Montgomery County – Just days before the first day of school at the newly constructed Homer C. Calfee Middle School, part of Willis ISD, the City of Conroe shut off the school’s water service.
The school is set to welcome more than 800 students on August 13, but parents said important back-to-school events like orientation have been postponed because of the water permitting problem.
Montgomery County Judge Mark Keough tells KPRC 2 that the problem stems from the City of Conroe failing to annex the property where the school is located.
“They had originally an agreement to annex that property and that school,” said Judge Keough. “Once everything was completed, they would do all the inspections. But in January, that annexation, it fell through."
KPRC 2 has learned Conroe City Council unanimously agreed to annex the property of Calfee Middle School during a city council meeting last December.
Because Judge Keough said the annexation fell through in January, the inspections now become the county’s responsibility.
“We’re in a situation where the water’s turned off, we can’t do the inspection, and they have actually put a chain around the hydrant," said Judge Keough.
The City of Conroe put out a statement Monday night stating that under its current water moratorium, it cannot provide water to property outside city limits without a developer agreement.
The city said it has worked with Willis ISD to secure a developer agreement since 2022, but claims Willis ISD ignored the problem “until the 11th hour.”
KPRC 2 also reached out to Willis ISD. A spokesperson sent us the following statement:
“Willis ISD remains focused on one priority- serving the students and families of our community with safe, high-quality learning environments. We regret that the challenges of the bureaucratic process are being played out in this manner as opposed to celebrating a new state-of-the-art campus for our growing community.
The facts remain that Willis ISD has actively pursued the necessary steps to secure water service and permitting for the Calfee Middle School site for over two years. This includes seeking annexation from the City of Conroe, coordination with Aqua Texas, and adherence to the processes outlined by both the City and County.
This situation is complicated by the fact that the school sits in an area historically serviced by Aqua Texas and not under Conroe’s jurisdiction until recently. We have coordinated relentlessly across multiple agencies—City, County, and private—to navigate these complexities, seeking collaboration and clarity. Over the past months, a sense of urgency has further driven our need for resolution as the clock ticks toward the first day of school.
We are thankful for the steadfast advocacy of our Board of Trustees and outside elected officials including Montgomery County Judge Mark Keough along with the countless hours dedicated to this issue behind the scenes by our District team.
We are committed to bringing this matter to resolution in a timely manner. Our families and taxpayers deserve nothing less. Calfee Middle School is scheduled to open to students on Wednesday, August 13, and we’re looking forward to a great year."
While there has been no word yet on whether the opening of Calfee Middle School could be impacted, families are in limbo.
13-year-old Helena Carnagey is getting ready to start 8th grade at Calfee next week.
“I think it’s pretty cool seeing it like up close and in person,” said Carnagey.
Her parents, Hayley and John Reynosa, just want answers as to what is going to happen.
“We shouldn’t be pointing fingers,” said Hayley. “It should just be come together, Montgomery County, Willis ISD, Conroe, come together. Find a solution, get the permitting done."
Judge Keough said the city asked for $4 million in impact fees to fix the problem.
“Impact fees that turn out to be on two different schools that are in the construction phase and are not even associated with this school," said Judge Keough.
