For the past 126 years, Conroe ISD has been providing public education for the children of Montgomery County, shaping the past, present and future of the county through generations of students. “Being a school district with such history strengthens our connections with the community as we have been able to grow and evolve with the county,” CISD Director of Communications Sarah Blakelock said. On June 12, 1892, the Montgomery County Commissioners Court voted to consolidate the 12 common school districts that surrounded Conroe into one independent school district, called Conroe ISD, which covered 25 square miles. At that time, the county judge acted as the sanctioned superintendent of schools with three appointed trustees, until it was decided the county school superintendent and three trustees would be elected by voters at the turn of the century, according to information from the Montgomery County Genealogical and Historical Society. The first superintendent was A.D. Frank, who served from 1900-1902. The first one-room Conroe public school was Conroe Mill School, which was constructed of rough lumber and furnished with homemade desks. The school opened in 1886 in the present community of Beach, located between Conroe and Cut and Shoot. According to the historical society, the school held classes for five months out of the year to accommodate the harvest season of the highly rural community. The first classes for black students in Montgomery County were held in Central Baptist Church at Madeley Quarters and were later moved to the Conroe College campus. According to the historical society, the first school for black students in CISD was Campbell High School, which was built in 1919 on First Street between Avenue K and Avenue M in Conroe. The school taught students in grades 1-11, with one classroom for each grade level. CISD integrated in 1968. In 1902, CISD had a tax rate of $0.25 per $100 valuation. That same year, CISD had its first graduating class of four students. In 1917, grade teachers in CISD had a starting salary of $40 per month with the ability to earn annual raises of $2.50—not to exceed a total of $60 per month. Today, a first-year teacher at CISD makes just over $53,000 per year. CISD consolidated again in 1925, this time adding several surrounding school areas and bringing the district size to 333 square miles, according to the district. Before this consolidation, few children in rural areas in Montgomery County were able to attend high school.

Teaching today

Although Blakelock said none of CISD’s original buildings are still standing, CISD’s oldest existing building is Travis Intermediate School—formerly Crockett High School—that was built in 1926. “Over the years, many renovations and updates have been done to the facility to preserve its historic charm, while also ensuring it’s able to meet the standards today’s classrooms demand,” Blakelock said. Today, CISD covers 384 square miles, has an enrollment of 63,014 students and employs 4,200 teachers, nurses, counselors and librarians at 59 campuses. “Our focus continues to be on providing students with the best education possible," Blakelock said.