LISD Newsletter

We hope everyone had a wonderful summer filled with time to relax, recharge, and enjoy the people and things you love most. While summer may mean a slower pace for some, Levelland ISD did not sleep! Our students and educators were busy learning, growing, showing up and showing out! From professional development and summer learning to camps, competitions, practices, leadership opportunities, and preparing for a brand-new school year, our Lobos continued to make us proud all summer long. That dedication is what makes Levelland ISD such a special place. Learning doesn’t stop when the final bell rings in May, and neither does our commitment to helping every student Find Their Place, Discover Their Purpose, and Create Their Future. Now, we’re rested, recharged, and ready to bring that same energy into an exciting new school year. Welcome back, Lobos!

This evening, we celebrated our AEP students in their graduation! These students have shown how perseverance, growth, and second chances turn into success. Their path may look different, but the destination is just as meaningful. Mrs. Jones instilled that "This program is about believing in yourself, pushing through challenges, and refusing to give up. We are proud of each student for the hard work, courage, and commitment it took to reach this moment." Congratulations to the AEP Class of 2026! Your journey is proof that success is not about how you start, but how you finish.

LHS DI Sponsor Sandy Billington shares that their Engineering Team, the “DI-nosaurs,” recently traveled to the Destination Imagination Global Finals in Kansas City after advancing through both regional and state competitions. Coached by Lorena Sanchez, the team competed alongside more than 300 teams from around the world, including participants from China, Turkey, Mexico, Netherlands, Brazil, and Ukraine, with 160 teams representing Texas alone.

The team would also like to thank the many sponsors and supporters who helped make the fun activities and memorable experiences possible during the trip.um, KC Royals Baseball Game, Worlds of Fun, and Go Ape Ziplining. Although the team did not place in the competition, they gained valuable experience, made new friends, and enjoyed the opportunity to meet and compete with students from across the globe.

The team would also like to thank the many sponsors and supporters who helped make the fun activities and memorable experiences possible during the trip.

The team consists of Nathan Ellis, Fabiola Hernandez, Melodie Demel, Kade Gregory, and Ashlyn Biaza. We thank Mrs. Billington, Ms. Sanchez and Mr. Demel for sponsoring our kids on this trip that they will always remember. You make LHS a great place to learn and Levelland a wonderful place to live!

School is out but the good news just keeps coming! LHS Choir Director Joshua Ballard shares that the LHS State Solos went really well! He says, "Out of our 7 singers, 4 of them received a 1 (superior) score, and 3 of them received a 2 (excellent) score. It's been 2 years since we had a singer receive a 1 at state! I'm extremely proud of all 7 singers' dedication to music and growing as musicians. This contest required them to think, study and perform like a University Music Major. Their hard work improves the entire choir, so we're blessed by their talent and work ethic. It was a great send-off for seniors, and an exciting example and foretelling of our musicians' growth." Congratulations to all of these vocalists!

LHS Band Director Michael Cason shares that the Lobo Band had 13 students attend the Texas State Solo and Ensemble Contest recently. Ada Niederhauser earned a first division medal on her solo. Saul Hernandez, Alfredo Ruiz, Adden Luna, and Mitchell Key also earned first division medals on the Tuba/Euphonium Quartet. Our two brass quintets earned second divisions. Members included Zoie Zuniga, Natalia Pena, Olivia Hinojosa, Marcus Romero, Victor Gutierrez, Brayden Perez, Nathan Ellis, Ada Niederhauser, Melodie Demel, and Saul Hernandez. We are always so proud of our musicians and their dedication to continuous growth, learning, and performance. Congratulations to these outstanding students on their achievements!

LHS is proud to celebrate sophomore Kade Gregory and his outstanding accomplishments! Kade serves as the Texas 4-H Water Ambassador and recently earned impressive honors at the state level. He placed 5th in Texas with his Storyboard presentation and was crowned State Champion in the Fashion Show – Special Interest Buying Category for his scuba gear project. To achieve this honor, Kade became an expert on every component of scuba equipment, including the fabrics and materials used in wetsuits, regulators, and buoyancy control devices (BCDs). He also impressed judges with his knowledge, presentation skills, and confidence. Kade's impact extends far beyond competition. He has established Native Texas wildflower beds on the north side of Levelland High School. One bed, planted last year, is now thriving in full bloom, while a second was added just last week. These native plants provide essential resources for pollinators and help strengthen the biodiversity of our prairie ecosystem. Whether he's representing Texas 4-H, beautifying our campus, or working to improve our community, Kade is making a difference wherever he goes. Congratulations, Kade! We are incredibly proud of your hard work, leadership, and success. Keep making Levelland proud!

Oh this is the best news! LMS educator Reba Griggs is Soaring to Success! Mrs. Griggs was seeking to update and expand the highly popular LMS Drone Club, and she has been awarded $5,000 to update this extra-curricular technology program to replace an aging, non-functional fleet of Tello Education drones. Serving a student body with approximately 90% identifying as economically disadvantaged, she can now purchase programmable Echo Drones, field elements, and a dedicated safety arena from Pitsco Education. The hands-on technology will immediately expand extracurricular capacity from 9 to 20 students, opening doors for female and low-socioeconomic learners through targeted counselor referrals and beginner-friendly, intimidation-reducing workshops. Students will transition from simple manual piloting to block-based and text-based coding configurations, using autonomous flight paths to physically observe variables, conditionals, loops, and interactive debugging cycles in real-time. In addition to regular coursework across 6th, 7th, and 8th grades, students will apply their engineered algorithms at Texas Tech University's annual "Air Battles" competition. Finally, Mrs. Griggs' program's impact will be rigorously assessed through quantitative growth metrics, targeting an 80% proficiency rate in performance debugging tasks and a 20% increase in student computational thinking scores. We are so proud that LMS students will benefit from Mrs. Griggs making a difference. Levelland ISD has the best educators always yearning to make learning more engaging for students! Way to go Mrs. Griggs!

Our FFA students enjoyed the 2026 Texas FFA Convention! It was a blast! We are so proud have had two of our Lonestar Degree Recipients, Britton Clevenger and Caesar Luera, walk the big stage and represent Levelland FFA! Other Lonestar Degree Recipients of Levelland FFA include:

Mattie Buxkemper

Charley King

Mason Tidwell

Kanaan Coats

Levelland FFA made lots of friends and had lots of laughs. We cannot wait for next year

If this doesn't brighten your day, nothing will! The Senior Class of 2027 had leftover fundraiser bouquets and visited our nursing home! We thank Hannah Murillo and Azure Wheeler for going the extra mile and putting smiles on different kinds of seniors! This is the sweetest gesture. We love you girls for doing this!

LHS sends out a huge congratulations to LHS Graduate Sage Barrera on receiving the Levelland Chamber of Commerce Ag Committee Scholarship of $1,000! The Ag Committee reviewed applicants and chose Sage as the Levelland recipient. She is heading to WTA&M this fall and we know she will be successful in all that she attempts because she was active in FFA, NHS & YELL while at LHS. Congratulations Sage! Thank you to the Ag Committee for your support of our amazing kids.

Congratulations to Kim Ibarra, Randa Wuerflein and Stephanie Luna on being honored by Teacher on the Rise at TTU! These three ladies were nominated by students and are being recognized and spoiled again tonight by Mrs. Baird's & Atmos Energy! There were over 1500 nominations in the Lubbock area and Levelland had 194 nominations this year! We are always so proud that our kids show appreciation for our amazing educators! Levelland ISD is blessed with the best!

Levelland ISD kids of all sizes (& one LHS Senior in the LitterCritter suit) were caught downtown in June at the Hockley County Library's Event put on by Keep Levelland Beautiful! All summer long kids have been checking out books and today they experienced a lesson about keeping Levelland Beautiful and how important bees are to our Earth. Students listened to a non-fiction book and then found an Eggsplore & Grow Egg filled with seeds to plant. We hope these kids have fun reading and watching their flowers grow this summer!

Levelland ISD proudly congratulates Cristal Isaacks on her election as the 2026-2027 State President of the Texas Classroom Teachers Association (TCTA). This prestigious statewide leadership position recognizes Cristal's dedication to public education and her commitment to serving educators and students across Texas. While she will represent teachers throughout the state in this elected role, she remains a valued member of the Levelland ISD family. We are proud to see one of our own recognized for her leadership and honored to support her as she serves educators across Texas while continuing to call Levelland home.

South students celebrated America's 250th birthday a little early this year by learning about the upcoming Semiquincentennial Celebration in the South Library with Mrs. Tiffany Harkins. Students enjoyed reading the Caldecott Honor book Fireworks by Matthew Burgess, shared a patriotic snack, and created special birthday cards for America. The South Library wishes everyone a safe, happy, and joyful Fourth of July as we begin celebrating this historic milestone. Happy 250th Birthday, America!

We love catching our LISD educators learning new things! These South Sisters all attended Professional Development at ESC17 today, and found time for a lunch longer than 30 minutes! Thank you ladies, for always learning and always teaching!

We send out a huge thank you to everyone who came out to welcome our new Levelland ISD educators! Our annual Meet & Greet is one of our favorite traditions because it gives our newest team members a chance to connect with our incredible community from day one. Your warm welcome, friendly conversations, and support help make Levelland ISD feel like home. We are going to have an amazing school year and we can't wait to see all the great things our educators and students will accomplish together! https://files.smartsites.parentsquare.com/8579/lv_7588369799374195981_20260713194332.mp4

We send out a huge thank you to our LHS Cheerleaders for helping welcome Stealth Energy Services to Levelland earlier today! We love seeing our students represent Levelland with pride and school spirit. Wonderful things are happening in our community because of dedicated businesses and community members who are invested in making Levelland an incredible place to live, work, and raise a family. Thank you, girls, for showing up, showing out, and giving our newest community partner a true Lobo welcome!

We send out a huge thank you to our LHS Cheerleaders for stepping up to help fill Backpacks with free school supplies! That was a lot of work! Thank you to Theta Epsilon and HCCU for providing this opportunity for students to get new school supplies and shoes! We are glad that you are helping bring up our future! You are all amazing!

LHS Volleyball Coach Jai Madrid shares that the volleyball camp has wrapped up and what a success it was. She adds, “Thank you to all the parents, athletes and coaches for stepping on the court this week and giving it your all! From beginners getting their first touches to middle schoolers learning how to swing! The gym was filled with music, energy, enthusiasm, and SO much learning! We enjoyed each and every smiling face, and we can’t wait to see you again next summer!” This looks like a great group of students and we are proud that they picked up new volleyball skills this summer!

KCBD's Pete Christy shares that our Levelland JV made a statement this weekend. With a roster made up entirely of incoming freshmen, they stormed through the Krista Gerlich Team Camp and claimed the White Division Championship, finishing it off with a title game win over Amarillo Tascosa JV. Along the way, they stacked impressive victories against Lubbock Cooper JV and Shallowater JV! Outstanding job by the Loboettes JV! Wowser! This is something to look forward to! Congratulations ladies!

The school year may be over, but our coaches are still cheering on their athletes! Shoutout to Coach Deel and Coach Sauceda for making the trip to Idalou to support our girls. We love seeing our students and coaches representing Lobo Pride all summer long! We have the best employees committed to our students' well being and learning! Thanks Coach Deel and Sauceda for your love of kids!

Thank you to KCBD and Whataburger for honoring our girl! Madison is an amazing LHS Senior who works hard on the field and in the classroom. We are proud of you for being this month's WhataPlayer! WhataPlayer says, "Madison is a true WhataPlayer because of her skills in softball and leadership on and off the field." We were also so excited to see her celebrated! Way to go, Madison!

Congratulations to Delaney, Adrianna & Madilyn on earning Lubbock AJ Superteam Honors! We love our girls and are so proud of the work they do on the softball field! Way to go ladies!

We love catching our LISD educators learning new things! These South Sisters all attended Professional Development at ESC17 today, and found time for a lunch longer than 30 minutes! Thank you ladies, for always learning and always teaching!

Now we've caught our ABC educators learning too! Mrs. Branch, Mrs. McAlister and Mrs. VanGilder were bettering themselves to be better mentors for others and newcomers on their campus! Gator Molly participated with them on our training adventure too! We love that are educators are life long learners!

LHS Cheerleaders & Lucky Lobo have wrapped up an amazing UCA Cheer Camp at Texas Tech University, and they have so much to be proud of! Throughout camp, our athletes worked hard preparing for the upcoming cheer season while showing incredible teamwork, leadership, positivity & Lobo Spirit! And all that hard work paid off!

Our girls brought home

🏆 Team Awards – Large HS Division

🥈 2nd Place – Camp Routine (Superior)

🥈 2nd Place – Crowd Leading (Superior)

🥉 3rd Place – Band Chant (Excellent)

🐺 Lucky Lobo – Prop Master Award (Superior)

Both our Varsity & JV squads, along with Lucky Lobo, received the SPIRIT AWARD!

📌 The special Pin It Forward Award was presented to Varsity Co-Captain Mattie Buxkemper and JV Cheerleader Khloe Roberts. This honor recognizes cheerleaders who demonstrate standout qualities like leadership, spirit, kindness, teamwork, passion & a positive attitude. Way to go, girls!

⭐ We have 15 All-American Nominees!

Audriana DeLaCerda, Carlee Rodriguez, Mattie Buxkemper, Mariah Diaz, Elizabeth Torres, Danica Sanchez, Kaylee Gray, Madison Robles, Ashlyn Baiza, Carley Gonzalez, Jessi Slape, Jenasis Moreno, Xara Marquez, Khloe Roberts & Jocelhyn Marrufo

🌟 And we have 9 All-American Awards!

Varsity members Kaylee Gray, Mariah Diaz, Carlee Rodriguez, Mattie Buxkemper, Elizabeth Torres & Danica Sanchez qualified for London or Hawaii!

JV members Jenasis Moreno, Xara Marquez & Ashlyn Baiza qualified for Disney World or Philadelphia!

We are incredibly proud of the commitment, teamwork & Lobo spirit these girls—and Lucky Lobo—have shown throughout camp and all summer long. LHS Cheer, way to represent your school, your team & Levelland! We can't wait to see you on the sidelines this season!

Coach Braziel says, "Yup, you’re seeing this right. Pack tennis officially competed in their first Varsity team match for the 2026 season and we came out swinging with a big 14-5 win against Big Spring. All of our players came out swinging and some battling from a deficit to come back and win in big tiebreakers! Congrats to all of our players and expect to see more great things from this team! Let’s go Pack!"

Welcome to the Century Club! Coach Braziel & Coach Lawson send a HUGE shout-out to Fabiola Hernandez & Daniela Perez-Garcia for reaching an incredible milestone of 100 CAREER WINS! What an awesome accomplishment! Your hard work, dedication & determination on the court have paid off. Congratulations, ladies! We are LOBOS PROUD!

Email: dheseman@levellandisd.net
Website: www.levellandisd.net
Location: 704 11th Street, Levelland, TX
Phone: 806-894-9628
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LevellandISD/
Instagram: levellandindschooldistrict