District News

WACO, TX — Waco Independent School District is proud to announce that our Superintendent has been selected as a 2025-26 Superintendent to Watch by the National School Public Relations Association (NSPRA). This prestigious national honor recognizes school district leaders who demonstrate dynamic, fast-paced leadership and a steadfast commitment to clear, impactful communication.

Out of a highly competitive field of nominees from across the country, our Superintendent is one of only 30 leaders nationwide to receive this distinction this year. The award is specifically designed for superintendents with fewer than five years of experience who excel at using innovative communication technology to engage their school communities and integrate these efforts into their district's strategic vision.

"This recognition is a testament to the hard work and collective vision of our entire Waco ISD team," said Dr. Tiffany Spicer. "Transparent communication is the foundation of the trust we build with our families and staff. It ensures that every student’s potential remains our top priority as we move forward together."

Under the current leadership, Waco ISD has reached significant milestones, including:

• The launch of the 2025-2030 Strategic Plan, which emphasizes radical intentionality in closing student achievement gaps.
• An upward trend in graduation rates, reaching approximately 86% for the 2024-2025 school year.
• The implementation of the Office of School Leadership to support and empower campus leaders in real-time.

NSPRA officially announced this year’s honorees in an all-member alert today, January 9, 2026. The recipients will be formally recognized at the NSPRA 2026 National Seminar this July in New Orleans.

For more information about Waco ISD’s initiatives and the 2025-2030 Strategic Plan, please visit wacoisd.org.

 

WACO, TX – Waco Independent School District (Waco ISD) is thrilled to announce the selection of Lanny Williams as the district's new Director of Athletics. Williams will take the reins from Coach Ed Love, who served Waco ISD students and families for 44 years. Love will retire in December 2025. 

Williams brings a distinguished career of 26 years in educational and athletic leadership, with a strong background in promoting academic excellence, strategic planning, and fostering a positive, competitive culture. He most recently served as the Director of Athletics for Manor Independent School District.

“We are thrilled to welcome Lanny Williams to lead Waco ISD Athletics. Our selection process focused intently on finding a leader who is deeply committed to the well-being and academic success of our student-athletes,” Dr. Tiffany Spicer, Superintendent of Waco ISD, said. “His vision for building a unified, character-driven program across all our schools aligns perfectly with Waco ISD’s commitment to excellence both on the field and in the classroom.”

As the Director of Athletics, Williams will oversee all aspects of the district’s athletic programs, focusing on developing confident and resilient student-athletes who carry those traits beyond sports, which aligns with Waco ISD's mission to instill virtues like perseverance and responsibility.

“I am excited to join the Waco ISD community and lead the athletic department to continued excellence,” Williams stated. “I look forward to working collaboratively with our dedicated coaches, committed student-athletes, parents, and community partners. Our focus will be on ensuring every student has a positive, enriching experience that prepares them for success long after graduation.”

Williams holds a degree in Physical Education from Texas College and a Master’s Degree in Education Administration from Lamar University. He has been recognized as District Coach of the Year five times, compiled winning records as Head Baseball Coach at Cedar Park High School (59-16-2) and Brenham High School (159-80-2) and served in athletic administration roles in Brenham ISD and Killeen ISD before serving in Manor.

Waco ISD looks forward to a new era of continued growth and success under Williams’ leadership. His first day in the district will be January 5, 2026.

 

WACO, Texas (November 20, 2025) — Waco Family Medicine (WFM) and Waco Independent School District (Waco ISD) have announced a new collaboration to expand access to behavioral health services for middle school students. The initiative will embed licensed behavioral health clinicians directly on school campuses, beginning with pilot programs at Cesar Chavez Middle School, Tennyson Middle School, and G.W. Carver Middle School.

The partnership builds on WFM’s long-standing commitment to delivering comprehensive, community-based care, adding behavioral health services to the organization’s growing portfolio of school-linked initiatives that already include mobile dental clinics and an optometry and vision program currently in development with Transformation Waco and Waco ISD.

“Behavioral health is essential to whole-person health,” said Dr. Jackson Griggs, Chief Executive Officer of Waco Family Medicine. “When students have access to clinical care where they learn and grow, we can identify needs early, treat them effectively, and change the trajectory of a child’s life. As a physician, it feels very natural to ask: what is our role in caring for the whole community? This partnership is one answer to that question.”

Under the new program, WFM clinicians will provide evidence-based counseling and therapy for conditions such as anxiety, depression, trauma, ADHD, and behavioral challenges. The program is designed to complement, not replace, the vital support provided by Waco ISD school counselors and other support agencies.

“Our students and staff deserve the absolute best we can give,” said Dr. Tiffany Spicer, Superintendent of Waco ISD. “This partnership ensures that students in need have access to compassionate, professional care right on their campuses. It’s a reflection of our shared belief that education and health go hand in hand, and that when we invest in the whole child, we strengthen our entire community.”

The pilot program is scheduled to begin this academic year, with WFM clinicians working closely with campus leadership teams to integrate services into the school environment. Data on student access, clinical outcomes, and school collaboration will inform potential expansion to additional campuses in the future.

“At its core, this partnership is about community,” added Dr. Griggs. “We’re bringing clinical care to the places where students already feel seen and supported. When health care and education work hand in hand, the impact reaches far beyond the classroom.”

 

WACO, TX – In response to the potential halt of the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) as of November 1, 2025, due to the ongoing government shutdown, Waco Independent School District (Waco ISD) is issuing a statement to reassure the community and highlight essential support resources.

Waco ISD Superintendent Dr. Tiffany Spicer stated:

"We have a deep concern for our families and fully acknowledge the significant worry this situation may cause. The well-being of our students is our absolute highest priority. I want to reassure our families that Waco ISD's free breakfast and lunch program will continue for the foreseeable future. Due to a healthy Child Nutrition Fund balance, every child enrolled in our district will have consistent access to nutritious meals while at school."

Waco ISD is actively connecting students and families with partner organizations for resources outside of school hours. Additionally, Brook Avenue Elementary partners with Shepherd’s Heart as a mobile food pantry monthly. The next distribution is scheduled for Friday, November 14, 2025, from 3-4 p.m. at the school.

Dr. Spicer concluded, "We are one Waco ISD community, and we are dedicated to supporting one another through this challenge. If you are able to help, we strongly encourage donations of non-perishable food, time, or financial gifts to our local food pantries. Your generosity will make a tangible difference in the lives of our neighbors."

Please click on each link to view the Additional Resources:

Name	Contact Information
Mobile Food Pantry Calendar	www.centraltexasfoodbank.org/find-food
Mclennan County Food Resources	N/A
November Mobile Distribution Calendar	www.shepherdsheartpantry.org
Mclennan County Hunger Resource List	N/A
Waco-Mclennan County Food Pantries 2025	www.centraltexasfoodbank.org/fet-help

 

Wesley Zuniga, a seventh-grade student at Tennyson Middle School, visited Seattle, WA, this past summer to go to the Rubik’s WCA World Championship 2025 for speedcubing. Since receiving a Rubik’s Cube for Christmas in 2022, he persisted in learning how to solve the puzzle, which led to a dream to attend the world championship. 

“I thought the Rubik’s Cube was really cool, but I could never solve it,” Wesley said. “I looked at a tutorial and thought, ‘I’m going to do this! I’m set on solving this.’”

Wesley’s mom, Melody Zuniga, said Wesley was hooked. He watched YouTube videos and learned different strategies for solving the Rubik’s Cube and his passion grew from there. 

“Wesley went down a rabbit hole and wanted to learn more about cubing and how to get faster,” Melody said. “We watched a Netflix documentary called The Speed Cubers and the rest was history!”

Wesley learned there was a competition in Austin in June of 2024, so Melody and their family headed to Austin to attend the competition. 

“He met his people,” Melody said. “They knew all the terms he uses in speedcubing. There was a place for everybody, and he was hooked. We started going to regional competitions and he kept beating his time.”

As Wesley continued to get better at his craft, his next step was to attend the Rubik’s WCA World Championship. This event happens every two years in varying locations across the globe. When he found out the 2025 event was going to be hosted in Seattle, he was thrilled and asked his parents if they could go. 

“We haven’t been to Washington before, so our family made it our summer vacation destination,” Melody said.

Melody added that the US had not hosted the event since 2013, so this was Wesley’s chance to attend. He was able to meet two of the speedcubers he looks up to - Max Parks and Felix Zemdegs. 

“Going to the WCA World Championships is like the Olympics for cubing or the Oscars for cubing! I saw my icons - it was awesome. I felt so lucky,” Wesley said. 

While the family wanted Wesley to see his heroes and that scale of competition, they did not expect for Wesley to compete. 

“He qualified to compete in the competition for a certain time bracket!” Melody said. “There were four events where he met the time, so we were setting our alarms for 7 a.m. to register on the day of the event. It was like Disneyland for speed cubers.”

Wesley said it was really cool to feel the hype at the competition.

“It’s just a vibe or knowing that there are people all around the world liking what you like,” Wesley said. 

As a world competitor, Wesley wants to continue honing his skills in cubing. The following world championship will be hosted in Sweden. 

Wesley’s parents are in full support of his hobby, but Sweden may not be on the list for a family vacation in 2027. 

“We told him if he wants to fundraise to go to Sweden, then go for it!” Melody said. 

They are proud of their 12-year-old, speedcubing world competitor and excited to see what’s next for him. 

View the exclusive interview on the Waco ISD YouTube channel!