COPPERAS COVE – Elementary students in Copperas Cove will have new playgrounds to enhance their school day.
Monday, during its regular meeting, the Copperas Cove ISD Board of Trustees approved the purchase of new shaded playgrounds for each of the district’s six K-5 elementary campuses.
These new playgrounds will bring all of the CCISD’s playground facilities up to standards set by nearby and neighboring district, creating greater equity for the students in Copperas Cove.
“If Copperas Cove ISD is truly going to maintain its position as the premier district of choice in central Texas, we have to ensure that our district continues to address every area that impacts the almost-8,000 students in our community,” said Superintendent Dr. Brent Hawkins. “Playgrounds are vital for our students and they deserve to have facilities to help them be more active, develop greater social skills. These facilities will allow us to increase these interactive opportunities for students and keep our district’s position as the district of choice in central Texas.”
All six playgrounds are scheduled to be in place before the beginning of the 2026-27 school year and will be on par with the recent playground upgrade at CCISD’s Pre-K campus, Mae Stevens Early Learning Academy.
The trustees also approved Dr. Lindsie Almquist as the district’s new Executive Director of Human Resources, overseeing the district’s personnel needs. Almquist returns to the school setting after having overseen human resources for school districts for three years.
Dr. Almquist comes to the district from Clark Land Resources, where she spent a year as Senior Director of Human Resources. She also spent more than a year with COPPERA as their Chief Culture Officer, overseeing human resource development for a company which expanded pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship programs under her leadership.
Before joining COPPERA, Almquist served as Director of Human Capital in Hutto ISD for two years and Executive Director of School Leadership & Campus Support for more than a year in Austin ISD.
“Dr. Almquist’s vast experience in overseeing human resources for a school district makes her the perfect fit to continue our district’s trajectory as a preferred workplace for educators across Texas,” Dr. Hawkins said. “She will greatly help ensure the best educators in the state remain in front of Copperas Cove students, and help us recruit the next generation of impactful educators to help our students achieve a true foundation of excellence and future of success.”
Before moving in human resource leadership, Dr. Almquist spent five years as a teacher in Round Rock ISD and seven years as an assistant principal or principal in Lockhart, Buckholts, Jarrell and Hutto ISD’s. She holds a bachelor’s degree in education from Texas A&M University, a master’s in educational leadership from Texas State University and a doctorate from the University of Texas at Austin, as well as a pair of HR certifications.
Dr. Almquist holds a Senior Professional in Human Resources certification through the HR Certification Institute and Senior Certified Professional certification from the Society for Human Resource Management. She will begin in her role when Copperas Cove ISD returns from Christmas Break in January.
The Board of Trustees will next hold its regular January workshop and meeting. The January workshop is scheduled for 6 p.m. Jan. 12th, with the regular meeting scheduled to follow at 6 p.m. Jan. 26th. Both meetings will take place in the Board Room at the District Service & Training Center on South Main Street.
Agendas for Board of Trustees meetings are posted outside the District Service & Training Center three business days prior to the meeting. Once posted, they can also be viewed online at www.CCISD.com/SchoolBoard.