Harold Rowe, former associate superintendent of technology and school services, acknowledges friends, family and former colleagues at the dedication of Harold Rowe Middle School on Nov. 8.
Nov. 10, 2020—The CFISD community gathered on Nov. 8 to celebrate the namesake of the district’s 19th middle school at a dedication ceremony for Harold Rowe Middle School.
The campus is named in honor of former associate superintendent Harold Rowe, who spent 22 years serving CFISD in various roles.
Matt Morgan, assistant superintendent of facilities and construction, unveils a portrait of the school that was gifted to Harold Rowe during a dedication ceremony on Nov. 8. The school was designed by PBK Architects and constructed by Satterfield & Pontikes Construction.
Rowe began his career in the private sector in 1971 working in the field of information technology. His work included analysis, software development and management roles in the aerospace, oil and gas, and mortgage banking industries before moving to CFISD in 1991 as CFISD’s director of information services. He served in that position until 1994 when he was named the senior director of the newly formed technology services organization, which merged the administrative and instructional technology departments. Throughout the next several years, Rowe and his team were responsible for implementing many bond programs, including software systems, districtwide fiber optics and networking, the district website, email, the Cy-Fair TV channel and deploying substantial instruction technology for students, including the first one-to-one laptop program for high school U.S. History students.
Members of the Cypress Park High School and Rowe Middle School choirs perform during the Rowe Middle School dedication ceremony on Nov. 8.
Rowe was promoted to associate superintendent of technology and school services in 2002, which expanded his responsibility to the transportation and operations departments.
“Opening a middle school is an exciting opportunity but opening a school with Harold Rowe’s name on the building is an even bigger honor,” said Stacia Carew, who was named Rowe’s inaugural principal on Nov. 13, 2019. “Knowing that he is known for being ‘Mr. Customer Service,’ professional, well-dressed, caring and just an amazing human being in this district makes me work hard each and every day to lead by the example he has set for our staff and students.”
Stacia Carew, Rowe Middle School principal, gives Harold Rowe, former associate superintendent of technology and school services and namesake of Harold Rowe Middle School, a gift during a dedication ceremony of the school on Nov. 8.
Carew and CFISD administration presented Rowe with gifts, including a framed photo of the exterior of the building. Rowe and his wife, Sandy, also gifted the school a custom painted portrait of a jaguar in honor of the school’s mascot. The ceremony included performances from Cypress Park High School and Rowe choir students, along with Rowe band and orchestra students.
“I am deeply appreciative of this most important honor,” Rowe said. “The dedication event produced by the campus and district staff was most impressive and I especially appreciate the wonderful performances by the students. My family, friends and colleagues are forever thankful for this memorable event.”
Harold Rowe’s official portrait, right, stands next to a custom painted picture of a jaguar, which Rowe and his wife Sandy gifted to Rowe Middle School in honor of the school’s mascot during a dedication ceremony on Nov. 8.
About Rowe Middle School
Funded by the 2014 CFISD Bond referendum, Harold Rowe Middle School was designed with a capacity of 1,587 students and incorporates a modern, curved façade and a three-story learning hub at the center of the academic wing. The school’s academic wing is organized into three shared learning communities that encompass one grade on each of the three floors. Each learning community includes core subject classrooms, remote administrative offices and support spaces while sharing large group instruction labs. Also, a “community bar” contains athletics, fine arts and CTE classrooms.
Rowe Middle School is part of a multi-campus educational village, comprised of Cypress Park High School and a future elementary school. The site shares facilities and resources to maximize the learning experience of each student, including a shared commons/kitchen building that can be separated by folding walls. The educational village is organized around a central park, which provides opportunities for enhanced outdoor learning activities, including outdoor gardens, a stage and a rainwater cistern.
