Join us on Friday, February 2, at 11 a.m., to celebrate the construction at South Waco Elementary School as we expand and renovate this neighborhood icon. | |
Thank you, Waco ISD School Board! | |
School board members, including those who serve Waco ISD, are elected by community members who trust them to do what's best for students. Their community connection ensures local accountability and strengthens educators efforts to meet the needs of students and families. In honor of School Board Recognition Month, our Waco ISD board members were presented with special gifts from students and staff and enjoyed a performance from members of the Waco High School Choir. | |
Over 200 elementary and middle school students spent a Saturday showcasing their scholarly skills at the Waco ISD Academic UIL Meet. Students competed in 20 different events for the chance to earn individual medals and claim a district championship for their schools. Thank you to all who helped coach and judge. | |
Preparing for the World of Work | |
Industry leaders met with Waco ISD's Greater Waco Advanced Manufacturing Academy welding students to solidify internships for our students. Students will be paid while they are learning thanks to a Texas Workforce Solutions for the Heart of Texas' Youth Employment Solutions YES! High School Student Welding Internship grant. These industries may also hire our students at the end of the semester after the students graduate! To see more photos, click here. | |
Topping Out the Future Home of the Lions | |
Lion Pride was on full display last month as the community came together to sign the beam and celebrate the construction milestone of topping out the new Waco High School. To see more photos from the beam signing, click here and to watch the beam get "topped-out" click play on the video below. | |
Strong Start for Students | |
Crestview Elementary staff & Future Educators Academy students visited students at their homes to welcome them back for the 2nd semester. Students loved seeing their school family at their front doors and staff were able to reconnect after the holiday break and ensure a strong start to the new year! | |
Martin Luther King, Jr. Honored | |
UHS teacher, Travis Gibson, and Waco High student performers Heaven and Patrick Lee helped lead the City of Waco's annual Martin Luther King, Jr. celebration. | |
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University High culinary arts students have prepared more than 17,000 meals for people experiencing homelessness through a partnership, now in its 5th year, with the Salvation Army. This incredible partnership and the lessons students are learning were highlighted on the front page of the Waco Tribune here, on KXXV here and on KWKT here. | |
Message from the School Board President | |
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Dear Waco ISD Community,
Happy New Year! It's great to be back and see all our students and staff jumping into the new year with such excitement and love for learning.
I am so thankful for our community partners and how you continue to show up for our students, staff and district. You help us go the extra mile in not only creating important learning opportunities, but also taking the time to celebrate our successes and important milestones.
In honor of School Board Recognition Month, I want to also say thank you to my fellow board members for their commitment to Waco ISD. Public schools in Texas are strengthened by the local accountability and community connections that school boards represent. Together, we are not only accountable to the voters who elect us but to the future generations that will be served in our schools.
The future is bright for Waco ISD, and I am grateful for the opportunities we have as a board to be a part of that.
Sincerely,
Stephanie Korteweg
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Did you miss the January 25 Board of Trustees meeting? Get a quick update by watching the meeting recap video.
Click here for the full board meeting
from January 25, 2024.
The next regular meeting will be held on Thursday, February 22, beginning at 6 p.m. in the WISD Conference Center, 115 S. 5th Street, Waco, Texas.
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Outstanding Community Partner | |
Each month, Waco ISD recognizes a community partner making a difference for students with the award for Outstanding Community Partner. In January, the Salvation Army was selected to receive the award for its generous contributions. | |
Message from the Superintendent | |
Dear Waco ISD Community,
We returned from the holiday break and hit the ground running. There are so many important efforts underway across Waco ISD, and I am so proud of our students and staff for what they are accomplishing.
While we continue to remain focused on advancing the achievement of our students, I want to acknowledge that we, like nearly all other school districts in Texas, face some serious financial challenges for next year. There is little to no hope of the legislature providing public schools additional financial support before 2025. Inflation, enrollment declines, and the loss of ESSER funds will make this year's budget planning process especially challenging.
The Waco ISD team will manage the budget challenge as we have done hard things together before, especially since the pandemic. The recent relocation of Kendrick Elementary to the former Indian Spring campus is a shining example of how our team can pull together to get things done for our kids. I’m so proud of the partnership between campus and district staff members. It was truly a team effort. Kendrick staff, our facilities team, technology and curriculum and instruction employees and so many others made it happen. To move a whole elementary school and be ready to host an Open House on our first day back from winter break takes each and every team member leading from the heart for our students, families and each other.
With results and continued progress like this, 2024 promises to be another exciting and productive year. I am honored to share it with our Waco ISD families and community.
Sincerely,
Susan Kincannon, Ed.D.
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Shining Stars for Literacy | |
Volunteer mentors with the STARS Book Club donate books and read with students weekly to encourage a love of literacy and are one of the ways the district continues to improve academic outcomes for students. To read more about how these volunteers are supporting Waco ISD's literacy efforts, click here. | |
Provident Heights Elementary student Bilan Garcia-Cardona loves to read and write. He’s also visually impaired and only speaks Spanish, which means he has to learn in a different way. Click here to learn more about how Waco ISD teacher Audrey Kelley supports that learning for Bilan and other visually impaired students in the district. | |
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We can all play a part in helping to keep Waco ISD safe! Our anonymous online reporting system, STOPit, is available to all students, staff, families, and the community. You can report bullying, violence, and other safety concerns anytime by following this link: www.wacoisd.org/STOPit. | | |
Did you know ALL Waco ISD students ride FREE on the Waco Transit System? Yes, even during summer break! Take advantage of this great resource today.
Visit http://wacotransit.ridesystems.net/routes
Download the Ride System app.
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