Water back on at Calfee Middle School, but parents say damage is already done

CONROE, Texas – With the first day of school just days away, water has been restored to Calfee Middle School in Willis ISD after a high-profile standoff between the school district and the City of Conroe. But even as officials move forward, some parents say the situation has already left lasting damage.

On Wednesday, Conroe city leaders laid out a detailed timeline showing how legal red tape and unauthorized contractor actions delayed water service to the brand-new campus, located at 7373 Longmire Road. The school is expected to welcome nearly 800 students on Wednesday, August 13.

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At a press conference, Conroe’s deputy city administrator and engineering staff showed internal emails, maps, and signed documents they say prove the city could not legally turn on water until the land was officially removed from Aqua Texas’ Certificate of Convenience and Necessity (CCN).

“A CCN defines who can provide water,” said Brandi Taylor, Conroe’s engineering manager. “Until that transfer was official, the law did not allow us to connect the school.”

The district bought the land in 2020. Conroe says it warned Willis ISD multiple times since then that the property fell outside of the city’s water service area. A petition to transfer water rights from Aqua Texas to the City of Conroe was not filed with the Public Utility Commission of Texas until March 2025 — and wasn’t finalized until August 5.

City officials say that while the paperwork was still pending, the school’s general contractor, Duratec, turned on water service without permission on two occasions — once on May 30 and again on June 5. The district had signed a waiver in April 2024 agreeing not to activate the taps, according to the city.

“We had an agreement in place. The contractor ignored it. Our staff responded and shut it off both times,” said Deputy City Administrator Nancy McKeska.

The city later locked the valve and physically chained the connection. While Duratec has not publicly responded, emails presented by the city show subcontractors confirming the water was turned on at the direction of construction crews.

Willis ISD says it never instructed anyone to turn on the water, and in a letter to the city, wrote: “Willis ISD did not and has not ordered or directed the contractor or anyone to turn the water on.”

Still, the district agreed to pay a $5,000 fine issued by the city, calling it a gesture of goodwill to move forward. The district says it has met all requirements and plans to open the campus on time.

But outside the school Wednesday, emotions were running high.

Parent Courtney Gibbons, who has a child entering sixth grade at Calfee, said what should have been a memorable milestone was instead filled with stress, unanswered questions, and confusion.

“What a joyous time — and it was stolen from me and my child. I don’t get that time back,” Gibbons said.

She says families were left in the dark while two public agencies argued — and she blames the city for not resolving the issue sooner.

“I respect the teachers and our administration. But the city is preventing us from giving our kids a confident start. It’s disgusting,” she said. “Where’s the accountability? Why can’t anyone say, ‘I’m sorry’? Why can’t we be adults?”

Gibbons says the lack of communication from both the city and school officials made matters worse. “We didn’t have orientation. No answers. Just silence.”

Gibbons also criticized Conroe’s elected leaders, saying she called the mayor’s office multiple times and received no response.

“We have elected citizens who cannot answer. They sit up there and smirk at you and laugh like it’s a joke. It’s not a joke — and parents in Willis ISD will fight,” she said.

The City of Conroe says it plans to review internal policies after the incident — including how early taps are handled, how violations are enforced, and how interagency coordination could be improved. Officials also defended their timeline, stating they were legally barred from providing water until the PUC completed its review.

A special City Council meeting is scheduled for Saturday morning at 10 a.m. to formally address the issue and take public comment.

In the meantime, water is back on. The school is expected to open on time. But some parents say trust, transparency, and time with their children are things they may not get back.