THE ARROW
April 6-10, 2026
|
|
|
Subscribe to "In the Know" on Spotify, YouTube, or Apple Podcasts! |
Check out the latest episode of “In the Know,” a weekly roundup of news from across Community ISD hosted by Superintendent Dr. Tonya Knowlton. Links discussed: |
|
|
STAAR Season is Here! Get Plenty of Rest and Don't Forget Your Snacks, Books, and Chromebook! |
Brave Nation,
In order to provide our students and staff with the best environment during STAAR, we have compiled a list of all testing days across Community ISD to help you as parents/guardians.
NOTE: Make up testing may occur on any date prior to the testing window closing: - RLA/English up to April 16th
- Science/Biology and Social Studies/US History up to April 23rd
- Math/Algebra I up to April 30th
Make sure your student does the following things: 1) Gets plenty of sleep the night before, 2) Eats a good breakfast 3) Manages stress - you do your best when you're not stressed!
Students will need to bring the following things to campus with them: 1) Chromebook - fully charged 2) Charger for their Chromebook 3) A snack 4) Water 5) A book to read when finished with testing This testing season will be over before we know it, and we believe our students and staff are capable of anything they set their minds to! |
|
|
Enrollment and Registration is Now Open! |
Our 2026-27 New Student Enrollment and Student Registration is open. Please click the link below soon - ALL returning and new Brave are required to register/enroll EVERY year.
There are additional tiles to complete this year for all students as well, such as the Bus Rider Agreement tile, Immunization tile (grades KG and 7th only), and Drug Testing Consent tile (grades 7th-12th only). |
|
|
The Brave of the Week is ... |
It's #BraveOfTheWeek time!
Our Braves of the Week are Mrs. Dugan, Mrs. Hargrove, Mrs. Helms, Mrs. Little, Mrs. Manzanares, Mrs. Lefebvre, Mrs. Tucker, Mrs. Vasquez, and Mrs. Romo at Edge Middle School! They stepped up to help out a fellow educator during a family emergency.
Congratulations to these amazing Edge educators! You can read the rest of Shannon McMahan’s nomination and check all the other Brave Nominations for the week through the links below. And don’t forget to nominate a Brave for next week’s honor! We reveal our winner on the Community ISD Facebook page every Thursday at 8 a.m., and all honorees are recognized by the CISD Board each month at their regular meetings.
Below is the schedule for Board Recognition:
April 20, 2026: May 18, 2026:
|
|
|
Board of Trustees Hosted "State of the District" on March 23 |
During the regular meeting of the CISD Board of Trustees on March 23, 2026, the District provided an update across all campuses and multiple departments with the goal of giving the Board and members of the public in the interest of informing the public and transparency.
Below you will find information on the Task Force for Growth, the state of CISD's finances, progress on the 2022 Bond program, academic progress, and the results of a climate survey that went to all campuses. |
|
|
Are you looking for a new and exciting career?
Are you passionate about kids and the future of this community?
Well Brave Nation is hiring, and we want YOU to apply!
Head to cisd.tiny.us/newjob today to check out open positions and submit your application!
|
|
|
Our Braves are True Artists! |
Congrats to the amazing artists across Brave Nation that came together and put on the best Annual Arts Showcase yet!
Photography, paintings, drawings, and much more artwork was on display throughout Community High School, and the evening saw performances from our bands, choirs, indoor drum lines, winter guard, and Dazzlin’ Dames.
Our students and staff are incredibly talented, and we love getting to see them shine every year!
Special thanks to the CISD art teachers, band directors, choir directors, drill team instructors, and color guard instructors for coordinating this event every year - especially to Mayra Loredo! This event would not be possible without your hard work! |
|
|
Braves Partnered with Region 10 for Inaugural Special Olympics Event on April 7 |
In case you missed it, Community ISD was proud to hold a Special Olympics event at Braves Stadium for the first time, in conjunction with Region 10 Education Service Center.
Our student-athletes had a wonderful time, and we are so proud of how hard they competed on Tuesday. This is just the start of what we hope will be many Special Olympic events here in Brave Nation! Thank you to David Conover for taking pictures for the District! |
|
|
5th Annual LaCoNe Jo Car Meet Was A Great Success! |
Returning for a fifth year at Community High School, the LaCoNeJo Car Club held their free annual car meet last Saturday from 7 to 9 pm. Barbecue was served by our own CISD Smoke n' Steel BBQ team, and tons of cool cars, hot rods, monster trucks, and race cars showed up. |
|
|
CISD Issuing Pilot Program RFID Badges to Secondary Students |
Brave Nation,
It has come to our attention that there is a misunderstanding surrounding our rollout of RFID student badges to secondary students this week. We want to address these concerns head on so all parties involved have accurate information.
Price for Badges to Students/Families
As with our current badges, the first RFID badge handed out to each sixth through 12th grade student will be free this year, and all students (Pre-K through 12th grade) will receive one free RFID badge in the 2026-27 school year.
If lost or damaged, replacement RFID badges will be $5, the same price that we charge for replacement badges now.
Timing of Rollout
Community ISD chose to distribute badges to current 6th through 12th grade students now as a pilot program for the 2026-27 school year. Rolling this program out now in a test application will allow CISD bus drivers and monitors to get used to the system, and for any potential bugs or issues to get addressed.
Our goal is to open the 2026-27 school year with as little disruption as possible, and help our students and staff efficiently begin their academic journey. Questions
There are a couple more questions addressed in the button below, as well as Spanish translation of the entire memo.
If you have any questions that were not addressed in this message, please contact our Director of Transportation Terry Buse. He can be reached via email at Terry.Buse@communityisd.org or via phone at 972-843-6340. |
|
|
NeSmith Educator Now a Published Author! |
Congratulations to NeSmith Elementary educator AND published author Mrs. Fusco, who held a signing event for her book, “Leland the Leopard Lost His Spots”.
Mrs. Fusco originally wrote this book in seventh grade, then continued to improve it over the years. Later, one of her former students, Annie Ruiz, illustrated the book!
We are so proud of Mrs. Fusco for chasing her dream!
|
|
|
Celebrate National Assistant Principals Week! |
It's National Assistant Principals Week from April 6 through April 10, and we hope you'll join us all week long in celebrating these incredible men and women that serve our campuses with all their hearts! |
|
|
April is Autism Awareness Month |
April is designated as National Autism Acceptance/Awareness Month to increase understanding, foster inclusion, and celebrate the strengths of individuals on the autism spectrum, with 1 in 36 children identified with ASD.
We wanted to take a moment this month to highlight a Brave alumni, Jon Simmons, who is excelling post-graduation with autism, in part thanks to his success as a CISD student. Here is some more information from his mother, Pamela Simmons, an educator at McClendon Elementary: "Jon graduated from Community High School in 2023. He is autistic and benefitted from the support offered by our district throughout his middle and high school years. This May, he will graduate from Collin Community College with an associates in Digital Animation and Game Design.
His passion for Transformers and stop motion animation has fueled his pursuit of learning better ways to hone his craft and reach more people. We have partnered with the Texas WorkForce for Adults with Disabilities throughout Jon's senior spring and his college education.
They have been incredibly supportive financially and transitionally. This type of post-graduate transition is an important factor in the success of our graduates. Jon's story showcases it."
Jon also has a successful YouTube channel now, PixkidStudio11, which you can watch below. On his channel, Jon creates and posts toy reviews and stop motion videos of Transformers on it. Check it out and support a fellow Brave!
If you would like to share your story/celebration with us, please do not hesitate to send an email to info@communityisd.org! |
|
|
Videos for CISD Board of Trustees Candidates Now Available |
Election Day on May 2nd features four school board seats on the ballot: Place 1 (special election), and Places 4, 5, and 6 (Regular Election).
Place 1 has two candidates, Monica Clifton and Joshua Edwards. Both are running for the seat for the first time.
In Place 4, two candidates are running for the seat for the first time, Devin Dowdy and Nathan Wafford.
In Place 5, Jana Hunter is the incumbent and Amanda Saucedo is running for the seat for the first time.
Place 6 features three candidates all running for the first time - Alfonso Calderon, Chad Baugh, and Tony Denton.
We’ve produced introduction videos for all nine of these candidates to help you make informed decisions, though Mr. Chad Baugh has requested his video not be published. The other eight candidates available via our social media channels and linked in the description below. Place 1 (Special Election)
Joshua Edwards, candidate
Monica Clifton, candidate
Place 4 (Regular Election)
Devin Dowdy, candidate
Nathan Wafford, candidate Place 5 (Regular Election)
Jana Hunter, incumbent
Amanda Saucedo, candidate Place 6 (Regular Election)
Alfonso Calderon, candidate
Tony Denton, candidate
Chad Baugh, candidate - No video per candidate request Early voting opens on Monday, April 20, and closes on Tuesday, April 28. Election Day is Saturday, May 2.
We wanted to let you know that there is a change to the CISD Board election this year. Collin County Elections and the City of Lavon have worked together to restore Lavon City Hall as a voting location for Early Voting AND Election Day!
We have confirmation of this change from Collin County and the City of Lavon, but please note that Collin County's website will not reflect these changes until next week.
If you are a registered voter residing in Collin County, you can still cast your ballot at any Collin County polling location. Within Community ISD, those locations are:
1) Josephine Community Center - Early Voting and Election Day
2) Terry Pope Administration Building - Early Voting and Election Day
3) Lavon City Hall - Early Voting and Election Day If you are a registered voter residing in Hunt County, you can cast your ballot at the following locations:
1) Hunt County Voter Administration Building - Early Voting ONLY
2) First Baptist Church of Caddo Mills - Election Day ONLY
|
|
|
Candidates for Place 1 - Special Election |
|
|
Candidates for Place 4 - Regular Election |
|
|
Candidates for Place 5 - Regular Election |
|
|
Candidates for Place 6 - Regular Election |
|
|
Braves Board Notes - March 23 - Next Meeting April 20! |
The Community ISD Board of Trustees held their regular monthly meeting on Monday, March 23. You can read more about it by clicking the button below.
The next regular meeting of the board is Monday, April 20.
Public comments start at 6 pm, then the closed session follows immediately after. The open session begins at 7 pm at the Terry Pope Administration Building.
To make a public comment, you must sign up either in person or via the online portal by 5 pm the day of the meeting. The portal and the in-person sheet are both available exactly one week before each meeting. |
|
|
Braves Baseball Returns Home Friday Night |
Community Braves Baseball leads their district by two games with a 9-1 record. They return to the friendly confines of Braves Baseball Complex on Friday against Farmersville. First pitch is set for 7 pm.
Standings: Community - 9-1
Quinlan Ford - 5-5 Caddo Mills - 7-3 Sunnyvale - 5-5
Farmersville - 4-6 Wills Point - 0-10
There are just five games left in the regular season, including Friday's Future Braves Night! |
|
|
Softball Secures Third Consecutive District Title |
Congrats to Community Lady Braves Softball for their fantastic win over Quinlan Ford on Tuesday night, which secured their third consecutive district championship! The Lady Braves have now won nine games in a row, and are ranked fourth in the state! The regular season finale is next Tuesday at Wills Point.
|
|
|
Track & Field Breaks Records at District Championship |
|
|
Our CHS track and field student-athletes made us proud with their performances at the district championship meet this week! Check out this list of area qualifiers.
In addition, three school records were broken: the girls' 4x200m relay team did it with a time of 1:43.48, Racheal Nwagboso set a new mark in the 400m dash with a time of 59.14, plus Kira Bowman cleared 13'1" in pole vault. Great job!
|
|
|
Bowman Captures Silver at Texas Relays |
Congrats to CHS student-athlete Kira Bowman on earning a silver medal at the prestigious Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays! She cleared 12’ 10.25" in the high school pole vault competition.
|
|
|
Football Releases 2026 Schedule - First 5A Season! |
The schedule is set for Community Braves Football's first season in Class 5A. Six home games, including four in a row from September 4 through September 25!
|
|
|
New Team in FFA Wraps First Season with Great Showing |
Shoutout to our horse judging team on an outstanding season! They capped it off with an impressive 5th-place finish at district, and we’re excited to build on this year’s success as we continue to grow and improve moving forward. |
|
|
Dozens of Educators Earn TIA Distinction in Community ISD |
On Wednesday, March 25, Community ISD was privileged to get to celebrate 33 amazing teachers who have officially received the Teacher Incentive Allotment (TIA) designation!
Dr. Tonya Knowlton and Tiffany Bietz, CISD's new TIA Coordinator, commended the recipients on their achievements, and encouraged them to remain exemplary models of success on their respective campuses.
In case you don't know what the TIA is, this designation means that each of these 33 educators will receive additional pay on top of their base salary starting in the 2026-27 school year. This designation will stay with their teaching certification for the next five years! |
|
|
Community ISD is Officially Approved for the Teacher Incentive Allotment (TIA)! |
We are extremely excited about earning Teacher Incentive Allotment (TIA) validation by the Texas Education Agency (TEA). This means that approved educators in Brave Nation can receive one of three levels of distinction - Recognized, Exemplary, or Masters - from TEA and receive a stipend that reflects their hard work. This distinction attaches to their certification and is re-evaluated every five years. This is a huge step for the recruitment and retention of great teachers in Community ISD! |
|
|
Community High School Rises to 5A in 2026-2028 UIL Realignment |
|
|
The University Interscholastic League (UIL) officially released its 2026-27 and 2027-28 realignments on Monday, and things look quite different for Community High School with the Braves rising to 5A.
Football lands in a seven-team District 3-5A Division II, and will have a completely new slate of district opponents.
Our volleyball and basketball programs are now in District 9-5A, and will have eight district foes. Many names will be familiar to longtime Braves fans, but none have been district opponents recently.
The soccer, baseball, and softball district alignments have not yet been released. Stay tuned for more information! |
|
|
Join the Superintendent's Writers Club! |
The Superintendent’s Writing Club is a fun, creative space for students across the district to share their voices through poetry, stories, articles, and more. It’s your chance to express yourself, grow as a writer, and even get published for the whole community to see!
Why Join? - Share your writing with the Superintendent and community;
- Earn recognition, prizes, and a chance to be celebrated at Board Meetings;
-
Build writing skills while having fun with friends;
- And explore exciting prompts and workshops led by leaders and authors
Writers Workshops (2025–2026): At these fun and collaborative sessions, you’ll: - Learn tips and tricks from district leaders, authors, and special guests;
-
Explore new writing prompts with guidance and support;
- Work alongside other student writers in a creative environment;
- And get feedback to help your writing shine!
Dates Location:
Terry Pope Administration Building, Gold Room Times:
Elementary: 4:30–5:30 PM | Secondary: 5:30–6:30 PM Questions?
Reach out to Linda Sanchez or Vanessa Chatman! |
|
|
Color Guard Tryouts Coming in April |
The 2026 Mighty Braves Marching season will be here before you know it, and if you/your student is interested in being a part of it, here's one way to get involved!
CHS Color Guard will be holding auditions the 2026 squad on April 9 in the CHS Aux Gym. A spin clinic will be held April 6-8 in the CHS Cafeteria, and an info meeting precedes that on March 30. Get these dates on your calendar now! |
|
|
Dazzlin' Dames Hosting Mini Clinic in Two Weeks! |
Calling all dancing Braves! Don't miss the Community High School Dazzlin' Dames mini clinic coming up in just three weeks! Deadline to pre-register is THIS FRIDAY, so please sign up now if you're interested! |
|
|
The 2026-27 Calendar Has Been Approved by the Board! |
The 2026-27 Community ISD Student Calendar has been officially approved by the Community ISD Board of Trustees.
This calendar, which was the "Fall Break" option, was the preferred calendar out of the final three options brought to the public in the District-wide survey. 59.3% of 1,024 participants preferred the Fall Break option, with over 50% of each group preferring this option.
You can find the official results of the survey by clicking the button below.
This calendar has 71 student days in the fall and 79.5 student days in the spring, adding up to 150.5 student days. School would start on August 3, and end on May 28.
The calendar is based off of a 505-minute day.
A PDF version of the student calendar is linked below. Staff members will receive a PDF work calendar before the end of February. |
|
|
Need After-School Care for Your Student? Consider The Blue Club! |
While attending The Blue Club, students will experience a variety of developmentally-appropriate activities, including an enrichment time, structured and unstructured play, and a study time in a creative and nurturing environment.
The Blue Club operates from school dismissal until 6:30 p.m.
After school care is offered each day that Community ISD schools are in session, according to the Community ISD calendar. The program is open to students attending pre-kindergarten through 5th grade at Brave Nation schools.
Parents and guardians must apply online in order for their student to be considered for acceptance into the program. The Blue Club does not discriminate against applicants. Our schedule and ratios are intentional and may not be ideal for students with special needs. |
|
|
Project Inspire Needs Mentors - Volunteer Today! |
Mentor Today, Make a Difference Tomorrow!
The goal of the Project Inspire Mentor program is to support students' success in school. Project Inspire Mentors are volunteers who are willing to spend 30 minutes once a week to connect and build relationships with one or more students so they feel valued at school, have someone to support them in achieving their goals, and cheer them on. |
|
|
© 2025 Community ISD | 611 FM 1138 North | Nevada, TX 75173 |
|
|
|
