December 11, 2025

Winter break starts next week

We are just one week away from winter break! For Northwest ISD students, the break lasts from December 19 through January 6. Teachers will be on campus to prepare for the new semester January 5-6. Classes will resume at their regular times on Wednesday, January 7.

Thursday, December 18, is an early-release day at all schools. Elementary schools dismiss at 11:45 a.m., middle schools at 12:55 p.m. and high schools at 12:30 p.m. (Steele ECHS at 12:20 p.m.).

Visit the following links for the complete 2025-2026 calendar and school hours.

Happy Holidays from Northwest ISD

For more than two decades, Northwest ISD has hosted an annual holiday art contest, recognizing the superb talent of students across the school district. Each year, the district rotates the campus level that participates in the contest, with five high school winners selected this year.

Click above to hear a message from NISD Superintendent, Dr. Mark Foust, and contest winner Skylar Tschirgi, a senior at Byron Nelson High School.

Happy Holidays, NISD!

Byron Nelson caps historic undefeated season with state title

The Byron Nelson Bobcats earned a place in Texas sports history by beating the Pearland Dawson Eagles in a three-set sweep to win the 2025 UIL 6A Division I Volleyball State Championship and finish the season undefeated.

With a 78-match winning streak dating back to last season, the Bobcats have amassed a record of 82-1 over the past two years, including a perfect 42-0 record this year. Their dominant state championship performance cements the Bobcats as the top-ranked team in the nation, having held the top spot in multiple national polls throughout the course of the season.

“I’m really sad that it’s over,” Coach Brianne Groth said after the match. “I think these kids are just so spectacular. We have thought about this since last year, to do this again, and for it to finally be here and for the girls to achieve their dream of going back-to-back and having an undefeated season, it couldn’t have happened to a better group of kids.”

Davis High School name honors influential board member

Northwest ISD has named its next high school after J. Fred Davis Jr., an influential school board member and community leader.

Located between North Riverside Drive and I-35 in Fort Worth, J. Fred Davis Jr. High School resides on land near where a sprawling, nationally recognized dairy farm was once operated by its namesake. The Davis family owned and operated JFD Farms on the site, which spanned both sides of I-35, from 1962 until Mr. Davis passed away in 1998, when they moved the operation to Rhome.

Upon moving to the area, Mr. Davis quickly became involved with local schools and served on the Northwest ISD Board of Trustees from 1964 to 1976. His vision helped chart a path to prepare for tremendous growth throughout the school district. During his tenure, he collaborated with fellow board members C.W. Worthington and Sonny Nance to leverage their community connections and orchestrate the purchase of hundreds of acres for the school district’s central complex – which now serves as home to several districtwide facilities as well as Northwest High School and Pike Middle School.

Davis High School resides in the northern portion of Fort Worth and will open in 2027. Northwest ISD will begin an attendance boundary creation process during the first semester of the 2026-2027 school year to prepare for the school’s opening.

Learn more about the school namesake at www.nisdtx.org/davis.

Northwest ISD planning Limited Open Enrollment for 2026-2027

To provide school stability and continue to maintain high educational standards across all areas of the district, Northwest ISD plans to implement Limited Open Enrollment in 2026. This program would focus on campuses with significant capacity, particularly those in areas of declining enrollment.

Scheduled to begin for the 2026-2027 school year, the new program would be limited to specific campuses with space available. Without this program, Northwest ISD would face more frequent rezoning that would move students from campuses more frequently. In more extreme situations, Northwest ISD would have to consider closing and consolidating campuses similar to neighboring districts to maximize limited state funding.

Colors, mascot revealed for Dr. Leigh Anne Romer Elementary

Northwest ISD is proud to unveil the official mascot and colors for Dr. Leigh Anne Romer Elementary, opening fall 2026 in the Madero community.

When the campus opens, students will call themselves the Romer Ravens, sporting purple, pink and teal. Ravens are a symbol of intelligence, communication and playfulness. The color pink was chosen to honor Dr. Romer’s unforgettable impact and her devotion to making every child feel cared for.

Attendance boundaries proposed for 2026-2027

To prepare for the opening of Romer Elementary School and Barksdale Middle School, Northwest ISD will adjust boundaries for the 2026-2027 school year and the feedback of affected families is welcome. In addition to creating attendance zones for new schools, some adjustments are proposed at the middle school level to best balance enrollment.

Visit www.nisdtx.org/rezoning to view the proposal and view ways to submit feedback. Affected campuses are specifically listed in bold on the website. Any campus not listed on the webpage is unaffected by rezoning.

Byron Nelson High School principal named 2026 Texas High School Principal of the Year

The Texas Association of Secondary School Principals has named Byron Nelson High School Principal Kara Lea Deardorff the 2026 Texas High School Principal of the Year, recognizing her as one of the state’s most accomplished and student-centered leaders.

Earlier this school year, TASSP announced Mrs. Deardorff as the Region 11 Outstanding Principal of the Year, honoring her among exceptional principals and assistant principals across the state’s 20 education service center regions. Now, as the state principal of the year, she will be formally recognized at the 2026 TASSP Summer Workshop in June.

“I’m truly humbled by this recognition,” Mrs. Deardorff said. “It reflects the incredible students, staff and families I have the privilege to serve every day. Byron Nelson is a special place, and I’m grateful to represent our school and Northwest ISD in this way.”

Eaton student to named to Team Texas for Special Olympics USA Games

Martin Graham, a junior at Eaton High School, has been named to Team Texas and will represent his state at the Special Olympics USA Games in Minnesota in June.

Martin was incredibly surprised when representatives from Special Olympics Texas visited him at Eaton to deliver the news. In addition, Eaton Principal Stacy Miles presented Martin with a traditional letterman jacket as he celebrated with his classmates in his Partner PE class.

In May, Martin was part of the first group of Northwest Navigators to compete at the Special Olympics Texas Summer Games, and his performance at that competition made him eligible to be chosen for Team Texas. He will be an alternate in the track and field competition for Team Texas.

From door-to-door to airport shelves: Tidwell student builds statewide popcorn brand

Tidwell Middle School sixth grader Audrey Harrison started her gourmet popcorn business at just 5 years old, and now her popcorn is sold on Amazon and in Hudson stores at DFW, Love Field and Houston airports!

Read more about Audrey, her passion for entrepreneurship and her mission to make people smile.

You can still help the NISD Angel Tree

We have angels who were adopted and gifts were not returned so we need YOUR help! Please consider donating so we can shop for these angels.

Gifts are being delivered this week for more than 1,800 angels from NISD's Angel Tree program, but you can still make an impact this holiday season!

Help the new NEF Resource Store and Library

Volunteer Now!

The Resource Store and Library welcomes anyone who wishes to volunteer in the store. Dates for the spring semester have been added to the volunteer sign up form, so feel free to sign up any time.

The Northwest ISD Education Foundation’s resource store and library provides support to NISD teachers and students through free resources and educational materials. NISD teachers can “shop” for school and classroom supplies, snack packs, books and more. All items are free to district educators! Already this year, more than 600 teachers have shopped the store at its new location and saved more than $385,000!

You can help by donating from the store’s online wishlist or the library wishlist. Immediate needs include books and snacks. You can also help by volunteering in the store! Volunteers help sticker and prep inventory, restock shelves and fulfill online requests from teachers. 

Mobile Food Pantry set for December 20

The NISD monthly Mobile Food Pantry is open monthly at Pike Middle School (2288 Texan Drive, Justin, 76247). Attendees can enter Texan Drive from FM 156 or TX 114. The Pike Middle School entrance is across the street from the NISD Administration Building. The pantry is a drive-thru service. Attendees should remain in their vehicle at all times, and food pantry staff will assist in the loading process.

As a reminder, we do not share any identifying information with any entity. We only provide information to the Tarrant Area Food Bank to ensure enough items are available for our population.

The Mobile Food Pantry is a partnership between Northwest ISD, Tarrant Area Food Bank and the Northwest ISD Education Foundation. It is open on the third Saturday of each month from 9 to 11 a.m. or until food runs out.

Time: 9 to 11 a.m. Saturday, December 20

Location: Pike Middle School

2288 Texan Drive, Justin, 76247

Interested in volunteering at the monthly food markets? Sign up today!