Tough Elementary parents are ignoring street signs near the Carmeline neighborhood in The Woodlands, Principal Christy Julien warned in the school's Oct. 5 newsletter.

"We have gotten some reports of parents disregarding the street signs in the Carmeline neighborhood across the street and creating hazardous conditions for our neighbors and pedestrians that utilize the pathways and streets in that area," Julien wrote in the October Titan Tribune.

Julien said neighbors have been encouraged to call the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office (MCSO) to report unsafe driving. Officers will issue citations to drivers who disobey posted signs, speed or use a cell phone in the school zone, she said.

Under Texas law, using any handheld device in a school zone is illegal, according to the Texas Department of Transportation.

Tough Elementary sits at 11660 Crane Brook Drive, with the Carmeline neighborhood directly across the street. The Conroe ISD campus runs classes from 7:55 a.m. to 3:10 p.m., meaning drop-off and pickup traffic flows through the area twice daily.

The MCSO has already stepped up traffic enforcement across The Woodlands this school year. The agency launched Operation Safe Start at the beginning of the 2026–27 year, deploying deputies with heightened patrols in school zones countywide, according to a post on The Woodlands Township website.

In a separate enforcement action, Sheriff Wesley Doolittle's Woodlands Traffic Unit brought in MCSO Motor Units to address a rise in traffic complaints and crashes during rush hour, according to a statement from the sheriff's office. Deputies used radar and lidar to catch speeders on residential streets posted at 30 to 35 mph.

The newsletter did not specify which street signs parents are ignoring or how many complaints the school has received.

Julien's newsletter also noted that Friday, Oct. 9, marks the end of the first grading period. Students will have a four-day weekend from Oct. 9 through Oct. 12.

Families who witness unsafe driving near the school can call MCSO dispatch at 936-760-5800.