The Arlington ISD Board of Trustees met on Thursday, Aug. 13, and here are some of the highlights.
We’re proud to announce that Arlington ISD was the only district with two Teacher of the Year finalists in Region 11 for 2025-2026. The board honored the two outstand educators at their meeting. Congratulations to Heaven Tello, from Barnett Junior High, and Pamela Lewis, from Morton Elementary.
Then Bret Champion, Arlington ISD’s Chief of Schools Officer, gave the board an overview of the first day of school and shared highlights from across the district. Thank you to everyone who made it an outstanding first day.
Later, Superintendent Dr. Matt Smith and Deputy Superintendent Dr. Jennifer Collins shared a draft of the key performance measures they plan to implement for the 2026-2027 school year. The KPMs have been developed for each of the district’s board-adopted priorities: academic growth, culture, safety and discipline, marketing and engagement, and talent and resources.
Those priorities are also the pillars for the district’s new strategic plan, which the board officially adopted at last night’s meeting. The plan is designed to set the tone and objectives for the next five years. Learn more about the strategic plan.
Finally, the board re-approved several partnerships that the district has with universities in Texas. One is with Texas Woman’s University. The Texas Woman’s University G-Force Project at Bowie High School promotes postsecondary enrollment and student success through a campus-based Go Center staffed by TWU G-Force mentors. They support students as they navigate the transition to postsecondary education and career pathways.
Another partnership re-approved by the board is with the University of Texas at Arlington for STEM and dual credit courses. Through this agreement with UTA, students from Martin’s STEM Academy can complete a number of first- and second-year STEM college courses at UTA prior to high school graduation.
Those are just a few of the highlights from tonight. If you’d like more information on any of these items or any of the items not covered in this Board Brief, you can watch the entire board meeting.