Rockwall, TX (February 17, 2026) – The Rockwall ISD Board of Trustees held their regular monthly meeting on Monday, February 16, the following is a summary of the meeting discussion.
Board of Trustees Recognitions
The Board of Trustees recognized outstanding individuals and groups for the following accomplishments:
Rockwall ISD Stock Market Students – Congratulations to eight Special Academic Gifted Education (SAGE) students from Hamm, Jones and Reinhardt Elementary Schools who placed in the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association Foundation’s Stock Market Game. Students used a simulation with an imaginary investment of $100,000 in trade stocks, bonds. Mutual funds and exchange-traded funds on the New York Stock Exchange and NASDAQ. After researching and studying the impact of financial markets, they placed trades in real-time, competing with peers across the state to increase their portfolio value.
Rockwall ISD SAGE students take advantage of this opportunity to compete each year. Congratulations to the following 2025 Fall Semester winners:
- 1st Place a Hamm Team: Ava M. (4th grade)
Principal Danielle Patterson and Teacher Nicole Morgan - 2nd Place a Jones Team: Leonardo F. and Roman R. (5th Grade)
Principal Lori Bailey and Teacher Melony Stevens - 4th Place a Hamm Team: Lucas A. (5th grade)
Principal Danielle Patterson and Teacher Nicole Morgan - 5th Place a Reinhardt Team: Maggie E. and Rylie R. (5th grade)
Principal Michael Stuart and Teacher Danielle Mapel - 7th Place a Jones Team: Tannon B. and Max N. (5th Grade)
Principal Lori Bailey and Teacher Melony Stevens
All-State Texas Education Music Educators Association Musicians – Competing against 70,000 other Texas student musicians, nine Rockwall ISD students earned positions in the TMEA all-state band, choir or orchestra. These young musicians represent the top 1% of all students who competed for the prestigious recognition.
Band:
- Rockwall High School: Caleb Collins and Micah Morris
- Rockwall-Heath High School: Brooks Hilton
Choir:
- Rockwall High School: Izzy Wright and Phoebe Ishmael
- Rockwall-Heath High School: Emily Ford and Noah Bevan
Orchestra:
- Rockwall-Heath High School: Logan Rollins, Luke Eggert
National Cheerleading Association (NCA Champions) – Recently, Rockwall High School Varsity Cheerleaders had two teams compete in the National Cheerleader Association, National High School Competition. The Game Day Varsity Cheer Team won the Varsity Small Game Day Division and are the NCA National Champions. The Performance Varsity Cheer Team placed second in the Intermediate Varsity Performance Division making them NCA Silver Champions. Congratulations to the cheerleaders and coaches from Rockwall High School.
The Rockwall ISD Education Foundation recognized educators across the District for their Innovative Teaching Grants funded by the Rockwall ISD Education Foundation. Sixteen grants to 45 educators won grants totaling $36,959.07. This year’s grants will reach 16 campuses in the District and more than 10,210 RISD students. With this cycle of Innovative Teaching Grants, the REF has provided a total of $695,890 in funding for 414 grants involving 1,016 educators and impacting more than 126,311 Rockwall ISD students.
Grant Title – School and Educators
- Alternative Photographic Process: Cyanotype – Bri Myers & Carly Rose
- Bus Sensory Support – Jennifer Gardella & Stacey Moseley
- Flangoo Y Tui (Flangoo and You) – Christin Colden Marotto
- From Barn Aisles to Vet Files – Sophie Reisinger & Lyndzee Sesco
- From Farm to Stem to Table – Dr. Kay Orr, Leslie Reese, Chris Rivera & Cole Sawyer
- From Waste to Wonder: Building a Sustainable Worm Farm and Garden – Kabreena Attaway & Heather Weaver
- Geli Prints: Printmaking Alternative Process – Bri Myers & Carly Rose
- Hands on Science, Minds on Learning – Dawn Bishop, Kelly Haack, Gayle Kidd, Nate Koeneman, Julie Locke, Kathy Riley, Debby Schmucker & Kylee Taylor
- Limitless Creations – Stacey Cotton, Melanie Ryder & Lisa Tungcab
- Making the Invisible Visible: Thermal Imaging Across Science – Meridith Cooper, Nicole Harvey, Christina Hoover, Jessica Robissa, Heather Ross, Keisha Telford & Lindsey Trousdale
- Melody Meets Masterpiece – Danielle Ebeier & Allison Fluck
- Motion Detectors: The Art of Movement – Renee Cecil, Lindsey James, Suzanne Sherman & Julie Woodard
- Stacked Cardboard Sculptures – Sarah Giles
- Stitching Stories – Kristi Stacks
- Texas-Sized Billboards: Makey Making Social Studies Spark – Kristi Stacks & Leigh Ann Wineberger
- Universal Pulse: Uniting Cultures Through Rhythm – MeLisa Feledichuk, Brianna Parnell & Whitney Mitchell
Approval of Resolution for Nomination
The Board of Trustees approved a resolution to nominate Dr. John Villarreal for the Region 10 Superintendent of the Year Award. Regional winners advance as part of the statewide Superintendent of the Year program.
Advanced Academics Update
District leadership presented information about Advanced Academic offerings for students through the Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), Dual Credit, and University of Texas OnRamps programs. Information presented included student achievement and enrollment for each program.
Bilingual/English as a Second Language Program Annual Update
District administration presented the annual English as a Second Language (ESL)/Bilingual program presentation as required by the state. The presentation provided the following information: criteria for entrance into the program, the extent to which students are proficient in English, state assessment data and information on the reclassification history of the students. It also included information on teacher professional learning to support Emergent Bilingual students and a description of parental involvement activities.
Rockwall ISD currently serves 2,082 students in the English as a Second Language (ESL)/Bilingual programs. The majority of the students are served in the elementary schools. The Emergent Bilingual students speak 66 different languages.
Approval of Competitive Sealed Proposal (CSP) Contract Award for Access Points for Lyon Elementary, Dobbs Elementary, Reinhardt Elementary, Garcia Elementary, Hamm Elementary, and the Dr. Gene Burton College and Career Academy
The Board of Trustees approved a contract to Global Asset in the amount of $388,682.00 for access points for Lyon Elementary, Dobbs Elementary, Reinhardt Elementary, Garcia Elementary, Hamm Elementary, and the Dr. Gene Burton College and Career Academy. Funds from the 2021 bond authorization will underwrite the project.
Approval of Intermediate Guaranteed Maximum Price (IGMP) for the Rockwall High School and Rockwall-Heath High School Central Plant Replacement Project
The Board of Trustees approved the Intermediate Guaranteed Maximum Price (IGMP) for the Rockwall High School and Rockwall-Heath High School Central Plant Replacement Project in the amount of $694,065.00. Funds from the 2021 bond authorization will underwrite the project.
Approval of Competitive Sealed Proposal (CSP) Contract Award for Replacement of the Dorothy Smith Pullen Elementary School Serving Line
The Board of Trustees approved a contract award to Supreme Fixture in the amount of $167,082.00 for Replacement of the Dorothy Smith Pullen Elementary School Serving Line. Costs will be paid out of the Rockwall ISD Child Nutrition Fund (Fund 240).
Approval of Consultant Design Services and Project Delivery Method for District Construction Project – Wilkerson Sanders Stadium Press Box Metal Soffit Replacement Project
The Board of Trustees approved the Consultant Services and Project Delivery/Contract Award Method for the Wilkerson Sanders Stadium Press Box Metal Soffit Replacement Project to Strohmeyer Architects, Inc. Project costs will be paid out of the Rockwall ISD 2021 Bond Authorization.
Approval of Employee Pay During Emergency Closure Due to Inclement Weather
Rockwall ISD, acting in the best interest of the health and safety of students and staff, ordered the emergency closures of all district facilities January 26-29, 2026. Per Board policy DEA (LOCAL), the Board of Trustees approved a resolution continuing wage payments to all regular employees for those workdays affected by the closure.
Annual Comprehensive Financial Report Approved
The Board of Trustees approved the 2025 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (ACFR) due date adjustment as a result of delayed release of the final 2025 Office of Management and Budget Compliance Supplement on November 25, 2025.
Approval of Texas Education Agency Missed School Day Waiver
The Board of Trustees approved submitting a Missed School Day Waiver to the Texas Education Agency for Thursday, January 29, 2026, following Governor Abbott’s severe weather disaster declaration for Rockwall County. The district will use the additional instructional minutes built into the approved school calendar to make up for the inclement weather days on January 26–28, 2026.
Approval of Texas Education Agency Staff Development Minutes and Foreign Exchange Student Waiver Renewal Waiver
The Board of Trustees approved the Staff Development Minutes and Foreign Exchange Student waivers for the 2026-2027 school year. Texas Education Agency offers a Staff Development Minutes Waiver that provides for a maximum of 2,100 total waiver minutes to use for professional development. Districts may choose how to apply their approved Staff Development Minutes Waiver (early release, late start, all-day staff development, or a combination). Pursuant to TEC 25.002(3), Rockwall ISD is allowed to limit the number of foreign exchange students to a number that is not less than five per high school. Once approved, this waiver remains in effect for 3 consecutive school years.
Press release submitted by Luci Mouton, Rockwall ISD, edited for publication in Blue Ribbon News.
Rockwall ISD Board of Trustees board meeting summary from Monday, February 16, 2026 added by Melanie M on
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