A new principal will take charge of Durham Middle School for the 2026-2027 school year.
John Engel was announced as the new principal of Durham Middle School at the district’s regular board meeting on June 8.
He comes over with 29 years of experience in which he served at multiple campuses in Fort Worth ISD.
“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.”
According to Lewisville ISD, Durham Middle is one of the three campuses designated as Tier 32 under the district’s Project RISE initiative.
“[It’s a] data-driven, tiered compensation model designated to direct elevated support and resources to Title I campuses where investment can have the greatest impact on student success,” said the district in a press release.
Engel began his career in 1997 as a teacher before he transitioned into administration.
He served as a principal of an elementary campus in Fort Worth ISD from 2004-2008, which achieved Recognized accountability status and multiple Gold Performance Acknowledgements while he was there.
Engel also led a middle school in the district from 2008-2015. During his time, the campus earned Designated Designations in all seven evaluated areas in the campus’s final year under his leadership.
In his last stop before coming to Durham Middle, Engel served as principal of Southwest High School from 2015 to 2026.
During his tenure there, he helped the campus sustain steady 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 High 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.
