May 8, 2025

May 23 is an early release day, last day of school

The end of the 2024-2025 school year is almost here! Northwest ISD's last day is Friday, May 23, which is an early-release school day. Elementary schools will 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.).

We look forward to ending the school year with excellence!

Bond projects making room for 8,400 new students

Construction crews and planning leaders continue to make rapid progress on new schools that will help alleviate capacity for the next 8,400 expected new students in Northwest ISD! Over the next two and a half years, schools will open across all grade levels to provide much-needed relief and prevent overcrowding. Read an update on all major projects approved by voters in the 2023 bond program in this news article.

Copp, Dearing elected to school board

Northwest ISD voters have re-elected Judy Copp and elected newcomer Jeff Dearing to the district’s school board, according to preliminary results. Following certification of results, the duo will each be sworn into respective three-year terms at the May 19 school board meeting.

Mrs. Copp ran unopposed to retain her Place 4 seat on the school board, which she has held since 2012. Unofficial results for the May 3 election show voters re-electing Mrs. Copp to the Place 4 seat on the board with 3,839 votes. In the Place 3 contest, Mr. Dearing earned the seat with 2,409 votes for 51.87% of the total ballot tally in his first time seeking public office, according to unofficial results. Joe Washam, Mr. Dearing’s sole opponent, earned 2,235 votes in the closely contested race.

Name recommendations now accepted for first early childhood center

Community members are invited to provide name recommendations for Northwest ISD’s first early childhood center, which will open in August 2026 in the southern portion of the school district. An electronic nomination form is available on the district’s website at www.nisdtx.org/nameschools. 

Over the next two weeks, Northwest ISD will accept nominations for ECC #1, which will be located off F.M. 156, south of Hillshire Drive and north of East Bonds Ranch Road. As the first early childhood center in the district, it will supplement existing pre-kindergarten classes available at all Northwest ISD elementary schools. These schools are designed with a focus on experiential and play-based learning to cater to a young child’s developmental process. These facilities are also planned to offer staff daycare to continue to retain and recruit high-quality teachers and staff.

Graduation ceremonies taking place this month

Northwest ISD’s four high schools will host graduation ceremonies later this month, and all the events will be livestreamed for friends and family who cannot attend in person. Links to the video feeds and additional information are available at www.nisdtx.org/graduation. Please be aware that the stream will not go live until near the start of each ceremony.

Steele Early College High School will host its commencement ceremony on Friday, May 23, at Eaton High School. Northwest ISD’s three comprehensive high schools – Byron Nelson, Eaton and Northwest high schools – will each host their ceremonies on Tuesday, May 27, at the University of North Texas Coliseum.

Summer opportunities in Northwest ISD

Making plans for the summer? Northwest ISD offers a wide range of summer learning opportunities for students! Whether it's athletic camps, fine arts, enrichment activities or summer school, there’s something for everyone. Details for all summer programs can be found at www.nisdtx.org/summer.

Meal service updates: low account balances and summer meals schedule

Starting Monday, May 12, students will no longer be allowed to charge meals if they do not have enough funds in their lunch accounts. If a student’s account lacks sufficient funds, a courtesy meal will be provided instead.

Families are strongly encouraged to check their child’s My School Bucks account balance and add funds as needed to avoid any disruptions. Check accounts at www.myschoolbucks.com. 

Free summer meals starting Tuesday, May 28

Northwest ISD will offer free meals to all children ages 18 and under — and to eligible students with disabilities up to age 21 — through the Summer Food Service Program. This program, administered by the Texas Department of Agriculture and funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, helps ensure students have access to nutritious meals when school is out for summer break.

Service Dates:

May 28 to June 30 (Monday to Friday)

Service Times:

Breakfast: 8 to 9 a.m.

Lunch: 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Meal Locations:

Chisholm Trail Middle School, 583 FM 3433, Rhome TX 76078

Clara Love Elementary School, 16301 Elementary Drive, Justin TX 76247 

Online enrollment for 2025-2026 open now

Registration for the 2025-2026 school year is open now!

Enrollment is an annual requirement and doesn't roll over from the previous school year, but for returning families, the process is an easy three-step completion. The process is handled through Home Access Center via a guardian’s account, which results in previous registration information being completed.

Enrolling your child as early as possible is one way you can help your campus and the district prepare for next school year. Please visit www.nisdtx.org/enroll to learn more!

Benson Springston earns perfect ACT score

Byron Nelson High School junior Benson Springston earned a perfect 36 on the ACT — an extraordinary and rare achievement!

Benson shared that he’s excited about the increased opportunities this score brings for scholarships and college admissions. After graduating next year, he plans to pursue a premed track in college and ultimately attend medical school to become a radiologist.

Scoring a 36 places Benson among the top less than one percent of ACT test takers nationwide. The ACT tests students in English, math, reading and science, and is a key factor in many college admissions and scholarship decisions.

Cooper Lutkenhaus wins second straight state title

Student-athletes from all three NISD comprehensive high schools traveled to the UIL Track & Field State Championships last weekend with Northwest High School sophomore Cooper Lutkenhaus coming home as a repeat state champion.

Cooper ran a record-setting time of 1:47.04 on his way to victory in the 6A 800-meter run, just one year after winning the same race at the 5A level as a freshman. Not only did he break his own Texas state record, Cooper also broke the state-meet record for all classifications that was set by Olympian Jonathan Johnson in 2001.

In addition to prevailing in the 800, Cooper also qualified for the state meet in the 400-meter where he ran a personal best time of 46.30 on his way to a silver medal.

Fine arts students earn more than $7.3 million in scholarships

More than 30 students from Byron Nelson High School, Eaton High School and Northwest High School were honored at Northwest ISD’s annual Fine Arts Scholarship Breakfast last week.

Collectively, these students have earned more than $7.3 million in scholarships from colleges and universities across the country.

SOAR's Got Talent takes the stage at Eaton

Students in Eaton High School's SOAR unit put on a great show at their annual SOAR's Got Talent last week!

The Eagles wowed the crowd with singing, dancing, drumming, basketball tricks, and even a volcanic surprise — all in front of an audience of family and friends. Thank you to the teachers and staff who came together to organize an awesome afternoon!

Medlin team wins NISD Middle School Robotics Competition

A big congratulations to the Jockey Bots from Medlin Middle School for winning the District Middle School Robotics Competition!

Robotics I students across the district have been learning skills and gaining experience all year, culminating in a VEX robotics competition that occurred last week at the Outdoor Learning Center.

Claytopia puts skills to test for Eaton High School ceramic arts students

Last week, Eaton High School hosted Claytopia, an annual "Chopped-style" student competition focusing on the ceramic arts!

Students kicked off competition by creating a set for three nesting bowls! For the rest of the week they competed in daily challenges, including a blindfolded competition, and winners were be announced the following Monday.

NISD takes you Inside the Classroom

For the 2024-2025 school year, Northwest ISD has introduced Inside the Classroom, a series that visits NISD campuses throughout the year and highlights the magical moments that happen between teachers and students.

The next editions of Inside the Classroom featured Sendera Ranch Elementary and Seven Hills Elementary. Click to read about how Sydney Desjardins' students were ready to Rock the STAAR and how Kaylie Shuler got creative to teach her students about inherited traits in animals. Stay tuned for upcoming editions of Inside the Classroom!

Party with a Purpose Gala Silent Auction now open!

What a night! The 2025 NEF Party with a Purpose Gala presented by Huckabee was an unforgettable evening of generosity, community, and celebration — and thanks to you, we raised a record-breaking $446,941 to support students and teachers across Northwest ISD!

A huge thank you to our fantastic emcee, Peterson Elementary Principal Danielle Grimes, for guiding us through a night filled with heart and purpose.

We’re beyond grateful for every sponsor, donor, volunteer, and guest who made this event such a success. Because of you, the impact we can make next school year is bigger than ever!

Mobile Food Pantry open May 17

Northwest ISD is partnering with Tarrant Area Food Bank and the Northwest ISD Education Foundation to offer a monthly mobile market to provide groceries and assistance to families in need.

Time: 9 to 11 a.m. - Saturday, May 17

Location: NISD Temporary Administration Building

2001 Texan Drive in Justin

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