Tiger Talk
08/06/25
Dear WCHE Families,
Tomorrow is the big day—our first day of school! We could not be more excited to welcome our Tigers back and begin another amazing year together. It was wonderful to see so many of you at Meet the Teacher today. We are truly lucky to have such a supportive and engaged school community.
As we get ready for tomorrow, I want to share a few important reminders to help us ensure a safe and smooth first day:
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Smart Tag Dismissal Updates: Please use Smart Tag to let us know how your child will go home each day. This is a critical safety measure, and not using Smart Tag to communicate changes can cause confusion and delays. If dismissal plans change, please update them in Smart Tag rather than emailing the teacher. Teachers will be busy with students during the day and may not see emails until after dismissal.
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Add the Smart Tag App: We encourage all parents to download the Smart Tag app to your smartphone or smart device. This will make it quick and easy to update dismissal changes and set up your default dismissal.
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Set Your Default Dismissal: Please be sure to set up your child’s default dismissal in Smart Tag by the end of the first day of school. This ensures all staff know your child’s regular way of going home.
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Need Help with Smart Tag? Contact our Receptionist, Michelle Harper, and she’ll be happy to assist you.
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Purple Wristbands: Families with our purple wristband may walk their child(ren) to class tomorrow. If you did not pick up a wristband today, please bring your photo ID to the front office for scanning, and we will provide you with our wristband.
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Front Door Entry Only: All visitors must enter through the front doors of the school.
Last year, our theme was Growing 1% Better Every Day—and wow, did we grow!
This year, we’re taking it to the next level with our theme: From Growth to Greatness: Driven by Pride. Strengthened by Resilience. Led with Heart.
We can’t wait to start this journey with you and your children. Thank you for partnering with us to make this a safe, joyful, and successful school year.
Here’s to a fantastic first day!
With excitement,
Amelia Russ
Dear Lake Travis ISD Staff and Parents/Guardians,
The 2025-2026 school year is almost here, and we look forward to working alongside you to ensure every student learns in a safe, supportive, and engaging environment. As we gear up for the exciting year ahead, we want to share important information about a new state law that will affect students across Texas, including those in LTISD.
About House Bill 1481
Beginning this school year, House Bill 1481 requires all Texas school districts to prohibit student use of personal communication devices during the instructional day. The law defines personal communication devices to include:
- Cell phones (smartphones and flip phones)
- Smartwatches and smart accessories (such as Apple Watches, Fitbits, smart rings, and glasses)
- Personal laptops and tablets
- Gaming systems with messaging capabilities
- Pagers and radios
- Any device capable of digital communication
Exceptions will be made for documented medical needs and special education accommodations. Please note, district-issued devices will continue to be provided for instructional activities.
The new law is designed to reduce classroom distractions, boost academic focus, promote in-person interactions, decrease cyberbullying and online conflicts, and support student well-being—goals we began addressing with our own efforts last year.
Built on Experience, Guided by Community Voice
Lake Travis ISD is not starting from scratch. In August 2024, after careful consideration and input from our district’s School Health Advisory Council (SHAC)—which included students, staff, parents, and community members—we implemented a similar personal device protocol in grades K–8. That decision was also guided by strong feedback from our Spring 2024 Stakeholder Survey. The response to our smart device ban was overwhelmingly positive. Students adapted well, reported fewer distractions, and parents were highly supportive of the shift.
What This Means for Students
Students in PK-12 grades will need to either leave their personal communication devices at home or keep them powered off and securely stored during the school day. This applies to all parts of the instructional day, including:
- Classroom instruction
- Hallway transitions
- Recess and lunch
- Locker rooms, field houses, and gyms
- Restroom breaks
Implementation and Consequences
To comply with HB 1481 and maintain consistent expectations across campuses, LTISD will apply the following consequences when a student uses a personal communication device during the school day:
- First Offense: Device is confiscated; the student may pick it up in the office at the end of the day.
- Second Offense: Device is confiscated; a parent or guardian must pick it up in the office after the end of the day.
- Third Offense and Any Subsequent Offense: Device is confiscated; a parent or guardian must pick it up in the office after the end of the day. Additional school consequences may be assigned under the Student Code of Conduct.
Staying In Touch During the School Day
We recognize that smart devices are often used by parents and students for important communication. In the event that you need to contact your student, parents can always reach the school office, and we will ensure that messages are relayed to your child.
We Appreciate Your Support
Much like our successful implementation in grades K-8 last year, we believe the new law and its ban on smart device usage by all students will have a positive impact on our school community. We appreciate your continued partnership as we work together to put student well-being and academic growth at the center of every decision. If you have any questions or concerns about this new law, please do not hesitate to contact your child’s campus principal. Together, we will make this a fantastic year for all students!
Sincerely,
Curtis Null, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools
Missing 10% of learning time, about 2 days each month, over the course of a school year can make it harder to
- gain early reading and math skills
- build relationships
- develop good attendance habits.
Attending school regularly helps children feel better about school—and themselves. Start building this habit in elementary so they learn right away that going to school on time, every day, is important.
As we look ahead to the next school year please keep in mind our long weekends/student holidays.
Long weekends/Student Holidays for 2025-2026
August 30 - September 1
September 20 - September 22
October 10 - October 13
November 22 - November 30
December 20 - January 6
January 17 - January 19
February 12 - February 16
March 13 - March 22
April 3 - April 5.
Returning Students WITH Prior Service
All students who received transportation services this past spring (January 2025 to May 2025) do not need to re-register for the 2025-2026 school year. Your child's ridership will be assigned according to the established routes from last year. However, if you have recently moved, you will need to update your contact information in Skyward Family Access using the "Address Change" tile. This form must be reviewed and verified by the campus registrar before any changes are accepted.
Returning Students WITHOUT Prior Service
Returning students who did not utilize transportation this past spring will need to register for services for the 2025-2026 school year. The form is available in Skyward Family Access and includes a simple checkbox asking if transportation services are needed for the student.
Newly Enrolled Students
Students new to the district who have completed enrollment in Skyward Family Access for the 2025-2026 school year and have elected for transportation services as a part of that process do not need to re-register. Please note, the form can be completed and resubmitted multiple times, so it is normal for parents to still see the Bus Registration tile in Skyward Family Access.
Route Assignments, Updates, and Activation Timelines
Ridership will be assigned according to the routes established in the spring of 2025. For all students who utilized transportation services this past spring and for new registrations entered by July 31, 2025, route assignments will be posted by August 6, 2025 in SMART tag and at Infofinder. Please allow three to five business days to obtain route assignments for any new registrations requested after July 31.
If your child is absent on the first day of school, please contact your campus registrar to establish enrollment and a start date. Transportation routing will be reactivated once your child is present at school during official attendance time. Please allow three business days for this to occur.
- School bus rules are available on our district website on the Transportation page.
- All students will be issued a complimentary Smart Tag badge to start the school year. Replacement badges are available at your campus office for a fee. Smart Tag badges from the last school year will work for this school year.
- Middle school campuses do not use Smart Tag for dismissal purposes. Students are responsible for getting to their location on their own with adult supervision in each area.
We encourage you to send your child(ren) to school with a personal water bottle.
We have a total of eight water bottle filling stations on campus.
Please send your child with a refillable water bottle labeled with first and last name to ensure our students stay refreshed and hydrated. These bottles will be sent home daily to be cleaned and sanitized at home.
For the 2025-2026 school year, elementary school breakfast and lunch meals will increase to $1.95 and $3.35 respectively. For more information, please visit our Menus & Meal Prices webpage.
We’ve updated our online menu platform! You can now find school menus, nutrition facts, and allergen information on My School Menus.
To help reduce food waste and promote sustainability, students will now self-serve bulk fruits and vegetables in the café.
Free and Reduced Price Meals
Households can access Free & Reduced Meal Program applications online starting August 1, 2025. Information about the program and applications are located on our website at Free and Reduced Meal Program.
Households must complete a new Free & Reduced Meal Program application each school year to ensure continuation of benefits.
Annually, a small sample of applications will be randomly selected for income verification. Notice of verification selection and instructions will be sent to randomly selected households in late Fall.
For SY 2025-2026, students who qualify for reduced-price meals will receive breakfast and lunch meals at zero cost.
To receive meal benefits, students must select a complete (or full) meal.
Please refer to the Complete/Full Meal Information tab on our website for more information on how to select a complete (or full) meal.
Lunch Accounts
To add funds to your student’s meal account, MySchoolBucks will be available starting August 1, 2025. The MySchoolBucks service charge is $3.50 for all credit card transactions and $2.75 for all electronic checking account transactions. There is a $240.00 maximum deposit per transaction. Please visit MySchoolBucks for more information.
Free prepayments are accepted via cash or check in all FANS cafes. Checks should be made out to LTISD FANS. For proper account credit, cash or check prepayments must be in a labelled envelope with the student ID# and full name.
Deposits to accounts made in person will be available for use immediately. Deposits made via MySchoolBucks, including deposits that are established via the MySchoolBucks auto-replenish service, could take up to 24hours to process.
You may sign up for MySchoolBucks or download the free app to make payments, view transaction history, and utilize other features.
Students will not be allowed to purchase snacks or a la carte items (anything besides a CLASSIC meal) without a positive balance on their meal account.
If you would like to limit purchases on your student’s meal account, Lunch Account Restriction Forms are available on the Food & Nutrition Service webpage.
Lunch account restrictions roll over from year to year. If your child already has restrictions in place, there’s no need to submit a new request unless you want to make a change. To modify or remove restrictions, please contact your campus cafeteria manager.
Meal Accommodations and Special Dietary Needs
Information regarding Special Diets and Meal Accommodations can be found on the Food & Nutrition Service Meal Accommodations page.
Vegetarian menus and special menu items are available by request from the FANS Dietitian Marissa Bell, MPH, RD at bellm@ltisdschools.org.
Here are a few things we are proud to offer this year in the FANS Café!
Unlimited fruits and vegetables with every complete meal (more info linked here)
Fresh for Less initiative! We use strategic pricing and menu placement to promote full meals, healthy snacks, fruits, vegetables, and nutrient-rich options.
Clean Label initiatives! We prioritize products free from artificial dyes, high-fructose corn syrup, and MSG.
A continued commitment to fresh, locally-sourced, and plant-forward menus.
Participation in the Good Food Purchasing Program! We make strategic food purchases that support local economies, environmental sustainability, animal welfare, a valued workforce, and community health!
For more information, visit the Food & Nutrition Services website, call 512-533-6037, or email foodservice@ltisdschools.org.
Please be a good neighbor to our families whose homes are near our campus.
Please park in our parking lots, when possible. If the parking lots are full, please park along curbing on pavement. Please avoid parking on landscaped medians as there are irrigation systems buried there. Please do not park in front of neighborhood mailboxes.
Thanks for your help!
West Cypress Hills Elementary
Email: WCHPrincipal@ltisdschools.org
Website: https://wche.ltisdschools.org/
Phone: 512-533-7500
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ltisdschools