Today, we honor those who have given up their lives to protect our freedom. We remember.
Hempstead ISD is closed today, Monday, May 25, in observance of Memorial Day. School is out for the summer, but staff will return tomorrow on Tuesday, May 26.
Hempstead ISD announces Kris Gordon as the new Athletic Director and Head Football Coach. Gordon has more than 30 years of experience, and 15 of those years he has served as an athletic head coach and coordinator.
This spring, Gordon has served as the Interim Athletic Director, where he has already made a meaningful impact through his leadership, commitment to student-athletes, and dedication to strengthening the culture of the athletic program. In addition to overseeing athletic operations, he has built strong relationships with students, coaches, staff, and families across the district.
Let's Go Bobcats! Hempstead ISD Athletics Learn More: https://tinyurl.com/3w7yyfbu #HigherHeights
This spring, Gordon has served as the Interim Athletic Director, where he has already made a meaningful impact through his leadership, commitment to student-athletes, and dedication to strengthening the culture of the athletic program. In addition to overseeing athletic operations, he has built strong relationships with students, coaches, staff, and families across the district.
Let's Go Bobcats! Hempstead ISD Athletics Learn More: https://tinyurl.com/3w7yyfbu #HigherHeights
The 2026-2027 Athletic Season starts here! Hempstead ISD Athletics is hosting a sports physicals event from 2 to 5 p.m. on Wednesday, May 13. Cost is $20. It is encouraged for parents to attend and provide health information for their student(s). This event is open to students in Grades 7-12. Both middle school and high school athletes must have a current physical to participate in athletic programs. This includes UIL sports, band, and cheer programs.
Ready to start your little one’s learning journey? Join us for our Pre-K Enrollment Event! 📚
Our Hempstead Early Childhood Center team will be on-site to help Pre-K 3 and Pre-K 4 families complete enrollment, answer questions, and prepare students for an amazing school year ahead.
📍 Hempstead Early Childhood Center
📅 Monday, May 11
⏰ 8:30 AM to 7:30 PM
Give your child a strong start! We can’t wait to welcome our future Bobcat learners! #HigherHeights
Read More: https://tinyurl.com/55d4j2hh
Our Hempstead Early Childhood Center team will be on-site to help Pre-K 3 and Pre-K 4 families complete enrollment, answer questions, and prepare students for an amazing school year ahead.
📍 Hempstead Early Childhood Center
📅 Monday, May 11
⏰ 8:30 AM to 7:30 PM
Give your child a strong start! We can’t wait to welcome our future Bobcat learners! #HigherHeights
Read More: https://tinyurl.com/55d4j2hh
Our Hempstead Middle School 6th-grade students are currently participating in a grade-level book study.
Today, we are celebrating five superstar Bobcat Teachers for being named 2026 Teacher Incentive Allotment (TIA) recipients. Teachers can be recognized at three levels: Recognized, Exemplary, and Master. The following teachers have helped their students show major academic gains. Help us congratulate them! Read More: hempsteadisd.org/news
Hempstead Early Childhood Center:
Sandra Lozano - Recognized
Hempstead Elementary:
JoKeisha Campbell - Exemplary
Dominique Donald - Master
Hempstead High School
Christine Herbert - Master
Kristen Payne - Exemplary
Hempstead Early Childhood Center:
Sandra Lozano - Recognized
Hempstead Elementary:
JoKeisha Campbell - Exemplary
Dominique Donald - Master
Hempstead High School
Christine Herbert - Master
Kristen Payne - Exemplary
The Hempstead High School Theatre Co. UIL One-Act Play is state-bound! The HHS One-Act Play, Lord of the Flies (Abridged), will compete against other districts at the UIL 3A OAP State Competition on Wednesday, May 13, at the Austin ISD Performing Arts Center. General Admission tickets are $18 plus fees and are only valid for one session. Hempstead ISD will be performing during Session 2. The session will start at 6:30 p.m. To purchase tickets, please visit www.uiltexas.org/theatre/state.
Hey Bobcat Fans! May 1-2, we will cheer on our Hempstead High School track and field UIL Regional Qualifiers. They are competing at Huntsville ISD Stadium in the following events:
✅Boys 4x100 M Run
✅Girls Open 100 M Run
✅Boys Open 100 M Run
✅Boys Open 200 M Run
✅Long Jump
May 1 | Running Events Begin at 3 PM
May 2 | Field Events Begin at 9 AM
May 2 | Finals for Running Events Begin at 2:50 PM
Tickets can be purchased online: https://www.hornetnation.info/HTtickets. All spectators are $10. Children 5 and under are FREE. No cash will be accepted at the gate. Get your tickets now!
🚍 We’re Hiring Bus Drivers! Join Our Team!
Are you looking for a job that fits your life and makes a difference? We’ve got the perfect opportunity!
Bobcat Bus Drivers Receive:
✔️ Year-round pay
✔️ Excellent benefits
✔️ 5-hour guaranteed daily schedule
✔️ Paid holidays
✔️ Professional training provided
✔️ A schedule that works with your family life
Make an impact every day by safely transporting our students while enjoying a consistent schedule and great perks. Drive with purpose. Drive with us. Apply today at www.hempsteadisd.org/careers
Are you looking for a job that fits your life and makes a difference? We’ve got the perfect opportunity!
Bobcat Bus Drivers Receive:
✔️ Year-round pay
✔️ Excellent benefits
✔️ 5-hour guaranteed daily schedule
✔️ Paid holidays
✔️ Professional training provided
✔️ A schedule that works with your family life
Make an impact every day by safely transporting our students while enjoying a consistent schedule and great perks. Drive with purpose. Drive with us. Apply today at www.hempsteadisd.org/careers
Ms. Peyton's 7th-Grade Class is working on setting up proportions to find the value of X. As students worked problems, Ms. Peyton monitored their progress, and those who had the correct answer became student teachers. The student teachers went from student to student, providing additional assistance. We love it when the students become the teachers! #BeBold #JoyinLearning
We were honored to welcome District 18 Texas State Senator Lois Kolkhorst to Hempstead ISD today!
During the visit, the Senator spent time with our student ambassadors, teachers, staff, principals, and superintendent, gaining a firsthand look at the good work happening across our district.
Thank you for taking the time to learn more about our district and to connect with the Bobcat students and staff who make our district great!
Bobcat Staff Spotlight: Ms. Thibodeaux
Hempstead Elementary School | ISS Teacher
In the often-challenging environment of In-School Suspension (ISS), it takes a truly remarkable educator to transform a disciplinary space into a room of growth and reflection. Ms. Thibodeaux does exactly that, every single day.
What sets Ms. Thibodeaux apart is her unwavering commitment to restorative practices. Rather than viewing ISS as a place for simple isolation, she sees it as a critical window for connection. She doesn’t just monitor students; she builds bridges with them. By listening with empathy and engaging in honest dialogue, she helps students understand the "why" behind their actions, fostering a sense of accountability that sticks long after they return to the traditional classroom. She has a unique gift for seeing the potential in every student, ensuring they feel valued even when they’ve stumbled.
Whether it’s subbing for a last-minute vacancy or covering a colleague’s class during a crisis, she does so with a smile, and she never complains. Her "can-do" spirit and selfless dedication provide a sense of stability that benefits the entire faculty and student body alike.
We are incredibly lucky to have her in our halls, turning challenges into opportunities for grace. #HigherHeights
Hempstead Elementary School | ISS Teacher
In the often-challenging environment of In-School Suspension (ISS), it takes a truly remarkable educator to transform a disciplinary space into a room of growth and reflection. Ms. Thibodeaux does exactly that, every single day.
What sets Ms. Thibodeaux apart is her unwavering commitment to restorative practices. Rather than viewing ISS as a place for simple isolation, she sees it as a critical window for connection. She doesn’t just monitor students; she builds bridges with them. By listening with empathy and engaging in honest dialogue, she helps students understand the "why" behind their actions, fostering a sense of accountability that sticks long after they return to the traditional classroom. She has a unique gift for seeing the potential in every student, ensuring they feel valued even when they’ve stumbled.
Whether it’s subbing for a last-minute vacancy or covering a colleague’s class during a crisis, she does so with a smile, and she never complains. Her "can-do" spirit and selfless dedication provide a sense of stability that benefits the entire faculty and student body alike.
We are incredibly lucky to have her in our halls, turning challenges into opportunities for grace. #HigherHeights
Bobcat Staff Spotlight: Ms. Lozano
Hempstead Early Childhood Center| Pre-K Teacher
Ms. Lozano has recently earned her Master's of Educational Administration from our district partner, Grand Canyon University.
She is a proud graduate of Hempstead High School and Prairie View A&M University. She continues to give back to her community through her work as a bilingual Pre-K teacher, and in her 8th year of teaching, she serves as a team leader on her campus and on various campus committees.
Hempstead ISD employees like Ms. Lozano are eligible to further their educational goals through Grand Canyon University. Learn More: https://tinyurl.com/2s3b7c5h #HigherHeights
Hempstead Early Childhood Center| Pre-K Teacher
Ms. Lozano has recently earned her Master's of Educational Administration from our district partner, Grand Canyon University.
She is a proud graduate of Hempstead High School and Prairie View A&M University. She continues to give back to her community through her work as a bilingual Pre-K teacher, and in her 8th year of teaching, she serves as a team leader on her campus and on various campus committees.
Hempstead ISD employees like Ms. Lozano are eligible to further their educational goals through Grand Canyon University. Learn More: https://tinyurl.com/2s3b7c5h #HigherHeights
Hempstead ISD invites our families, staff, and community members to attend a Vaccine Clinic and Blood Drive from now until 3:00 p.m. on March 17, in the Hempstead High School small gym, 801 Donoho Street. We encourage all eligible community members to consider participating. Taking proactive steps to support your family’s health and contributing to the health of others makes a meaningful difference.
We would like to recognize and thank our Bobcat Educational Diagnosticians for their dedication to supporting students across our district. Through collaboration with students, families, and staff, they help identify needs, guide services, and provide resources to ensure that every student receives the support necessary to reach their full potential.
Thank you Tammy Derkowski, Joy Guercio, Terri Hall, and Kara McClung!
We appreciate you for all that you do for the students of Hempstead ISD. #HigherHeights
Thank you Tammy Derkowski, Joy Guercio, Terri Hall, and Kara McClung!
We appreciate you for all that you do for the students of Hempstead ISD. #HigherHeights
It was a beautiful day to celebrate the groundbreaking of the @BlinnCollege - Waller Campus. Our partnership with Blinn College helps provide access to postsecondary opportunities for our Bobcat students. Congratulations and welcome to Waller County!
Seventh-grade students at Hempstead Middle School stepped into the world of exploration and discovery, thanks to a STEM Day hosted by cadets from the United States Military Academy at West Point and Prairie View A&M University.
This experience was made possible through the Center for Leader Development in STEM (CLDSTEM) at the United States Military Academy at West Point, in partnership with Prairie View A&M University, through a mini-grant from the Army Education Outreach program.
Together, these institutions brought students a full day of hands-on STEM activities designed to spark curiosity, strengthen critical thinking, and inspire future leaders in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
Read More: https://tinyurl.com/3tuk9eau
This experience was made possible through the Center for Leader Development in STEM (CLDSTEM) at the United States Military Academy at West Point, in partnership with Prairie View A&M University, through a mini-grant from the Army Education Outreach program.
Together, these institutions brought students a full day of hands-on STEM activities designed to spark curiosity, strengthen critical thinking, and inspire future leaders in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
Read More: https://tinyurl.com/3tuk9eau
Hempstead ISD parents are invited to attend a student/parent/teacher conference at their child's campus on March 16 or March 17.
Monday, March 16
Hempstead Middle School & Hempstead High School
Tuesday, March 17
Hempstead Early Childhood Center & Hempstead Elementary School
The conferences are by appointment only, and campuses have started reaching out to families to set up appointments.
If a parent/guardian has not been contacted by March 11 and would like to request a meeting with your child's teacher, families are encouraged to reach out via Rooms, in the District App. Parents are encouraged to bring their child with them.
Monday, March 16
Hempstead Middle School & Hempstead High School
Tuesday, March 17
Hempstead Early Childhood Center & Hempstead Elementary School
The conferences are by appointment only, and campuses have started reaching out to families to set up appointments.
If a parent/guardian has not been contacted by March 11 and would like to request a meeting with your child's teacher, families are encouraged to reach out via Rooms, in the District App. Parents are encouraged to bring their child with them.
Hempstead ISD Communications was recognized with nine Star Awards from the Texas School Public Relations Association (TSPRA) for excellence in school communications during the 2024-2025 school year. Hempstead ISD Communications earned two Gold Stars, four Silver Stars, and 3 Bronze Star Awards.
This recognition highlights the good work and powerful stories happening across our district as we celebrate our schools, students, and staff reaching #HigherHeights.
Read More: https://tinyurl.com/53r3w2zv
This recognition highlights the good work and powerful stories happening across our district as we celebrate our schools, students, and staff reaching #HigherHeights.
Read More: https://tinyurl.com/53r3w2zv
February Board Report:
The Hempstead ISD Board of Trustees met on Monday, February 23, 2026. During the board meeting, a Public Hearing on the 2024-2025 Texas Academic Performance Reports (TAPR) was held. Hempstead ISD Superintendent Herbert O’Neil also provided his monthly Superintendent’s Report, Bond 2024 Updates, and celebrated the February Students, Campus Teachers, and Support Staff of the Month. #HigherHeights
Check it out: https://tinyurl.com/28zcjew9
The Hempstead ISD Board of Trustees met on Monday, February 23, 2026. During the board meeting, a Public Hearing on the 2024-2025 Texas Academic Performance Reports (TAPR) was held. Hempstead ISD Superintendent Herbert O’Neil also provided his monthly Superintendent’s Report, Bond 2024 Updates, and celebrated the February Students, Campus Teachers, and Support Staff of the Month. #HigherHeights
Check it out: https://tinyurl.com/28zcjew9
