Calfee Middle School water fight: Montgomery County leaders explain what the issue is

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, TX - Hundreds of students at one Willis ISD middle school might not be going back to class next week, all because the water is not on.

Montgomery County Judge on school without water

What they're saying:

Montgomery County Judge Mark Keough says he needs the City of Conroe to do its part to get kids and teachers back to Calfee Middle School next week.  

"The City of Conroe has dug their feet in and will not turn on the water, water that they have the CCN for it, and the ability to do it, but they have refused to do it, and they have chained it shut. We can’t even do it," said Judge Keough. "In spite of the fact that they asked us to go do a county inspection, we can’t do it without the water turned on." 

Judge Mark Keough says his fire marshal, inspectors and engineers are ready to inspect and sign-off on the school on Wednesday—he just needs the City of Conroe to turn the water on first. 

"They believe they are owed $4 million at least for infrastructure fees. They call them impact fees, not even associated with this school," said Keough. "At the same time, Willis just wanted time to negotiate those impact deals." 

The City of Conroe says they have worked with Willis ISD since 2022 on how to obtain water service and project compliance and the city claims the district opted not to enter into any deals, and that’s part of the hold-up now. 

City of Conroe responds to claims made by Judge Mark Keough

The other side:

On Tuesday, Norm McGuire, City of Conroe Assistant City Administrator, released a statement on the situation: 

The City of Conroe is issuing this statement to address recent allegations, misinformation and mischaracterizations surrounding the Calfee Middle School project, put out by the County Judge and others—particularly regarding permitting, water service, and intergovernmental coordination. The City is committed to legal compliance, public safety, and productive partnerships, but must also clarify critical facts and decisions that have led to the current challenges.

Water Service and the City’s Moratorium Policy

As of August 4, 2025, water service at the Calfee Middle School site was deactivated to ensure compliance with City policy and jurisdictional boundaries as required by law. Claims that the City acted negligently or punitively are inaccurate.

Under Conroe’s current water service moratorium, it is not permissible to provide utility service to a commercial tract outside of the City limits unless a Developer Agreement has been executed. This includes schools. Such safeguards are essential for responsible planning, infrastructure management, and to protect Conroe taxpayers and their water supply for which they pay for.

Willis ISD Has Been Advised of the Process Since 2022

The City of Conroe has worked with Willis Independent School District (WISD) since 2022, providing extensive guidance on how to legally obtain water service and ensure project compliance. This included discussions about annexation, developer agreements, and service territory (CCN) coordination.

Despite that, WISD opted not to enter into a Developer Agreement at the appropriate time, nor did it formally exit its prior water service territory (CCN) until late July 2025. These were known requirements. The City is prohibited by law from providing water in a CCN that belongs to another entity. Until a week ago, when the CCN was obtained by the City, water service was not possible. WISD ignored the CCN issue until the 11th hour.

On August 1, 2025, the WISD Board declined to approve a Developer Agreement presented by the City, instead authorizing its Superintendent to negotiate—again delaying the lawful resolution of the issue, mere days before the school was scheduled to open. The City of Conroe, on the other hand, put the WISD Developer Agreement on the Council Agenda, hoping WISD would pass the Agreement, and the Council could as well. The City had to defer the Agenda item because WISD failed to act.

This pattern of delayed coordination has now resulted in last-minute complications that were entirely avoidable. This is not the City of Conroe’s fault or responsibility, but rather lies squarely on WISD.

Past Political Pressure Undermined Due Process

In 2022, the current Mayor Pro Tem, Howard Wood, whose kids attend WISD, pressured City staff to allow the Calfee Middle School project to proceed outside of proper procedures and policy. While motivated by a desire to expedite progress, this directive placed City staff in an untenable position, forcing them to navigate contradictory expectations, and now leaves them exposed to public criticism for systemic issues they did not create.

Such political intervention undermines staff’s ability to enforce policy uniformly, opens the door to liability, and creates unnecessary obstacles that ultimately affect residents, students, and the integrity of municipal operations.

Permitting Misalignment and Jurisdiction

The City of Conroe wishes to clearly address any misconceptions regarding its role in the Calfee Middle School project. At no point did the City act unilaterally in entering Montgomery County’s jurisdiction. In fact, after Mayor Pro Tem Wood’s directive to staff, during the early planning stages, Montgomery County formally authorized Willis Independent School District (WISD) to coordinate with the City of Conroe for water and sewer services via a written letter.

This formal authorization served as the basis for the City’s initial involvement in the project. The City of Conroe would not—and did not—proceed without the County’s express permission. All actions taken by City staff were in accordance with that understanding and rooted in cooperative intent.

The City Welcomes County Support. The City applauds Montgomery County Judge Mark Keough for stepping in to assist WISD at this late stage and hopes the County experiences greater cooperation in resolving the matter. We share a common goal: ensuring students have a safe and code-compliant facility to return to in the fall.

Looking Forward: Professionalism, Policy, and Partnership

This situation is not about blame—it’s about responsibility. The City of Conroe will always strive to support school districts and public partners, but it cannot ignore established laws, utility policies, and planning standards.

We urge Willis ISD—and all public entities—to engage early and consistently with local government on future developments. Waiting until the end of construction is not only inefficient but also irresponsible planning that places students and families in an unnecessarily difficult position and can lead to shortcuts that produce unsafe environments.

Conroe remains committed to transparency, cooperation, and safety, especially where children are involved, and further, to ensuring our policies serve all residents equally and ethically. The City of Conroe cannot and will not supplement, nor favor, a development outside of the City limits at our taxpayers’ expense.

What's next:

Either way, families are being left in limbo. The Reynosa family says they just want their 13-year-old in school next week.

"Stop playing this game of well, you owe me money, or you should have did this or that should have happened. Nobody cares. The only thing we all care about is getting the kids in school," said John Reynosa. 

Judge Keough says he and his team will be at Calfee Middle first thing Wednesday morning to do an inspection. 

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