Education
BY ANGELA BONILLA
At the May 13 Conroe ISD meeting, Null was presented with a pine box made by ninth-grader Miles Taylor who is part of the Grand Oaks High School carpentry program.
COURTESY LAKE TRAVIS ISD
ANGELA BONILLACOMMUNITY IMPACT
CISD Superintendent Curtis Null reects on career with district After serving as Conroe ISD’s superintendent for seven years, Curtis Null left the district June 1 to begin his new position in Lake Travis ISD, where he was declared the lone nalist for superinten- dent on May 1. Null rst joined CISD in 2000 as a teacher and became principal of The Woodlands High School in 2010. Null became the deputy superintendent of schools in January 2016 and became superin- tendent in 2018, according to information from the district. During his time as superintendent, he led the district during events such as Hurricane Harvey and COVID-19, as well as seeing voters approve two bonds, one in 2019 and the other in 2023. Why did you seek this position in Lake Travis ISD? Honestly, sometimes things just happen. I wasn’t out looking for other opportunities, but when presented with it, it was just intriguing. The timing was interesting for us as a family. Both of our kids are now out of college, and they’ve moved o. They’re out of state. We have a unique family connection to Lake Travis. Thirty years ago, actually, in a boat on Lake Travis is where I asked my wife to marry me. ... It’s a special place for us.
those bond programs are allocating resources that the district will need to continue to grow over the next few years, so the next superintendent will not have to walk in and immediately be in a situation where a bond is needed to either build new schools or to take care of our current schools. What did you learn from addressing natural disasters and emergencies such as Hurricane Harvey and the COVID 19 pandemic in your time? [That] people are good ... in the hard times. ... In every one of those situations, people were there to try to help other people and that was really uplifting. That kind of fueled me through dealing with those situations ... to see the good in the community. What do you see for the future of CISD? The community is outstanding. People want to live here. People want to bring their children to go to school here. There are amazing educators in the school district, so I believe we continue to lean on the great educators that are here, that the schools will continue to blossom, and this school district can continue to be kind of the beacon of hope in the community that it has been.
How does it feel leaving the district after so many years? There’s a lot of emotions; it’s a very bittersweet thing. The rst feeling [is] sadness of leaving great friendships that have been built over so long. ... I think the work of the teachers here and the success of our students is something that I’m really proud of. What’s your favorite memory of your time with CISD? The category of favorite memories always involves students, so either time on campus, being involved in something, in a classroom, or being at an event, watching our kids through their pas- sions. Those are my favorite moments, but then also just being with the team. How did you originally get into the education eld? I actually went to college as a pharmacy major and started working as a pharmacist ... and then decided that that was not the right path for me. [I] decided to follow what I believe was my true calling. Both of my parents were educators, and so ... I think I quit ghting what was meant to be and just took the path of education. During your time as superintendent, CISD was able to pass two bond packages. How will those shape the district? Bond elections and bond programs are dicult. The process of, rst of all, creating the right plan and then taking it to the voters. But the district is set up to be very successful moving forward ...
This interview has been edited for length and clarity. For a longer version, visit communityimpact.com.
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THE WOODLANDS EDITION
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