Let me be among the first to welcome all of the students and staff of Hays CISD to a brand new school year.

We celebrate the opening of two new schools this year—Blanco Vista Elementary School and Camino Real Elementary School—and look forward to making even greater strides in student performance.

Construction on the new middle school, located on Highway 150, east of Interstate 35, near Hemphill Elementary School, is on the fast track and we hope to open the 6th-8th grade campus by August 2009. Because of the burgeoning middle school enrollment numbers, we have given Barton Middle School back its third wing.

Since its inception in 1999, The Academy@Hays, the district’s alternative high school of choice, has been housed at Barton Middle School. This year the school has a new name, Academy High School, and a new location, the South Campus of Hays High School.

We celebrate an exemplary campus, Elm Grove Elementary School and a handful of recognized campuses—Fuentes Elementary, Buda Elementary, Kyle Elementary and Negley Elementary School. Most importantly, we celebrate progress made by all campuses. We are moving in the right direction.

We will have a full staff of enthusiastic educators, ready to make a difference in our students’ lives. The hiring flurry has not let up throughout the summer; more than 200 new teachers are joining our ranks this year. I ask that you, as parents, join the ranks of the involved this year. We have wonderful teachers, but our students don’t learn in a vacuum. You play a critical role in their development. Together we all make Hays CISD - A Place Where Ideas Grow.

I am excited about this school year. Let’s make it the best one yet. It will surely take all of our efforts.

Sincerely,