Lubbock ISD Announces 3 Campus & 2 District Leadership Hires Regular Board Meeting
At their regularly scheduled meeting today (May 28), the Lubbock Independent School District (Lubbock ISD) Board of Trustees announced campus and district leadership appointments for the 2026-2027 school year. The board announced two campus principals and one campus director for the 2026-2027 school year and also announced the hiring of the district’s next Director of Parent & Student Resolutions and new Director of Federal Programs.
Ramirez Elementary School Principal: Daniela Torres
Daniela Torres was named as the next principal of Ramirez Elementary School. Torres has served as the Ramirez Elementary Assistant Principal since 2021 and fills the position after Principal Melissa Hernandez-Serenil announced she would be the new principal of Wolffarth Elementary School for the 2026-2027 school year.
“I am honored and grateful for the opportunity to serve our students, families and staff,” said Torres. “I am especially excited to continue growing our IB culture by fostering academic excellence, global-mindedness, and meaningful learning experiences for all students.”
Torres joined Lubbock ISD in 2012 as a bilingual/dual language teacher at Bean Elementary School before serving as a Lubbock ISD Principal Fellow Administrative Intern at O.L. Slaton Middle School. She returned to Bean Elementary in 2019 as an assistant principal, before moving into her current role at Ramirez Elementary.
Torres holds three degrees from Texas Tech University: a Bachelor of Science in multidisciplinary studies with a bilingual education specialization and a concentration in
elementary general bilingual teacher preparation; a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction with specialization in language and literacy education; and a master’s degree in educational leadership.
Roscoe Wilson Elementary School Principal: Heather Thornburg
Heather Thornburg was named as the next principal of Roscoe Wilson Elementary School for the 2026-2027 school year and fills the role most currently held by Stacey Stephens, who announced her retirement this spring.
“I feel very privileged to be coming home to Lubbock ISD, the district that invested so much in me and helped shape the person and educator I am today,” Thornburg said. “Serving the same community that poured into me throughout my journey is truly an honor and something I hold close to my heart.”
She is a product of Lubbock ISD, graduating from Lubbock High School after attending Maedgen Elementary School and Hutchinson Middle School. She returns to the district after 25 years in roles with districts in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, including serving as an assistant principal at Little Elm ISD’s Colin Powell Intermediate School and as an assistant principal Ponder ISD Junior High, where she also served in her most recent position as the Ponder ISD Elementary school principal. As part of Denton ISD, Thornburg served as a 504 coordinator and the International Baccalaureate (IB) Primary Years Programme Coordinator at Borman Elementary School.
Thornburg holds a Bachelor of Science from Lubbock Christian University and a master’s degree in education from the University of Texas at Brownsville.
Director of REACH Program: Katherine Mahan
Katherine Mahan was named as the next director of Lubbock ISD’s REACH Program and fills the role most recently held by Lisa Bryant, who announced her retirement this spring.
“I’ve had the privilege of working with some incredible leaders during my 23 years at Lubbock ISD,” said Mahan. “I especially would like to thank Lisa Bryant and Dr. Kami Finger for being examples of how to lead with high expectations while loving people. Your support has developed me into a better leader, and I am truly grateful to have learned from the best. To my incredible REACH family, I’m grateful that our journey continues together. We have built a culture at REACH unlike anything else, and I am excited to see where the next step takes us.”
Mahan joined the district in 2003 as a classroom teacher at Roscoe Wilson Elementary. She currently serves the REACH Program as assistant principal and behavioral specialist and was instrumental in the creation of the program. Prior to her roles at REACH, she served as an educational diagnostician for Lubbock ISD.
She holds a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education and a master’s degree in special education, both from Texas Tech University. She also earned a master’s degree in educational leadership from Lubbock Christian University.
Director of Federal Programs: Amanda Boland
The Trustees also named Amanda Boland as the district’s Director of Federal Programs. Boland fills this new role after serving as the Federal Programs coordinator since 2023.
“Moving from a campus role to federal programs three years ago gave me many new opportunities to support and serve our district,” said Boland. “Building relationships with and working alongside campus and district leadership has helped me better understand the balance between financial stewardship, compliance and meeting the needs of our campuses and students through our Title I, Part A Program. While this work can be challenging, we’ve made a lot of meaningful progress over the last three years, and I look forward to continuing that progress as my role expands to additional grant programs.”
Boland has held multiple roles in teaching, counseling and administration since joining the district in 1999 as a middle school English and AVID teacher, spending time at Alderson and Hutchinson Middle Schools. Prior to her current role, Boland also served as a middle school counselor, AVID coordinator and campus testing coordinator, as well as assistant principal of Atkins Middle School and Principal of Parsons Elementary School.
She holds a bachelor’s degree in English and a master’s degree in counselor education, both from Texas Tech University. She also earned a master’s degree in educational Administration from Lamar University.
Director of Student & Parent Resolution: Jimmy Moore
The Board of Trustees named Jimmy Moore as the next Director of Student & Parent Resolution. He fills the role most recently held by Brian Ellyson, who will serve as an associate principal at Lubbock High School in the 2026-2027 school year.
“First and foremost, thank you to Lubbock ISD for believing in me and giving me the opportunity to learn, grow and develop over my 18 years within the district,” said Moore. “Your trust in my leadership has created avenues that challenged me and helped shape me both professionally and personally. I am so excited to be back where my educational career began!”
Moore brings a wealth of experience in public education, leadership and developing and fostering relationships. His career began in Lubbock ISD, with Moore serving as an assistant girls’ basketball coach at Coronado High School before going on to serve as a head basketball coach at Abilene High School, Estacado High School and Lubbock Christian University (LCU). Moore was then the athletic director for LCU before returning to Lubbock ISD and serving in various roles, including assistant principal, associate principal and principal and as the district’s Human Resources director.
He also led the Children’s Home of Lubbock for nearly a decade as President and CEO. Since January 2025, he has served as the Director of Church Strengthening & Support for the Christian Alliance for Orphans, a global nonprofit organization dedicated to serving orphaned and vulnerable children.
Moore is a graduate of Lubbock Christian University and holds two degrees, a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology and master’s degree in secondary education. He also completed Harvard Principals’ Center Training at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education.
About Lubbock ISD
Lubbock Independent School District is the largest K-12 public education provider in the surrounding area, educating more than 23,000 students. Its mission is to nurture, develop and inspire every child, every day. Guiding that mission are three leadership pillars – Develop Leaders, Love People and Value Data – which aim to empower staff to their full potential, embrace our community and cultivate student success at every level. With a wide range of academic and career programming, the district has innovated itself to provide growth opportunities for students and staff alike.
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