Concordia University Texas
Concordia University Texas’ new executive leadership team began operating in July and includes President/CEO Don Christian; Provost/Chief Academic Officer Erik Ankerberg; Beth Atherton, vice president of external relations/chief advancement officer; Brad Johnston, vice president of operations/Chief Financial Officer; Kristi Kirk, executive vice president/chief mission officer; and Chief Strategy Officer Shane Sokoll.
Ronda Seagraves, a former Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Coach of the Year and athletic director for Southwestern University in Georgetown, was named Athletic Director for Concordia University Texas Nov. 2.
Construction of Concordia’s $4 million softball field was completed in late 2015 and is ready for the first game Feb. 12. The softball field is the first phase of a development that will include a 12,000-square-foot athletic facility.
Concordia added men’s and women’s NCAA Division III tennis programs to its 2015-16 sports offerings. The tennis programs resumed at the college following a seven-year absence and are headed by coach Daniel Whitehead. The teams practice at the River Place Country Club.
LEANDER ISD
Effective Jan. 1, 2016, Leander ISD will offer videos of its board meetings on its website. The passage of House Bill 283 requires Texas school districts with 10,000 or more students to record regularly scheduled meetings and make the video available online within seven days after the meeting occurs.
In the fall, LISD staff began training for suicide prevention as a result of new state legislation passed in 2015. The training includes how to identify students who may be contemplating suicide. For the 2015-16 school year, LISD also hired seven additional counselors who support students with academic needs as well as offer mental health guidance.
On Aug. 24, Christine Camacho Elementary School opened at 501 Municipal Drive in Leander. Principal Terri Breaux leads the campus that focuses on science, technology, engineering and math curriculum. There are 42 classrooms at CCES, all of which include collaboration tables instead of individual desks.
Voters elected Trish Bode and re-elected trustee Don Hisle to LISD’s board of trustees May 9.
In the 2015-16 school year, the district began the implementation of Mobile Leander ISD, an initiative to help students learn digitally by making devices—including laptops, tablets and desktop computers—available in classrooms.
LAKE TRAVIS ISD
The Lake Travis ISD board of trustees approved the purchase of 11 new school buses in November. LTISD transports approximately 3,600 students each day.
The Lake Travis High School annex opened in September for the 2015-16 school year. The annex accommodates the district’s growing student population.
Paula Contreras was appointed as the new principal of Lake Pointe Elementary School in July.
EANES ISD
Colleen Jones was named Eanes ISD board of trustees president in October, replacing Beau Ross, who remains a trustee.
The Westlake High School student-run business Chap Ads began selling, creating and maintaining advertising on EISD buses.
EISD finalized the sale of its 86.7-acre River Hills Road property to Tires Made Easy Inc. for $4 million as well as the lease of its 27.4-acre tract off Bee Caves Road—the Baldwin property—to the Western Hills Little League for the development of five youth sports fields. As part of the agreement, TME deeded 15 acres of River Hills land to WHLL for the development of four additional fields.
