Ingleside ISD

💙✨ As we wrap up School Counselor Appreciation Week… ✨💙

We want to take a moment to celebrate and thank our incredible school counselors for the guidance, care, and encouragement they provide our students each and every day. Their dedication helps shape confident learners and strong futures across our district.



We are proud to recognize:

🌟 Patricia Frost – Ingleside High School
🌟 Robert Hon – Ingleside High School
🌟 Beth Halepeska – Leon Taylor Middle School
🌟 Cindy Jimenez –GJM Elementary School
🌟 Kim Zabel – Ingleside Primary School



Thank you for being advocates, mentors, and trusted supporters for our Mustangs. Your impact reaches far beyond the classroom, and we are truly grateful for all you do.

📝🐝 Spelling Bee Spotlight! 🐝📝

Congratulations to Jayden Carrillo, our GJM Elementary Spelling Bee Champion! 🎉🏆 Jayden clinched the win by correctly spelling the championship word: “spectators.” 👏📚

We’re also proud to recognize our outstanding runners-up:
🥈 2nd Place: Oliver Gamboa Reyna
🥉 3rd Place: Dylan Logan

Pictured here with Principal Waggoner, these students represented GJM with confidence, dedication, and Mustang pride! 💙⭐

So proud of our Ingleside High School Culinary Arts students! 🎉
Our students competed at the FCCLA Region V Leadership Conference in Corpus Christi, and while many represented our program in various events, Justin Bryant and Brodie Daniel are the ones advancing to the FCCLA State Leadership Conference in April, both placing in the Top 5 in Mystery Basket:
🥇 Justin Bryant
• 5th Place – Mystery Basket
• Gold Medal – Culinary Arts FCSA
• $500 Scholarship for participation – Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts
🥈 Brodie Daniel
• 2nd Place – Mystery Basket
• Silver Medal – Hospitality FCSA
• $500 Scholarship for participation – Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts
• $2,000 Scholarship – Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts
• $2,000 Scholarship – Culinary Institute LeNôtre
📌 Brodie Daniel is not pictured as he is currently competing with the BBQ team today. We wish him the best of luck! 🔥
👏 Great job to all of our other competitors as well — your hard work and dedication make our program shine!
Their commitment and passion for culinary excellence truly paid off. Congratulations to these outstanding students — we can’t wait to cheer them on at state! 👨‍🍳🔥

🔥🏆 3PEAT BACK TO-BACK-TO-BACK GRAND CHAMPIONS!
Congratulations to our Ingleside HS BBQ Team for winning Grand Champions at the San Antonio Livestock Show & Rodeo! 🍖🐂
Your hard work and Mustang pride continue to shine. We are so proud!

Mustang Family,

After closely monitoring the forecast, we are happy to share that weather conditions for tomorrow are expected to be clear. As a result, Ingleside ISD will operate on a normal schedule for tomorrow's school day.

We appreciate the patience and flexibility of everyone today. Thank you for your continued support--dress warm for tomorrow.

Safety of our students and staff is always our top priority. Due to forecasted winter weather conditions, all Ingleside ISD campuses and operations will operate on a two-hour delayed start on Monday, January 26.

Campus start times are as follows:

• Ingleside Primary School (IPS): 9:40 AM

• GJM Elementary: 9:45 AM

• Leon Taylor Middle School (LTMS): 10:15 AM

• Ingleside High School (IHS): 10:15 AM

Please allow extra travel time, drive safely, and bundle up, Mustangs as we start our day a little later than usual.

🌦 Weather Update | Friday, January 23

At this time, Ingleside ISD plans to operate on a regular schedule on Monday, January 26.

We are continuing to monitor the weather closely and will provide updates if conditions change. Any new information will be shared through:

Our official district social media platforms

District notifications

Our website: www.inglesideisd.org

Thank you for staying connected and helping us keep our Mustang family informed and safe 💙🤍🐎

🎉 Congratulations to Our Terrific Teacher and Star Student Honorees! 🌟
Please join us in celebrating two outstanding members of the Leon Taylor Middle School family who were recognized in the Ingleside Index for their hard work and dedication!

🍎 Terrific Teacher Award
👏 Kirk Pshigoda
Mr. Pshigoda, 8th Grade Employability Skills teacher, is known for inspiring students to take advantage of their education and prepare to be productive, successful citizens. His passion and commitment truly make a difference every day!

⭐ Star Student Award
🎓 Camila Chacon
Camila is a 7th-grade Math Honors student who leads by example through her dedication, discipline, and focus on achieving her goals. She hopes to become a software engineer and believes school is the key to both personal and professional growth.

👏 We are proud of both of you for representing Ingleside ISD with excellence!

A special thank you to Gulf Coast Growth Ventures for sponsoring these recognitions and supporting excellence in education. 💙🐎

REMINDER: In observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, there will be no school on Monday, January 19.

🎙️ Exciting News! 🎙️
Superintendent Scott Kilgore was a guest on the Brighter Together podcast, and the episode is officially LIVE and ready for you to listen!

Tune in to hear an engaging conversation and insights you won’t want to miss.

🎧 Listen now on:
➡️ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/brighter-together/id1814227813
➡️ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1J3FAVLYVgU4UGBoevqk8H?si=52059a47e5054630

For the month of January, Kayla Everett, of Leon Taylor Middle School was selected for the Family Matters Award! She was recognized during our School Board Meeting, where she was celebrated for her outstanding efforts. She was also awarded $100 from the Ingleside ISD Education Foundation.

Below is an excerpt from the nomination that was submitted on her behalf.

"Mrs. Kayla Everett came to our district three years ago at the opening of Leon Taylor Middle School. Since that time, she has entrenched herself in this community and its school district and has served its students every day with pride and enthusiasm. Service to others is always at the forefront of Mrs. Everett's attention, and she always has the students' best interests at heart. 

In the Christmas season, however, this really shines. We jokingly call her the Christmas Coordinator as the halls are decorated for the students with lights and trees, and events for the staff are scheduled with social media stuff and all the fun that Christmas can bring; but it's far more than that. This year, Mrs. Everett organized a Christmas tree donation, where local businesses and people gave new trees to her, and then all of our different building departments decorated them and provided them to families who otherwise wouldn't have trees. 

The joy on the students faces on delivery, and the gratitude seen from the families overall was something that can't be replicated. Words do not really do justice to what facial expressions and human emotions convey. However, unlike the other Christmas events, this was done silently with no recognition, no public photos, no famous TikTok's, just genuine love for the community and its kids. We can think of no-one more deserving of this award than Mrs. Everett. She chooses to be part of this family every day, and Ingleside is better off because of that."

We encourage you that if you witness an employee who goes above and beyond and demonstrates actions or qualities that are worthy of celebrating, to tell their story and help us recognize them! The nomination form is located on the district website at www.inglesideisd.org ,under the 'About Us' section of the Menu.

Congratulations, Mrs. Everett! We're so happy you're a part of the Family at IISD.

📣 G/T Kindergarten Referrals Now Open!

Ingleside ISD is accepting referrals for students who may qualify for the 2025–2026 Gifted/Talented Kindergarten Program. Students must currently be enrolled in Kindergarten at Ingleside Primary School.

🗓 Key Dates
• Referral Window: Jan. 12–16, 2026
• Testing: January–February
• Placement Begins: March 1, 2026

📍 Pick up referral forms at the Ingleside Primary School office
2100 Achievement Blvd. | 📞 (361) 776-3036

❓ Questions? Contact Cynthia Jimenez, G/T Advanced Academics Coordinator at 361-776-1683 ext. 2251.

🌟 Help us identify future leaders and innovators!

📣 We’re Featured! 🐴✨
We’re excited to share that Ingleside ISD is featured in Business View Magazine! 🎉 The December 2025 issue of Civil & Municipal highlights our innovative programs, community partnerships, and the ways we’re preparing students for tomorrow’s workforce — all while holding true to our family-centered spirit.

👉 Read the full article here:
📖 https://businessviewmagazine.com/civil.../dec-2025/269/

Thank you to our amazing staff, students, families, and community partners — this recognition is a reflection of all you do! 💙

🌟 Thank You, OxyChem Ingleside! 🌟
Ingleside ISD is excited to share that a new, innovative STEM learning opportunity is coming to Leon Taylor Middle School — made possible through a generous $12,000 donation from OxyChem Ingleside.
This funding will support the purchase of a computer-powered telescope and resources for our Telescope and Computer Coding projects, expanding hands-on, inquiry-based learning for our students. These tools will help students explore astronomy, strengthen real-world technology skills, and engage in lessons aligned with TEKS science and technology standards — opening doors to future STEM careers.
Thanks to OxyChem Ingleside’s commitment to education, our students will gain equitable access to advanced science resources and exciting cross-curricular learning experiences that inspire curiosity and innovation.
💙 OxyChem officials made a special visit to the campus to share the exciting news with students! We are deeply grateful for their partnership and investment in the future of our Mustangs! 💙

Wishing our entire Mustang Family a cozy, restful, and well-deserved Winter Break. May it be filled with warmth, joy, and time to recharge.

Ingleside ISD Families are invited to attend the Open Food Pantry Event at Ingleside Primary School on Thursday, December 18, beginning at 4:00 PM.

🎉 A Historic First for Ingleside ISD! 🎉
We are incredibly proud to announce that, for the first time in school history, Ingleside High School students have qualified for the National Quiz Bowl Tournament in Rosemont, Illinois!

Quiz Bowl is a fast-paced, Jeopardy-style academic competition covering every subject area—from math and science to history, ELA, CTE, and beyond. What makes this accomplishment even more impressive is how it happened: our IHS Challenge Team hosted a local Quiz Bowl tournament just for practice… and our students performed so exceptionally that they exceeded the qualification standards and earned their spot at Nationals!

👏 Congratulations to our Nationally Qualified Quiz Bowl Team Members:
• Melissa Patrick
• Aiden Martini
• Adrian Lawrence
• Tommy Flournoy
• Teagan Adams

This milestone marks an exciting new chapter of academic excellence for Ingleside ISD. Let’s hear it for these outstanding Mustangs! 💙🐎📚

They are pictured here with their Coach, Sarah Boyles, the Ingleside ISD Board of Trustees, and Superintendent Scott Kilgore.

For the month of December, Gabriela Burrell, of GJM Elementary was selected for the Family Matters Award! She was recognized during our School Board Meeting, where she was celebrated for her outstanding efforts. She was also awarded $100 from the Ingleside ISD Education Foundation.

Below is an excerpt from the nomination that was submitted on her behalf.

"Mrs. Burrell brings joy and heart to our campus every single day. She greets our students with a smile, encourages them with genuine warmth, and always keeps their best interests at the center of everything she does.
This year, she went above and beyond by organizing a schoolwide competition to support the IPS Food Pantry for families in need. Thanks to her leadership and enthusiasm, GJM collected nearly 100 turkeys and hams and almost 500 canned goods!

And Mrs. Burrell didn’t stop there—she personally sorted through every single donation, ensured all items were safe and not expired, and delivered everything to IPS just in time for their Thanksgiving food giveaway.

Her compassion, dedication, and Mustang spirit made a tremendous difference for families in our community, and we are so grateful for her."

We encourage you that if you witness an employee who goes above and beyond and demonstrates actions or qualities that are worthy of celebrating, to tell their story and help us recognize them! The nomination form is located on the district website at www.inglesideisd.org ,under the 'About Us' section of the Menu.

Congratulations, Mrs. Burrell! We're so happy you're a part of the Family at IISD.

As we head into this season of gratitude, we want to wish all of our students, staff, families, and community members a joyful Thanksgiving! 🧡

All Ingleside ISD campuses and offices will be closed November 24–28.
Classes will resume on Monday, December 1.

We hope you enjoy a safe, restful break filled with family, friends, and plenty of holiday cheer. Happy Thanksgiving, Mustangs!