District News

WACO, Texas — University High School has been selected as one of 40 finalists nationwide in T-Mobile’s national Friday Night 5G Lights competition, securing a $25,000 cash grant for the Trojan athletic program and earning the opportunity to compete for a $1 million stadium upgrade package. 

Chosen from nearly 2,500 participating high schools across the country, University High is one of only two Texas schools to advance to the Top 40. 

Community Celebration & $25,000 Check Presentation 

To mark the achievement, T-Mobile representatives will join Waco ISD administrators, coaches, and student-athletes at Waco ISD Stadium on Friday, Oct. 9, 2026, for a Home Game Celebration and live check presentation. 

● Location: Waco ISD Stadium, 1401 S New Rd, Waco, TX 76711 

● Fan Arrival: 6:00 PM 

● Kick-Off: 7:00 PM 

● Check Presentation: Between the first and second quarters 

● Visuals / Media Availability: On-field ceremony, student cheer section, game action, and interviews with school officials and T-Mobile representatives.

Program Impact 

This milestone marks the deepest run for University High in the national competition after securing three consecutive $5,000 awards in prior years. If selected as the grand prize winner, funding will go toward modernizing weight room equipment, upgrading the football field, and installing a new sound system to enhance the game-day experience for athletes, students, and fans. 

"I am beyond excited for our players, our school, and our entire Waco community,” said Charles Foster, Athletics Coordinator and Head Football Coach at University High School. "Winning three $5K Fridays in three years showed us how incredible our support system is, but making our deepest Friday Night 5G Lights run yet takes it to a whole new level. This is a huge milestone for our program, but what makes it truly special is what it means for our student-athletes and community. This investment gives us the tools and resources to support our athletes. We’re deeply grateful to T-Mobile for believing in our program and our community’s future." 

Public Voting & Next Steps 

Community participation through public voting will determine which schools advance to the next stage. Public voting is open from October 8 - October 25, 2026. Supporters can vote once per day at fn5gl.t-mobile.com/vote/university-high-school. 

Four Division Champions—representing the South, West, Midwest, and East regions—will be announced on October 29. Each Division Champion will receive $250,000 in cash, a $90,000 Gronk Fitness gym upgrade, and a $5,000 Student Leadership Award. Final national voting among the Division Champions will take place from Oct. 29 through Nov. 8, with the $1 million grand prize winner announced on Nov. 12. 

 

Smiles and warm conversation were all around as the Waco ISD Police Department welcomed families, staff, and neighborhood partners to its annual National Night Out. While free food and fun activities drew the crowd, the event’s real impact was creating meaningful, trusting relationships among officers and local families.

“Community is what it's all about,” said Delisa Gross, a volunteer with Mentoring Alliance, as she watched the crowd of attendees enter the gates. “It's so special seeing everyone come together for a good cause.”

For the Waco ISD Police Department, school safety extends well beyond security cameras, door locks, and emergency plans; it is rooted in human connection. By stepping away from official duties to play games, share resources, and chat with students in a relaxed setting, officers help break down the natural barriers that can sometimes exist between youth and law enforcement.

Fostering positive interactions among students and district officers establishes a supportive, communicative campus environment. These lighthearted, informal moments lay the groundwork for students to feel comfortable asking for help, sharing concerns, or simply exchanging a high-five in the hallway.

Waco ISD Officer Jaycee Steiner highlighted why these small interactions matter so much for the future of the district.

“There is a huge importance in the relationship between students and the Waco ISD officers,” Steiner explained. “They need to see that we're people too, we like to have fun, and we just ultimately want to keep them safe.”

The department’s focus on relational policing ensures that safety isn't exclusive to emergency situations, but is experienced daily as a supportive presence across every campus. Recognizing that students learn best when they feel safe, secure, and understood is why Waco ISD’s Police Department continues to prioritize proactive community engagement.

As the evening wrapped up and families headed home with goody bags and grins, the collective effort behind student safety was evident. Protecting the district’s youth relies on strong, active partnerships among parents, educators, community partners, and first responders alike.

Through events like National Night Out, the Waco ISD Police Department continues to demonstrate that its mission goes beyond patrolling school hallways; they are dedicated allies invested in the success, well-being, and future of every student they serve.

Click here for the full photo album.

Every parent understands the difficulties of trying to maintain their child’s nutritious diet – a battle made even harder when vegetables just aren’t a kid’s best friend. In a world championed by deep-fried chicken nuggets and greasy French fries, the dedicated Waco ISD Child Nutrition Services (CNS) department is consistently working hard to implement healthy diets for its students. This year, they’ve added a new goal: make wholesome eating fun!

Carmela Gonzales, a CNS chef, is deeply committed to the wellness of all Waco ISD students. Through new menus and interactive healthy recipe demonstrations, she’s not only adding excitement to their daily routines, but also encouraging a beneficial lifestyle.

“I’m super excited to work with the kids more,” Chef Gonzales said. “Seeing them excited about healthy food is awesome.”

Fifth graders at Hillcrest Elementary recently got an engaging, step-by-step cooking lesson from the Waco ISD chef. She even let a handful of students whisk the homemade dressing she had prepared for her sweet potato kale salad, the demonstrated recipe of the day. While some took turns whisking and others observed, Chef Gonzales explained the importance of a balanced diet and each ingredient she used, highlighting some unexpected benefits.

“Did you guys know sweet potatoes are also really good for facials? You can just smear it on your face, it’s really good for your skin,” she noted, earning giggles from her crowd before they finally dug into their snack.

Fifth graders June Barber and Diondre Simmons said Chef Gonzales’ presentation was the best part of their day, mentioning their favorite moments from it.

“[My favorite was] the part where we got to whisk,” Simmons said. Barber agreed, adding, “And the part when we got to eat it!”

These live cooking sessions aren’t the only way CNS is promoting healthy eating; colorful A-Z salad bars hosted weekly across Waco ISD campuses turn lunchtime into an exciting produce adventure. Instead of standard cafeteria options, these vibrant displays give students the freedom to explore a full spectrum of fresh ingredients.

From apples and carrots to kale and zucchini, each letter of the alphabet introduces kids to a whole world of flavors they might not otherwise try. Combined with Chef Gonzales’ presentations, these colorful salad bars are helping Waco ISD rewrite the script on school lunch. By transforming nutrition into something creative and genuinely enjoyable for students, CNS is proving that healthy food doesn't have to be intimidating – it can actually be the highlight of a student's day. Whether it’s a fifth grader whisking homemade salad dressing or a young student discovering a newfound love for fresh zucchini, CNS is inspiring a new relationship with wholesome food across the district.

This push to make nutrition exciting aligns seamlessly with broader district goals led by Superintendent Dr. Tiffany Spicer. With her guidance, Waco ISD has placed a renewed emphasis on whole-child wellness, recognizing that physical health, proper nutrition, and academic success go hand-in-hand. Dr. Spicer’s vision ensures that healthy choices aren’t just encouraged, but actively celebrated across every cafeteria and campus community in the district.

 

Thursday, October 1, 2026, Waco ISD was notified by Frontline Education that Frontline had experienced a data security incident on Aug. 14, 2026, which exposed district employee and job applicant information. After additional conversations with Frontline representatives today, Waco ISD feels compelled to share what we know.

According to Frontline, they discovered and remediated the incident on August 15, 2026, but the information exposed included employee and job applicant social security numbers, as well as email and physical addresses. At this time, Frontline has advised that no Waco ISD student information was exposed in the incident. If this changes, we will notify families as quickly as possible.

Protecting your personal information is a top priority for Waco ISD, and we know that news of this event brings understandable concern. While we push for further answers from Frontline Education, they have advised us of the following next steps:

• Frontline will contact affected individuals and notify them that their information was impacted. They will provide additional information regarding the data involved. This will begin on October 26, 2026.

• Frontline has notified the Texas Attorney General and law enforcement agencies of the incident.

• Frontline is partnering with TransUnion to manage this incident and will offer two years of credit monitoring to individuals impacted by this incident. 

• Frontline has established a dedicated hotline at 833-516-8792, available Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern Time, for questions related to this incident.

• Frontline will continue to provide updates to Waco ISD regarding the incident and the steps being taken in response. 

 

We will continue pushing Frontline for full transparency, and should any additional details come to light, we will do our part to ensure they are shared with you promptly. In the meantime, we encourage you to review the Federal Trade Commission’s Identity Theft guide - https://www.identitytheft.gov/databreach - for step-by-step guidance on protecting your personal information.

 

Thank you for your patience as we navigate this situation.

 

WACO, TX — The Texas Education Agency (TEA) released accountability ratings for the 2025–2026 school year, showcasing a year of significant academic growth and momentum across Waco ISD.

"Waco ISD is on a clear upward trajectory," said Superintendent Dr. Tiffany Spicer. "While state accountability scores are a part of the story, it’s not the entire journey. We look at student growth, achievement, experiences and make sure we speak to the whole child. This past year, we saw incremental growth, and we are excited about what is to come. We hit our highest score since the state implemented new standards in 2023, nearly 60 percent of our campuses saw score increases, and both of our high schools raised their letter grades. Waco ISD is in pursuit of excellence, and excited to see the future as we improve exponentially."

The preliminary data highlights widespread progress across all grade levels, reflecting the hard work of Waco ISD students, teachers, and campus administrators:

• Highest Score since New Accountability Standards: The district’s overall performance score increased to 66, which is the highest score achieved since the TEA’s 2023 STAAR redesign and implementation of updated accountability standards.

 

• High School Grade Level-Ups:
  • University High School earned a B, jumping 6 points from a C.
  • Waco High School earned a C, climbing an impressive 9 points from a low D.

 

• TEA Distinction Designations: Select campuses within Waco ISD earned TEA Distinction Designations in social studies, science and comparative academic growth, recognizing outstanding outcomes.

 

• Widespread Campus Improvements: Nearly 60 percent of all Waco ISD campuses increased their numeric performance scores. Notable campus highlights include:
  • G.W. Carver Special Campus: Led the district with a massive 12-point increase.
  • Cedar Ridge Elementary: Moved up from a C to a B.
  • Provident Heights Elementary: Advanced from a D to a C.
  • Parkdale Elementary: Jumped 8 points, climbing from an F to a D.

The district's upward trajectory is the direct result of intentional, research-based strategies focused on classroom instruction and leadership development:

 

• Curriculum Momentum: Waco ISD is entering Year 2 of implementation for its new Math and updated English Language Arts (ELA) curriculum. Demonstrating notable growth in Year 1 confirms that instructional consistency is taking root district-wide.
   
• Direct Classroom Support (New for 2026–2027): To further accelerate student achievement, the district is introducing dedicated Campus Teaching & Learning Coaches in core subjects. These coaches will co-teach, model lessons, and provide direct instructional support inside classrooms.

 

• Strengthened Professional Learning Communities (PLCs): District teams are aligning PLC practices to foster collaborative, data-driven teacher environments. Research shows that effective PLCs are among the most impactful strategies for accelerating student growth and actively closing achievement gaps.

 

• Targeted Leadership Development: Central office and campus leadership structures have been refined, backed by intensive coaching partnerships.

While accountability scores serve as one metric, Waco ISD remains focused on individual student progress, closing learning gaps, and delivering high-quality education to every neighborhood.

"Accountability ratings are a journey, not a single destination," Dr. Spicer added. "A score of 66 reflects measurable, meaningful progress under a rigorous state evaluation system. Seeing nearly 60 percent of our schools gain points proves our strategies are working. We aren't where we ultimately want to be yet, but we are moving forward rapidly and committed to serving our students and community well."