Welcome back

Students return to classes across Boerne ISD

Patience and smiles were the order of the day Tuesday, as the Boerne Independent School District welcomed 11,200 students back to campus for the start of the 2026-27 academic year.

From Brittney Walker in her first day as Van Raub Elementary School principal to Troy Latiolais, in his 10th year as Fabra Elementary School’s leader, elementary teachers and administrators stood outside, waved, high-fived and hugged the arriving children.

Cibolo Creek Elementary School was no exception. Principal Sami Jo Gillette walked curbside with a halfdozen other staff members, greeting returning families and extending a welcome to the fresh faces making their debut.

Parents’ vehicles filled the parking lot, lined both sides of adjacent streets and cruised through the drop-off line, factoring normal firstday delays into their daily routine.

Gillette said her staff arrived last week to begin classroom preparations for the 484 students arriving Aug. 11, a slight uptick from last year’s attendance figures.

“The kids are excited, teachers are excited, we’re just ready to have a great school year,” Gillette said.

Teachers made the most of the week getting ready, she said, “but many of them were here before that, because they’re dedicated. They were very excited to welcome their fresh faces.”

School board member Rich Sena greeted students as they arrived at Cibolo Creek.

“It’s an exciting day, welcoming students back to the first day of school,” he said. “They had smiles on their faces, we saw a few tears from moms dropping ... their kids off for the first time in kindergarten.”

Sena added, “But it’s a great day and we look forward to a really good year in Boerne.”