LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) – The Lubbock Independent School District Board of Trustees announced two leadership changes and approved construction sites for three new elementary schools during their regular meeting Thursday.
Michael Stewart, current principal of Hutchinson Middle School, was named principal of Lubbock High School for the 2026-2027 academic year. Stewart previously served as associate principal at Lubbock High School from 2013-2023.
Stewart has led Hutchinson Middle School since March 2023. He joined the district in 2002 as a U.S. history teacher at O.L. Slaton Middle School and later served as assistant principal there. He holds a master’s degree in educational leadership from Lubbock Christian University and a bachelor’s degree in history from Texas Tech University.
New specialized instruction director named
Brenda Butts was named Director of Specialized Instruction in the district’s School Support and Special Services department. She will oversee instructional programming for special education resource and inclusion services, dyslexia specialized instruction and bilingual programming.
Butts currently serves as coordinator of resource and inclusion, overseeing programs and staff for more than 35 campuses across the district’s four feeder patterns. She joined Lubbock ISD as a special education teacher at Atkins Middle School in August 2003. She holds a master’s degree in special education, a bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary studies and principal certification from Lubbock Christian University.
Butts will begin her new role July 1, 2026.
Bond construction sites approved
The board approved sites for three new elementary schools included in the 2025 Bond approved by voters in May 2025. The administration considered bond revenue optimization, minimizing instructional disruption, construction timelines and projected enrollment when selecting sites.
Bean Elementary School will be constructed at the current O.L. Slaton Middle School building at 1602 32nd St. A combined Stewart and Williams elementary campus will be built at the current Williams Elementary location at 4812 58th St. The combined Wolffarth and McWhorter elementary campus will be constructed at the current Matthews Building at 412 N. Akron Ave.
Student and staff recognition
The board recognized seven state qualifiers for State FFA Leadership Development Events, seven DECA state qualifiers and 22 football student-athletes who earned Academic All-State honors. Seven Lubbock ISD schools were recognized as Texas Honor Roll STAR Schools and eight educators were named National Board Certified teachers.
Stewart will replace Douglas Young, who announced his retirement in January after serving as Lubbock High School principal since August 2009. A community meeting about the Hutchinson Middle School transition is scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 24, with staff invited from 4:30-5:15 p.m. and parents from 5:30-6:15 p.m. in the campus library at 3102 Canton Ave.
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