SISD Superintendent

As we move through March and into April, our campuses are full of energy and momentum! Along with beautiful weather (and hopefully rain too), Spring brings a renewed sense of focus, and our students and staff are rising to the challenge in the classroom, in competitions, and in extracurricular activities. This time of year always highlights the hard work and dedication that define our school community.

We are also seeing exciting progress across our district as bond projects continue to take shape, reinforcing our commitment to providing the very best learning environments for our students. At the same time, we are entering an important stretch of the school year, with STAAR testing, performances, and end-of-year events just around the corner.

Thank you for your continued support of our students, staff, and community. It’s a great time to be a Yegua!

Students

Kaleb Leang, High School

Kylee Tenorio, High School

Jaylon Franklin, Intermediate School

Emma Reyes, Elementary School.

Teachers

Nikki Kaldis, High School

Morgan Schuenemann, Elem./Int.

Paraprofessionals

Linda Lauderdale, High School

Natalie Youel, Elem./Int.

Last week, our Elementary/Intermediate Library hosted its annual book fair. On Wednesday, we opened our doors after-hours for Family Night!

Thanks again to everyone who helped us achieve another successful book fair this year!

If you have driven through the district in the last several weeks, you can see major progress underway! The two houses on district property that were scheduled for demolition are now gone, and that has made a tremendous visual difference! Asbestos abatement is still happening at the old junior high building and will be demolished shortly thereafter.

In the meantime, various school district personnel meet weekly, and sometimes more often, with SZS and Collier Construction to discuss design changes, budget concerns, construction timelines, and overall design for all of our 2025 bond projects. We are thankful for everyone's diligence in ensuring we deliver a final product that our community will be proud of for generations to come!

Phase I: During the March regular board meeting, the SISD Board of Trustees approved the Guaranteed Maximum Price of $30,901,888 for Phase I projects. This phase of the project includes building the new high school campus (including the new CTE center), remodeling the current high school to become the new junior high campus, and remodeling and construction of the current high school gymnasium. This is an important milestone and now allows the majority of Phase I to commence. A huge shoutout to our architectural firm, SZS, and Collier Construction for working incredibly hard to get our GMP within our initial proposed budget, despite rising fuel and transportation costs! 

Cosmetology Salon 

Cosmetology Salon 

Phase II: Schematic designs for Phase II projects are being finalized and will be sent to our project engineers very soon for the next step in the approval process. Phase II includes projects such as football stadium/field renovations, baseball and softball renovations, additional parking, and the construction of an Ag Barn. Everything that happens in Phase I directly impacts Phase II projects, so it is crucial that we remain mindful and diligent throughout this process.

Sprintime will remain very busy here at Somerville ISD, with various projects underway. If you have any questions about our 2025 bond project, please feel free to reach out to Eric Holton, Superintendent, Somerville ISD, at 979-596-2153 to set up a meeting or to discuss over the phone. 

Health Science Classroom

Health Science Classroom

So buckle your seatbelts, it is going to be a very busy spring here at Somerville ISD! If you have any questions about our 2025 bond project, please feel free to reach out to Eric Holton, Superintendent, Somerville ISD, at 979-596-2153 to set up a meeting or to discuss over the phone.

Baseball and Softball Concession Area

A pair of junior Lady Yegua softball players made college visits this month!

Kylie Neuendorff (left) spent time at Nelson University in Waxahachie, while Emma Williams (right) visited Midland College and received a full scholarship offer.

The Somerville ISD athletic programs are closing in on the postseason for spring sports. Baseball and softball are battling in a push for the playoffs over the next few weeks. 

District meets are also approaching for Yegua track & field and tennis, which will help set the stage for athletes fighting for qualification to the UIL State contests.

The Lady Yegua softball team has jumped out to a 4-2 start in district play, securing their spot in the playoffs!

The past week alone has been highlighted by standout performances from junior Emma Williams and freshman Abigail Richardson. Each recorded home runs against Milano and Burton, respectively. 

The Yegua baseball team remains in the hunt for a playoff spot, with crucial upcoming series against Burton, Milano, and Mumford still to come.

Somerville ISD would like to everyone who supported our Yegua Classic Baseball Tournament this month, sponsored by Evers & Sons. We enjoyed some good times and great games at Ray Pack Memorial Park!

Congratulations to Karys (KK) Ellis, who set two new school marks at the Happy Skrabanek Relays in Caldwell. She soared 15 feet, 11 inches in the girls long jump, and it followed up with a 27.06 time in the 200m dash!

The Yegua Powerlifting teams wrapped up their season with a strong showing at the Regional Meet.

For the boys, Moses Stickle and Roberto Garcia-Vega each finished 3rd in their weight class, putting them in line for state alternate recognition.

On the girls side, Ryann Dekneef and Deianca Nix each brought home medals with a 5th-place finish in their class. Congratulations to all our Yeguas on a fantastic season!

A special thanks to everyone who supported our Yeguas the Koppers Relays earlier month! 

For high school varsity, the Yeguas earned gold medals in four events at our yearly home track & field meet:

Last weekend, the Little Dribbler Yeguas competed at the Snook Regional Tournament. Three of our Yegua teams earned a 1st-place finish! 

Each of the teams will be competing at Nationals this weekend in Bryan. Best of luck and GO YEGUAS!!

Congratulations to our Yegua Band for earning more hardware in March! 

The band was recognized with the highest rating possible (Division I) for both the UIL Concert and Sightreading Contests.

While the Yeguas received straight "1s" from the judges, our band was dressed to the 9s for their performance. This was the first year the Yegua Band competed in formal concert attire at UIL.

Be sure to join us for the band's Spring Concert on Thursday, April 30th!

Students in our Ag Studies programs had a busy month, participating in several statewide and regional contests.

The Yeguas placed 1st in the Pearland Invitational for Land as a team. They also finished in 2nd for homesite and brought back several individual honors!

The Yeguas showed out and also competed at the Burleson County Vet Science Contest in March.

Olivia Vega finished 6th place individually at our SFA contest on Tuesday. The team finished 10th overall in land and 17th in homesite!

Congratulations to our senior, JaeLee Landolt, whose Santa Gertrudis heifer earned first in class at Rodeo Austin last Thursday!

Junior Hadley Howe also showed her heifers at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Austin. Her Angus heifer earned first in class in Houston! She also earned second in class with her heifer in Austin.

We will be holding our FFA Award Ceremony on Thursday, April 16, beginning at 6:00 p.m. in the Elementary Cafeteria.

Our FFA Area Contest will be held on Saturday, April 18 at Texas A&M.

This month, we held a medal ceremony for our Yeguas who competed in the Region 6 Visual Arts Scholastic Event (VASE).

Six of our students received the highest rating (4) in their division, making them Area winners!

Congratulations to each of our fabulous artists!

We know that a lack of after-school programming and early childhood learning opportunities remains a significant obstacle for many in our community.

For some time now, we have been working on potential solutions that we truly believe could be transformational for our entire Somerville ISD community. As a result, we are gauging community interest/need to potentially establish a Boys & Girls Club of Somerville and an early childhood learning care program.

If you have not already done so, please consider taking this short two-minute survey and helping us share it with other members of our community!

Somerville ISD was proud to recognize the amazing staff that keeps our district running smoothly! On March 18th, we treated our maintenance crew to breakfast tacos and an ice cream social at our campuses.

Our Pre-K students displayed their gratitude as well, making signs of appreciation for the work that they do Thanks again to our amazing group of employees!!

Somerville ISD was proud to celebrate Texas Educational Diagnosticians Week earlier this month!

Our local instructor, Mrs. Sandi Ricci, provides invaluable support, helping to ensure every child is reaching their full potential.

The Somerville ISD Education Foundation will recognize our staff with an Employee Appreciation Luncheon on Friday, April 10. 

Since its formation in 2022, SEF has raised more than $150,000 to benefit our students and teachers right here in Somerville ISD! Please consider being a part of the amazing work that this group does for our community!

Click below for more information on supporting the foundation through donations or volunteering.

Jennifer “Jen” Schultz-Plair, a native of Burleson County, graduated with honors from Somerville High School in 1994, where she earned accolades like Most Athletic, Best All Around, and Most Likely to Succeed. She was deeply involved in FFA and the National Honor Society. That year, she was recognized as the Texas Track and Field Athlete of the Year by the Texas Girls Coaches Association and won the U.S. Marine Corps Distinguished Athlete award. Jen capped off her senior year with three Gold Medals at the State Cross Country and State Track meets. (1 & 2 miles).

Jen received a full scholarship to McNeese State University, where she excelled in Cross Country and Track & Field. She became the Southland Conference 10,000-meter champion in 1999, qualified for nationals, and set a McNeese State record at the prestigious Drake Relays. Jen was named McNeese Cross Country and Track Athlete of the Year. She also earned a Bachelor of Science in Wildlife Management, ranking in the top 10% of her class. During her college years, she worked as a Seasonal Park Ranger at Somerville Lake.

After graduation, Jen joined the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as a Ranger. She represented the Corps in the Army 10-Miler in Washington, DC, and was honored as Ranger of the Year in 2021 for the Fort Worth District. She currently works at Somerville Lake.

Jen is married to Rusty Plair, and they live on a farm/ranch with their pets: basset hounds Roscoe and Rudy, bloodhound Scarlet, and two others, Dewey and Billy Jim. She continues to enjoy running, outdoor activities, and has a deep love for animals, nature, and her faith. Jen also holds fond memories of her time at Somerville ISD.

Somerville Independent School District is proud to recognize and celebrate the success of Somerville High School graduates through our Alumni Spotlight series.

This initiative highlights former students who are making a positive impact through their careers, education, military service, entrepreneurship, volunteer work, and leadership within their families and communities.

Our goal is to honor the legacy of Somerville High School, promote Yegua pride, and provide real-world inspiration for current students by sharing the many paths our graduates pursue.

Alumni and community members are invited to nominate SHS graduates to be featured throughout the year. 

For nominations, please email: bpeck@somervilleisd.org

Our district is growing because families and staff believe in our schools and our community. If you’re considering the option of transferring your student, we’d love to visit with you and help you explore your options.

Student transfer and enrollment opportunities are offered year-round. If you’re an educator or support professional looking for a place to make an impact, we invite you to apply and join our team.

Great things are happening in Somerville ISD, and we want to invite you to come and be a part of our story!

Questions: (979)-596-2153 - SISD Administration Office

Below is a brief recap of the March 2026 regular board meeting: