Montgomery Independent School District

The Montgomery ISD Board of Trustees met Tuesday evening for their regularly scheduled monthly meeting. You can watch the video and read the recap below: 

Montgomery ISD Board of Trustees Approves District Legislative Priorities

District also authorizes one-time bonuses for employees, receives update report from demographer and announces leadership updates

During the December Montgomery ISD school board meeting, trustees approved the district’s state legislative priorities for the 89th Texas Legislature, set to begin on January 14, 2025.

As part of their ongoing commitment to advocating for students, teachers, and staff, the Montgomery ISD Board of Trustees adopts a list of legislative priorities ahead of each session to guide its collaboration with state lawmakers.

Key priorities for the upcoming session include:

• Increasing the basic allotment: Trustees are urging legislators to raise the state’s per-student funding amount to account for inflation and other rising costs. The current per-student funding level, which is $6,160, has not been adjusted since 2019.
• Enhancing school safety funding: The district seeks an increase in the school safety allotment, which supports campus security measures such as school police and safety equipment.
• Local control: Montgomery ISD advocates for maintaining or expanding local control over areas like school district elections, state-mandated accelerated instruction, and school discipline policies.

“Our board is committed to ensuring that Montgomery ISD’s voice is heard at the State Capitol,” Board Secretary Eddie Winn said. “We know that excellent schools and a strong educator workforce are the foundation of a thriving economy and great communities. We are fortunate to have a delegation of lawmakers in Montgomery who are willing to collaborate with us on funding and policy issues. We remain optimistic that the legislature will prioritize public education when it meets in 2025.”

You can read Montgomery ISD’s legislative priorities here.

Additionally, trustees authorized a one-time $500 retention bonus for all MISD full-time employees. Eligible Montgomery ISD team members will see the additional pay in their December 20 paycheck. The bonus pay is funded by new revenue from Proposition A, approved by voters on the November ballot. The bonus is to recognize service and encourage the retention of highly qualified Montgomery ISD team members. 

“Our employees’ hard work and commitment to our students are critical to our success as a school district and as a community and this commitment has not gone unnoticed,” Board President Matt Fuller said. “We are thrilled and grateful that voters approved Prop A, allowing the board to authorize this retention bonus for full-time staff. This fulfills one of our commitments during the election, and while our goal is to do more when we adopt a new compensation plan in 2025, we hope it demonstrates our appreciation for our staff. As we develop the 2025-26 budget, our top priority will be competitive compensation for our employees. The new revenue from Prop A, along with any additional funding approved in the upcoming legislative session, will play a key role in shaping our compensation plan next spring and the competitiveness of MISD for years to come.”

Additionally, as result of the passage of Prop A, the district has posted four new teaching positions to reduce elementary class sizes and three special education paraprofessional positions to provide additional support for students.

During the meeting, the board also received an update on a third-party demographic study conducted by Zonda, a firm specializing in housing market research and school district enrollment projections. Representatives from Zonda reported that 34 housing subdivisions are under development within Montgomery ISD, with 16 more future subdivisions in various stages of planning. According to their projections, Montgomery ISD’s enrollment is expected to grow to approximately 11,500 students by the 2029-30 school year and 13,300 students by 2034-35. Currently, the district serves about 9,900 students.

You can see the demographer’s report to the board here.

“As Montgomery continues to grow, it’s an exciting time for our district and our community,” Superintendent Dr. Mark Ruffin said. “Planning for this growth is essential to ensure that we meet the needs of our students and families while maintaining the values that make Montgomery such a special place to live and learn. We are committed to preserving the qualities that draw families to our schools—excellence in education, strong community ties, and a focus on student success—while embracing opportunities for the future.”

This spring, the district will establish a committee to review demographic projections, campus enrollment capacities, financial data, and a facilities assessment. The committee will provide input and make recommendations for addressing the district’s future planning and facility needs.

Dr. Ruffin also announced two leadership updates.

Brad LaPlante brings over 20 years of coaching experience at the junior college and high school levels to his new role as the district’s Athletic Director.

Since 2018, LaPlante has served as the Athletic Director for Hutto ISD. During his time in Hutto, he also held several coaching positions, including Head Football Coach at Hutto High School (2018–2022), Offensive Coordinator/Assistant Head Coach (2014–2017), and Assistant Coach for Wrestling and Powerlifting.

Before joining Hutto ISD, LaPlante coached at Manvel ISD as Special Teams Coordinator, Alvin ISD as Offensive Coordinator, and New Caney ISD as Run Game Coordinator. He also served as Head Football Coach at Northwest Mississippi Community College and Rochester Community Technical College (RCTC) in Minnesota.

As a head football coach, LaPlante had an impressive 94 wins, with his teams reaching the postseason in 19 of his 23 seasons. Notably, he led RCTC to an NJCAA Division III National Championship in 2007.

Throughout his career, LaPlante has helped over 200 athletes advance to the collegiate level. Additionally, 21 of his assistant coaches and 12 of his former players have gone on to become head coaches at the high school or collegiate level.

“Coach LaPlante comes with an impressive resume of coaching success and oversight of a multi-sport athletics program at both the 5A and 6A levels,” Ruffin said.  “He is incredibly well-respected in the coaching community. His character and ethics are foundational to his leadership, which was evident throughout the hiring process. He is a forward thinking and inspirational leader, focused on growing both athletes and coaches. Coach believes in the importance athletics plays in developing our students into successful adults and pours his time, energy, and effort into that vision.  In his time at Hutto he has seen enrollment growth similar to MISD’s and has first-hand experience navigating the challenges and opportunities that come with a stadium redesign and renovation.  We believe his considerable experience as a coach and athletic director will be a great fit for MISD as he takes on his new role.”

 “I am grateful for the opportunity to lead the Athletic Department and excited to join an exceptional team at Montgomery ISD,” LaPlante said.  “My wife Christie and I cannot wait to get here to build relationships and serve the staff and students.  Montgomery ISD is known for competitive programs, a winning tradition, and fantastic community support.  We are ecstatic to be a part of it.  My family has loved being part of the Hutto community and while we are sad to leave, we know Montgomery ISD is a great place for us to make our next impact.”

LaPlante succeeds Clint Heard in the role, who announced he will retire from the district in January 2025.  Heard has served in Montgomery ISD for over 30 years as a teacher, coach and administrator. He served the last 16 years as the district’s athletic director. During his tenure in Montgomery ISD, Heard led the Montgomery Bears baseball team to the playoffs in 14 of the 16 seasons he was head coach, which included an appearance in the state tournament in 2005. He was named district Coach of the Year six times. As athletic director, Heard was instrumental in navigating significant growth in MISD athletics, helping lead the district’s transition from one 6A high school to two 5A high schools.

“Coach Heard leaves an incredible legacy in MISD,” Fuller said. “He has been a cornerstone of our athletic programs, creating a culture centered around student athletes who know that academics come first. He is a person of character who has spent countless hours championing our coaches and kids. We are truly grateful for his service and dedication to our district.”

Justin Marino has been named Montgomery ISD’s Chief of Staff.

As part of the district’s senior leadership team, Marino will oversee district communications, support the superintendent and Board of Trustees, and lead long-range strategic planning, master facilities planning, and other special initiatives. He will also play a key role in strengthening the district’s collaboration with state legislators.

Marino brings 15 years of experience in the private and public sectors as a communications leader. He has led numerous successful initiatives focused on public school funding and other district priorities. In 2020, Marino was appointed as Montgomery ISD’s Director of Communications, where he helped establish the district’s first-ever dedicated communications department. Notably, he directed the communication and community engagement strategy for the district’s 2022 bond election, which secured funding for Creekside Elementary School, the MISD CTE and Ag-Science centers, phase 2 of Lake Creek High School and district-wide school facility improvements. He also developed and co-led the process for creating the district’s first-ever strategic plan in 2021. Marino has presented Montgomery ISD’s strategic planning process alongside members of the Board of Trustees at statewide conferences. Marino spent the last year working in a private sector company serving K-12 public schools, gaining insight into school business operations across the state.

“Justin is known in our MISD community and deeply committed to the district’s success,” Ruffin said. “He is an experienced leader who excels at building relationships and collaborating with teams to achieve district goals. His familiarity with MISD, combined with his expertise, will bring immediate value to our leadership team, as well as our communication and planning efforts. We are thrilled to welcome him back to MISD.”

Finally, an update on the district’s 2022 bond program was provided by Chief Facilities and Operations Officer, Brad Mansfield. Construction at the MISD CTE & Ag-Science Center and renovations at Montgomery High School are both more than 60 percent complete. Renovations at Stewart Creek, Lone Star and Madeley Ranch elementary campuses are 35 percent complete. Updates at the MISD Stadium Complex and the Liberty Transportation Fuel Center are underway. All Bond 2022 projects are tracking within budget and are expected to be complete in the summer of 2025. 

“We are excited about our progress on the projects made possible by the 2022 bond. This next phase brings important and exciting upgrades to school facilities,” Board Vice President Laurie Turner said. "We are proud that this bond program ensures that every student benefits—whether through academics, career and technical education, fine arts, or extracurricular activities. The 2022 bond is truly impacting every aspect of the student learning and growth experience in MISD, and we are proud to see the positive outcomes take shape. Our Board remains fully committed to keeping our community informed and celebrating the progress of this voter-approved bond program.”