A new school, Stewart Elementary is located at 680 Fish Creek Thoroughfare in Montgomery, but is a part of the Conroe ISD school district.

Parents were standing in front of the school Monday and taking photos of their children going into the new school, as Stewart welcomed students and Principal Carrie Fitzpatrick answered parents’ questions.

“(The school) is just so beautiful,” said Stewart, who always has wanted to be a teacher as long as she can remember.

“Dr. Stewart has been here several days helping out before the first day,” Fitzpatrick said. “She has met the PTO, the faculty and came on meet the teacher night. She is excited.”

The district had projected 361 students to attend Stewart Elementary; however, the registrar counted 421 students Monday, Stewart said.

“It says something about the growth of this area. That school is going to fill up,” Stewart said.

Woodforest development, where the school is located, has released 300 home sites to builders this year and expects to deliver about 300 more by the end of the year, according to Woodforest General Manager Virgil Yoakum.

More than 3,500 people make their home in Woodforest, a project of The Johnson Development Corp, which is ranked No. 6 among Houston’s top-selling master-planned communities.

When Stewart learned the school would be named in her honor, “I just broke into tears,” she said. “There is nothing that makes you feel more humble. It’s overwhelming.”

Stewart has worked for Conroe ISD for more than 40 years and has received several honors and awards during her career.

At the time Stewart began teaching in 1971, CISD had only nine schools. Since then, the school district has grown to 54 campuses, with more than 6,000 employees and 51,160 students.

Students across Montgomery County started school Monday and two new Conroe ISD elementary schools, Stewart Elementary and Patterson Elementary, opened their doors for the first time.

Stewart started as a special education teacher at Travis Junior High, worked as a district wide educational diagnostician, a compliance specialist and a special education supervisor.

Stewart moved to B. B. Rice Elementary School as the assistant principal in 1987 and in 1990 was promoted to principal, serving there until 1997. She then worked as principal for Giesinger Elementary in 1997-98.

In 1998, Stewart moved to central administration as the director of elementary education, was promoted to assistant superintendent for elementary education in 1999, and in 2003 became deputy superintendent of schools.

She participated in the development of multimillion-dollar bond referendums and oversaw the rezoning associated with 13 new schools and numerous campus improvements.

Stewart was born in Enid, Okla., in 1949 and was the middle child of Ralph and Mary Walker. Her father was in the Air Force, so she moved several times with her family and attended many schools.

She attended five schools in kindergarten through eighth grade in Nebraska and Oklahoma and attended high school in Oklahoma prior to moving to Texas her senior year.

It was the love and encouragement from her parents that set the foundation for her own values and her belief in the importance of education, she said.

Stewart married her husband Jimmy Stewart after her graduation from the University of Tulsa in 1971.

“We moved to Conroe thinking it would be a temporary stay while my husband completed his degree at Sam Houston State University,” Stewart said. “However, we made the decision that Conroe would be our permanent home. We just loved it here.”

Stewart knew she wanted to be a special education teacher. “It was my calling,” she said.

Her husband became a partner in a CPA firm. They raised two daughters, Amanda and Allison, who both graduated from Conroe High School.

Her husband passed away in September 2007, leaving his family a lifetime of wonderful memories.

Stewart holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Tulsa, a Master of Education degree from Sam Houston State University and a Doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction from Baylor University. She also holds Texas certifications for special education teacher, elementary teacher, educational diagnostician, supervisor and management.

In addition to her work with CISD, Stewart has actively served in her community in her church, on committees and on various boards and associations.

Stewart said she has been blessed that her life’s work has been with the children and people she loves, in Conroe ISD and serving in the community she loves.