At its December 5, 2016, meeting, the Boerne ISD Board of Trustees named three new schools being constructed in the district. The names were selected from a list of recommendations put forth by a committee composed of community members and BISD staff. These schools are being funded by the 2016 Bond supported by Boerne ISD voters.

Following is information on the namesakes of each of the schools.

Van Raub Elementary School (8776 Dietz Elkhorn Road)

Van Raub Elementary School is named for the historic community that existed on and around the current school site.

Van Raub community was near Cibolo Creek at a site just off present Interstate Highway 10, twenty-four miles northwest of downtown San Antonio in northwestern Bexar County. The community was established on a survey of the San Antonio and Aransas Pass Railway in 1884 and was named for Van Raub Byron, owner of the first local business. A church, a school, a cotton gin, and a weekly newspaper (the Advance) were established during 1885.

The population was reported as 300 in 1886, and a post office opened in 1889, but the town declined with the building of the railroad west to Kerrville. The Van Raub community reported 150 residents in 1910. The community post office was replaced by rural delivery from Boerne in 1919. During the mid-1930s Van Raub still had a school, a store, and a few houses, but after World War II most of its remaining residents moved away. In the early 1990s only a few scattered houses remained. (From the Handbook of Texas)

Van Raub Elementary School is being constructed on a 19-acre tract at 8776 Dietz Elkhorn Road. The old Van Raub community schoolhouse, owned by Boerne ISD, sits on an adjacent property and will be incorporated into the overall site plan of the new campus. Options for its use continue to be discussed. The new elementary school will open Fall 2018.

Dr. Ferdinand L. Herff Elementary School (Esperanza subdivision)

Dr. Ferdinand L. Herff Elementary School is named for a prominent San Antonio physician whose family had land interests in Kendall County and whose influence on Boerne and the surrounding area is significant.

Ferdinand Ludwig von Herff was born at Darmstadt, Germany, on November 29, 1820. He came from an aristocratic family; his father was chief justice of the Hessian Supreme Court. While attending the University of Bonn, Herff lived with his uncle, the president of the university, and was able to meet many famous people.

Studying under influential medical scientists and learning avant garde concepts and techniques, he began his medical education at Berlin and finished in 1843 at Giessen. While a surgeon in the Hessian Army (1843–47) Herff developed ingenious techniques in plastic surgery and tuberculosis treatment.

Because of the political environment in Germany, Herff and many fellow countrymen emigrated to America. In 1847, Herff helped organize a group composed mainly of university-educated professionals to found an idealistic commune in Texas. Within eighteen months the commune failed and Herff returned briefly to Germany. He married Mathilde Kungel Hoeffer in 1849 and soon returned to Texas, became a citizen, and dropped the nobility title "von" from his name.

Herff and his wife first settled in New Braunfels, then moved to San Antonio in 1850, where Herff began one of the most prolonged careers in Texas medicine. In 1853, he became a charter member of the Texas Medical Association.

Like many Germans, Herff was a supporter of the Union in the Civil War; however, he served as Confederate States Army surgeon, treating the patient not the uniform. He helped the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word establish Santa Rosa Infirmary, San Antonio's first hospital.

The Herff family owned 960 acres on two different tracts in Boerne, which they used as personal retreats. The acreage has now been incorporated into the Cibolo Nature Center and the Kendall County Fair Association. Ferdinand Ludwig Herff died in San Antonio on May 18, 1912.

Herff's great granddaughters, Juanita Herff Chipman and Carolyn Herff Kennon, donated the land for Boerne High School. (From the Handbook of Texas and other sources)

Dr. Ferdinand L. Herff Elementary School is being built in the Esperanza subdivision off Highway 46 East and is scheduled to open Fall 2019.

(Click photo to enlarge)

Capt. Mark Tyler Voss Middle School (Highway 46 East and FM 3351)

Capt. Mark Tyler Voss Middle School is named for a Kendall County native son, U.S. Air Force officer and fallen warrior.

Tyler Voss was born December 16, 1985, to Marcy and Wayne Voss. He graduated from Boerne High School in 2004 and from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 2008 with a degree in Aeronautical Engineering. He was commissioned in the U.S. Air Force as a 2nd Lieutenant.

Voss received his wings March 2010, having graduated from pilot training at Laughlin Air Force Base in Del Rio, Texas, where he received a training award for having the highest score in his class on flight check rides. He was stationed at Fairchild Air Force Base in Spokane, Washington, where he flew KC-135 Stratotankers.

Voss was promoted to Captain on May 28, 2012, and became Aircraft Commander on March 14, 2013. Voss was killed May 3, 2013, near Chon-Aryk, Kyrgyzstan, in the crash of a KC-135 aircraft he was piloting. He was part of the 93rd Air Refueling Squadron supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. At his funeral in Boerne, it was noted that Voss loved to fly and tinker with cars, motorcycles and airplanes. "He did so much living in the short time he was here," said Pastor Henry Schulte.

Capt. Mark Tyler Voss Middle School is being built on district property at the corner of Highway 46 East and FM 3351, on land very near Tyler's boyhood home. The school is scheduled to open Fall 2019.

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By David Stelmazewski

In this season of hope, I want to share with you some very special ways in which Boerne ISD is offering hope to students who are facing some of the most difficult and troubling kinds of challenges. I will start by saying that this is a positive message, even though the subject matter is often very difficult to talk about.

A little more than a year ago, Boerne ISD hired Dr. Holly Robles as our student assistance counselor. Dr. Robles is credentialed as a Licensed Professional Counselor and Licensed Chemical Dependence Counselor. She came to our district to fill a very specific need: to help give students hope when they are facing despair.

Dr. Robles has impacted the lives of a growing number of students in the relatively brief time she has been involved with the school district. The scope of her practice reads like an overwhelming list of responsibilities: anger management, alcohol and drug use counseling, healthy relationships, parenting, stress management, suicide awareness and prevention.

In that one area alone – suicide awareness and prevention – Dr. Robles has a growing influence both locally and statewide. She is an acknowledged statewide expert on the matter, having written a highly regarded guide on the topic and put into practice comprehensive crisis intervention practices in the district. Her work includes training for in suicide awareness for everyone from school counselors and new employees to bus drivers.

All instances of student suicide bring deep sadness to families, campuses and communities. In Texas recently, there have been some high profile cases involving students who were bullied or made to feel excluded to the point of deep depression and despair. Dr. Robles' work with students offers hope in such cases.

Collaboration with partners has been a critical component of Robles' early success. Groups including the Fair Oaks Ranch Rotary Club and the Texas National Guard have assisted with programs that identify bullying behaviors and establish positive campus environments. Often times, it is the enemy we can't see that poses the greatest threat to the safety of our children. Working with the FBI's Violent Crimes Against Children division, Dr. Robles recently conducted workshops for middle school children on the extreme dangers of cyber-bullying and online predators.

In the area of substance abuse prevention, Dr. Robles and our entire counseling team have worked to encourage students to discover joys and passions in a healthy lifestyle while avoiding alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs. This program – LIVENATURALLYHIGH – has been a focal point for students at our secondary school campuses.

Teaming up with six prevention specialists from the San Antonio Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse and JOVEN, Robles oversees a program that emphasizes positive self-esteem, resisting peer pressure and utilizing critical thinking to ward off pop culture images of illegal substances usage.

I could continue in my description of this very comprehensive, very aggressive program that seeks to assist our students and offer hope to those who may not currently see a hopeful path. But I want to close by thanking our community for being supportive of a truly cutting-edge initiative, one that offers the kind of hope we all seek to embrace in this season and throughout the year.

Merry Christmas and a very safe and happy New Year to all.

Boerne ISD superintendent David Stelmazewski is a public school education leader who has devoted his career to teaching, coaching and serving as administrator in Illinois and Texas.

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Boerne Middle School South sixth grader Quincie Moran has won third place in the state Patriot's Pen essay contest sponsored by the VFW. Moran, who is a student in Diane Arnold's English class, won first place in both the local post and district contests, qualifying her submission to advance to state. There, among entries from 330 posts around the state, Moran's piece finished third. On Monday, December 12, VFW Post 688 quartermaster Bob Worrall presented Moran with a certificate acknowledging her achievement.

To read her essay, click on the icon below.

Student athletes from Boerne High School and Boerne Champion High School football teams were named to the Texas High School Coaches Association Academic All-State team earlier this week, according to Boerne ISD athletic director Stan Leech.

The following student athletes were recognized by the THSCA for their success in the classroom and on the field of competition:

Boerne High School Greyhounds. Front row from left: manager Kata Haas, Hayden Levada, Jared Graybill, Nic Novak, Kevin Alfano, Angel Velez, trainer McKenzie Luker, trainer Maricela Garcia. Back row from left: manager Hannah Benac, Marcus Dormady, Carter Snelling, Senate Horton, Hunter Griffith, Jack Welch, Luke Kinchen, William McClure.

Boerne Champion High School Charger. Front from left: Zach Duncan, James Miller, Jorge Arroyo, Isaac Murdock. Middle from left: Kaden Beavers, Ethan Dean, Brendan Brennan, Judd Oefinger, Cole Reneer, Austin HIll. Back from left: Matthew Covert, Bobby Marshall, Trent Hargroder, Gunnar McCoy, Corbyn Gilmore, Hayden McMurrey, Chayce Bolli. Not pictured: Brady Vick.

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Boerne ISD is accepting nominations of students currently enrolled in grades 1-5 for the district's Gifted/Talented Program. Nominations will be accepted January 9 through February 3. The G/T program serves students identified as gifted in the specific subject areas of language arts/social studies and/or math/science. Identification criteria include test scores, student product ratings, and teacher ratings.

Students gifted in language arts have extensive vocabularies, read widely, elaborate well when speaking, and see relationships in literature. Students gifted in the area of social studies are sensitive to social issues, ask questions that are open-ended or philosophical, and are interested in social themes and complex public issues, explanations, or theories.

Students gifted in math learn mathematical concepts and processes faster than other students, are interested in number and quantitative relationships, analyze mathematical problems, and reason effectively. Students gifted in science are interested in scientific topics, have science hobbies or collections, and are good at exploring, questioning, and investigating.

Parents who think their child exhibits these characteristics and might be overlooked in the identification process may nominate their child to be screened for the G/T Program. Nomination forms are available on the Boerne ISD G/T Program website: www.boerne-isd.net/gtprogram.

Parents may also contact their child's campus G/T Coordinator to obtain a nomination form. Contact Jamie Robinson, Fair Oaks Ranch Elementary, 357-4807; Linda Laymon, Kendall Elementary, 357-4605; Marcie Warner, Curington Elementary, 357-4007; Elizabeth Stroman, Cibolo Creek Elementary, 357-4407; or Jennifer Howell, Fabra Elementary, 357-4207.

Nine members of the Boerne ISD faculty on Friday were named the 2017 Teacher of the Year on their campuses in surprise classroom presentations led by Superintendent David Stelmazewski.

"These nine educators were selected by their teaching peers to receive this honor," said Stelmazewski, who went to each school to personally make the announcements. "It is clear that each of these teachers is beloved by their students, appreciated by their administrators, and highly regarded by their fellow teachers. Each is deserving of this honor. They represent the finest teaching Boerne schools have to offer and I am very proud to be associated with them."

Honorees include Melanie Harris at Fair Oaks Ranch Elementary, Carla Hartman at Cibolo Creek Elementary, Craig Lenard at Boerne High School, Stacie Murrah at Middle School North, Laura Peters at Kendall Elementary, Lisa Reeh at Fabra Elementary, Jessica Simecek at Curington Elementary, Rhonda Voulgaris at Middle School South and Cindy Waldrop at Champion High School.

• Portraits of the 2017 Boerne ISD Teachers of the Year

Melanie Harris has been named Teacher of the Year at Fair Oaks Ranch Elementary School, where she has taught 3^rd Grade since 2014. She has taught in public schools since 2005.

Harris attended Texas State University where she earned both her undergraduate degree and her Masters of Education in Elementary Education.

"My teaching philosophy is simple," says Harris, "To know my kids, hold them accountable, and make each day fun. If I teach nothing else all year - though I promise I will - I want to teach my kids to love learning.

Carla Hartman has been named Teacher of the Year at Cibolo Creek Elementary School, where she has been a member of the special education staff since 2008. Hartman's career in public education spans 17 years.

Hartman graduated from the University of Texas-San Antonio with a degree in Community Health Education before earning her Master of Education degree at University of Georgia.

She is an active volunteer with a local Boy Scout pack and she coaches for the FC Thunder in the Boerne Soccer Club.

Craig Lenard was named Teacher of the Year at Boerne High School. He began his teaching career in 2014, serving at the Agricultural Mechanics teacher at BHS.

At BHS, Lenard implemented a new welding and agricultural mechanics program. He serves as the Career and Technical Education Department Chair. He also serves as advisor to the school's FFA chapter.

Lenard earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Services and Development from Tarleton State University, where he was a member of Phi Eta Sigma honor society and participated in the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association.

Stacie Murrah has been named Teacher of the Year at Boerne Middle School North where she teaches seventh grade English and reading. Murrah has devoted 16 years to service in public education, the past 10 at Middle School North.

In that time, Murrah has served on numerous campus-based committees and she serves as the school's Reading department chair. She currently serves as sponsor of the school's Book Club.

Murrah earned her bachelor's degree in English from Abilene Christian University. Outside of the classroom, she is active with Oak Hills Church, Abundant Life Bible Class and Streams of Living Water ministry. She enjoys reading, swimming and fishing.

Laura Peters has been named Teacher of the Year at Kendall Elementary School, where she has taught special education since 2013. She has taught in public schools since 1996.

Throughout her career at Kendall, Peters has been actively involved, serving as department chair and new teacher mentor among other roles outside the classroom. She also has participated in after-school tutoring for at-risk students for a number of years.

Peters holds a bachelor's degree in Special Education from Our Lady of the Lake University. Away from the classroom, Peters enjoys working in her flower beds, scrapbooking, working on photo albums and playing with her pets. She is an active volunteer with St. Joseph Catholic Church and the Elf Louise program.

Lisa Reeh was named Teacher of the Year at Fabra Elementary School, where she is teaches 4^th Grade. She has served at Fabra since 2014 and has eight years to teaching in the public education setting.

Reeh's experiences include collaborating with teachers across the district in her roles as a classroom teacher, district Job Embedded Trainer, curriculum writer, ELAR vertical representative and Literacy CADRE member. She is currently an active presenter for local, region and state conferences in which she shares her passion for effective classroom

Reeh holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Texas A&M University. She previously was named Teacher of the Year at Park Village Elementary in the Judson ISD.

Jessica Simecek has been named Teacher of the Year at Curington Elementary School, where she teaches students in the Life Skills department. She has taught at Curington since 2014.

"My philosophy on teaching is that all kids are capable of learning when given the opportunity," Simecek says. "I love working with children with special needs and finding ways to engage them and make it possible for them to learn in a way that is accessible to them. I absolutely love what I do and there is no better gift than seeing the progress my kids make."

Simecek holds a bachelor's degree in Interdisciplinary studies in All Levels of Special Education from Texas A&M University-Commerce. She is working on a master's degree in Special Education through Texas Tech University.

Rhonda Voulgaris has been named Teacher of the Year at Boerne Middle School South, where she has taught math for 11 years. Her career in public education spans 13 years.

At BMSS, Voulgaris has been a coach, department chair, vertical team member, textbook selection committee member, curriculum writer and teacher mentor in addition to her classroom responsibilities. In 2014, she wrote an article for ATPE magazine about Professional Learning Communities.

Voulgaris earned her bachelor's degree in marketing and management from Texas State University. She is active in her church community, the Kendall County Stock Show, and being a mom to two daughters.

Cindy Waldrop has been named Teacher of the Year at Champion High School, where she has taught English for eight years. She has devoted 25 years to teaching in public schools in the area.

Waldrop has served Champion students in numerous roles during her time on the campus. She is co-founder of the Charge to Wellness program, a Wednesday Evening Study leader and ELA representative for the campus. She also has served as an essay scorer for the College Board SAT testing program.

Waldrop holds a bachelor's degree in English from Howard Payne University and a master's degree in English as a Second Language from the University of Texas-San Antonio.

After recipients interview with principals and administrators next week, the district will announce the Boerne ISD Teacher of the Year from the group of nine on January 12. That teacher will represent the district in the area-wide competition for the Trinity Prize for Excellence in Teaching, awarded annually by Trinity University.

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Two Boerne High School students have been named to the Texas Music Educators Association All-State Choir. In auditions occurring January 7, John Hodge was named 1^st Chair Bass and Louie Ramos was named 1^st Chair Tenor. The two are the first ever male All-State Choir members from Boerne High School. They will perform along with other honorees during the TMEA annual convention in February. Selection to the TMEA All-State Choir is the highest honor a Texas high school choral musician can achieve.

Six Champion High School students have qualified for the Business Professionals of America state contest, which occurs later this spring. Honorees pictured include (from left) alternate Okechukwu Okea, computer animation; Connor Blake, fundamentals of accounting; Austin Davis, fundamentals of word processing; Tyler Hanson, JAVA programming; George Stephens, prepared speech; Andreas Barrena, payroll accounting; and Noah Gipson, extemporaneous speech. Not pictured is alternate Zach Albrecht.

David Stelmazewski, superintendent of Boerne Independent School District since 2011, Monday announced his intention to retire at the close of the 2016-17 academic year.

Stelmazewski, 65, said he first mentioned to the Boerne ISD Board of Trustees in December that he was considering retirement and wanted to work with them to develop a strategy for a smooth leadership transition. Together, Stelmazewski and the trustees determined a January announcement would be the initial step in that transition process.

"There is a beautiful verse of Scripture that says, 'To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven.' I know in my heart that this is the time for me to retire as superintendent of the best school district in Texas," Stelmazewski said.

In his five and a half years as superintendent, Stelmazewski led two successful bond initiatives that have facilitated the district's response to rapid enrollment growth while also significantly enhancing classroom technology and reinforcing security on all campuses. Those bonds, together totaling $274.5 million, provided funding for a new and expanded Fabra Elementary School, renovations and expansions at the eight other district schools, and three new campuses that will come online in the next three years.

Donna Sharp, president of the Board of Trustees, and her fellow board members accepted Stelmazewski's resignation, noting that the superintendent's leadership has been transformative for the district and established a standard of excellence that will resonate in the community for generations.

"David is a visionary," she said, "a man of character and a man of his word. He is also a man of action. Anytime he has seen a need in our district, he has acted on it.

"I was privileged to work with him as a member of the community committee that planned the 2013 bond. It was because of his vision and leadership in that process that I was eager to become more involved in the district and serve on the school board.

"It was very clear then – just as it is clear today – that deep in his heart he has a passion for public education and a desire to move this district forward."

Sharp said that the board has initiated the process of finding Boerne ISD's next superintendent, which will include working with a consultant to identify qualified candidates for the position. She anticipates a series of meetings that will include the opportunity for public input on the superintendent search. According to a preliminary timeline, the board would like to name a new superintendent and allow time for an overlap in service with the incumbent prior to Stelmazewski's June 30 retirement.

Stelmazewski arrived in Boerne in 2008, serving as the first principal of the newly opened Boerne-Samuel V. Champion High School. Under his leadership, Boerne-Champion quickly rose among the state's leading academic campuses; the school attained Exemplary status in state accountability ratings in 2009, 2010 and 2011.

Guided by his unofficial credo – "Do what is in the best interest of the kids." – Stelmazewski has encouraged continuous improvement districtwide and innovative instruction throughout Boerne schools. Teaching and learning, he believes, extend well beyond results of standardized tests.

"If we do what is right for the students and prepare them for the world they will face after graduation," he said many times, "then we have done our jobs."

Stelmazewski also has made it a priority to be visible on the campuses and in the community during his tenure as superintendent. The community partnerships he has helped foster have strengthened school-based programs, led to new levels of cooperation with local governmental entities, and helped create an environment of success for district support groups such as Boerne Education Foundation and the campus PTOs.

With his retirement, Stelmazewski closes out a career in public education that began in 1974 at Woodlawn High School in his home state of Illinois, where he served as teacher, coach and athletic director.

He followed his old college coach from Eastern Illinois University, Don Eddy, to Texas where he served as teacher and coach at John Jay High School. Stelmazewski transitioned to public school administration when he became assistant principal at another Northside ISD campus, Tom C. Clark High School.

Prior to his arrival in Boerne, Stelmazewski served as principal of McCollum High School in San Antonio's Harlandale ISD for seven years. He also served a three-year term as principal of Kingsborough Middle School in Harlandale.

"I have thoroughly enjoyed my time of service in Boerne ISD," Stelmazewski said. "I cannot imagine a better way to crown a career in public education than having the privilege of working with the teaching professionals and administrative leaders in Boerne ISD, serving the students and families of this district.

"I'm looking forward now to spending more time with my own family and being more involved as a granddad to my amazing grandchildren."

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Boerne ISD kindergarten registration for the 2017-18 school year will be held Tuesday March 7. Registration times are 8 a.m. – 2 p.m. and 5 – 6:30 p.m. at all five elementary school campuses.

Kindergarten students must be 5 years old by September 1, 2017, in order to be registered for the 2017-18 school year. Students without current immunization records cannot be registered. Items required for registration include:

• child's original birth certificate
• child's original Social Security card
• proof of residence such as a current electric bill
• current validated immunization record
• photo ID of the person enrolling the student

Registration takes place at the district's five elementary campuses:

• Cibolo Creek Elementary, 300 Herff Ranch Blvd., 830-357-4400
• Curington Elementary, 601 Adler, 830-357-4000
• Fabra Elementary, 723 Johns Road, 830-357-4200
• Fair Oaks Ranch Elementary, 29085 Ralph Fair Road, 830-357-4800
• Kendall Elementary, 141 Old San Antonio Road, 830-357-4600

A parent or guardian who is unsure about the attendance zone in which they reside should contact the district's facilities office, 830-357-2065. Additional information is available at www.boerne-isd.net/registration.

Boerne ISD FCCLA students had success at Region V competition on January 27-28.

Boerne High School students who qualified for the FCCLA state competition in April include (from left) Brooke Parrish, fourth place, fashion construction; Samantha Small, first place, fashion design; the culinary arts team of Bryan Ordonez, Jake Olson and Alex Ottaviani, sixth place; Sarah Isbell, fourth place, cupcake battle; and Jonathan Thomas, second place.

Winning students in the Family and Consumer Science Assessment category from Middle School South and Middle School North included (from left) Cage Theriot (BMSS) and Emery Stewart (BMSS), gold medal recipients; and Amelia Graham (BMSN) and Shelby Ebner (BMSN) silver medals recipients The students competed against schools from 25 other school districts in Region V.

Champion High School students who qualified for upcoming FCCLA state competition include (from left) Claire Brown, fourth place, teach & train; Liz DeAcetis, fifth place, cupcake battle; Region V president Pheonix Pittman; Emma Frost, third place, entrepreneurship; Lauren Cervera, second place,fashion design.

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Boerne Middle School North has announced its Outstanding Students for the second nine-weeks term. Outstanding Students are selected based on a combination of classroom performance and campus citizenship.

Eighth Grade: Front Row (L-R) Kinslee Barerra, Megan Bain, Avery Esser, Carlos Flores, Luke Turner, Ximena Sanchez, Lauren Lira. 2nd Row and Middle(L-R) Miya El Kareh, Caroline Holmes, James Stewart, Cadence Ruiz, Cole Phillips, Kenleigh Daniels, Jackson Harper, Jenna Noble, Daniella Tschirthart, Alexis Anthony, Jovana Ramos, Clarrissa Voss. Back Row (L-R)Mary Rocchio, Ashlyn Murrah, Kaleigh Pruett, Amelia Graham, Alli Ogden, Samuel Goodale.

Seventh Grade: Front Row (L-R) Abby Curoe, Jaxson Bynum, Kiley Reischling, Maddie Oaster, Sarah Gruber, Rylan Markwardt. Middle Row (L-R) Taryn Everett, Laura Feist, Karson Kurtz, Will Pearson, Zachary Allam, Callie Lane, Lauren Beck, Hannah Rocchio. Back Row (L-R)Taylor Santos, Jeremy Garcia, Nathan Siano, Gavin Vestal, Kiana Vallante, Jacob Sasse.

Sixth Grade: Front Row (L-R) Araceli Limon, Joseph Walsh, Adelynn Nuncio, Richard Swenson, Robert Swenson, Yevgency Handal Cevallos. 2nd Row (L-R) Addison Beck, Rachel Murphy, Taryn Madlock, Hayden Chappell. 3rd Row (L-R) Mylea Verastegui, Ruby Messier, Bianca Villalobos, Shawn White, Daniel Tschirhart, Colton Hoegemeyer. 4th Row (L-R)Colton Shroeder, Christa Brazell, Layne Hoover, Lander McDaniel, Wyatt Klingaman.

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Among the highlights noted in what will be his final State of the District report, superintendent David Stelmazewski detailed the results of the 2017 Niche report, Best School Districts in America.

Stelmazewski, who at the January 23 Board of Trustees meeting announced his June 30 retirement, shared with the Board that Niche's annual ranking of school districts placed Boerne ISD second in the San Antonio area and 15^th in Texas. Alamo Heights ISD earned top ranking in San Antonio.

The latest Niche report lists all five Boerne ISD elementary schools among the top 30 elementary campuses in the San Antonio metro area: Fair Oaks Ranch Elementary, third; Kendall Elementary, fourth; Cibolo Creek Elementary, fifth; Fabra Elementary, 17th; and Curington Elementary, 30th.

Middle School North is ranked third among middle schools in the area while Middle School South is ranked fourth. In the high school rankings, Champion High School is ranked fifth in the San Antonio metro area and Boerne High School is ranked eighth.

Niche uses a broad range of criteria to develop its rankings. The independent education analysis company reviews statistics along with parent and student responses to surveys in areas covering academics, health and safety, quality of teachers, and student culture and diversity.

"The findings of the Niche report are gratifying and I believe validate what we have believed all along about our teachers and our schools," said Stelmazewski. "Each year, we work hard to do what is right for our students and we are proud when that work is recognized in this way. But we never rest. We always are looking for ways to improve and to grow in our practice of educating our community's children."

The superintendent's State of the District report also reviews other areas of importance to the District, including finance, student enrollment, bond updates and more. The full report can be viewed by going to www.boerne-isd.net/superintendent.

Founded in 2002, Niche focuses its surveys on neighborhoods, colleges and K-12 education. The full list of ranked schools and details on the reporting methodology can be found at k12.niche.com/rankings.

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A team of nine Champion High School students took first place in the Region 20 Mock Trial Competition on February 11. The CHS team competed against nine other teams in the region, including Jourdanton, Alamo Heights and Kerrville. The team's success qualified it for state competition, March 2-4. Team members include (front from left) Cassandra Muniz, Camryn Pratt, Paige Grover, (back from left) William Deas, Max Klaunig, George Stephens, Noah Gibson, Matthew Vining and Matthew Villescas. The team is sponsored by Kim Grosenbacher. Attorney Amy Lambiase provided coaching to the team.

Clockwise from upper left, Justin Olson, Bella Hollis, Anahi Gonzalez and Meghan Kindred

Four Boerne High School visual arts students have qualified for the 2017 Visual Art Scholastic Event (VASE) state competition thanks to their recent success in the regional show that featured more than 1,400 individual entries.

Advancing to the state show in April will be Anahi Gonzalez with "Prosperidad," her altered art book sculpture; Bella Hollis with "Illumination," her prisma color pencil drawing; Meghan Kindred with "Peony Pots," her trio of wheel-thrown vessels; and Justin Olson with "Graceful Strength," his brass cold connection necklace.

Slideshow: The Winning Entries

Other BHS students participatng in the show included Avery Heape, Camryn Lang, Brooke Parrish, Caitlin Sangdahl, Justin Cortez, Christina McMahon and Karen Morado.

For the fourth consecutive year, Boerne High School has a team in the finals of the UIL Young Filmmakers Festival.

Students Jesus Gaytan, Mark Hampton and Matthew Hudson will present their animated short film, "Outside the Box," during the March 1 finals in Austin.

To view the animation, go to: https://vimeo.com/198259080

Boerne-Samuel V. Champion High School has two animations in the semifinals, which may qualify for the finals later in February. View "Prove It" here: https://vimeo.com/198387877 and "Time Flies" here: https://vimeo.com/198393197.

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Boerne ISD students celebrate Texas Independence Day and the Power of Public Education!

Three Boerne ISD entries were selected for final screening in the fourth annual State UIL Young Filmmakers Festival. This is the fourth consecutive year that Boerne High School has placed an entry in the finals.

Almost 800 entries from throughout the state competed in the categories of Digital Animation, Traditional Animation, Narrative, and Documentary. The top six from each category made it to the finals and were screened at the Paramount Theatre in Austin, March 1.

Boerne Champion had two qualifying entries in Division 2. The individual effort of Samantha Land with her 2D animation "Prove It", and the team of Cashel Condon, Thomas Drawdy, and Jacob Laquey with their 3D animation "Time Flies."

Boerne High School"s animation team of Jesus Gaytan, Mark Hampton, and Matthew Hudson created the 3D animation "Outside the Box," which competed in Division 1.

"It seems the quality of the competition improves each year and the product the Boerne ISD students produce has as well," said graphic design instructor Jeff Vogel. "Boerne High School making it to the finals for the four^th year in a row is a great accomplishment. With Champion qualifying two in the top six, those students have set the bar high for next year's competitors."

"Prove It" is the story of a little Unicorn named Zita who faces mockery by her fellows because of her lack of a horn. When she competes in her herd's competition, will she prove to them that unicorns are more than just magic?

Judges' remarks for Prove It included, "Superior work in this animation," "A very inspiring message," "This film showed excellent use of cinematography within each of its frames with the camera movement and scenery design," and "Your film was well designed and told a compelling story."

In "Time Flies," an engineer has wacky adventures with a project he was assigned to create by the end of the day.

Judges' comments included, "Superb storytelling and incredible animation," "I enjoyed the story line very much! I enjoyed the journey you took us on," and "A very ambitious animation! The use of lighting in this film was very fun, and the character designs were great."

In "Outside the Box," the main character finds himself trapped inside an empty room with nothing but a door and an odd-looking button on the wall. What does the button do, other than random things to and in the box?

The judges commented, "The personality of the Socket character was excellent," "The amount of empathy that is created for your lead, and only, character is truly remarkable, especially in the time given. Good use of humor throughout the piece," and "Hope to see more movies from this creative team."

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Boerne ISD Board of Trustees will consider multiple scenarios when it meets March 27 to take up the issue of attendance zone realignment.

Redrawing of attendance zone boundaries comes as the district prepares to open three new schools over the next three years to address growing student enrollment. The board, having met in a specially called workshop March 6 to review recommendations of an internal zone realignment committee, next will act on seven motions containing the options for new attendance zones.

Board members will be tasked with reviewing two options that establish attendance zone boundaries for Van Raub Elementary, scheduled to open August 2018 on Dietz Elkhorn Road, and two options for Herff Elementary, which will open August 2019 on Esperanza Boulevard.

In establishing the Van Raub Elementary zone, options include the original committee recommendation that was presented to the board January 23 and has been posted on the district's website since. An optional scenario developed in response to board concerns about maintaining consistent enrollment levels at Fair Oaks Ranch Elementary, includes reassigning the neighborhoods of Stone Creek Ranch and The Homestead, both off of Ammann Road, into the Fair Oaks Ranch zone from their current alignment in the Cibolo Creek Elementary zone.

Regarding the Herff Elementary zone, the original committee recommendation draws students from both the current Cibolo Creek and Curington Elementary zones and establishes Farm Road 474 as a hard boundary for the western edge of the Herff zone.

In response to community feedback and board requests, the committee developed an optional scenario that would keep the neighborhoods of River Mountain Ranch and Kreutzberg Road in the Curington zone while Friendly Hills, Spring Creek Road, Deer Creek and Bentwood would align in the Herff zone. Further, a roughly 18-block area in the central city bounded by Rosewood Street on the north, Esser Road on the east, River Road on the south and Main Street on the west would be rezoned from the Curington zone into the Herff zone.

The board also will be asked to approve the committee's recommendation on middle school zones, as initially proposed January 23. Other items the board will consider include exempting or "grandfathering" of fifth graders involved in the elementary zone realignments, whether or not to include siblings in those grandfathering situations, and whether or not to extend school choice at the high school level for another two-year period. The committee also has recommended that Voss Middle School open in 2019 with only sixth and seventh grades, allowing that year's eighth graders to finish middle school at their current campus.

All options, including the new realignment scenarios for the elementary zones, are posted on the district website: www.boerne-isd.net/zoneupdates. There is a link on the page that allows readers to submit a question or comment about the realignment proposals.

In May 2016, voters approved a $175 million bond to fund construction of the three new schools, purchase land and address other needs in the district. Student enrollment in the district was projected at the time of the bond to increase 4 to 5 percent annually for at least 10 years. Enrollment at the close of the 2015-16 school year was just over 7,900. On March 9, 2017, reported enrollment was 8,350.

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Boerne Middle School South has named its Outstanding Student Award recipients for the third 9 weeks of the school year, according to principal Georgia Franks.

This honor is bestowed upon students who exhibit exemplary character, have exceptional work ethic and who are role models to peers in and out of the classroom. The following are listed in alphabetical order:

6^th grade: Skyleigh Arnold, Isabelle Arredondo, Sam Bournias, Leah Brennan, Weston Eades, Aviana Gallegos, Thomas Gerhart, Ethan Harrison, Kennedy Holcomb, Rylee Jordan, Hudson Lonsdale, Matthew Magaw, Mina Medellin, Rilee Morvent, Emily Peters, Hien Pham, Gillian Richard, Chase Riha Maddox Tierney, Michael Tse, and Whitney Williamson.

7^th grade: Anna Sofia Ayala, Daniel Bohman, Riley Burkey, Abigail Carr, Shelby Christian, Ethan Coffin, Kyle Cooper, Tao, Emma, Amber Frantz, Emily Frey, Cade Gault, Zoe Giguere, Olivia Hastings, Gabriel Hawkins, Mason Jackson, Jadon Laws, Madison Mabrito, Katlyn Mazza, Rory McCrum, Mackenzie Moustaffa, Elena Ortegon, Mallory Perez, Shay Rodriguez, Emily Roecker, Delaney Sandidge, and Ariana Spinells.

8^th grade: Madison Barter, Abby Cooper, Nicholas Eisenheim, Alison Garza, Derek Hatch, Wyatt Jackson, Riley Leist, Brandon McClelland, Garrett Menzies, Claire Murley, Nathan Murphy, Nick Price, Caleb Rainey, Ashton Robicheaux, Nicholas Serena, Caleb Surber, Rebekah Thompson, Elizabeth Wasson, Anna Weir, Katelyn Willis, Annie Wilson, and Alexandra Zakula.

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