Killeen Independent School District

KISD one of nine Texas school districts to earn two-year literacy grant - Killeen ISD is among a handful of Texas school systems that will benefit from a two-year grant to bolster literacy among young students. Called TXRL (Texas Reads, Texas Leads), the grant provides training and resources with the goal for every student to read on grade level by fourth grade. KISD is among 17 Texas school districts that have engaged in professional development and strategic planning over the past school year to reform instruction to better match the science of teaching reading and support greater outcomes for early readers. “This grant will allow us to engage in additional professional development, consult with literacy experts, and host other districts from across the state as a model for systems and practices,” said KISD Executive Director for Curriculum and Instruction Carrie Parker. “It’s a great win for our students and teachers.” Killeen ISD is one of nine Texas districts to receive the two years of funding. The grant-funded reading initiative will benefit all 31 of the district’s elementary schools.

Killeen ISD summer musical theater campers will produce two showings of the Big Bad Musical with middle school students performing at 11 a.m. and elementary students at 4 p.m., both Thursday at the Ellison High School auditorium. See our stories and photos about these camps, as well as the ongoing high school theater camp at the following: https://www.killeenisd.org/site/default.aspx?PageType=3&DomainID=4&ModuleInstanceID=29551&ViewID=070DCCB8-A53F-43FD-A714-5764441A973A&RenderLoc=0&FlexDataID=94315&PageID=1

🎉 😎 School’s out and summer learning is in! Killeen ISD students began the first week of academic camps Monday at the KISD Career Center, where coding camp, writing camp and Camp Invention launched successfully. ☀️ See our day one photos and be looking for continued coverage through the summer at www.killeenisd.org/photos

🤩 #WeAreKISD A variety of Killeen ISD educators spent three days at the district’s Multilingual Conference that concluded Thursday at the Franklin and Emily Pratt Learning Center. They learned a wealth of strategies for teaching emerging English learners and participated in fun, interactive activities. #KISDP2 #WeAreKISD ✅ Read more at www.killeenisd.org/news 🎉 View more photos at https://www.flickr.com/photos/killeenisd/albums/72177720326419380

Kids under 18 years old eat free at various KISD locations all summer long. Visit www.killeenisd.org/summer to see locations and times.

#WeAreKISD 🤩 Killeen ISD Multilingual Services began its three-day conference Monday at the Pratt Center with a variety of KISD teachers learning strategies for teaching students with a first language other than English. ✅ View more photos at www.killeenisd.org/photos

🎓📚 Big congratulations to Early College High School’s Class of 2025 Valedictorian and Salutatorian! These two outstanding students have shown incredible dedication, perseverance, and academic excellence throughout their high school journey—and they’re just getting started! 🎉 Read more about their achievements and future plans here: https://www.killeenisd.org/site/default.aspx?PageType=3&DomainID=4&ModuleInstanceID=29551&ViewID=070DCCB8-A53F-43FD-A714-5764441A973A&RenderLoc=0&FlexDataID=94183&PageID=1 #WeAreKISD #ECHSClassOf2025 #KISDProud

#CelebratingStudents 🎉 The Killeen ISD Education Foundation and an entire community celebrated on Thursday the brightest stars of the Class of 2025 during the annual Starmakers Academic Recognition Banquet. #WeAreKISD #KISDP1 ✅ Here is the full story and lots of photos: https://www.killeenisd.org/site/default.aspx?PageType=3&DomainID=4&ModuleInstanceID=29551&ViewID=070DCCB8-A53F-43FD-A714-5764441A973A&RenderLoc=0&FlexDataID=94229&PageID=1 🎉 View photos: https://www.flickr.com/photos/killeenisd/albums/with/72177720326149676

#CelebratingStudents 🎉 A proud community thanked and honored 49 Killeen ISD seniors contracted to begin military service upon graduation from high school during the Class of 2025 Military Enlistment Recognition Ceremony on Wednesday. ✅ Read more here: https://www.killeenisd.org/site/default.aspx?PageType=3&DomainID=4&ModuleInstanceID=29551&ViewID=070DCCB8-A53F-43FD-A714-5764441A973A&RenderLoc=0&FlexDataID=94216&PageID=1

📢 Killeen ISD is proud to welcome Scott Hequembourg as our new Deputy Superintendent for Business and Operations! A decorated Army veteran and experienced program manager, Mr. Hequembourg is a proud KISD parent and community member. He’s bringing decades of leadership and a heart for service to support our schools, staff, and families. Please join us in giving Mr. Hequembourg a warm welcome! 👏 #KISDleadstheway

#CelebratingStudents 🎉 Five buses carrying about 150 Killeen ISD Early College High School seniors visited 16 elementary schools during the school’s annual senior walk. ✅ See the interaction between the soon-to-graduate seniors and the younger students here: https://www.killeenisd.org/site/default.aspx?PageType=3&DomainID=7135&ModuleInstanceID=29551&ViewID=070DCCB8-A53F-43FD-A714-5764441A973A&RenderLoc=0&FlexDataID=94188&PageID=15424 View more photos: https://www.flickr.com/photos/killeenisd/albums/72177720326087947

About 165 Gifted and Talented kindergarten through eighth grade students displayed their year-long “passion projects” during KISD’s annual Texas Performance Standards Project showcase Monday at the Killeen Civic and Conference Center. 🤩🤩 #WeAreKISD #KISDP1 ✅ Read more here: https://www.killeenisd.org/site/default.aspx?PageType=3&DomainID=4&ModuleInstanceID=29551&ViewID=070DCCB8-A53F-43FD-A714-5764441A973A&RenderLoc=0&FlexDataID=94187&PageID=1 🤩 See more photos: https://www.flickr.com/photos/killeenisd/albums/72177720326079170

This National Police Week, we proudly honor and celebrate the dedicated men and women of the Killeen ISD Police Department. 💙 From patrolling our campuses to building relationships with students and staff, KISD officers work tirelessly to keep our schools safe and welcoming for every learner. Their commitment, compassion, and courage are an essential part of our district family. Thank you, KISD PD, for your service and unwavering support. We appreciate all you do—this week and every week. #NationalPoliceWeek #KISDProud

#CelebratingStaffExcellence 🎉🎉 Killeen ISD School Nutrition honored its final batch of four stars of excellence awards to high-achieving cafeterias during three days of visits this week. 🤩 See all the awards from March, April and May in our expanded flickr album here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/killeenisd/albums/72177720324781322/

A group of 120 eighth-graders from Killeen ISD middle schools heard from a wide variety of student, community, military and national leaders during the Pfluger Leadership Conference Friday on the Texas A&M University-Central Texas campus. 🤩🤩 #WeAreKISD #KISDP1 ✅ View more photos at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/killeenisd/albums/72177720326019044

Killeen ISD Announces Rising Star Schools in Capturing Kids’ Hearts A total of 28 Killeen ISD schools learned this week they are Rising Stars in the Capturing Kids’ Hearts program that fosters a relationship-driven culture in organizations like school districts. The award is reserved for schools in the first year of implementing the CKH motivational program which KISD adopted a year ago, said Executive Director for Student Success Micah Wells. Those Rising Star schools, he said, are on track to becoming National Showcase Schools, a CKH designation all of KISD’s campuses can achieve. “Rising Star is a designation given to campuses that have fully embraced and implemented the CKH processes into their campus culture,” said Wells. Staff, student and family surveys, along with campus visits from CKH strategists create the data that lead to the awards, he explained. “I am very proud of our district and the individual campuses for the way they have embraced the CKH processes and incorporated them into their campus culture,” Wells said. “You can see the impact that positive relationships have on our students’ success, and I am excited to celebrate the recognition of their hard work in this first year of CKH implementation.” KISD CKH Rising Star schools include the following: Meadows Elementary School Peebles Elementary School Clarke Elementary School Brookhaven Elementary School Nolanville Elementary School Oveta Culp Hobby Elementary School Cedar Valley Elementary School Clifton Park Elementary School Maude Moore Wood Elementary School Pershing Park Elementary School Clear Creek Elementary School Dr. Joseph A. Fowler Elementary School Richard E. Cavazos Elementary School Ira Cross Jr. Elementary School Killeen Elementary School Saegert Elementary School Pat Carney Elementary School Palo Alto Middle School Charles E. Patterson Middle School Union Grove Middle School Liberty Hill Middle School Harker Heights High School Early College High School- 9th and 10th Early College High School- 11th and 12th Pathways Academic Campus KISD Career Center Killeen High School

Check out those Shoemaker Grey Wolves. Maurice Starr, Brandon Brown Jr., Michael Bickham and Lamont Reed just clocked a school-record 1:23.59 in the 4x200-meter relay to claim the silver medal Saturday night in Class 6A UIL State Track and Field Championships!!! The previous school record was 1:24.20, dating to 2013. “Shoe Speed,” indeed. #WeAreKISD

Community Matters: 🎶 Shoutout to the Killeen High School Roo Drumline for bringing the beat and the energy to the grand opening of a local business! 🥁🔥 We love seeing our students out in the community, finding exciting and unique opportunities to showcase their incredible talents. Keep making us proud, Roos! 💛🖤

Killeen ISD Fine Arts Students earn Top Honors at State Visual Art Contest – Killeen ISD art students showcased their outstanding artistic talents at the 2025 State Visual Art Scholastic Event (VASE) this past weekend. Twenty-eight artworks created by 27 KISD students were adjudicated among the state’s best after advancing through regional and area competitions. Leading the way was Finn Brantley from Chaparral High School who earned a Gold Seal Award – the highest honor at the event. Only 7% of all student artworks across the state receive this distinction. In addition to Brantley’s success, 17 artworks earned the All-State Artist title, awarded to students whose work stood out among thousands of entries across Texas. Congratulations to the following students: · Jae Dy, Shoemaker High School- Two artworks earned All-State honors · Detric Lago, Shoemaker High School · Rowan Crispin, Ellison High School · Alyssa Rice, Ellison High School · Krista Garcia, Ellison High School · Courtney Reece, Ellison High School · Hannah Shin, Harker Heights High School · Lailah Torres-Mendoza, Harker Heights High School · Ava Labadorf, Harker Heights High School · Juliana Flores, Killeen High School · Sasha Lewis, Killeen High School · Raymundo Orozsco, Killeen High School · Alina Rodriguez, Killeen High School · Nile Moreno, Early College High School · Ariana Nobuo, Early College High School “Our visual arts students are among the best in the state. We are honored that so many of our students who qualify for the state contest, earn the highest designations possible year over year," Morganne Davies, director of Fine Arts, said. " It is a testament to the creativity, technical skill and artistry of our students and teachers. We celebrate the accomplishments of these talented artists and look forward to them leaving their mark for years to come."

🎓 Celebrating Success in the KISD Teach Program! Please join us in congratulating three outstanding teacher apprentices who have officially earned their bachelor’s degrees from Indiana Wesleyan University! 👏📚 ✨ Sophia Almaraz – Iduma Elementary (1st Grade) ✨ McKenzie Genovese – Hay Branch Elementary (1st Grade) ✨ Abigail Gracia-Cruz – Peebles Elementary (Kindergarten) These graduates represent the heart of our mission—to grow our own future teachers right here in Killeen ISD. We are so proud of their accomplishments and the incredible impact they’re already making. Next up for these apprentices: completing their alternative certification program and taking the teacher certification exam! 🎉🍎