Humble Independent School District in Texas has long been known for its strong sense of community—the Humble ISD “family.” As the district continues to evolve in a rapidly changing educational landscape, it remains committed to telling its story effectively, building trust, and creating meaningful connections with families. With a focus on continuous improvement, Humble ISD recently partnered with Apptegy to streamline and enhance its already-robust communication efforts. The result: stronger branding, greater consistency across platforms, increased family engagement, and a measurable impact on student enrollment.
"Our community has always believed in our schools. We’ve worked hard to earn that trust—and we know that strong communication is a key part of preserving and growing it."
The Opportunity: Evolving Communication in a Competitive Landscape
Humble ISD has historically been one of the fastest-growing districts in the region, and as the enrollment landscape shifted, the district proactively sought ways to maintain momentum and remain a top choice for families. With more schooling options than ever before—including neighboring districts, charter schools, and homeschooling—Humble ISD recognized the importance of doubling down on clear, centralized communication.
“Our community has always believed in our schools,” says Yvonne Harris, Director of Web Services. “We’ve worked hard to earn that trust—and we know that strong communication is a key part of preserving and growing it.”
Prior to partnering with Apptegy, the district was using multiple systems and tools to communicate. While these platforms worked, the tools weren’t cohesive. The district saw an opportunity to bring everything together into one seamless, parent-friendly experience. They wanted to reduce confusion, eliminate duplicate efforts, and empower every school and staff member to share the great things happening across campuses.
The Solution: Unifying Tools and Empowering People
The district selected Apptegy for its user-friendly interface and ability to integrate web, mobile, and mass communication tools. Implementation began with the website and mobile app redesign in June 2023. Drawing inspiration from beyond the education sector, the team worked closely with Apptegy to design a fresh, accessible online experience.
“When we were first introduced to Apptegy, we knew right away this was the platform we wanted to move to and Apptegy really listened,” said Lori Maugans, Senior Web and Mobile Communications Coordinator. “We were able to fully express our vision, and they supported us every step of the way.” The final product was a sleek, modern website that passed muster with even the most design-savvy district leaders—earning immediate praise.
Enhancing Parent/Teacher Communications
In Spring 2024, Humble ISD launched Rooms, Apptegy’s classroom communication tool, starting with an opt-in pilot across elementary campuses. By August, the district fully adopted the platform across all elementary schools, using a thoughtful rollout plan that emphasized training and support. The communications team visited campuses during conference periods to walk teachers through the new system, ensuring a smooth transition for both staff and families. They even created a dedicated Rooms support webpage for parents, where their team handles technical issues directly to alleviate the burden on campus staff.
A critical part of the initiative was making sure communication was easy for parents. “Being able to opt in with just a cell number—and having a reliable place for two-way messages—made a big difference,” Harris shared. “Our staff appreciate how much simpler it is to connect with families.”
To encourage usage, the communications team implemented a friendly competition model, celebrating schools with strong engagement and providing constructive insights where needed. Principals received personalized “report cards” showing Rooms engagement data—sparking immediate action and healthy motivation to reach even higher levels of connection.
Empowering Campus Storytellers
One of Humble ISD’s key strengths has always been the pride and passion of its staff. With Apptegy, the district was able to better equip those “cheerleaders”—the teachers, librarians, and staff already sharing great moments—to publish content easily and effectively. Rather than relying on campus technical staff, Humble ISD empowered a broader group of contributors, ensuring that more authentic stories reached the public.
In 2024 the communications team decided to make a conscious effort to increase the storytellers on each campus. They reached out to campus brand ambassadors and principals to identify their “cheerleaders”. These individuals were then given moderated users access to share campus stories through the campus Live Feed. This allowed for more students and staff to share the positive experiences happening on campus.
A Unified Vision: Why Humble ISD
As part of the district’s long-term communication strategy, the team launched a "Why Humble ISD" campaign—an initiative to spotlight the many reasons families choose Humble ISD. The page, developed in partnership with Apptegy, highlights academic offerings, extracurricular programs, community partnerships, and more.
In today’s competitive educational environment, the district understands that telling its story is essential—not just to attract families, but to affirm the trust of current ones. “It’s not about marketing for the sake of marketing,” Harris said. “It’s about celebrating our students, staff, and schools in an authentic way.”
When we were first introduced to Apptegy, we knew right away this was the platform we wanted to move to and Apptegy really listened."
Results: Measurable Gains and Lasting Impact
By consolidating its digital tools into one streamlined platform, Humble ISD has strengthened communication and enhanced the parent experience. Parents now have one go-to place for district and school news, calendars, and classroom messages—greatly reducing confusion and missed information.
Engagement is at an all-time high. Rooms has achieved a 91.5% usage rate districtwide—reflecting both the platform’s ease of use and the district’s effective training and support strategies.
With the addition of Humble ISD’s Open Enrollment initiative, the focus on intentional storytelling has also led to a notable increase in visibility and trust. The district welcomed 100 new students following the launch of its unified communication strategy—translating into about $1 million in additional revenue. This success reinforces the district’s belief that strong communication is not just a support system—it’s a strategic investment.
The district’s crisis communication efforts have also been strengthened. "In times of crisis, we have to make sure we communicate across multiple platforms to reach families where they prefer to get their notifications," Maugans says. With Apptegy, staff can issue coordinated, multi-platform messages within minutes, ensuring families receive consistent and timely updates during emergencies. The communications team has even developed detailed internal protocols to streamline crisis response efforts across all campuses.
Conclusion
Humble ISD’s communication journey is a testament to the district’s commitment to excellence, collaboration, and community. By building on its existing strengths and embracing new tools, the district continues to raise the bar for how schools connect with families. Through clear messaging, empowered staff, and a unified vision, Humble ISD is not just telling its story—they’re ensuring it’s heard and celebrated.