Superintendent

Dr. Stephanie D. Howard

Dr. Stephanie D. Howard is a career educator currently in her 31^st year in the profession. She joined Midland Independent School District as the Superintendent of Schools on January 3, 2023. Midland ISD will open its 40^th campus this year, serving over 30,000 students and 3,200 employees. During the short two and a half years back in the district, Dr. Howard led the strategic planning process and launched the plan in August 2023 leading to intentional projects in the following areas: Student Experience, Grow & Develop Staff, and Engage & Act. As the District enters year three of implementation of this plan, Dr. Howard is proud of the accomplishments realized thus far. Increased the number of A and B campuses from seven to 14, reduced the number of D and F campuses from 16 to nine, and went from nine F campuses in 2023 to one in 2025. These improvements in accountability ratings aligns with Dr. Howard’s belief and expectation that every student has the opportunity to attend a quality school.  A strong focus was placed on early literacy and consistent ELAR curriculum resources and phonics-based instruction, leading to gains in K-2 reading on grade level from 56% to 65%. With a renewed focus on advanced academics, the district has increased the percentage of students scoring a three or better on Advanced Placement exams from 29% to 47%, and the number of AP Scholars has grown from 234 in 2024 to 344 in 2025, and finally, the district proudly celebrated three National Merit Finalists in 2024 after not having any since 2020 prior to Dr. Howard’s return to Midland ISD. By raising the expectations on our campuses and establishing a culture driven by excellence, the district has seen a reduction of 451 to 216 in violent offenses, reflecting a 51% decline since the 2021-2022 school year and an 18% decline from the 2023-2024 school year, which were causing disruptions on the campuses in years past. In addition to all the work surrounding academics and culture, the district gained support from the Midland community for a $1.4 billion bond in November 2023 which will transform the district by allowing for grade reconfiguration with the construction of two new high schools that will serve grades 9-12, transition to 6^th – 8^th grade middle schools, and allow our elementary schools to serve students PreK-5. 

Prior to joining the team in Midland ISD, she served as the superintendent in Crane ISD, where the district improved from a D rating in 2019 to a B rating (85) in 2022. She also was the deputy superintendent for Ector County ISD, where she led the following divisions and departments: Leadership Division (overall schools), Human Capital (Human Resources and Talent Development), District Operations, and Athletics. Prior to returning to ECISD in 2018, she was the superintendent in Plains ISD. Before being selected as the superintendent for Plains ISD, she served as the Executive Director for Curriculum and Instruction in Ector County ISD. In this position, Dr. Howard oversaw the curriculum and instruction components of the district for students in grades Pre-K through 12 in math, science, and languages other than English. She also supervised the 38 instructional coaches. 

Dr. Howard served as a high school principal at Robert E. Lee High School (now known as Legacy High School) for six years before moving into district administration. Lee High School served approximately 2,100 students in grades 10-12. During her time at Lee High School, the school celebrated its 50^th anniversary. Dr. Howard worked with the PTA, community members, and alumni to begin the Legacy Wall of Honor as part of the 50^th anniversary. She worked with this group to seek nominations, select, and induct two classes of recipients. In the first class of inductees, Dr. Howard had the opportunity to induct and meet former First Lady, Laura Bush, General Tommy Franks, and former Railroad Commissioner and Commissioner of Education for the State of Texas, Michael Williams. For the 50^th graduation ceremony, Dr. Howard was able to secure Mrs. Laura Bush as the keynote speaker. While at Lee High School, Dr. Howard had the opportunity to work with the faculty through the High Schools that Work grant funded by the Southern Regional Education Board. This grant allowed the faculty, staff, and administration to further promote high academic standards through engaging instructional practices, quality instruction, career and technical education programs, and standards-based grading practices. 

Prior to the high school principal position, Stephanie was the principal at San Jacinto Junior High School for three years. She served as an instructional services director and assistant principal for four years before she became a principal. The first year in Midland ISD, Stephanie taught communication courses at Midland High School and coached the debate team. Before moving to Midland to pursue a Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership, Stephanie taught English and communications, coached cross country, basketball, track, and served as the high school cheer sponsor in Stanton. 

Dr. Howard is beginning a two-year term serving on the Texas Association of School Administrators Legislative Committee. She serves on the board for the Texas School Coalition, is a board member for United Way of Midland, and is a member of the Rotary Club of Midland. Dr. Howard also serves as a representative for Region 18 in the West Texas Safety Sector. In 2023, Dr. Howard was named a Trailblazer for Angelo State University, where she earned her Bachelor’s degree. In 2020, Stephanie was selected for and participated in the DA Superintendent’s Seminar. She was recognized as the High School Principal of the Year and High School Assistant Principal of the year for Region 18 by the Texas Association of Secondary School Principals. She served on the Board of Directors for the Texas Association of Secondary School Principals (TASSP) for eight years prior to moving into district administration.  Due to her commitment to supporting teachers, she received the honor of Midland Classroom Teacher Association Administrator of the Year award in 2007. Dr. Howard was the recipient of the PTA Life Membership Award while serving as the principal at San Jacinto Junior High in Midland. 

Dr. Howard earned her Doctoral Degree from the University of Texas San Antonio in May 2014. She earned a Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership from the University of Texas of the Permian Basin and holds a principal and superintendent certification in the State of Texas. She received her Bachelor of Arts in English and communications from Angelo State University in San Angelo, Texas in 1995. 

While Dr. Howard has spent the majority of her time in large school districts, it is her small-town upbringing where she learned the value of hard work, the importance of relationships and teamwork, and the impact of community involvement on the success of schools. Stephanie grew up watching her dad work in education for over 36 years as a teacher, coach, and athletic director, and her mom worked at the schools as a custodian, in the cafeteria, and driving buses. Stephanie attended kindergarten in Blackwell before moving to Robert Lee where she attended first grade through high school graduation. She and her husband, James, have been married 32 years and have two daughters, Raeley (a recent graduate of West Texas A & M University) and Corley (10^th grade).