Cougar Community Newsletter

Incumbent board members, Mindee Hernandez (Place 2), Tamara Dozier (Place 5), and Ginger Martinez (Place 7) took the Oath of Office for a three-year term. The Trustees ran unopposed in the November election, resulting in the election being canceled.

They are thrilled to continue serving our students, staff, and the Jarrell community.

(L-R) Mindee Hernandez, Tamara Dozier, and Ginger Martinez

Chief Financial Officer Robert Navarro presented the School Finance Integrity Rating System (FIRST) 2024 - 2025 Report. It was a public hearing; however, there were no comments from the audience.

Kylie Bouma, a sixth grader at Jarrell Middle School, wrote and presented this month's character trait essay about Joy. She writes that Joy "Joy is better for your mindset and will help you have a positive outlook." Click on the tab below to read the rest of her essay.

Our Cougar Champions of the month were recognized for their outstanding work.

Jarrell Elementary School: Emmanuel Aviles Mora (Student), Amelia Martinez (Staff - Not Present)

Double Creek Elementary School: Heather Jackson (Student), Hannah McMullen (Staff)

Igo Elementary School: Nova Ahumada (Student), Yamilex Medina (Staff)

Jarrell Ranch Middle School: Lorianna Hernandez (Student - Not Present), Crystal Thompson (Staff)

Jarrell Middle School: Marcus Sterns (Student), Pamela Martinez (Staff)

Jarrell High School: Kaydyn "KK" Edwards (Student), Ashley Lewis (Staff)

Last month, on November 21st, the district celebrated Substitute Educator Day. At the December 17th school board meeting, the district recognized our most dedicated substitute employees. Combined, these seven women have 72 years of experience substituting in Jarrell ISD.

We are so grateful for their service and contributions to the Cougar family.

• Sandra Guarino
• Jean Kirkland
• Mary Taylor
• Isabel Coverdale
• Ann Clifton
• Cecelia Little
• Sylvia Weinheimer

If you would like to be a substitute employee, we're hiring. The schedule is flexible, and you choose when you want to work.

In August, Jarrell ISD staff at each campus collected as many non-perishable food items and canned goods as possible. The district collected more than 1,500 items, which were donated to the Jarrell Community Food Pantry in November. That donation helped feed 375 people.

Since then, students from Jarrell Middle and Jarrell Ranch Middle Schools have collected and donated food. The elementary schools had a cereal food drive to donate to the pantry. Coach Haire and four members of the football team donated their time to help distribute food to the community.

Our partnership with the Jarrell Community Food Pantry has helped feed more than five hundred people in our community. At the December 17th board meeting, the district recognized the food pantry volunteers for the difference they are making in our community.

*All presentations are attached below*

Communication and Informational Items:

- Student Outcomes/Voice/Athletics presented by Laura Buckley and Coach Haire

- Academic Calendar 2026-2027 presented by Laura Buckley

- Course Selection Guide presented by Kelly Blair

- Budget Update and Proposed FY 2026-2027 Budget Calendar presented by Robert Navarro

- Sledge Engineering presented the monthly 2023 Bond Update

Action Items:

In addition to approving the consent agenda, the Board of Trustees:

- Approved Policy Update EFB (Local) and Policy Update 126 (Local)

- Approved the purchase of additional school buses/vehicles

- Approved Light Upgrades for Jarrell High School Athletic Fields

- Approved Huckabee Architects as the architect for Elementary School #5

- Approved a Land Donation by Atlas Ranch for Elementary School #5 (more information below)

- Approved keeping the current School Board Officer Positions: Jenny Arnold - President, Tamara Dozier - Vice President, and Dave Lovelace - Secretary

The Jarrell Independent School District Board of Trustees is proud to announce that a generous land donation by Atlas Ranch will enable the district to move forward with plans to build a new neighborhood school, marking a significant investment in the future of our growing community.

At the December 17, 2025, Jarrell ISD Board of Trustees Meeting, the school board approved the land donation in the Atlas Ranch Subdivision on County Road 344. The 13.2 acres will serve as the future site of Atlas Ranch Elementary School, Jarrell ISD elementary #5. The school will be named after the subdivision development as a condition of the donation agreement. This school helps the district address continued enrollment growth and enhance educational opportunities for future students.

"This donation represents an extraordinary act of community partnership," said Jenny Arnold, President of the Jarrell ISD Board of Trustees. "It saves the district 2.8 million dollars. We are deeply grateful for this generosity, which will help ensure our students have a neighborhood school and a safe, modern learning environment."

Atlas Ranch Elementary will be located in the Atlas Ranch planned community, where 4,000 homes are expected to be built. "As Jarrell continues to grow, this generous contribution provides an opportunity to thoughtfully plan for the district's future in a way that honors both current needs and the generations of students yet to come," said Jarrell ISD Superintendent Dr. Toni Hicks.

Matthew Michelsen from Atlas Ranch, who donated the land, shared their commitment to education and the community. "We believe in investing in the future of this community. Supporting a new school is one of the most meaningful ways we can contribute to our community's success,” he said.

Voters approved Elementary School #5 as part of the 2023 Bond. Design concepts begin in 2026. The anticipated opening date for the school is August 2028.

Starting January 5, 2026, Jarrell ISD will offer SchoolCash Online as our preferred payment method for all school fees, including field trips and yearbooks. The system replaces Revtrak. The change will take effect on Monday, January 5, 2026. The new link will go live then, and you'll be able to register and create your account.

Benefits to parents and schools

SchoolCash offers 24/7 shopping convenience to parents/guardians, allowing them to manage all their child/children's school activity fees with a single account. Parents/guardians receive email notifications as new items become available for purchase and can access their account history at any time to view activity and print receipts as needed. Over 100 languages are available.

How it works
Powered by KEV Group, SchoolCash Online is the industry leader in the safe and secure management of school fees. The system lets you pay all your students' school-related fees online. Schools post their items and activities and assign the relevant fees to your student, so you can then make purchases online using your credit card. This keeps you informed about upcoming school activities while helping you track the school fees that require your attention.

*NOTE: This change does not impact breakfast/lunch accounts.

Jarrell ISD changed its student ID Badges for the 2025 - 2026 school year.

• Pre-K to First Grade Badge is bright yellow with the name and photo of the student and a QR Code
• Second through fifth-grade students have a bar code, a QR code, and a photo of the student and their name. The barcode is for the library and the cafeteria. The QR code is for the student's class account.
• Middle School badges have a photo of the student, their name, and a barcode to use in the library and cafeteria.
• High school badges have a photo of the student, their name, a barcode, and the student's graduating class year.

If you have any questions about the new ID Badges, please email transportation@jarrellisd.org.

Stopfinder is the all-in-one, easy to use app for viewing & sharing your student’s transportation schedule.

Click on the links below to learn more about Stopfinder.

Stopfinder - English

Stopfinder - Spanish

Jarrell ISD has a clear bag policy for all sporting events at the high school stadium. Please click the link to download the policy for more information.

Clear Bag Policy - English

Clear Bag Policy - Spanish

You can also contact the Jarrell ISD Police Department for assistance or to report concerns and criminal activity.

In the event of an emergency, it's vital that we have your up-to-date contact information. 15% of our parent population has incorrect contact information on file. It's critical we have your correct address, email address, and phone numbers. Please log in to the Ascender - Parent Portal to verify that your information is accurate.

In addition to having your correct information on file, filling out a Parent Reunification Card is vital for an emergency. Click on the link below to learn more about our Parent Reunification Plan.

School news never takes a break. Stay connected with us by downloading the Jarrell ISD app with new and improved features.

Jarrell ISD is located in northern Williamson County. The mascot is The Cougars. It has six campuses: Jarrell High School, Jarrell Middle School, Jarrell Ranch Middle School, Igo Elementary School, Double Creek Elementary, and Jarrell Elementary. The district serves more than 4,500 students. Enrollment is projected to double in the next 10 years.

Email: communications@jarrellisd.org
Website: www.jarrellisd.org
Location: 504 N 5th Street, Jarrell, Texas 76537
Phone: 512-746-2124
Facebook: www.facebook.com/JarrellISD
Instagram: @Jarrell_ISD

Twitter: @Jarrell_ISD