Cougar Community Newsletter

Claire Jones, a fifth grader at Igo Elementary School, wrote this month's character trait essay about Commitment. She was unable to attend the meeting. Click on the tab below to read her essay about why commitment is important.

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

Jarrell Elementary School: Aiden Estrada (Student), Yafreisi Ortega (Staff)

Double Creek Elementary School:Summer Reynolds (Student), America Mendoza (Staff)

Igo Elementary School:Angely Soto Maya (Student), Jennifer Ward (Staff)

Jarrell Ranch Middle School:Jada Edwards (Student), Nicola Lee (Staff - Not Present)

Jarrell Middle School:Randy Fernandez (Student - Not Present), Jacqulyn Bridge (Staff)

Jarrell High School:Hannah Sybert (Student), Christina Stewart (Staff)

January is School Board Appreciation Month. To celebrate the Jarrell ISD Board of Trustees, students from each campus made cards, handwritten thank-you notes, photos, and gifts.

Additionally, Mayor Patrick Sherek from the City of Jarrell presented a proclamation declaring January 2026 School Board Appreciation Month in the City of Jarrell.

Click the video below to watch our students give a special "Thank You" message to the school board.

*All presentations are attached below*

Communication and Informational Items:

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

- Alternative Education Campus (AEC) presented by Laura Buckley

- Senate Bill 11 Requirement presented by Bob Mabry

- Fall 2025 Demographic Update presented by Bob Mabry

- Budget Update presented by Robert Navarro

- Sledge Engineering presented the monthly 2023 Bond Update

Action Items:

In addition to approving the consent agenda, which included the 2026 - 2027 Academic Calendar (more details are below), the Board of Trustees:

- Approved the 2024-2025 Annual Financial Audit as presented by Diana Ward, CPA, JRBT, on November 19, 2025

- Approved a TASB Energy Cooperative Agreement

- Approved a new Jarrell High School Cougar Stadium Scoreboard

- Approved Lara Hutchinson as the new Principal of Berry Creek Elementary School

Jarrell Independent School District is proud to announce Lara Hutchinson as the principal of Berry Creek Elementary School, the district's newest campus scheduled to open this August. The district’s Board of Trustees unanimously approved Mrs. Hutchinson as the new principal at its January 21, 2026, board meeting.

Hutchinson currently serves as principal of Jarrell Elementary School, where she has built a strong reputation for student-focused leadership, academic advancements, and building a positive campus culture.

With more than 20 years of experience in education, she brings a proven commitment to academic excellence, staff development, and meaningful family and community engagement.

"Lara Hutchinson is an exceptional leader who consistently puts students first," said Dr. Toni Hicks, Superintendent of Jarrell ISD. "Her experience, vision, and dedication make her the ideal choice to open and lead our new school, Berry Creek Elementary. We are confident she will establish a strong foundation for success from the very beginning."

For the past five years, Mrs. Hutchinson has been the Principal at Jarrell Elementary School. As principal, she has increased academic gains and led initiatives that support innovative programs and staff retention, thereby helping to strengthen outcomes for both students and staff.

"I am honored and excited to serve as the first principal of Berry Creek Elementary School," said Hutchinson. "Opening a new campus is a unique and meaningful opportunity. I look forward to working alongside our staff, students, and families to build a welcoming school community focused on excellence, innovation, and student success."

Mrs. Hutchinson earned a bachelor's degree from Texas Tech University in Lubbock and a master's degree in Educational Administration from Lamar University in Beaumont.

Berry Creek Elementary School will serve students in PreK through 5th grade. It is part of the 2023 Bond package designed to support Jarrell ISD's continued growth while expanding learning opportunities for families across the district.

Cold temperatures and rain are expected Friday through Monday. We are communicating with the National Weather Service and local emergency management about the forecast and potential impact.

If weather conditions affect the school day, we will communicate any changes with you as quickly as possible. Additionally, we encourage you to monitor the weather forecast and take any recommended precautions.

The Jarrell ISD Board of Trustees approved the 2026–27 Academic Calendar at its board meeting on January 21, 2026. The board unanimously approved Calendar Option 1 based on survey feedback from families, staff, students, and community members. Out of the two calendar options, Calendar 1 received 59.3% of the vote. A committee composed of parents, community members, and staff developed the calendar options.

Families and staff can now begin planning for key dates, including the first and last day of school, holidays, staff development days, and student breaks.

The 2026–27 academic calendar is available on our district website or for download below.

The Jarrell Education Foundation is hosting its second annual Cougar Clay Shoot on February 27th. Only a few team slots remain. Registration and sponsorship information are available on the website.

Our students are 100 days smarter. The 100th day of school is on January 28, 2026! Check with your child's campus to see how they are celebrating.

Earlier this month, Jarrell ISD launched SchoolCash Online as our preferred payment method for all school fees, including field trips and yearbooks. The system replaces Revtrak.

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