Humble ISD plans to have six new schools open over the next ten years. Elementary School #28 will open in time for the next school year (2017-2018), and Middle School #9 will open the following year (2018-2019).  The Humble ISD School Board has not announced what the names of these two schools will be yet. However, the schools in Humble ISD are not typically named after people. They are sometimes named for certain areas of town, such as Humble, Atascocita, or Kingwood. More frequently, they are named after neighborhoods, such as Lakeland, Greentree, Eagle Springs, and so on.

 

Only two of the Humble ISD schools are named after people:

 

(1) Jack M. Fields, Sr. Elementary School, which was named for a local businessman Jack Fields, who was

the founder of Rosewood Funeral Home and who also served on the Humble ISD School Board, and

 

(2) Ross Sterling Middle School, named after the former governor of Texas who owned a feed store in

Humble and was one of the founders of the Humble Oil Company (which later merged with Standard Oil of

New Jersey and became Exxon).

 

Foster Elementary is named for an old business from that area, the Foster Lumber Company. Some sharp readers

may contend that three of the schools are named for the founder of Humble, Mr. Pleasant Humble. However,

Humble High School, Humble Middle School, and Humble Elementary are named for the town, not specifically

the town's founder.

 

In Humble ISD's past, there were other schools named in honor of area citizens:

 

The Singleton School, named for Reed Singleton, a member of the school board for Harris County Common

School District No. 35, who also served as a local election judge. The school opened in 1903 on Atascocita

Road, where the Waste Management landfill is now located. The school was closed due to low enrollment

in 1926.

 

The Woodward School at Moonshine Hill, named for Emerson Francis Woodward, assistant superintendent

of the Producers Oil Company's southern division, who approved the donation of the land for the school.

Woodward was also the founder of the Houston Gun Club and was once listed as Houston's richest resident.

The Woodward School opened in 1910. It eventually became known as the Moonshine Hill School, and

then simply the Hill School. The school was closed in 1932 due to low enrollment.

 

Charles Bender High School, named for local sawmill owner Charles Bender. Mr. Bender's business was

critical to the growth of the early town of Humble. Charles Bender High School opened in 1930 and was

used as a high school until 1965. It was used as an middle school from 1965-1972. It later was used as the

school district office, and then as the instructional support center. The building was sold to the City of

Humble and was recently renovated into a performing arts center.

 

Joe Dunman's Schoolhouse, named for Joseph W. Dunman (the owner). It was the first school in the area,

opening in 1873. It was closed in 1903.

 

Is there any chance that any of these NEW schools will be named for people important to the district's

history? There's always a chance.

 

Naming schools after people would depend on the how strongly Humble citizens (and School Board members)

still feel about these individuals.

 

If considering people to name schools after, who could it be?

 

1) A board member?

 

The Instructional Support Center is already named for past board member James Eggers, and Jack

Fields Elementary is named for a former board member.

 

The good candidate would be Dr. J. Alford Moore. Dr. Moore is a local veterinarian who served on

the school longer than any other individual. He was first elected on October 8, 1974, and served

continuously until May 4, 2002. He was later appointed to complete the unexpired term of Board 

Member Bob Strader, from December 9, 2003 until May 15, 2004. He served a total of 27 years on the

Humble ISD school board.

 

He was President of the Humble School Board when Dr. Sconzo was first hired.

 

2) A past Superintendent?

 

The football stadium is already named for Superintendent #9, George Turner. Other recent

superintendent's would be Superintendent #11: Dr. Guy M. Sconzo, who served from 2001 through

2016; Superintendent #10: Dr. Michael W. Say, who served from 1982 through 2001; and

Superintendent #8: Dr. Floyd Burton, who served from 1942 until his death in 1961. Or how about

Superintendent #2: John F. Crawford, who served from 1911 through 1919 and was greatly

responsible for the success of the early school district. Crawford served as superintendent when it was

Harris County Common School District No. 28, and then when it became District No. 50, and then

when it finally became the Humble Independent School District.

 

3) A respected Principal or other district employee?

 

There are lots in Humble's long history.

 

Arthur Tipton was Assistant Superintendent for many years.

 

Dr. Jane Schneider was the first female Humble Principal in modern times, having served as principal

at Woodland Hills Elementary and Oaks Elementary.

 

Jack Daniels was a long-time principal in Humble. He worked at many of the early Humble schools.

With all due respect to Mr. Daniels, there is some humor in the fact that we once had a Mr. Jack Daniels

who was principal of the Moonshine Hill School.

 

Elliott Curtis, former longtime Principal of Bender High School and Humble High School.

Conroe ISD just recently named one of their new schools after a long-retired teacher

 

4) A local community member or public leader.

 

Again, no shortage in our area. There are Humble mayors, prominent citizens, etc.

 

 

 

Then again, there is some benefit in Humble's practice of naming schools for neighborhoods. Look at all the

trouble Houston ISD went through lately in re-naming some of their schools after people fell out of favor. Also,

Aldine ISD has done well in naming schools after people. Many of their schools are named for former school

board members, or people who donated land for the location of the school.

 

The Humble ISD School Board will soon deal with this issue, and they generally have a pretty good track record

of choosing good names for schools.