February 2023

Killeen ISD remains in communication with Fort Hood and local meteorologists regarding the ongoing winter storm. While weather conditions look to improve tomorrow, the roads will remain icy through the morning and it will not be safe for school buses or employees to travel. Therefore, Killeen ISD has made the decision to keep campus and district buildings closed on Thursday, February 2, 2023.

A final decision regarding a make-up date will be communicated at a later time. All extracurricular activities scheduled for Thursday will be rescheduled accordingly. The safety of our students and staff will continue to be placed at the forefront of our decision-making. We will see everyone on Friday, February 3, 2023.

Student transfers for the 2023-2024 school year are now open. Transfer requests must be submitted each school year. Visit www.killeenisd.org/transfers for more information.

*Transfer requests for Chaparral High School are open to current KISD 8th graders. Students must meet the transfer guidelines and UIL rules to apply.

February is Black History Month, pictured above is Mrs. Alice W. Douse. In 2017, KISD dedicated the Alice W. Douse Elementary School, named for a former teacher and administrator who was the first female African-American principal in the district. “Her mind was never dormant or unfocused,” a written copy of McKinnon’s reflections says. “That’s who she was – always learning.” Known as a strong, caring leader who took time to listen and to motivate, Douse served beyond her profession as an educator. Click here to read more about Mrs. Douse.

The KISD Education Foundation Scholarships are now open.

This year there are 64 individual scholarship opportunities for a total disbursement of $79,750 plus 6 Central Texas College tuition waivers for KISD high school seniors graduating this May. The deadline for Seniors to submit their scholarship application is February 21, 2023. Learn more and easily apply online! https://www.killeenisd.org/education_foundation

Additional Scholarships Opportunities

Additional Scholarships Opportunities can be found online on the College, Career, and Military Readiness webpage.

February: Black History Month, Career & Technical Education Month

Feb. 1: Student Transfer Application Open for 2023-2024

Feb. 2: District Closed

Feb. 6-10: National School Counseling Week

Feb. 7: KISD School Board Meeting, 6:00 p.m., Central Admin

Feb. 14: KISD School Board Workshop, 9:00 a.m., Central Admin

Feb. 15: KISD College & Career Fair, 6:00-8:00 p.m., Killeen Civic and Conference Center

Feb. 15: Military Families Connect, 5:00 p.m., Chaparral High School

Feb. 16-18: KISD Softball Tournament, Harker Heights Parks Softball Complex

Feb. 17: Student Holiday, Teacher PD Day

Feb. 17: Killeen High School Dedication Ceremony, 4:00 p.m., Killeen High School

Feb. 18: KISD Band Fest, 7:00 p.m., Killeen High School

Feb. 20: District Closed, Bad Weather Make-Up Day

Feb. 21: KISD School Board Meeting, 6:00 p.m., Central Admin

Feb. 22: School Bus Driver Appreciation Day

Feb. 22: KISD District Art Exhibit Grand Opening, 5:30 p.m., Killeen Civic Center

Feb. 25: Free Course: Youth Mental Health First Aid Training

Feb. 28: Free Parent Workshops - Mental Health, Social-Emotional Learning

Looking Ahead

March 4: KISD Job Fair: Hiring All Positions

March 10: 1hr. 50 min. Student Early Release

March 13-17: Spring Break, District Closed

What is CTE?

Career and technical education, or CTE, is education that directly prepares students for high-wage, high-skill, and high-demand careers.

Resources for Middle and High School Students and Parents

Find information such as course planning information including CTE course offerings, athletics, fine arts, and more! Explore planning resources at: https://www.killeenisd.org/ccmr

Killeen ISD contracted with Qualtrics to conduct a confidential stakeholder climate and culture survey in September 2022. Together, with CESA 6, surveys were conducted to collect data from students in grades 3-12, employees, parents, and community members in Killeen ISD. In response to the survey indicators and recommendations, the district has worked with CESA-6 to develop an action plan, which has been presented to the District P.U.L.S.E. committee and will begin implementation this spring. The action plan includes 6 recommendations that were discussed: work with operations leaders to identify survey result root causes, plan for the deployment of a spring community survey, conduct parent focus groups to discuss connectedness, create an employee recognition committee, train administration on and carry out rounding conversations and build out and deploy customer satisfaction surveys on the operations side. View the full action plan here.

The district plans to continue with a district-wide climate survey annually.

KISD will be seeking stakeholder feedback by creating a Long Range Planning committee in the coming months. The committee will consist of parents, students, and community members that will meet to discuss planning for potential future facilities. More information will be shared soon.

Officer Clark has been with KISD PD since September 2020 and came to us from the Texas A&M Central Texas University Police Department. Officer Clark currently is assigned to patrol and works many of the schools within the northern portion of the district. When asked about why he enjoys being a police officer with KISD he stated, “Who we are protecting is not only unique but a very rewarding part of the job.” He said he knows it is needed in today’s society and he is honored to be able to serve the students, staff and community of KISD. When Officer Clark is not busy protecting the stakeholders of KISD you can find him enjoying his other love, family.

Mental Health: Bouncing back from personal setbacks or frustrating experiences may be difficult for some children. Balancing academic responsibilities, extracurricular activities, and social media pressures can create stressful situations that become too difficult to manage.

How does Killeen ISD help support your child?

• School counselors are available to assist with your child’s needs.
• Restorative Practices within our schools encourage students to build positive conflict-resolution skills.
• Youth Mental Health First Aid workshops are offered to parents and guardians.

• The Guidance and Counseling website offers a wealth of information and supports for Social Emotional Learning and Mental Wellness.

“Mentally strong kids are prepared for the challenges of the world. They are resilient, and they have the courage and confidence to reach their full potential.” ~Amy Morin, LCSW

Morin, A. (2021). Teach Kids How to Be Mentally Tough

If you have additional questions or concerns, please contact your child’s school or the District Parenting Specialist at 254-336-0211.

Killeen ISD offers #free computer skills classes to parents and community members. Our intermediate-level and proficient-level classes will be starting up soon.

Location: Jackson Professional Learning Center
902 Rev R.A. Abercrombie Drive
Killeen, TX 76543

For more information, please call:
(254) 336-0211/0208

For the first time in our district’s history, we have identified Dual Language Teacher Leaders. These amazing Prekindergarten, Kindergarten and 1st grade educators volunteered to work with our Biliteracy team to create learning opportunities for bilingual teachers as we transition to Dual Language in Prekindergarten and Kindergarten in 2023-2024 school year and all other grade levels in subsequent years. Our Dual Language Teacher Leaders are: Martha Smart, Ada Ramos, Maria Borrero, Rosabelle Montero, Tamalia Santiago, Kiancy Ramos, Rubidia Jaco-Melendez, Ivette Quinones, Wanda Salgado, Tula Rios, and Beatriz Molina. We are looking forward to great things happening in Dual Language in KISD. Intermediate teachers will be added in future years.

KISD Swim is heading to Regionals! February 3-4, 2023

5A: Texas A&M Natatorium

9465 Barrow Ct. College Station, TX 77845

6A: Rockwall ISD Aquatic Center Moved to February 6-7, 2023

1205 T L Townsend Dr. Rockwall, TX 75087

(Photo Credit: Michelle Greenway)

KISD Wrestling is going to Regionals! February 10-11, 2023

5A: Anna ISD

1107 Rosamond Pkwy, Anna, TX 75049

6A: Littleton Gymnasium

12002 Jones Maltsberger Road, San Antonio, TX 78216

The annual KISD Band Fest will be on Saturday, February 18th at the Killeen High School Auditorium. All five high school bands will be represented throughout the day in performances celebrating Black History Month. The fest will conclude with a performance by the Killeen ISD District Honor Band featuring guest conductor, William Oliver.

The Visual Art Show will be open February 18 - March 1 at the Killeen Civic Center. The Grand Opening reception will be held on Tuesday, February 22 at 5:30 p.m.