Alto ISD

Mean Sting- Thank you for another AWESOME week at Alto ISD!!☝️ We are building relationships and inspiring growth. 📈 I would like to share a few highlights of "Hard Work and Respect" from this week with you: 1. Alto High School Boys Basketball defeated Carlisle 68=51 on Tuesday!!🏀 2. Enrollment stays consistent at 522 students. Alto Middle School attendance reaches our goal of 96% for the week.⬆️ 3. Alto ISD welcomed Scott Ponder as our new Athletic Director/ Head Football Coach. Coach Ponder has 25 years experience as a Head Football Coach with 174 career wins, 20 playoff appearances, and one State championship. He has helped develop 46 college football players, 9 Division 1 college football players, 4 Division 1 Quarterbacks, and 4 NFL players. 🏈🏆 4. Coach Blagg and our Softball team began work last week in defending our District championship with 19 girls participating in the first week of practice. 🥎 5. Great week of academics with our 3rd-8th Gifted and Talented students attending student seminars hosted by Region 7. 📚 It is always a great week to be a Jacket!!🐝 -- Derrick Conley Superintendent Alto ISD

Today, Alto ISD honors the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. His words remind us that character is revealed not in moments of comfort, but in how we respond when challenges arise. As educators, students, and community members, we are called to stand up for what is right, care for one another, and serve others with courage and compassion. May we continue to model these values in our schools and beyond.

🎓 FAFSA Help for Seniors!
Seniors and their parents have two more opportunities to receive assistance with the FAFSA process from an Angelina College representative:
📅 Thursday, January 29
📅 Wednesday, February 11
Don’t miss out—mark your calendar and take advantage of this chance to get expert help completing your FAFSA!

Mr. Conley loves ending the day with good news calls! The parents of Ezekiel, Lily, Ernesto, Leo, and Madison received calls letting them know that their students showed excellent effort on the recent Gold Standard test!

Varsity Basketball Update:

There will be no JV basketball game tomorrow, 1/16, at New Summerfield. Varsity Girls play at 6:00 p.m., with Varsity Boys to follow.

Our 4th graders story-mapped The Three Billy Goats Gruff and decided whether it was a fable or a fairy tale. Then, they put their learning into action by designing and building a bridge for the goats to cross! 🐐🌉
With a set budget and price tags on each material, students had to think critically, plan carefully, and work together to make smart choices. Learning at its best—creative, hands-on, and fun!

January is School Board Recognition Month!
We are proud to recognize our Alto ISD Board of Trustees, who will be honored at their meeting next Tuesday.

Our current board is made up of 100% Alto ISD alumni—individuals who care so deeply about our school and community that they continue to serve the place that helped shape them. Their work is not easy, and their dedication reflects a deep commitment to the success of our students and the future of Alto ISD. 🐝

Front (L–R):
Aaron Low, Secretary – Class of 2003
Jay Jones, President – Class of 1985
Stancy Skinner, Vice President – Class of 1997

Back (L–R):
Charley Reid – Class of 2003
Angela Hackney-Jefferson – Class of 1988
Lionel Whitaker – Class of 1983
Tad Scott – Class of 2004

Thank you for your service and commitment to Alto ISD! 💛🖤 #schoolboardmonth

Please note the time changes for this evening's Junior High basketball games at Overton. Let's go Jackets!

Elementary parents--You're invited to join your jacket for breakfast in the cafeteria on Tuesday, January 27, 2026!

For the safety of our students, all visitors are required to wear an identification badge processed through Raptor, the district's screening system. Guests are invited to submit their information online in order to have their badge prepared early. If you do not RSVP, please be prepared to wait in line to check in. Thank you for understanding!

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc6TnA8EnCgSOlouh5hDapbSRHy82EET0TAHy0F2XVKL-VsLA/viewform?usp=sharing&ouid=111410216645947665752

In observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, there will be no school on Monday, January 19, 2026. Friday, January 23 will be a regular school day.

Daniel Hunt stopped by this morning, and Mr. Conley took the opportunity to show him some of the great things happening in our Texas public schools! Mr. Hunt is a candidate for Texas House District 8. We appreciate the visit!

Alto High School scholars had the privilege of hearing from Mr. Luke McCown today! 🐝🏈

A Jacksonville native and former NFL quarterback, Mr. McCown shared his journey from being a top national high school recruit to a four-year starter at Louisiana Tech, where he set multiple school and NCAA records. He was selected in the 4th round of the 2004 NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns and went on to play for several teams, including the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where he helped lead a division title run.

Mr. McCown connected his experiences to real-life lessons, encouraging our scholars to be serious, diligent, focused, disciplined, and resilient in the classroom and beyond. Thank you, Mr. McCown, for investing in our scholars and inspiring our Yellowjackets to strive for excellence! 💛🖤

Mean Sting- Thank you for another GREAT week and an AWESOME start to our second semester at Alto ISD!!☝️ I would like to share a few highlights of "Hard Work and Respect" from this week with you: 1. Alto Junior High Boys Basketball defeated Mount Enterprise on Thursday!!🏀 2. Enrollment stays consistent through the break at 523 students with attendance for the week at 94.72%.⬆️ 3. Alto ISD welcomed four new team members this week!! Please join me in making Claudia Cabriales, Jonann Johnson, Mary Claire Sarandos, and Cesar Lopez at home in the Mean Sting family. 🐝 4. Mr. Lopez brought the Mean Sting Marching Machine back to the band hall this week!!🥁🎷🎺🎶 5. Great week of academics with an awesome DTS meeting to close, and excellent preparation and planning to ensure that each day counts for our kids. 📚 It is always a great week to be a Jacket!!🐝 -- Derrick Conley Superintendent Alto ISD

We are proud to recognize our Alto Elementary Students of the Week! These students have been shining examples of what it means to work hard, show kindness, and lead by example. Congratulations to each of you, and thank you for setting such a great standard for your classmates—we are so proud of you! 🐝💛

We would also like to recognize our Staff Member of the Week, Mrs. Tiffany Weatherford! Mrs. Weatherford has dedicated 22 years to teaching at Alto Elementary and brings an incredible passion to her classroom each day. She makes math exciting, holds students to high expectations, and inspires them to rise to the challenge. We are grateful for her commitment, energy, and impact on our students.

Congratulations to all of our honorees—thank you for making Alto Elementary such a special place to learn and grow! 🐝

Congratulations to our AHS Students of the Month — Ne’Vaeh, Angelina, Margie, and Alli! 🎉🐝
We are so proud of these students for their hard work and commitment to excellence. Keep up the great work—you represent the best of AHS!

We also want to congratulate Mrs. Cates, our AHS Teacher of the Month for December. She was nominated by a colleague who shared: "Mrs. Cates is one of the most deserving teachers to receive this reward. I am sure it can be overlooked but everything we do is based on communication and understanding the English language. Every test we take, every professional email we send, every report we fill out is all thanks to an English teacher. She is wise, and she is always helpful." Thank you, Mrs. Cates, for supporting our students and helping them build skills that matter.

Basketball update: There will be no JV basketball game tomorrow, January 9th in Overton. Varsity Girls will play at 5:00 with Varsity Boys to follow.

Congratulations to TeAsia for earning a Gold Standard Award! Ms. Jones, who nominated TeAsia, had wonderful things to say about her! "TeAsia truly represents what it means to be a Gold Standard Student. She is kind, respectful, and thoughtful, and she consistently looks for ways to help both her teacher and her classmates. She puts in extra effort every day and takes pride in her learning. Recently, she even brought in a page of math problems she printed on her own to practice what we are learning in class." We're proud of you, TeAsia!

Alto ISD is proud to announce the hiring of two new leaders for the Mean Sting Marching Machine. Mr. Xavier Broughton will serve as Band Director beginning the 2026–2027 school year. He brings several years of experience leading show bands with a strong focus on student growth, teamwork, and building school pride.

Mr. Cesar Lopez has already joined the program as Assistant Band Director. He is a 2020 graduate of AHS, a proud MSMM alum, and has been playing with the Prairie View A&M University Marching Storm Band. We are excited for the future of the Mean Sting Marching Machine! 🐝🎶.