Lewisville ISD Announces Engel as Principal of Durham Middle School

Lewisville ISD announced this evening that John Engel was named as the next principal of Durham Middle School. Engel joins LISD from Fort Worth ISD, where he has served as principal of Southwest High School since 2015, bringing 29 years of public education experience and an extensive record of campus leadership across all grade levels.

"I am honored to join the Durham Middle School community and excited about the opportunity ahead," said Engel. "I look forward to partnering with an incredible staff and engaging families to build a school where every student is known, challenged, and supported."

Durham Middle School is one of three campuses designated as Tier 3 under LISD's Project RISE initiative — the district's data-driven, tiered compensation model designed to direct elevated support and resources to Title I campuses where investment can have the greatest impact on student success.

Engel began his career in 1997 as a classroom teacher before transitioning into campus administration. He served as principal of Mary Louise Phillips Elementary in Fort Worth ISD from 2004 to 2008, achieving Recognized accountability status and multiple Gold Performance Acknowledgements during his tenure. He then led McLean Middle School from 2008 to 2015, earning Distinction Designations in all seven evaluated areas in the campus's final year under his leadership. As principal of Southwest High School beginning in 2015, he led steady, sustained academic growth while simultaneously overseeing a significant campus renovation and securing a community grant to establish a student resource market providing food security and support services to Southwest families.

"John Engel is an experienced, thoughtful leader with a deep commitment to students and a strong record of building campus cultures where teachers and learners thrive," said LISD Superintendent Dr. Lori Rapp. "Combined with the district's investment through Project RISE, I am excited about what lies ahead for Durham and the entire community."

Engel holds a Bachelor of Science from Salisbury University and a Master of Education in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies from the University of Texas at Arlington