Conroe ISD Looks Back on 130 Years of Excellence—And Ahead to Many More

THE WOODLANDS, TX -- At first blush, the one-room schoolhouse in the humble community of Beach does not look like much. The rough-hewn lumber facade, the low ceiling that you can reach up and touch without trying, and the well-worn student desks seem like an artifact from another era, and as you blow the dust off the cover, you cannot seem to shake the feeling that despite the building’s appearance, it is important—like something that should be put behind plexiglass in a history museum. If you hazard that guess, you would happen to be right because on July 12, 1892, that new school and 11 others were consolidated by the Commissioners Court of Montgomery County, Texas, newly minted as the Conroe Independent School District.

Now stretching 348 square miles, Conroe ISD constitutes the largest school district in Montgomery County, the 9th largest school district in Texas, and the 60th largest in the United States. As we have grown to what would have seemed a pipe dream more than a century ago, we have constantly adapted our services to deliver premier education, whether that means toeing the ever-thinning line between technology and mental health or enthusiastically courting the diverse social concerns of our parents. But our core value—of making sure all truly means all—has never buckled under the pressure of change.

To this end, Conroe ISD boasts an unrivaled slate of academics, athletics, career and technical education offerings, and fine arts programs to cater to all students’ interests and needs. The results more than pay off. Look no further than the Education Resource Group, which ranked Conroe ISD as the 2nd highest rated district per our academic and financial performance, our 97.3% graduation rate, one of the highest in Texas, and our achievement scores well above state and national averages.

More, as the largest employer in Montgomery County, we also strive to cultivate an empowering and productive work culture by offering our more than 10,000 employees competitive salaries and tools for professional development. Based on the anonymous feedback of over 4,600 Conroe ISD employees, the Houston Chronicle even crowned us as among the Top Workplaces in 2021, the highest-ranking school district on the list. Through all this, we are proud to have earned and strive to maintain our community’s trust. For one, Conroe ISD has received the highest recognition for financial transparency from the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts for 10 years in a row and is one 1 of 6 districts in Texas recognized by the Association of School Business Officials International 15+ years in a row for excellence in school budget presentation.

But in our 130th year of ceaseless commitment to student excellence, faculty growth, and community trust, we recognize that our success goes far beyond a list of awards or numbers. More than the plaques and certificates that crowd our administration building, we see the people that Conroe ISD serves—the smiles of students, the stories of employees, and the praises of parents from every walk of life. We see how Conroe ISD imbues our people with passion and purpose, and no award can come close to giving us that same satisfaction.

So happy 130th birthday, Conroe ISD! With luck, there will be many more anniversaries worth celebrating to come.

Written by: Siddhanth Pachipala, Education for Tomorrow Alliance Intern and Senior at the Academy of Science and Technology at TW College Park High School