Killeen ISD is hosting Optimization 2.0 Community Town Halls, and we encourage our families, employees and community members to make plans to attend and submit their questions in advance!
As the district considers potential school closures, consolidations and attendance boundary changes, we want to hear from you. No final decisions have been made, and community feedback is an important part of the process.
📅 MARK YOUR CALENDARS!
📍 Nov. 9 | Shoemaker High School | 6 p.m.
📍 Nov. 12 | Killeen High School | 6 p.m.
📍 Nov. 19 | Ellison High School | 6 p.m.
❓Have questions about KISD's proposed Optimization 2.0 scenarios? Submit them using this brief form before our upcoming town halls so we can better understand what families, staff, and community members want to know. No registration is required, and you can submit multiple questions. 👉 Submit your questions here: https://mgtamer.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0GwchfCeQRXo55c
🔗 Learn more about Optimization 2.0 and the proposed scenarios: www.killeenisd.org/optimization
Save the date. Submit your questions. Make plans to attend. We want to hear from you!
As the district considers potential school closures, consolidations and attendance boundary changes, we want to hear from you. No final decisions have been made, and community feedback is an important part of the process.
📅 MARK YOUR CALENDARS!
📍 Nov. 9 | Shoemaker High School | 6 p.m.
📍 Nov. 12 | Killeen High School | 6 p.m.
📍 Nov. 19 | Ellison High School | 6 p.m.
❓Have questions about KISD's proposed Optimization 2.0 scenarios? Submit them using this brief form before our upcoming town halls so we can better understand what families, staff, and community members want to know. No registration is required, and you can submit multiple questions. 👉 Submit your questions here: https://mgtamer.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0GwchfCeQRXo55c
🔗 Learn more about Optimization 2.0 and the proposed scenarios: www.killeenisd.org/optimization
Save the date. Submit your questions. Make plans to attend. We want to hear from you!
As we wrap up National Principals Month, we want to give one last heartfelt THANK YOU to our incredible campus principals! 💛
At our recent Board meeting, we had the opportunity to recognize these dedicated leaders, and we know campuses across the district have been celebrating them all month long.
But our appreciation goes far beyond October. Our principals wear countless hats, make tough decisions, support teachers and staff, build relationships with families, and show up for students every single day. Much of what they do happens behind the scenes, but the impact they make is felt throughout their schools.
To our KISD principals, thank you for your leadership and the countless ways you put students and staff first. We see the work you do, we value you, and we're grateful to have you leading our campuses! #weAREKISD
At our recent Board meeting, we had the opportunity to recognize these dedicated leaders, and we know campuses across the district have been celebrating them all month long.
But our appreciation goes far beyond October. Our principals wear countless hats, make tough decisions, support teachers and staff, build relationships with families, and show up for students every single day. Much of what they do happens behind the scenes, but the impact they make is felt throughout their schools.
To our KISD principals, thank you for your leadership and the countless ways you put students and staff first. We see the work you do, we value you, and we're grateful to have you leading our campuses! #weAREKISD
Chaparral High School Bobcat Drama is staging the musical "Frozen" Nov. 5-7. For a link to tickets, photos and a description of the show, see the following: https://www.killeenisd.org/article/3222415
The KISD School Health Advisory Council Safe Spaces and Places forum addressed strategies regarding youth violence, conflict resolution, substance abuse and human trafficking. https://www.killeenisd.org/article/3219848
#celebratingsuccess: 🏆 THREE YEARS STRONG! Killeen ISD has once again been named a CTE District of Distinction by the Career and Technical Association of Texas!
With 33 programs of study, hands-on learning opportunities and strong industry partnerships, we're helping more than 8,800 high school students turn their interests into real-world skills and future careers.
From health care and technology to construction and law enforcement, our students aren't just learning about careers. They're preparing to step into them!
👏 Congratulations to our incredible CTE students, teachers and staff who continue to make this recognition possible!
With 33 programs of study, hands-on learning opportunities and strong industry partnerships, we're helping more than 8,800 high school students turn their interests into real-world skills and future careers.
From health care and technology to construction and law enforcement, our students aren't just learning about careers. They're preparing to step into them!
👏 Congratulations to our incredible CTE students, teachers and staff who continue to make this recognition possible!
Killeen ISD relies on federal funding through the Impact Aid program to support the success of our schools and students. These funds are vital in helping us provide the resources, programs, and educational opportunities our children deserve.
To receive this funding, we need your help. Each family must complete the Impact Aid Parent-Pupil Survey form annually.
A paper copy of the form was sent home with your student today. Please take a few moments to fill it out and return it as soon as possible or by Oct. 30 at the latest.
If you have any questions or need assistance, do not hesitate to contact your student’s school.
Your cooperation ensures we can continue to provide a high-quality education for all students in our community. Thank you for your prompt attention to this important matter.
Combining competition, team bonding and career exploration, Junior ROTC cadets from five area high schools participated Saturday in the first-ever Warrior Cadet Leadership Challenge at Texas A&M University-Central Texas. https://www.killeenisd.org/article/3212354
📄 Impact Aid forms are coming home Monday!
Please check your student’s backpack for the annual Impact Aid Parent Pupil Survey. Taking just a few minutes to complete and return this form helps Killeen ISD secure important federal funding that supports our schools and students.
✅ Watch for the paper form Monday
✅ Complete and return it as soon as possible
✅ Deadline: October 30, 2026
Every completed form helps us make sure Killeen ISD receives the federal funding available to support our students.
Questions? Contact your student’s school.
Thank you for your partnership! 💛
Gazing into a myriad of potential futures, students and family members on Thursday took advantage of the opportunity to investigate the numerous academic options open for KISD high school students during the Future Ready Expo. https://www.killeenisd.org/article/3210060
#StudentSuccess 🐐🏆 Our KISD FFA students showed up and showed out in Waco!
From catching calves in under 50 seconds to earning top spots in the show ring, these students had plenty to celebrate at the Heart O' Texas Livestock Show & Rodeo!
👏 Shoutout to our FFA students from the Killeen ISD Career Center, Harker Heights High School, and Chaparral High School for putting in the work and making their schools proud!
And a big thank you to the FFA advisors and families who are there for the early mornings, late nights, and everything in between! 💛
Read the full story: https://www.killeenisd.org/article/3208977
View more photos: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjD8m8Q
From catching calves in under 50 seconds to earning top spots in the show ring, these students had plenty to celebrate at the Heart O' Texas Livestock Show & Rodeo!
👏 Shoutout to our FFA students from the Killeen ISD Career Center, Harker Heights High School, and Chaparral High School for putting in the work and making their schools proud!
And a big thank you to the FFA advisors and families who are there for the early mornings, late nights, and everything in between! 💛
Read the full story: https://www.killeenisd.org/article/3208977
View more photos: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjD8m8Q
Representatives from Bell County law enforcement joined Killeen ISD CTE and Chaparral High School leaders with teachers and students in a signing ceremony Thursday making official a new pathway for students to earn jailer certification. https://www.killeenisd.org/article/3208388
The KISD Tutoring Center now offers FREE tutoring in Math, Reading and Writing! Students in grades 4–12 can get help with homework, STAAR and EOC preparation, and challenging concepts from state-certified teachers. Elementary and middle school students must be signed in and out by a parent or guardian with a valid ID.
Learn more: www.killeenisd.org/tutoring
Learn more: www.killeenisd.org/tutoring
Big congratulations to all five Killeen ISD high school bands for earning perfect Sweepstakes marks Saturday at regional competition to advance to the area round of marching contest. Read more here: https://www.killeenisd.org/article/3200331
Killeen ISD Athletics is inviting student-athletes in grades 7–12 and their families to a College Recruiting Seminar on Wednesday, Oct. 21, at 6:30 p.m. at Killeen High School.
Learn more about the recruiting process, scholarships, social media, communicating with college coaches, college visits and the important role families play along the way.
📅 Wednesday, Oct. 21
⏰ 6:30 p.m.
📍 Killeen High School Auditorium, 500 North 38th Street, Killeen, TX 76543
🎓 Guest Speaker: Todd Kelly
Free admission for parents of KISD student-athletes.
Learn more about the recruiting process, scholarships, social media, communicating with college coaches, college visits and the important role families play along the way.
📅 Wednesday, Oct. 21
⏰ 6:30 p.m.
📍 Killeen High School Auditorium, 500 North 38th Street, Killeen, TX 76543
🎓 Guest Speaker: Todd Kelly
Free admission for parents of KISD student-athletes.
As Hispanic Heritage Month comes to a close, Killeen ISD wants to say THANK YOU to everyone who helped us celebrate the stories, traditions, experiences and voices that make our district stronger.
Throughout the month, we were proud to highlight students and staff members, share personal reflections, feature videos from across the district and celebrate campus events that honored the rich cultures and backgrounds within our KISD community.
Our district is made stronger by the many people, perspectives and traditions that come together in our schools each day. At Killeen ISD, we embrace those differences and remain committed to creating schools and spaces where students feel they belong and where people feel welcomed, valued and safe being themselves.
Thank you for celebrating with us and for helping shine a light on the stories that make up Hispanic Heritage Month across KISD.
#WeAreKISD
Throughout the month, we were proud to highlight students and staff members, share personal reflections, feature videos from across the district and celebrate campus events that honored the rich cultures and backgrounds within our KISD community.
Our district is made stronger by the many people, perspectives and traditions that come together in our schools each day. At Killeen ISD, we embrace those differences and remain committed to creating schools and spaces where students feel they belong and where people feel welcomed, valued and safe being themselves.
Thank you for celebrating with us and for helping shine a light on the stories that make up Hispanic Heritage Month across KISD.
#WeAreKISD
✨ Hispanic Heritage Month Spotlight: Sophia Solis
As we share our final Hispanic Heritage Month spotlight, we’re celebrating KISD Career Center/ Killeen High School student Sophia Solis Guevara and the way her heritage continues to shape both her perspective and her goals for the future.
For Sophia, Hispanic Heritage Month is about recognizing the beauty found in different cultures, traditions and experiences.
“Hispanic heritage to me means showing the different cultures and the beauty of our differences. We can come together, celebrate one another and be proud of being Hispanic.”
Sophia also sees her heritage as part of the motivation behind her future goals. She hopes to pursue a career in medicine and one day become a cardiologist, a path she says would be especially meaningful for her family.
“I would be the first in a couple of decades on my mom’s side of the family to go into the medical field, and becoming a cardiologist would be a pretty big deal in my family.”
Sophia’s story is a fitting way to close this series: proud of where she comes from, inspired by her family and looking ahead to the impact she hopes to make.
Throughout Hispanic Heritage Month, we’ve been honored to share the voices, traditions and experiences of students and staff across Killeen ISD. Each story has been different, but together they reflect the pride, resilience, ambition and sense of belonging that strengthen our district.
#WeAreKISD
As we share our final Hispanic Heritage Month spotlight, we’re celebrating KISD Career Center/ Killeen High School student Sophia Solis Guevara and the way her heritage continues to shape both her perspective and her goals for the future.
For Sophia, Hispanic Heritage Month is about recognizing the beauty found in different cultures, traditions and experiences.
“Hispanic heritage to me means showing the different cultures and the beauty of our differences. We can come together, celebrate one another and be proud of being Hispanic.”
Sophia also sees her heritage as part of the motivation behind her future goals. She hopes to pursue a career in medicine and one day become a cardiologist, a path she says would be especially meaningful for her family.
“I would be the first in a couple of decades on my mom’s side of the family to go into the medical field, and becoming a cardiologist would be a pretty big deal in my family.”
Sophia’s story is a fitting way to close this series: proud of where she comes from, inspired by her family and looking ahead to the impact she hopes to make.
Throughout Hispanic Heritage Month, we’ve been honored to share the voices, traditions and experiences of students and staff across Killeen ISD. Each story has been different, but together they reflect the pride, resilience, ambition and sense of belonging that strengthen our district.
#WeAreKISD
✨ Hispanic Heritage Month Spotlight: Zulma Lenis
As Hispanic Heritage Month begins to wind down, we’re continuing to celebrate the students and staff whose stories, cultures and experiences make Killeen ISD stronger.
For Early College High School teacher Zulma Lenis, Hispanic Heritage Month is a celebration of her Colombian roots, her family, her language and the traditions that have shaped both the woman and educator she is today. 🇨🇴
Zulma’s journey began in Colombia, where the love and sacrifices of her parents and siblings helped make her college education possible. Her life later took her to Germany and other parts of the world as part of a military family, experiences that deepened her appreciation for different cultures while strengthening her connection to her own.
Today, as a Spanish teacher, Zulma brings that perspective into her classroom.
“Spanish is not simply a subject I teach; it is the language of my childhood, my family’s stories, my memories, my traditions, and my identity.”
She wants students to see language as more than vocabulary and grammar. For Zulma, learning Spanish is an opportunity to discover new perspectives, build relationships and better understand the world around them.
As co-sponsor of the Sociedad Honoraria Hispánica, she also helps create opportunities for students to experience culture through music, dance, traditions and shared celebrations.
“My life has taken me around the world, but my heart still beats to the rhythms of Colombia, and my greatest joy is sharing the beauty of our language and culture with the next generation.”
At Killeen ISD, we’re proud of educators like Zulma who help students see culture and language as strengths and who create opportunities for students to connect, belong and learn from one another.
#WeAreKISD
As Hispanic Heritage Month begins to wind down, we’re continuing to celebrate the students and staff whose stories, cultures and experiences make Killeen ISD stronger.
For Early College High School teacher Zulma Lenis, Hispanic Heritage Month is a celebration of her Colombian roots, her family, her language and the traditions that have shaped both the woman and educator she is today. 🇨🇴
Zulma’s journey began in Colombia, where the love and sacrifices of her parents and siblings helped make her college education possible. Her life later took her to Germany and other parts of the world as part of a military family, experiences that deepened her appreciation for different cultures while strengthening her connection to her own.
Today, as a Spanish teacher, Zulma brings that perspective into her classroom.
“Spanish is not simply a subject I teach; it is the language of my childhood, my family’s stories, my memories, my traditions, and my identity.”
She wants students to see language as more than vocabulary and grammar. For Zulma, learning Spanish is an opportunity to discover new perspectives, build relationships and better understand the world around them.
As co-sponsor of the Sociedad Honoraria Hispánica, she also helps create opportunities for students to experience culture through music, dance, traditions and shared celebrations.
“My life has taken me around the world, but my heart still beats to the rhythms of Colombia, and my greatest joy is sharing the beauty of our language and culture with the next generation.”
At Killeen ISD, we’re proud of educators like Zulma who help students see culture and language as strengths and who create opportunities for students to connect, belong and learn from one another.
#WeAreKISD
Hispanic Heritage Month Spotlight: Victoria Bautista
As Hispanic Heritage Month begins to wind down, we’re still celebrating the incredible students and staff whose stories, cultures and experiences make Killeen ISD stronger.
For Chaparral High School student Victoria Bautista, being Hispanic means taking pride in her Mexican American roots and the Spanish language she grew up speaking.
Victoria sees being bilingual as both a strength and an opportunity, one she believes will continue opening doors for her in the future. Just as importantly, she uses that strength to help others.
“Speaking Spanish as my first language helped me greatly. I try to help other students who don’t understand English at our school so they don’t have to feel left out.”
That is the kind of student leadership we are proud to see across Killeen ISD. Students like Victoria help create spaces where their peers feel welcomed, supported and like they belong.
We are proud to foster school communities where students are encouraged to use their experiences, language and strengths to lift others up and make a positive difference.
“I’m a proud Mexican American and wouldn’t have it any other way.”
As we continue these final Hispanic Heritage Month spotlights, we’re proud to celebrate students like Victoria who lead by helping others feel seen, included and valued.
#WeAreKISD 💛
As Hispanic Heritage Month begins to wind down, we’re still celebrating the incredible students and staff whose stories, cultures and experiences make Killeen ISD stronger.
For Chaparral High School student Victoria Bautista, being Hispanic means taking pride in her Mexican American roots and the Spanish language she grew up speaking.
Victoria sees being bilingual as both a strength and an opportunity, one she believes will continue opening doors for her in the future. Just as importantly, she uses that strength to help others.
“Speaking Spanish as my first language helped me greatly. I try to help other students who don’t understand English at our school so they don’t have to feel left out.”
That is the kind of student leadership we are proud to see across Killeen ISD. Students like Victoria help create spaces where their peers feel welcomed, supported and like they belong.
We are proud to foster school communities where students are encouraged to use their experiences, language and strengths to lift others up and make a positive difference.
“I’m a proud Mexican American and wouldn’t have it any other way.”
As we continue these final Hispanic Heritage Month spotlights, we’re proud to celebrate students like Victoria who lead by helping others feel seen, included and valued.
#WeAreKISD 💛
✨ Hispanic Heritage Month Spotlight: Brandy Olivares
As Hispanic Heritage Month begins to come to a close, we’re continuing to celebrate the stories and experiences that have shaped members of our KISD family.
For Maxdale Elementary dyslexia teacher Brandy Olivares, Hispanic heritage begins with one word: HOME.
Brandy remembers getting off the school bus and running past her own house to her grandparents’ home, where fresh flour tortillas and a pot of beans often waited. Her grandmother spoke only Spanish to her, intentionally preserving a language that would help Brandy stay connected to family in Mexico and grow up feeling as though she had two homes.
Her mother carried that tradition forward through Ballet Folklórico, traditional foods and the everyday experiences that made their culture something to live, not simply remember.
“It reminded me that heritage is more than where our families came from. It is language, traditions, faith, food, memories, family and the things we carry with us, and then choose to pass on.”
Education is woven into that story, too. From watching her grandmother attend ESL classes at night to following the example of the educators in her own family, Brandy says those experiences continue to shape the teacher she is today.
At Maxdale, she brings those lessons into her work by encouraging family involvement, inclusion, self-advocacy and perseverance, helping students build confidence even when learning feels difficult.
“Never underestimate what can happen when someone believes in you.”
As we share these final Hispanic Heritage Month spotlights, we celebrate the traditions, sacrifices and stories that continue from one generation to the next across Killeen ISD.
#WeAreKISD 💛
As Hispanic Heritage Month begins to come to a close, we’re continuing to celebrate the stories and experiences that have shaped members of our KISD family.
For Maxdale Elementary dyslexia teacher Brandy Olivares, Hispanic heritage begins with one word: HOME.
Brandy remembers getting off the school bus and running past her own house to her grandparents’ home, where fresh flour tortillas and a pot of beans often waited. Her grandmother spoke only Spanish to her, intentionally preserving a language that would help Brandy stay connected to family in Mexico and grow up feeling as though she had two homes.
Her mother carried that tradition forward through Ballet Folklórico, traditional foods and the everyday experiences that made their culture something to live, not simply remember.
“It reminded me that heritage is more than where our families came from. It is language, traditions, faith, food, memories, family and the things we carry with us, and then choose to pass on.”
Education is woven into that story, too. From watching her grandmother attend ESL classes at night to following the example of the educators in her own family, Brandy says those experiences continue to shape the teacher she is today.
At Maxdale, she brings those lessons into her work by encouraging family involvement, inclusion, self-advocacy and perseverance, helping students build confidence even when learning feels difficult.
“Never underestimate what can happen when someone believes in you.”
As we share these final Hispanic Heritage Month spotlights, we celebrate the traditions, sacrifices and stories that continue from one generation to the next across Killeen ISD.
#WeAreKISD 💛
The Early College High School National Spanish Honor Society conducted a huge celebration of Hispanic culture Friday with dance, poetry, music and a ton of audience participation. https://www.killeenisd.org/article/3185238
