COPPERAS COVE – A key program in Copperas Cove has been expanded for next school year.
Tuesday evening, during its regular meeting, the Copperas Cove ISD Board of Trustees approved the expansion of Capturing Kids’ Hearts for the 2026-27 school year.
While the program has been in place at the four junior high and high school campuses in CCISD for the past three years, the trustees’ approval allows for the district to expand the program to serve all 11 campuses.
“Capturing Kids’ Hearts is a program which helps us make sure we build a positive campus culture that students are excited to participate in,” said Superintendent Dr. Brent Hawkins. “We have seen tremendous benefits since rolling out the program in Copperas Cove ISD and I am confident that this expansion will only multiply those benefits and help us begin creating a sense of belonging for all of our Bulldawgs at a younger age.”
Since the initial adoption of Capturing Kids’ Hearts in CCISD, the four secondary campuses have each seen a reduction in disciplinary incidents and an increase in staff retention rates.
“By implementing this program, we will be able to create greater familiarity with the processes for our younger students, which we hope will make the transition to junior high smoother,” Dr. Hawkins said. “It will also create a districtwide standard for our campus culture, which will greatly benefit both students and staff for next year.”
The trustees also approved a trio of facility improvements in the district.
One of these improvements is the repair and replacement of the roofs at S.C. Lee Jr. High and the Avenue D Office Complex, which houses Child Nutrition, the warehouse and other district departments. The repair and replacement is being funded through a combination of insurance and fund balance.
The second facility improvement is the retrofitting of lighting across multiple campuses and facilities. These lights, notably at Bulldawg Stadium, the outdoor practice fields at CCHS, the CCHS tennis courts, the CCHS baseball field and softball field were damaged by hail and are not functioning properly.
The new lights will be LED and allow for improved safety for students and staff, alike, and help the district offset a projected $1 million increase in electrical costs for the 2026-27 fiscal year.
The final facility-related approval was the purchase of replacement furniture for Williams/Ledger Elementary School. This purchase is funded by a combination of insurance and fund balance after the campus sustained widespread damage after storms last spring and summer. The WLE campus is on track to reopen for the 2026-27 school year.
“These three facility improvements are instrumental in meeting a set standard for both the students and taxpayers in our district,” Dr. Hawkins said. “By getting our facilities into improved replacement cycles, it will do all we can to prevent catastrophic events moving forward. It will also help us serve as better stewards of taxpayer funds and minimize our operating expenses as much as we are able.”
All three approved facility measures will be in place for the 2026-27 school year. Progress on facility work in Copperas Cove ISD can be viewed at www.CCISD.com/Construction.
The Board of Trustees is next scheduled to hold its Special Called/Workshop Meeting on June 8th at 5 p.m., followed by its Regular Meeting at 6 p.m. June 22nd. Both meetings will be held in the Board Room at the District Service & Training Center on South Main Street.
Agendas for each meeting are posted three business days prior outside the CCISD Service & Training Center. Once posted, they can be viewed online at www.CCISD.com/SchoolBoard.