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West Elementary School

Where all students... Serve, Lead, and Grow!

Trojan Tidbits: August 19, 2026

Posted Date: 08/19/26 (05:13 PM)
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District Updates
  • New Football Scrimmage Game Times: Tomorrow night, Thursday, August 20, 2026, the West High School Football Scrimmages vs. Mart are now at 5:30 PM for JV and 6:45 PM for Varsity. Both games are at Trojan Field (FREE Admission and the Concession Stand will be open.).
  • UIL Fan Behavior Policy: Under Texas Senate Bill (SB) 2929, game and University Interscholastic League (UIL) officials can now immediately eject unruly or disruptive spectators from athletic events without issuing a prior warning. Ejected fans must then leave immediately, the decision is final, and schools face a strict three-strike limit before losing host-officials privileges. The district then is required to add a suspension period. Let's all come to the games and cheer on the Trojans and Lady Trojans!
  • STOPit Safety and Bully Reporting System: STOPit is the district's anonymous incident reporting system for students and parents for all safety and bully reporting needs. STOPit has an app feature you can download or the link is saved on your student's Chromebook main login page or the West ISD website (first button on the first row of the page). 
  • Upcoming Special Called Board Meeting: Next Wednesday, August 26, 2026, the district is set to host a Public Hearing on the proposed 2026-2027 district tax rate and budget along with possible Board approval at 6:00 PM at the West ISD Administration Building. To review the tax rate and budget figures, here is the article I submitted to "The West News" this week: https://files.smartsites.parentsquare.com/5758/2026-2027_west_isd_budget_and_tax_rate_news_article.pdf. 
2026-2027 West ISD New & Returning Student Online Registration
  • 2026-2027 Federal Free and Reduced Meal Application: https://www.myschoolapps.com/Home/PickDistrict 
    • Possible Benefits for Qualification: Daily Meal Savings, Summer Grocery Assistance (SUN Bucks), Reduced Testing & Exam Fees, College Application Fee Waivers, Home Internet & Technology Discounts, and Extracurricular & Local Waivers.
    • All approved reduced meal applications will receive 100% free meals. 
    • To add money to your student's meal account, please go to the following website: https://www.myschoolbucks.com/ver2/getmain?requestAction=home. Please note the Child Nutrition Department has a plan in place to cover all fees. 
Emergency Operations Safety Drills
  • "I Love You Guys" Overview: This week, all campuses have been instructing, discussing, and practicing the district's emergency operations safety protocols and drills. Across West ISD, all campuses utilize the "I Love You Guys" Foundation’s Standard Response Protocol (SRP) clear, standardized framework for emergency preparedness and incident management. Built around direct, actionable language, the system ensures that students, staff, and first responders share a unified vocabulary during a crisis. Each protocol corresponds to specific environmental, situational, or security threats, streamlining human behavior to minimize panic and reaction time. By standardizing these actions across West ISD and local emergency services, the SRP creates a scalable, predictable environment where life-saving directives are understood instantly by everyone involved. Here are the five directives all campuses are reviewing this week:
    • Hold: "In Your Room or Area." Used to clear hallways and keep students in classrooms while an isolated situation—such as a medical emergency or spill—is addressed inside the building.
    • Secure: "Get Inside. Lock Outside Doors." Activated during external threats near the school campus, ensuring outer doors are locked while normal business continues inside.
    • Lockdown: "Locks, Lights, Out of Sight." Executed when an active threat or intruder is inside or immediately threatening the building, requiring occupants to hide, stay quiet, and secure individual rooms.
    • Evacuate: "To a Location." Triggered to move students and staff out of the building to a pre-determined safe zone in response to hazards like fires, chemical leaks, or structural issues.
    • Shelter: "State Hazard and Safety Strategy." Used during natural disasters or environmental hazards (e.g., tornadoes, hazmat spills), requiring specific protective actions like taking cover or sealing a room.
  • To see the "I Love You Guys" drills in action, here is a short video that provided us: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jH-EY3yGZDs&t=54s.
  • Please note the district will hold a Reunification Drill tomorrow, August 20, 2026. The drill is to simply practice loading all students and staff onto our district bus fleet in case of an actual emergency. This drill affords the district the opportunity to ensure all students and staff can adequately load and fit on our 18 buses. 
Current District Openings
  • The following positions are still open for the 2026-2027 school year: School Bus Aide, Classroom Aides, Custodian, Maintenance/Grounds, and Substitutes. If interested in applying, please contact David Timmons, Assistant Superintendent, at (254) 981-2000 or dtimmons@westist.net. The positions and online applications are also posted on the West ISD website under "Careers". 

For questions or additional information, please contact David Truitt, Superintendent, at (254) 981-2000.