Blue Ridge Independent School District

Preparing  for Growth and Opportunity in Northeast Collin County, Texas

Ensuring students have the skills needed to succeed in future academic pursuits and in the new economy

Located in one of the fastest growing regions in the United States, Blue Ridge Independent School District is preparing for the future. Guided by the phrase, “Raise the Ridge,” this thriving district works to support students in every way, creating an environment of engagement and success.

Superintendent Dr. Darrell Floyd shares,  “Around here, we use the motto ‘Raise the Ridge,’ and we use that quite frequently, whether it be academics or extracurricular activities, athletics or fine arts or any other avenue we are going down the pathway towards. We feel like that sets the bar high for all of our students and our employees.”

Growth and Preparation

Blue Ridge ISD encourages community involvement in the decisions that will help prepare for upcoming growth in the district. Before putting a $60 million bond package on the ballot, parents, teachers, administrators, grandparents, and community stakeholders were invited to help shape the proposal.

“Our community is a key part of where we are headed, and that’s the reason we included them early on, about a year in advance of our school bond election that passed this past May at 69% approval rating,” reports Dr. Floyd. “A big reason for that passage rate was the fact that we included a number of key stakeholders early on in the planning process.”

Chief Financial Officer Amanda Ray says the district is planning ahead, especially as the area continues to transform. “We have six developments with over 5000 houses that are going to be coming to us, spread out over the next five to 10 years. Some have already started,” she details. With this in mind, Blue Ridge ISD is expecting enrollment to nearly double over the next decade, from 1,050 students to more than 2,000.

Fortunately, the 2025 bond will provide for those needs. “The main part of it is a new intermediate campus, for grades three, four and five, and that will open in August of 2027,” Ray reports. Other projects include new buses, roof and HVAC replacements, a renovated gym, welding booths, a third animal barn, expanded parking, new sound and lighting, and upgraded middle school locker rooms.

A Balanced Approach to Learning

When it comes to technology, Chief Academic Officer Ashley Helms says, “We view it as a partner in our classroom for high quality instruction. It can’t be a replacement for teachers or for the amazing face to face work and conversations that our students have in academic conversations. But we do feel like technology needs to be integrated in a way that gives kids the skills that they need for right now and for what’s right for their future.”

Blue Ridge ISD is a one to one district, providing every student from pre-K through grade 12 with an iPad or a Chromebook.

“We have a lot of opportunities for students to utilize technology in various ways, from Google Classroom and Class Dojo to different products and programs that they access on a regular basis,” adds Helms. “We also look at the creation end of it, and how they are utilizing technology to be creative.”

The district has also invested in a fully outfitted robotics lab, where students start at the basics, and are able to move up to the competition level. She recounts, “They are looking at how to apply the learning from their other classrooms, from math and science, and even language arts, because there is a considerable amount of writing involved in log books and being able to describe your robot and market your robot through the competition.”

Future readiness is another priority at Blue Ridge ISD, with career based technology programs beginning in middle school. As a rural district, agriculture is at the forefront of these efforts.

“I think maybe in the past we did not recognize how much technology is embedded into the agricultural space,” Helms acknowledges. “But we see our teachers utilizing more and more advanced technologies, through welding, animal tracking, livestock production, all of these things. We’re really trying to integrate the skills from all of the core areas as our students move through a significant and expansive certification process at the high school.”

Partnership and Opportunity

In collaboration with Collin College, the district is opening doors for students to pursue careers in healthcare. “We’re very excited about our medical pathways this year,” underscores Helms. “We have a partnership with Collin College, which is our regional partner for higher education, and we have two really significant opportunities.”

One of those is EMT certification, an option being offered for the first time this year. The district is also one of the first in the area to open a certified nursing assistant skills lab. “Our students will be having their lab hours and their classroom hours on campus, and then in the spring, they will be pushing out to facilities that we’ve partnered with to get their clinical hours,” Helms explains. “We’re really excited about that, and we plan to expand that every year as students complete their certification.”

Collin College also provides other advanced opportunities, as Dr. Floyd highlights, “We had students this past year who graduated with their associates degree before they graduated with their high school diploma. So that was pretty neat.”

Partnerships and Local Collaborations

Blue Ridge ISD values the support and engagement of its community, recognizing that many “learning beyond the classroom” opportunities are made possible through strong local partnerships. Helms describes, “In setting up our lab, we reached out to every skilled nursing facility in a 20 mile radius. We received letters of support from all of the businesses in our area saying that they’re very excited that we are starting this program to create a pipeline for them.”

Students also benefit from partnerships in technology and engineering. Funded by a robotics grant, the district works with Tech Titan to bring valuable STEM  activities and mentorship programs to learners. “We have some really exciting things lined up for our students to do some work based learning at some major organizations throughout the metroplex,” expands Helms. Additionally, engineers from Texas Instruments are scheduled to connect virtually with learners. “They will give some really specific talks to our students as they go throughout their learning this year, and then also some learning opportunities where they will go to different plants and agencies to see the work in action,” she relays.

Holistic Support

The mental health and well-being of all students and staff is a priority for Blue Ridge ISD. “We have to be cognizant of trying to create an atmosphere where people like to come to work every day and create a positive climate and positive morale in our campuses and in our district,” portrays Dr. Floyd.

“Our counselors are involved in that social emotional aspect, but also our administrators and our teachers are keeping an eye on students and looking out for key traits that might be triggers that need to be addressed.” A new police department is also being established this year, bringing another layer of security and support in the district.

Looking Ahead

On a more personal note, Dr. Floyd emphasizes the value of learning new skills and continuing to grow and evolve. He stresses, “Lifelong learning is important for everybody, regardless of whether they’re in education or not, and that’s what we try to instill in our students and our employees as well.”

For Ray one of the best parts of her work is ensuring that students have access to a well rounded school experience. “Being a small district, I think sometimes we get a bad rap, that we don’t get the same opportunities that big schools do,” she asserts. “So, being able to provide those opportunities for our students, no matter where they live, is so rewarding.”

Helms says her satisfaction comes from the students, teachers, and principals she works alongside. “We have such an amazing team that truly works together to celebrate small wins, to work for the good of our kids every single day, with kids at heart, and making sure our students have every single opportunity that they need to be successful today and long term. We’re having a blast.”

Moving forward, Blue Ridge ISD is preparing for growth with a clear focus on the future. The district is committed to completing the new intermediate campus while also applauding the efforts and progress taking place across every school. “We all know that positive things are happening, and people come to work every day, doing great work and doing their very best for students,” Dr. Floyd imparts. “We are raising expectations, and we are raising student outcomes and successes. As we say around here, we are Raising the Ridge.”

AT A GLANCE

Who: Blue Ridge Independent School District

What: A K-12 District in one of the fastest growing regions in the U.S.

Where: Blue Ridge, Texas

Website: www.brisd.net