours in an emergency room. Because the shifts held in these careers range between eight and twelve hours, these students are required to get these hours outside of the school day, often on weekends and school holidays. Many of these students also have jobs of their own and some even participate in extracurricular activities including track, band and basketball.

“It takes a lot of dedication,” said Johnson. “This first class has been very impressive, learning time management and balancing their work and school and social life. It’s just a blessing to teach such motivated students.”

Students will complete the required hours and continue the coursework until April, when they will take the national registry exam. Once they have their registry results in April and their high school diploma in May, they will apply to the state and be certified EMTs in the state of Texas. In addition to the certification, these graduates will also have the CPR certification, the required FEMA incident command classes, and will be able to go to work immediately for transfer and 911 services.

“The students that plan to go into nursing or medical pathways will already be a year ahead in their training,” said Johnson. “They have developed soft skills training in doing patient interviews and bedside manner and empathy toward patients that you cannot get just sitting in a classroom.”

“We have learned so many skills,” said Jewel Dooley, “and for a fraction of the cost that would be required if we were to do this out of school, on our own. This is such an opportunity to have this preparation into becoming an adult and knowing that you are prepared and can provide for yourself with the skills you’ve been given.”

When the class was asked to share the specific skills they’ve learned, students spoke about skills needed to respond to patients, documenting care, the physical role of following safety procedures and protocols, as well as teamwork and communication skills. Students shared that the experience in clinicals was irreplaceable, helping them quickly understand why they have been taught the things they have since their freshman year.

Taking this course in Montgomery ISD costs students $250, for a program that would privately cost upwards of $3000 outside of school. Private programs are shorter, sometimes just seven weeks to learn the material that MISD students learn over the course of their senior year. This provides more time to get training, develop skills and be offered reteaching and hands-on training before they take the certification test.

In response to Montgomery ISD’s overwhelming support of Career and Technical Education, this Practicum in Health Science EMT class will be offered at MISD CTE Center starting the August 2025, where the facility will be equipped with a mock ambulance. This will allow students to practice their skills in a lifelike setting, with cameras inside the setup that will allow teachers to model from inside the ambulance during instruction time.

“Like I said, it’s an opportunity,” said Dooley. “An opportunity that was only available to me because of the teachers and programs here in our school.”

Montgomery ISD Education Foundation Recaps Grant Express

During the February school board meeting, Montgomery ISD trustees renewed the MISD Police Department’s “Memorandum of Understanding” agreement with the other law enforcement agencies that have concurrent jurisdiction within district boundaries, including Montgomery County Sheriff’s Department, City of Montgomery Police, Montgomery County Constables, and the Texas Department of Public Safety.

“Safety is our top priority for students and staff, so we are very thankful that each of our MISD campuses has at least one dedicated officer and the additional support of local law enforcement agencies due to this agreement,” Board President Laurie Turner said. “In addition to keeping our buildings safe, our officers serve as role models and mentors, building positive relationships with our students and staff. They are highly trained, dedicated professionals and we are fortunate that every MISD campus benefits from their service.”

The MISD Police Department collaborates with local law enforcement agencies and has established protocols and procedures for a well-coordinated response in the event of an emergency.

“Montgomery ISD’s Police Department is proud of this important partnership with neighboring law enforcement agencies,” MISD Police Chief Rickey Doerre said. “As school districts across Texas strengthen campus safety and security measures and protocols, the district is always glad to assist these agencies and we are grateful for the reciprocal support. This partnership enhances our police department’s ability to protect and serve MISD students, staff, and our larger community.”

The MISD Board of Trustees also voted to affirm the practice of a campus permitting a chaplain to provide support for students in accordance with the district’s existing policy that addresses school volunteers. In MISD, all volunteers must submit an application, clear a criminal background check and work under the supervision of campus principal after completing district training requirements. The vote complies with the requirements of Senate Bill 763, passed in last year’s session of the Texas legislature.

Trustees heard an update on projects funded by the district’s 2022 bond campaign:

• Design work for renovations at Montgomery High School is complete and bids will be received by February 28. The guaranteed maximum price for the project will be presented to the board at the March regular meeting.
• Design work for renovations at the Liberty Transportation Facility is complete and bids will be received in March.
• Lighting upgrades and technology infrastructure updates at Madeley Ranch, Lone Star, Stewart Creek are planned for this summer, with major renovations at those campuses postponed until summer 2025 due to lack of contractor bids.
• MISD athletic complex renovations are in the design process. The press box and field house renovations are scheduled for summer 2024 and major construction will begin at the complex after completion of the 2024 football season.

Trustees also heard updates from the Child Nutrition and Career & Technical Education Departments, and a report from the Montgomery ISD Education Foundation about the recent “Grant Express”, traveling across the district awarding over $74,000 in educator grants at all ten MISD campuses.

Montgomery ISD is excited to announce fifteen students have been named All-State musicians for the 2023-24 school year.  Each fall, over 70,000 high school students across the state audition in their TMEA Region. Individuals perform selected music for a panel of judges who rank each instrument or voice part. A select group advances to compete against musicians from other Regions in their TMEA Area. The highest-ranking musicians judged at the TMEA Area competitions qualify to perform in All-State ensembles.

All-State Choir honorees from MHS are as follows:

Jack McCorquodale, All State Mixed Choir

Adelyn Rabel, All State Mixed Choir

Sam Siemonsma, All State Mixed Choir

Ben Barajas, All State Tenor Bass Choir

Alyssa Schelski, All State Treble Choir

Mary Hoke, All State Mixed Choir, MHS

Joel Morgan, All State Mixed Choir

Catherine McCorquodale, All State Mixed Choir

MHS All-State Band honorees include:

All-State Choir honorees from LCHS are as follows:

Zoe Powell, All State Mixed Choir

Kenny Chalk, All State Mixed Choir

Molly Marshall, All State Mixed Choir

All-State Band honorees from LCHS are as follows:

Carter Huget-Hrupp, Jazz Ensemble

Jessica Lofton, 5A Band

“These students earned this honor through years of hard work and commitment,” Montgomery High School Choir Director Heather Orr said.  “This is the highest achievement a high school musician can achieve in the state of Texas. We are thrilled for their success and can’t wait to see them shine in San Antonio.”

All-state honorees from Montgomery ISD will travel to San Antonio to perform at the TMEA Convention later this month. In addition to All-State Ensemble performances, the TMEA Convention provides opportunities for professional development for current and future music educators at every level and discipline.

The Montgomery High School Varsity Chorale Women have been named a Texas Music Educators Association (TMEA) Invited Choir, chosen to perform at the TMEA Convention on February 9^th in San Antonio, Texas.   

The achievement is part of the growing legacy of the Montgomery High School Choir Program. The Chorale Women are one of six high school choirs selected to perform at the TMEA Convention and the only 5A Women’s Choir invited. This is the fourth time this group has been selected to perform at the state level. With additional performances at the divisional and national conventions, this will mark the group’s eighth appearance at a Music Educators Association Event.

The group is directed by Mrs. Heather Orr. She is in her 23rd year leading the Choir Department at Montgomery High School. 

“This is such an honor and we are so thrilled to perform at the Texas Music Educators Convention,” Orr said. “This is definitely a life changing experience and the girls have worked so hard to inspire and bring joy to our audience. We can’t wait! I am so proud of them!”

Held annually, TMEA is a four-day event at San Antonio’s Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center and is the largest music education convention in the nation. With over 29,000 attendees, the event provides opportunities for current and future music educators at every level and discipline and features performances by ensembles at every grade level.”

“Being invited to perform at the TMEA Convention is one of the highest honors bestowed on a public school band, choir or orchestra in the state of Texas,” MISD Superintendent Mark Ruffin said. “We are so excited to share this talented MHS choir with music educators and students from across the state.”

The Chorale Women will preview their TMEA performance at a concert in the Montgomery High School auditorium Monday, February 5 at 7:00 p.m. 

Trustees also approve Guaranteed Maximum Price for Career and Technical and Agricultural-Science Centers

During the January school board meeting, Montgomery ISD trustees approved the district’s academic calendar for the 2024-25 school year.

Montgomery ISD sought input on next year’s calendar via a community-wide survey last October. The calendar was developed by a district advisory committee comprised of MISD staff, parents and community members who met several times to study survey feedback and recommend a final version of the 2024-25 calendar to the Board of Trustees for their approval.

“Each year, the school calendar is an item on which we receive a great deal of community input and feedback,” Board President Laurie Turner said. “As a Board, it’s important to us that there is a strong calendar development process in place, and we thoroughly appreciate the work of the District Advisory Committee to create the 2024-25 calendar,” Board President Laurie Turner said. “This process began in the fall semester and the committee members carefully considered the preferences of our MISD community and ensured the recommended calendar was aligned with state requirements.”

For a link to the approved 2024-25 academic calendar, click here.  

“The district advisory committee members did a great job developing a calendar that reflects the feedback we received from the community survey and from the groups they represent,” Superintendent Dr. Mark Ruffin said.  “We received positive feedback from parents and staff members about the fall break in our current calendar, so the committee built that into next year’s calendar, too. This calendar strikes a great balance between ensuring strong instructional time for students and identifying breaks and professional development and planning time for staff.”

The first day of school for MISD students will be Thursday, August 15, 2024.

Also during the meeting, MISD trustees were acknowledged as part of School Board Appreciation Month.  Each January, school districts across Texas honor the community volunteers who serve on local school boards. 

“The additional recognition bestowed on the trustees during School Board Appreciation Month is so well-deserved,” Dr. Ruffin said. “They exemplify the very best of strong, locally elected leadership. They are rooted in this community and committed to our students, staff, families and taxpayers. The MISD trustees are united in their desire to see our students succeed, and they make informed, thoughtful decisions accordingly. They volunteer for the huge responsibility of governing and moving our school district forward.  We are grateful for their servant leadership and dedication to making sure Montgomery continues to be a great place to raise a family.”

With an intense focus on transparency and community engagement, the MISD school board was instrumental in developing a strategic plan for the district in 2021 and calling a successful bond election in May 2022, to address future growth in the district.  The trustees have also dedicated resources to enhance school safety, including the expansion of the MISD Police Department to allow for at least one police officer at every MISD campus.  In 2023, the MISD school board was recognized by the Texas Association of School Boards (TASB) as an Honor Board, one of the top five school boards in the state.  

“During the 88^th Texas legislative session this past spring, MISD trustees engaged frequently with our state delegation to advocate for the interests of our school district and community,” Chief of Staff and Communications Justin Marino said. “This included many meetings with our elected officials and visits to the state capitol to address MISD’s funding challenges with state legislators. This level of engagement goes above and beyond what is typically expected of a school board member and demonstrates their remarkable commitment to this community. The Montgomery community is blessed to be served by this incredible group of leaders.”  

Finally, trustees heard an update on projects funded by the district’s 2022 bond campaign and approved the guaranteed maximum price for the CTE & Ag Science Center, slated to open for the 2025-26 school year. The facility will be located along Lone Star Parkway between Buffalo Springs and Plez Morgan Drive. 

“Through our efforts with our partners at Huckabee Architects and Stewart Builders, we are working to maximize the value of this facility,” Chief Facilities & Operations Officer Kris Lynn said.  “We plan to move forward with constructing the CTE Center as a two-story structure. This finished space will provide some flexibility as the district grows and eliminate the need for future construction at the site. Additionally, the building will include a full kitchen facility that can be utilized for district events. We are also planning to connect the covered areas in the Ag-Science area. These decisions translate to an additional 30,000 square feet of usable space, at a price approved by our community in the 2022 bond election.”

The $61.61 million centralized CTE facility will serve both Montgomery High School and Lake Creek High School as will the $21.31 million centralized agricultural science center. The total building square footage for the CTE center is proposed at 127,000 square feet. The agricultural center will be 62,000 square feet, not including the additional 17,000 square feet for animal pens.