Lubbock ISD Board of Trustees Announce Campus Leadership Appointments at Special-Called Meeting
Today (May 6), the Lubbock Independent School District (Lubbock ISD) Board of Trustees announced two campus leadership appointments during a special-called meeting.
Jason Cheslock named as next Principal of Mackenzie Middle School
Jason Cheslock was named principal of Mackenzie Middle School for the 2026-2027 academic year. He will replace the current principal, Nikki Beaty, who will transition into a leadership role at Coronado High School this fall.
Cheslock joined the district in July 2024 and has since served as the assistant principal at Cavazos Middle School. During his time there, he has built meaningful relationships with students and families as he worked to strengthen the campus culture and create an environment where students and staff feel valued, supported and empowered to succeed. He also helped implement systems that support both academic and behavioral success while expanding the campus focus on high-yield Tier 1 instruction.
He said he is thankful for his time at Cavazos and looks forward to continuing this important work at Mackenzie.
“I’m deeply honored and grateful for this opportunity to serve Mackenzie Middle School as its next principal – I know we have very important work ahead of us, and there is a sense of urgency in that work,” Cheslock said. “I want to assure you I’m committed to that work and I embrace that challenge with this team. Thank you to every member of the educational stakeholder group here at Lubbock ISD: teachers, staff, families and community partners. Your work and the culmination of your efforts on a daily basis make Lubbock ISD such a special and incredible place.”
With a leadership style rooted in collaboration and communication and centered on people, Cheslock is focused on empowering educators to reach their full potential while maintaining high expectations for student success. He has nearly two decades of teaching, coaching and leadership experience, with roles at school districts throughout Texas. Most recently before joining Lubbock ISD, he served in leadership positions at districts in the North Texas area, including as an elementary school principal at Poolville Independent School District, a STEM academy principal and associate principal at Gainesville Independent School District and as an assistant principal at Denton Independent School District.
Cheslock earned an honors bachelor of business administration degree from the University of Texas at Austin, a master’s degree in leadership and education administration from Lamar University and superintendent certification from the University of North Texas.
Melissa Hernandez-Serenil ratified as next Principal of Wolffarth Elementary
The Board of Trustees also ratified Melissa Hernandez-Serenil as the principal of Wolffarth Elementary School for the 2026-2027 academic year. Hernandez-Serenil will replace Josie Cedillo, who announced her retirement from Wolffarth at the end of this school year.
Hernandez-Serenil has served as the principal of Ramirez Elementary School since May 2019. Her time at Ramirez has been heavily focused on building strong campus relationships and advocating for all children by engaging families and the community, primarily through a robust Ramirez PTA. This work has allowed Hernandez-Serenil and her team to empower families by providing them the opportunity to take an active role in their child’s experience and contribute to the campus culture of excellence.
She joins the Wolffarth team as they prepare to join the McWhorter Elementary family in a new school building in 2028.
“It is both an honor and a great responsibility to accept this opportunity to serve this community of Wolffarth Elementary,” Hernandez-Serenil said. “I’m very excited, and I do so with deep gratitude and a clear commitment to our mission of every child, every day. I’m ready to roll up my sleeves, and work alongside all the people at Wolffarth Elementary and write our story. We will work collaboratively to ensure the success of all of our students, which will ultimately lead to the overall success of our campus.”
Hernandez-Serenil began her service to the district in 1997 as a teacher at Bean Elementary, serving in that role for 15 years before becoming the assistant principal. She then served as the district’s bilingual/ESL coordinator before beginning her tenure at Ramirez. Since joining Ramirez, the school has continued to grow and is known for offering its students unparalleled educational experiences. The campus went from a “B” rating in the Texas Education Agency’s annual accountability ratings in 2019 to an “A” rating every year since then, an achievement she attributes to the collective effort of the students, staff and families.
She holds a bachelor’s degree in multidisciplinary studies and master’s degree in bilingual education from Texas Tech University. She also holds a master’s degree in educational administration from Lubbock Christian University.
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