Education
BY ANGELA BONILLA & COLE GEE
CISD OKs forming special education parent council The Conroe ISD board of trustees approved cre- ating the CISD Special Education Parent Advisory Council, or SEPAC, at the Feb. 17 board meeting. It was established in a 6-0 vote, with trustee Aggie Gambino abstaining as the council’s founder. What to know Kendra Wiggins, CISD’s executive director of special education, said SEPAC would be a collab- orative forum between the district and parents or guardians of students receiving special education services and 504 services, which serve students with disabilities who attend schools receiving federal nancial assistance, per the Texas Educa- tion Agency. The committee will be made up of a diverse group of board-appointed parent members representing all campuses and feeder zones while
MISD OKs $3.2M o ce space buildout At its regular Feb. 17 meeting, MISD trust- ees approved to utilize the empty space at the district’s career and technical education center, known as The Den, for a new faculty o ce space. The move stems from the aging and deteriorating state of the Education Support Center and the desire for its faculty to work in better conditions. Why now? The ESC does not have the proper working conditions to host its faculty. Superinten- dent Mark Ru n said Feb. 17 that the ESC building is “aging and has signi cant struc- tural concerns.” Some of these structural concerns include cracked bricks, drywall separations and sinking ceiling tiles. The construction will begin this summer, per a Feb. 17 news release.
WISD names principal for new elementary
SHSU celebrates opening of new health building
Conroe ISD special education overview Special education students served in Conroe ISD in 2025-26 11,603
After nearly four years of development, Sam Houston State University cut the ribbon to open its new Health Professions Building on Feb. 17. “This building represents a deliberate choice. A choice that re ects how health care works in the real world,” SHSU President Alisa White said. Two-minute impact The $65 million, 81,000-square-foot facility has been in early development since 2023, according to prior reporting from Community Impact . Built to operate alongside the College of Osteopathic Med- icine, the new facility o ers students a “regional home to several major health care systems,” per a Feb. 18 news release. SHSU will host four programs in the new facility: Master of Science in Athletic Training, Master of Science in Dietetics, Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies and Doctor of Physical Therapy. “It provides instructional laboratory simulation and faculty spaces that will expand our capacity to
2025-26 initial evaluations underway 1,166 504 Plan students as of February 6,107
Willis ISD trustees on Feb. 11 approved the principal for Ruth Castleschouldt Elemen- tary School, opening in
Sam Houston State University o cials cut the ribbon Feb. 17 to o cially open the brand new health facility.
August. The gist
Special education/504 Plan students in the district in 2025-26
23.8%
Chastity Simon
CITY CENTRAL AVE.
Chastity Simon was
45
named as the rst principal of Ruth Castleschouldt Elementary School. Simon currently serves as associate principal and dean of instruction at Bra- bham Middle School, per a news release. “I look forward to partnering with our families, students and sta ,” Simon said. The new school is part of the district’s $143 million 2022 bond, as previously reported.
Students receiving special education services, 2025-26
16%
GRAND CENTRAL PKWY.
N
SOURCE: CONROE ISD COMMUNITY IMPACT
educate students and support long-term program growth,” SHSU CFO Amanda Withers said. Classes for the health professions building are set to begin this summer, according to SHSU.
serving in an advisory capacity with the district making the nal decisions, Wiggins said. SEPAC will meet quarterly starting Aug. 31.
CONROE 1304 W Davis (936) 539-8787 NORTH CONROE 18434 Hwy 105 W (936) 582-5410
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