Randolph Field Independent School District

Fostering Excellence Through Military-Connected Education and Innovation

A Unique Texas School District Leveraging its Military Ties, Technology, and Community Partnerships to Prepare Students for Success.

Randolph Field Independent School District (RFISD), located in Bexar County, Texas, stands out as a public school district deeply intertwined with Randolph Air Force Base. Serving military-connected families, RFISD prioritizes adaptability, emotional support, and academic excellence to meet the unique needs of its highly mobile student population.

“We exist to serve our community and ultimately to foster and support a free society by helping create responsible citizens,” says Superintendent Dr. Brian Holt, emphasizing the district’s mission-driven approach.

With a focus on social-emotional learning, cutting-edge STEM programs, career readiness initiatives, and strategic infrastructure investments, RFISD exemplifies innovation in education while maintaining strong ties to its military roots. This combination of community dedication and forward-thinking practices positions the district as a model for 21st-century learning.

A Mission Rooted in Community and Citizenship

At the heart of RFISD’s philosophy is a commitment to shaping not just students, but engaged citizens. The district’s board-authorized mission statement clearly defines this purpose. “The purpose of education at Randolph Field Independent School District is to prepare individuals to be continual learners who are successful, productive, responsible citizens,” explains Dr. Holt. This vision extends beyond test scores, while academic excellence is prioritized, the district measures success by its graduates’ ability to contribute meaningfully to society.

RFISD’s military connection deeply influences this approach. With many students coming from active-duty families, the district serves a highly transient population. “We don’t know where our students are coming from year to year,” Dr. Holt notes. “They could have been in a different state like Idaho or Georgia or North Dakota, or they could be coming from Germany.” This mobility demands an educational model that balances stability with adaptability, ensuring students thrive academically and emotionally despite frequent relocations.

Crucially, RFISD views graduation as an outcome, not the ultimate goal. “We don’t exist simply to enroll and graduate students,” Dr. Holt emphasizes. “Graduation is a result, not our mission, business, or purpose.” Instead, the district focuses on cultivating responsibility, resilience, and community engagement, qualities that endure long after diplomas are awarded.

Early Education: Social-Emotional Learning and Academic Excellence

For RFISD, early education goes beyond academics, it’s about building resilient learners. Recognizing the unique challenges military-connected children face, the district provides robust emotional support alongside rigorous instruction. “Social emotional learning is a really big deal for our school district, especially since we’re military connected,” explains Dr. Holt. To address this, RFISD employs two full-time military family life counselors who help students navigate deployments, relocations, and other stressors.

This year, the district is expanding its pre-K program from half-day to full-day to better prepare young learners. “We have built out as many play-based opportunities in that early childhood area for pre-K and for kinder to make sure that we get that whole child approach, not just focusing 100% on the academics,” says Elementary Principal Tracey Bandy, highlighting the balanced approach.

This philosophy extends to the innovative “Imaginarium,” where students as young as pre-K participate in twice-weekly STEM rotations featuring robotics, coding, and engineering challenges. “It’s all hands-on building,” Bandy adds.

The results speak for themselves. “95% of our kids are on grade level or ahead of it,” says Dr. Holt. By blending emotional support with engaging, developmentally appropriate academics, RFISD ensures its youngest learners, regardless of their family’s military journey, build a strong foundation for success.

Technology and STEM: Preparing Students for the Future

RFISD is making strategic investments to ensure students graduate as tech-savvy problem solvers. “We are a one-to-one district for the entire span of the grades,” says Dr. Holt. This year marks a district-wide transition from Chromebooks to iPads, a move he calls “a better purchase for us long-term.”

The shift complements other upgrades like replacing traditional projectors with large interactive TVs where, as Dr. Holt notes, “multiple students can be at the TV or at the board doing activities on them in unison.”

Teachers leverage technology as a dynamic resource, using digital repositories to house lesson materials. “Everything can be accessed anytime you want it through that repository,” Dr. Holt explains, enabling students to revisit lectures or notes as needed. Yet the district recognizes when traditional methods prevail, like in algebra classes where, as Dr. Holt observes, “sometimes paper and pencil truly still is better.”

The district’s STEM commitment begins in elementary school and continues through high school, where students participate in STEM camps year-round. “Some of our older students volunteer to work some of these STEM camps as well,” explains Secondary School Vice Principal Matthew Atwell, “so they’re focusing on the learning and being in a leadership role throughout the summer.”

With its military connections, RFISD prioritizes cybersecurity and is developing policies around AI use in classrooms. “We have been developing policies around artificial intelligence and the acceptable use thereof,” Dr. Holt explains, acknowledging both the opportunities and challenges these technologies present.

Career-focused technology takes center stage in specialized programs. The JROTC boasts “one of the best flight simulators that you can put together,” while health sciences students train on a “$100,000 mannequin that will bleed and throw up and yell,” as Dr. Holt describes. These cutting-edge tools ensure students gain practical, career-ready experience alongside theoretical knowledge.

Career Readiness and Community Partnerships

RFISD bridges classroom learning with real-world opportunity through robust career pathways. “We have a bunch of opportunities through some of our electives to earn state and national certifications, so we have programs through a lot of our CTE classes, which give the students an opportunity to gain experience in those areas and also earn those certifications,” says Atwell. Some of these courses allow students to become certified as x-ray technicians, phlebotomy, EKG technician, and nurse assistants. Next year will expand certification opportunities in business and advertising programs, ensuring students graduate with marketable credentials.

The district’s JROTC program exemplifies leadership development, engaging 25% of high school students. These cadets gain practical experience while serving the community through parades, retirement ceremonies, and nursing home visits. “A lot of those kids will pursue a military career,” says Dr. Holt. “They get the real world experience of…what’s it actually like to be an officer, or to be in charge,” he adds, noting many participants continue to ROTC programs in college.

RFISD’s military connection drives unique partnerships, particularly with Randolph Air Force Base commands like Cyber Ops and the Flying Training Wing. “Most of our community connections are based on the base,” explains Amanda Bauer, Director of Community Engagement. The district also maintains active involvement with the Rotary Club and San Antonio Chamber of Commerce, while advocating at federal levels for impact aid critical to military-connected schools. “We do what we can to keep that base connection really strong and really thriving,” Bauer adds.

Infrastructure and Fiscal Responsibility

RFISD demonstrates prudent financial stewardship while maintaining modern facilities. As a district unable to levy taxes, RFISD carefully manages state aid, federal impact aid, and grants. “We have to be extremely careful with the state aid from Texas that we’re given, but we do a good job of managing that fiscally. Much of this success is guided by the outstanding financial leadership of Assistant Superintendent for Finance, Lorrie Remick, whose expertise and commitment to transparency ensures the district maximizes every dollar of state aid, grants, and federal impact aid. Her careful stewardship allows RFISD to invest strategically in facilities, technology, and programs that directly benefit students while maintaining long-term fiscal health.” explains Dr. Holt, highlighting their disciplined approach to budgeting.

Recent successes include their new elementary school, completed by F.A. Nunnelly and Gallagher builders. “That builder and that construction manager produced us a product on time on budget and it is a quality build,” Dr. Holt states emphatically. The district also prioritizes essential maintenance, from HVAC systems battling Texas’ scorching heat to rigorous door maintenance for safety compliance. “We now employ somebody just to maintain our exterior doors,” Dr. Holt notes, underscoring their commitment to security.

Looking ahead, RFISD is implementing classroom panic alert systems (Informacast) and addressing two key needs including lighting for baseball/softball fields and expanded pre-K space. “Our pre-K is out of room,” Dr. Holt explains, as state mandates now require districts to accommodate faculty children. These strategic investments balance immediate needs with long-term planning, ensuring facilities support educational excellence.

Looking Ahead: Priorities for the Next Two Years

As RFISD charts its course forward, Dr. Holt outlines three clear priorities that will guide the district’s evolution. “Number one of course is safety and security of students,” he states, emphasizing comprehensive protection that includes “safety from the elements” and enhanced emergency systems like the new Informacast alert technology.

The second pillar focuses on educational excellence. “Always providing high quality instruction…that means getting good teachers in the classroom,” Dr. Holt explains, followed by ensuring they have “the appropriate resources whether that be technology books whatever the kids need.”

Third, the district commits to maintaining “a school that is comfortable, well put together, and easy to use for students.” This includes infrastructure upgrades and technology like Parent Square, which Dr. Holt adds has “really improved our district this year in terms of being able to communicate effectively and safely with our community.” Together, these priorities are made possible through the steadfast leadership of the Randolph Field ISD Board of Trustees, whose vision, governance, and partnership with district leaders provide the foundation for every initiative and position RFISD to continue delivering exceptional education to its military- connected families.

A District Defined by Adaptability and Unwavering Commitment

RFISD stands as a model of educational excellence, uniquely tailored to serve its military-connected community while delivering outstanding academics, comprehensive emotional support, and cutting-edge career preparation. The district’s ability to adapt, from its seamless technology transitions to strategic infrastructure investments, demonstrates remarkable agility despite funding constraints.

As RFISD continues to evolve, its unwavering commitment to student success, community engagement, and innovative practices ensures it will remain at the forefront of military-connected education, preparing tomorrow’s leaders with both skills and character to thrive in an ever-changing world.

AT A GLANCE

Who: Randolph Field Independent School District

What: A military-connected Texas district excelling in STEM education, career certifications, and emotional support for highly mobile military families

Where: Randolph Air Force Base, Bexar County, Texas

Website: www.rfisd.net