April 2026 Parent Newsletter

On the cover: April is Child Abuse Prevention Month, and campuses across the District displayed #CardboardKids to bring awareness and encourage healthy, safe family relationships. Pictured are CardboardKids at Ott Elementary School. 

Give your child a joyful jumpstart with Northside ISD’s tuition-free full-day Pre-K—where learning feels like play and every day sparks curiosity! In our warm, welcoming classrooms, certified early childhood teachers turn discovery into adventure through hands-on, play-based activities that build confidence, creativity, and essential skills for success.

Families consistently tell us they value safe schools, strong instruction, and a true sense of community—and that’s exactly what our Pre-K delivers. From making new friends to building early academic foundations, your child will be supported every step of the way.

Join the thousands of families choosing Northside ISD for a fun, engaging first school experience—enroll today and let the adventure begin! 

To find out if you qualify and to register, click here. 

Raba 5th Grader Takes Grand Prize in River Parade Art Contest

Fifth grader Jacob Munoz from Raba Elementary School took home the Grand Prize in the Texas Cavaliers River Parade Cover Contest! 

Munoz’s win earned him a UTSA art camp scholarship, prizes from Whataburger, the San Antonio Zoo, and H-E-B, plus $10,000 for his school’s art program. His artwork—along with fellow finalists—will be featured on a VIA bus across San Antonio. He will also ride in the 2026 Texas Cavaliers River Parade with his teacher, Katrina Gonzalez, helping kick off Fiesta.

Other NISD finalists are Demi Otinga, fourth grade, Forester ES; Sia Mithra Alagarraj, fifth grade, Steubing ES; Catherine Pyle, fourth grade, Carnahan ES; and Johan Rendon, fourth grade, Leon Valley ES. 

Click here for more details and pictures. 

Check out what's going on during Summer School 

When the bell rings on May 21, the teaching and learning do not stop. 

NISD offers an array of Summer School opportunities as a way to catch up in your studies, learn something new, or try to get ahead.

NISD offers a wide variety of courses, including regular high school summer programs for remediation and acceleration, programs for middle and elementary school, and state-mandated programs. There are also a number of enrichment courses and camps that allow students to explore and have fun while learning something new.

For additional information and course offerings, visit the NISD Summer Learning website.

District Announces 2026 District Educators of the Year

Three first-year and three veteran teachers were named District Educators of the Year at special celebrations held annually to honor teachers who give 100 percent to improving children's lives. 

The 2026 Northside First-Year Educators of the Year are:

• Angie Reyes-Gonzales, a Special Education teacher at Franklin Elementary School
• Gabriella Stewart, a language arts/reading teacher at Folks Middle School
• Kristin Alaniz, a science teacher at Harlan High School

The 2026 Northside Educators of the Year are: 

• Melissa Tobias, a bilingual/dual language teacher at Burke Elementary School
• Saul Cepeda, a science teacher at Hobby Health Science Magnet Middle School
• Patricia Zinn, a bilingual/dual language teacher at Clark High School

To view pictures from both events, click here. To watch the videos from both celebrations, click here. 

Golfers sweep the Green

Brandeis Golf crushed it at the District 27-6A Tournament, and has the hardware to show for it.

• Individual Champ: Claire McMyler took home the gold with a dominant score of 146. She's headed to Regionals.
• Regional Bound: The Boys Team (Luke DeWall, Austin Lytton, Syen Karia, Alex Gutierrez, & Logan Reid) secured their spot by finishing as District Runner-Up. 

In addition, Jay HS golfer Isabella Villaneuva won the Girls District 28-5A Individual Championship with a combined score of 178 to advance to the 5A Region IV Tournament. 

Kudos to these outstanding golfers and their Coaches, Jim Welton (Brandeis) and Ruben Salvador (Jay). 

Game On: 400+ Gamers Face Off

Over 400 students from middle and high schools across our district came together recently to compete in the NISD Esports Spring 2026 Qualifiers!

Our middle school gamers kicked things off bright and early, bringing their A-game to the morning session with some seriously competitive rounds of Mario Kart and Super Smash Bros. That afternoon, our high schoolers took the stage, adding Marvel Rivals to the mix, and brought the competition to the next level.

Rising to the top are Holmes and Sotomayor, tied for first; Warren HS in second place; and Harlan in third place. These teams, along with others, advance to the District Championship event on April 18. 

Click here to view the list of top teams. 

STEM in Action: Young Innovators Shine at LEGO Challenge

Robots, creativity, and a little friendly competition—it was game on as nearly 180 students from 16 Northside ISD elementary and middle school campuses faced off in the FIRST LEGO League Masterpiece Challenge! 🤖✨

Teams battled it out in separate brackets, showing off their skills, innovation, and teamwork—but in the end, Fields Elementary and Hector Garcia Middle School claimed the ultimate bragging rights as Grand Champions of Northside ISD!

Each team impressed volunteer judges during a 30-minute session, where they were evaluated on robot design, innovation projects, and their demonstration of the FIRST Core Values. Their final score combined those results with their top performance from three tries at the robot game table—so every move counted!

Through hands-on challenges like this, FIRST LEGO League brings STEM to life in a way that’s engaging, creative, and just plain fun. This year’s Unearthed theme pushed students to dig deep and explore the creativity all around them—and they delivered in a big way!

Click here for the full list of winners.

Play ball -- new District Athletic Complex Opens

The District held a ribbon-cutting on Wednesday and officially opened its new Northside Sports Complex, a facility designed to expand opportunities and support student-athletes.

The complex features two turf ballfields with seating for 1,000 spectators each, along with batting cages, bullpens, lighting, dugouts, and press boxes. It also includes a cross-country course, turf staging area, and amenities such as restrooms, concessions, team rooms, and a training room.

Serving all high schools and middle schools, the facility will benefit more than 1,500 student-athletes each year. The project was made possible through the community’s support of the 2022 bond.

Click on graphic to enlarge

Public Notice and Input Requested/Aviso público y comentarios solicitados

Northside ISD is applying for federal grants and welcomes your input on how to use these funds to support students, staff, and families next school year. You can learn more about these grants here, and you can click here to give us your input and feedback on the 2026-2027 federal grant applications. Public comment is open from Tuesday, April 7, 2026 - Friday, May 22, 2026.

Northside ISD está solicitando subvenciones federales y agradece sus comentarios sobre cómo utilizar estos fondos para apoyar a los estudiantes, el personal y las familias durante el próximo año escolar. Puede obtener más información sobre estas subvenciones aquí, y puede hacer clic aquí para compartir sus comentarios sobre las solicitudes de subvenciones federales para el año escolar 2026-2027. El plazo para recibir comentarios públicos está abierto desde el lunes 7 de abril de 2026 hasta el viernes 22 de mayo de 2026.