Caldwell ISD starts school year with new additions, renovated spaces

CALDWELL, Texas (KBTX) – Caldwell ISD welcomed nearly 1,900 students, new teachers and new staff members to a new school year Tuesday.

Caldwell High School is starting the year with a new principal and a new athletic director. The high school also has a newly renovated commons area and bathrooms.

“I know the high school students are going to be really excited when they get to campus today,” Tammie Novosad said.

It’ll be easier for students and their families to keep up with district-wide updates like renovations, new hires and events this school year, according to Novosad. She serves as the district’s communications and social media officer and said updates will be sent via email and social more frequently this school year.

“My no. 1 goal this year is working on improving our communication with parents,” Novosad said.

In addition to the updates, the district has done a lot during the summer to prepare for a productive year. Many teachers participated in conferences and training to improve their classes and skills.

“There’s a lot of work done behind the scenes that’s done starting back in May,” the district’s chief academic officer Erin Supak said. “We’ve worked on scheduling, we’ve worked on staffing, we’ve worked on district goals for the year, and today is the day that it all comes together for us.”

The district’s main priority is for students to achieve academic success, according to Supak.

“Whether that’s the student who’s coming into school for the first time or that senior who’s walking through those doors for the last time,” Supak said.

Caldwell Intermediate School’s dean of students, Nicki Drgac, said administrators and teachers setting a positive tone for their students daily is one way they intend to help them reach their academic potential.

“We prepared to, of course, have a positive, welcoming culture,” Drgac said. “We want everyone to feel welcomed as they join into our campus each day.”

One way the intermediate school will be reinforcing positivity is by having a daily meeting with fourth through sixth-grade students.

“It does set the tone,” Drgac said. “We focus on celebrations. We celebrate birthdays, we do student shout-outs and staff shout-outs. A lot of those are student led, so we are encouraging students to notice the positive going on on campus.”

Caldwell Junior High School teacher and coach Devin Morris is also looking forward to a positive school year as he helps junior high and high school students prepare for college. This will be done through the district’s AVID program, which stands for Advancement Via Individual Determination.

In addition, he’s excited about seeing the junior high and high school athletes in action this fall. He said many spent the summer working out and practicing.

“A lot of kids are showing up and working hard, so I’m just excited to see what they can do when the season starts,” Morris said.

For more on Caldwell ISD and the 2023-2024 school year, click here.