Spring Branch ISD names Executive Principal for two area campuses

Patricia Thomas has been named to the new role of executive principal of both Ridgecrest Elementary and Landrum Middle schools. Landrum Middle is a district-charter collaboration site for the SKY Partnership that includes KIPP Courage at Landrum Middle School program.

Principal Thomas has served 25 years in education including 15 years in Spring Branch ISD as a special education teacher, school improvement specialist, assistant principal and principal.


In 1982, Ms. Thomas earned her bachelor of science degree in psychology from Texas A&M University. She later received a master’s degree in bilingual education in 1994 from Houston Baptist University, and then earned principal certification in 2004 through the University of Houston.

She taught first-grade bilingual education for 10 years in Houston ISD before joining the Spring Shadows Elementary staff as a bilingual special education teacher in 1999. In HISD, she managed a computer lab, and she was the instructional coordinator at her campus. At Spring Shadows Elementary, she provided instructional support for math, science and technology and, in 2002, was named the math instructional specialist there.

In 2004, she was named assistant principal at Ridgecrest Elementary. She has served as Ridgecrest’s principal since 2006. In January, she took on the role of interim principal at Landrum Middle School, due to a principal retirement.

“I truly enjoy working with students of diverse backgrounds, and I always strive to create an environment of safety and educational growth for all children,” Principal Thomas says of her past and current position.

“I am excited about continuing the collaboration between the elementary and middle schools and the SKY Partnership in my new role. I’m committed to creating exemplary learning environments at Ridgecrest and Landrum for the students and staff in the community,” she also says.

The leadership teams, faculties and staffs at Landrum Middle and Ridgecrest Elementary are committed to working together to assure that every student is equipped with the academic and life skills to meet the district’s key goal known as Spring Branch T-2-4.

The T-2-4 goal calls for all our students to successfully complete some form of higher education after graduation – military training, technical certification, or a two-year or four-year college degree.

Principal Thomas holds state certifications in Principal (Grades EC-12), Generic Special Education (Grades PK-12), Bilingual/ESL (Grades PK-6), and Elementary Self-Contained (Grades PK-6).