LISD Is Reshuffling School Leadership Heading Into 2026–27

If your kid walks into Flower Mound High School this August, they'll be greeted by a principal who already knows the hallways. Lewisville ISD announced at its June 8 board meeting that Shannon Knowles is the new principal of FMHS — and this is genuinely a homecoming story, not just a talking point from a press release.

Knowles most recently served as principal of Argyle High School and returns to FMHS — where she previously served as assistant and associate principal for seven years — bringing 27 years of experience in public education to the role. Seven years in the building before leaving for Argyle. She knows which teachers to call first and which parents will show up at every meeting. That's not nothing.

"Flower Mound High School holds a very special place in my heart, and I am deeply honored to serve as its next principal," Knowles said.

FMHS isn't the only campus getting new leadership. LISD named John Engel 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. At the elementary level, LISD announced the appointment of Clarence Scott as the new principal of Southridge Elementary; Scott most recently served as campus principal of Parkview Elementary and Sunset Valley Elementary, as well as District Lead Principal in Keller ISD, and brings 11 years of educational leadership experience.

There's a wider reshuffling going on above campus level, too. LISD announced on March 9 the appointment of Will Skelton as the district's new Chief of Student Services; he takes over for Jeffrey Kajs, who announced his retirement after 31 years of service to LISD. Skelton had been Chief of High Schools — the person the high school principals report to — so his move up the org chart created downstream vacancies. That's part of what's driving this wave of appointments.

Marcus High School is not in the middle of a new transition. LISD announced the appointment of Dr. Cody Koontz as principal of Marcus High School back in May 2024; he came from the Coppell 9th Grade Campus, a position he had held since 2017. Koontz is the current principal at Marcus. Two years in. That's not a new hire — that's a principal who's had time to learn the culture.

The Flower Mound High School move is the most locally consequential change on this list. FMHS enrolled 3,426 students in 2024–25. That's a large campus. Even a returning principal has real work to do rebuilding relationships with staff and families before the first bell rings in August. Teachers who stayed through the transition want to know Knowles's priorities. Parents of incoming freshmen, particularly those coming from McKamy, Forestwood, and Shadow Ridge middle schools, are about to meet a principal they've never dealt with directly.

The Durham Middle appointment is worth a second look. Engel comes from a high school context — Southwest High School in Fort Worth. Moving from a high school principalship to a middle school is an unusual direction. Whether that's a deliberate district strategy or just a strong candidate who fit the role, only time will tell. Watch whether the transition is smooth.

For families weighing school choice or magnet programs before fall registration closes: leadership continuity is a real variable in school culture, and right now several LISD campuses are in reset mode. Not a crisis. But worth knowing before you sign anything.