COPPERAS COVE – Trustees have named the next leader for middle schoolers on Copperas Cove’s south side.
Tuesday, during a special meeting of the Copperas Cove ISD Board of Trustees, the board voted 6-0 to approve the hiring of Roger McNeel as the new principal at Copperas Cove Jr. High School for the 2025-26 school year.
McNeel, a central Texas native, comes to Cove from Huntsville, where he worked as an administrator since 2020, starting as an assistant principal at Huntsville High School from 2020-2022 and the associate principal at HHS from 2022-24. He spent the 2024-25 school year as the principal at Huntsville Elementary School.
"I am very excited to join the Bulldawg family,” McNeel said. “I truly believe I’ve been called into this career to make a difference, and I feel like this is exactly where I’m meant to be. I lead with a servant mindset and can’t wait to get to know the incredible staff, students and community of Copperas Cove Junior High."
Prior to moving to Huntsville, McNeel worked as an assistant principal at Willis High School from 2017-20. McNeel worked as a math teacher in both Huntsville and Willis before moving to an administration role.
Before moving to administration, McNeel also led efforts in positive behavior intervention & support and served on multiple district or campus advisory groups.
“Mr. McNeel’s resume is impressive and he has vast experience in guiding campus to better academic performance in any role he’s worked in,” said CCISD Superintendent Dr. Brent Hawkins. “He quickly rose to the top of our applicant pool and I am confident that he will continue the work that has been done at Cove Jr. High to positively impact our students.”
McNeel holds a bachelor’s degree from Sam Houston State University and both a master’s degree and principal certification from Lamar University.
Trustees also heard several reports from Dr. Hawkins.
Among those was the reassignment of Copperas Cove HS Girls Athletic Coordinator/Head Volleyball Coach Christy Thompson to serve the district’s Assistant Athletic Director in addition to her continued coaching duties.
“Coach Thompson has long been a vital team member in both our athletic department and at CCHS,” Dr. Hawkins said. “She has been supportive in important efforts for everyone in athletics and will make sure that our students have everything they need to succeed. I know Coach Thompson will be a large part of our efforts to continue restoring Bulldawg pride throughout the Five Hills.”
Trustees also heard an update on the ongoing legislative session from Dr. Hawkins.
The Board of Trustees is next scheduled to hold its regular June workshop and meeting. The workshop is scheduled for June 9th at Noon and the regular meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on June 10th. Both meetings will be held in the Board Room at the CCISD Service & Training Center on South Main Street.
Agendas are posted outside the District Service & Training Center 72 hours prior to each meeting. Once posted, they can be viewed on the Board Meetings page of the district website.
Each meeting is also recorded and uploaded to the CCISD YouTube channel within 48 hours.