Superintendent to say goodbye after more than 30 years with Conroe ISD

THE WOODLANDS, Texas -- Dr. Don Stockton has shaken the hands of more than 50,000 high school graduates during his tenure as superintendent of Conroe Independent School District.

Only 4,000 or so more to go, which is bittersweet for Stockton as he plans to retire at the end of the 2017-2018 school year.

He made the announcement during a back-to-school rally for Conroe ISD teachers and staff Aug. 14 at The Woodlands Church.

"I've had a great career, I've enjoyed everything I've done, I've enjoyed the community, the school district, and most of all -- the people," Stockton told Woodlands Online.

Stockton was appointed superintendent in 2003.

He has 33 years of education experience, beginning his career as a math teacher in Lafayette, Indiana. Stockton met his wife, Kara, a couple of years later while teaching and coaching at Travis Junior High School in Conroe. Kara retired from teaching last year. They have one daughter, Brooke, who is a Conroe ISD graduate and lives in The Woodlands.

"When I came to the school district, we had 18,000 students," Stockton said. "When I became superintendent, we had 38,000. We'll open our doors this year with more than 61,000 students. We now have 61 campuses, and four more in the process of opening. That has to be the biggest change over the years."

Conroe ISD is the largest school district to ever be named Exemplary by the Texas Education Agency. It is the 13th largest district in Texas and the 65th largest in the country.

Stockton originally set out to be a businessman.

"There aren't educators in my family," Stockton said. "In fact, when I was in college, thinking about what I wanted to major in, I realized the people who made a difference in my life were educators. I changed my major from business to education. I've enjoyed it ever since. One thing I've learned in life is you have to do something you're passionate about. Because we work too hard for it to not be something you're passionate about."

A lifelong learner, Stockton plans to continue learning something new every day – while at the same time learning how to relax.

"I'm not going to get up quite so early in the morning," he laughed. "And I'll worry about a few less things. I love to read, I love to travel, and I love to spend time with family."

Stockton describes his years with Conroe ISD as a blessing.

"This community is incredible," Stockton said. "They've been so supportive. It's really hard to leave … but it's still the right time to leave."