Conroe ISD will stop paying nearly $40,000 a year to promote Forbes employer awards, ending a practice of purchasing promotional rights despite the district’s repeated appearances on the list.
In a decisive move, Conroe ISD's leaders have unanimously agreed to discontinue the annual expenditure of nearly $40,000 aimed at promoting the district's consistent recognition on Forbes’ list of top employers. They made this decision during a vote on Tuesday.
Ted Landry, the interim superintendent, informed the trustees that Forbes has featured the district in its annual rankings since 2022. However, it has been necessary for the district to acquire rights to utilize the Forbes logo and award designation in its promotional materials. He emphasized that being included on the list is complimentary and relies on unbiased survey data, yet utilizing it for promotional purposes incurs a significant fee.
“There is a financial implication,” Landry stated. “These are not accolades given lightly.” Packages must be acquired to showcase and promote them effectively. The sum is certainly noteworthy.
Conroe ISD has received numerous accolades as one of the top employers in the United States, notably in April 2025, when it earned recognition as one of America’s Best Large Employers. The district has committed funding through 2025 to support the promotion of the distinction, but it will not extend the agreement beyond that date.
Trustee Marianne Horton emphasized that the district ought to prioritize the dissemination of quantifiable outcomes.
“I personally would prefer to rely on actual statistics,” Horton stated, emphasizing that academic performance, test scores, and other metrics provide a more accurate representation of the district’s success than external branding efforts.
Forbes reports that companies and organizations do not incur costs to secure a spot on the list. The rankings are created in collaboration with Statista, a leading analytics firm that employs surveys and extensive employee evaluations over several years to establish their positions. Current employees' feedback and the latest survey results are prioritized in the evaluation process.
The 2025 rankings by Forbes showcased a total of 1,199 organizations across the country: A total of 498 companies earned a spot on the America’s Best Midsize Employers list, while 701 distinguished themselves by making the America’s Best Large Employers list.
Conroe ISD has maintained a strong performance, securing a spot on the prestigious list. However, board members expressed concerns that spending tens of thousands of taxpayer dollars to showcase the logo does not represent the most prudent allocation of district resources.
The ruling indicates that although Conroe ISD might still feature on Forbes’ employer lists in the coming years, residents will no longer find the accolades prominently displayed in district communications.
