.png)
District hires administrative trio, preps for job fair & downtown showcase
New administration
Elgin Independent School District has welcomed three new administrators to fill existing vacancies.
District leadership this month hired U.S. Army veteran Lance Weidler as executive director of maintenance and operations, Elisa Clark as director of bilingual education and Maggie Howard as director of college, career and military readiness and career and technical education.
Weidler, who previously served Elgin ISD from 2016-17 as coordinator of maintenance and operations, returns after working as chief operations officer in Taylor ISD and maintenance director in Rockdale ISD.
“We are happy to welcome Lance Weidler back to Elgin ISD,” Rainey Lann said, the district’s executive director of bond projects. “Having previously been here, he is very well informed with the inner workings of our district in addition to the district’s maintenance and operations needs.”
Weidler, a certified Texas school business official, will oversee all aspects of maintenance, custodial services and the district’s warehouse.
Clark was promoted from bilingual coordinator after joining Elgin ISD from Jubilee Academies, where she served as principal in 2023. She also has experience as an assistant principal in Pflugerville ISD.
“We know Elgin ISD will greatly benefit from Dr. Clark’s expertise,” said Superintendent of Schools Jana Rueter. “We believe that her experience with bilingual education and policy, cognitive coaching and curriculum and instruction will improve the effectiveness of bilingual education across the district.”
Clark holds a Doctor of Education degree from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, a master’s degree in education from the University of Texas at Austin and a bachelor’s degree in Spanish from Southwest Texas State University.
Howard joins Elgin ISD from White Settlement ISD, where she served as director of CTE. She was previously a family and consumer science teacher and was a Teacher of the Year nominee and finalist in 2018 and 2021.
“Elgin ISD is fortunate to have Ms. Howard at the helm of our CCMR and CTE department,” Rueter said. “Her classroom and administrative experience will serve the students of Elgin ISD well.”
Howard will oversee the district’s CCMR and CTE programs while also working with Early College High School initiatives at Elgin High School.
Job fair
Gearing up for rapid expansion — with an estimated enrollment of about 14,500 students by 2034 — the district will be hosting a teacher job fair Saturday, March 29, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Harvest Ridge Elementary School. The event will allow prospective teachers to meet school and district officials, learn about current openings and participate in on-site interviews.
Elgin ISD, which a recent demographic report stated is among the top five fastest-growing school districts in Central Texas, has seen a 28% enrollment increase over the past five years.
Projections also indicate the need for up to three new elementary schools and two new middle schools in the coming decade, according to the district.
Harvest Ridge Elementary opened last year, and Trinity Ranch Elementary is scheduled to open this fall, led by Principal Arthur Martinez, formerly of Neidig Elementary.
Those interested in attending the job fair can RSVP online through elginisd. net.
More information about available positions is posted at applitrack.com.
Wildcat Showcase
Downtown Elgin is about to burst with Wildcat pride, district officials said, as Elgin ISD brings its signature Wildcat Showcase to Main Street for the first time.
The annual celebration, traditionally held at Elgin Middle School, will join forces with the city, the Parks and Recreation Department and the Main Street Board to coincide with Sip, Shop and Stroll Thursday, March 13, from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at Veterans Memorial Park.
Attendees can look forward to hot dogs prepared by the decorated Elgin High School Barbecue Team, live music, dance performances and interactive booths set up by student clubs and initiatives.
Stage performances will feature Elgin Middle School beginning choir, guitar and mariachi students, Booker T. Washington recorder players and Elgin High School choir and musical theater artists.
Visual arts will also play a prominent role, with elementary pupils sharing their creations and Elgin High students painting faces for younger visitors.
Dancers from the EHS Purple Diamonds dance team will showcase their award-winning routines, joined by officers delivering upbeat hip-hop and novelty numbers.
Meanwhile, leadership groups like the Booker T. Washington Student Ambassadors and the Harvest Ridge Kindness Squad will be on hand to discuss their yearlong projects.
Organizers said the goal of the showcase is to highlight hands-on learning opportunities throughout the district — like Lego robotics programming — and to invite the community to experience Elgin ISD’s creativity and collaborative spirit.
