It was well before the sun had even started to rise on Wednesday morning, but the Spring ISD Transportation Department was already in full swing. Just before 5 a.m., drivers filed into the building off Richey Road before heading out to the parking lot behind to start up their buses. Mechanics stood at the ready near the shop, just in case any last minute fixes were needed.

For Lonny Gauthier and his fellow mechanics, the first day of the 2024-25 school year was actually the culmination of several months of hard work and preparation of the fleet that features more than 300 vehicles that together cover millions of miles every year to transport 20,000 Spring ISD students.

“It’s a long process. It just doesn’t happen overnight,” Gauthier, a shop supervisor with Spring ISD Transportation, said. “Throughout that summer, we’re checking the buses from bumper to bumper to make sure all the little things are taken care of, that the air conditioners are working and in good shape. We start at the end of the previous school year, work all summer long, just to be ready for today.” 

This year, drivers are implementing a new tracking system – SMART tag – to help parents and schools keep track of their students while using Spring ISD transportation. 

“This new system helps our parents track our students. Once they get on the bus, it lets them know where they got on, and it lets them know when they get to school,” Christina Riojas, Transportation Director, said. “It’s a very useful tool.”

The SMART tag system is set to launch on all school buses on Aug. 26. The new system is just another way for the Transportation team to make sure students get to and from school safely. 

“Everybody’s ready to go. We’ve been working hard. It takes a team,” Riojas said. “It takes a family. We have our dispatchers. We have our routers. We have our mechanics. It literally takes a family to get our students where they need to be so they can go to school.”

Over at McNabb Elementary, school buses were lined up in front of the building dropping off students. But inside that school’s cafeteria, some parents gathered in the school cafeteria to take their kids to school for the very first time. McNabb is one of three schools, along with Link and Winship elementary schools, this year launching a pre-K program for three-year-olds.

One parent, Alyssa McCool, was excited for the opportunity for her son Jaxson to attend school at such an early age.

“I think this will benefit him with his independence, and have him not rely on me so much and help him build his character,” McCool said. “I jumped on this as soon as I found out that it was available. It’s really going to help him learn new things, and he’s excited too.”

There was also excitement in the air at Spring High School, where Principal Alonzo Reynolds III was starting the year as the new named principal of the school. Reynolds has been a part of Spring ISD for nearly a decade – with stints as principal at both Westfield High School and Dekaney High School. 

He said his goal for Spring High School is to help bring some of the pride back to the district’s original – and oldest – high school.

“This is Spring High School. It’s in the name,” Principal Reynolds said. “This is the flagship school for Spring ISD. There are some things that we are doing to make this a better school, because we are always striving to be great. But nothing can take away that this is always going to be Spring High School. We are going to bring a lot of that pride back.”

Up at the northern tip of the district, Northgate Crossing Elementary School is starting yet another year as home to the innovative 80/20 Two- Way Dual Language (TWDL) program.

It was launched in 2018 with a unique approach to creating bilingual students. Classrooms feature a split of students, with half native English speakers and half native Spanish speakers, and features instruction in both English and Spanish. Earlier this year, 31 Spring ISD fifth graders in the program tested and earned high school Spanish credits through the program. 

Modesto Leal, a fifth grade dual-language teacher on campus, believes this program sets students up for success at a very young age.

“We have non-native students merged in with native students, and I love it because we get to teach students both languages,” she said. “I was raised bilingual, and so I know the value of it. They’re super prepared for the future. They’re super prepared to go into high school. They’re super prepared for job opportunities. It’s really a big opportunity for them, starting as young as kindergarten.”

The dual-language classrooms was just one of the stops for Superintendent Lupita Hinojosa on Wednesday morning, who made stops at schools across Spring ISD to greet students, parents, and teachers as they started the new school year. 

For Dr. Hinojosa, programs like the dual-language classes, pre-K 3 programs, and even the new eSports pathway at Westfield High School are just a few ways the district is setting up students for success – both now and in the future.

“This is always one of the most exciting days of the entire year, because we not only get to welcome back all of our returning students but we also get to meet all the students joining us for the first time,” Dr. Hinojosa said. “In Spring ISD, our focus is truly on creating global citizens and giving our students opportunities for growth from the very first day they step foot on one of our campuses. We do this for each and every one of our students, from free breakfast and lunches for every student to our incredible CTE pathways in high school. I am excited to see what our unstoppable teachers and students do this school year.”