Chris Roark, croark@cherryroad.com

As Waxahachie ISD Superintendent Jerry Hollingsworth stood before a cafeteria full of WISD parents, employees and community members Aug. 29, he touched on some of the highlights of the new Jimmie Ray Elementary campus.

Among those were the natural lighting and the gold colors featured throughout the campus.

Hollingsworth said that wasn’t by accident. Those illustrated the personality of Jimmie Ray, the school’s namesake.

“That’s why you see the gold shining along with the Waxahachie green, and that’s by design,” Hollingsworth said. “We really wanted to highlight the ‘Ray’ last name. Because everything I’ve heard about Jimmie Ray is that he was tough, he loved kids, he loved this community and he represented the light. He was a ray of light.”

District leaders and community members celebrated the opening of Jimmie Ray Elementary with a ribbon cutting and tour of the campus.

The school, which is located in the Saddlebrook Estates neighborhood on the east side of the city, opened at the beginning of this school year. It was named after Jimmie Ray, who served the district for 38 years.

Ray was a teacher and coach at Turner High School, a teacher and coach at Waxahachie High School, an assistant principal at WHS and a principal at Northside Elementary. He was also a homebound liaison and an attendance officer.

Outside of the school district, in 2004 he was elected Ellis County constable for Precinct 3, a position he held for 11 years.

Among those who attended the ceremony were family members of Jimmie Ray, including his daughter, Kendra Ray.

“My dad would have been so incredibly proud and honored today,” Kendra Ray said. “And our family is so incredibly honored and proud today.”

A district naming committee selected Jimmie Ray for his dedication to children and the district.

“So many individuals were deserving of this incredible honor,” Kendra Ray said. “My dad’s name was mentioned again and again and again, and that led to a vote that cemented his legacy.”

While not everyone at the campus got the chance to know Jimmie Ray before his passing in 2019, many learned about him and what he meant for the WISD community. Rachel Rector, the school’s principal, said she spoke to many people about him as she prepared to be the school’s first leader.

“They talk about his genuineness,” Rector said. “They say he was a cut above the rest. They talk about how he loved kids and loved his staff. And most importantly that great smile that everybody saw was contagious. With that, our goal and our focus is to continue that legacy. Bringing these kids into this building and showing all these things that would make Jimmie Ray proud.”

The campus

Jimmie Ray Elementary is the newest school to open in WISD and was one of three elementary campuses that were part of a bond package voters approved in 2023. The package also included renovations to the three junior high schools, a second comprehensive high school and upgrades throughout the district.

Jimmie Ray Elementary was built to hold 800 students, as will all future elementary schools in WISD.

In addition to the natural lighting, Hollingsworth also touted the more modernized features of the campus, including the four collaborative areas throughout the building.

“They’re designed to give teachers and children flexibility in how it is that they learn,” Hollingsworth said. “We want teachers and children to have a choice in how they design their lesson on any given day. This building very much reflects that.”

He also pointed out the future of WISD schools and how the gymnasium was designed in such as way that it can serve as a storm shelter in an emergency. The gym has16-inch-thick fortified concrete walls and storm-tested windows that Hollingsworth said can sustain 220-mph wind for four hours. He said all future campuses will be built the same way.

Hollingsworth said the campus was built in just 14 months.

“That doesn’t happen by accident,” Hollingsworth said. “That happens by a lot of people working together in the district.”

Hollingsworth thanked everyone who was involved in the process of getting the school up and running, and he credited the community for supporting the bond package that’s designed to address WISD’s 17,000-student plan into the 2030s.

“There were a lot of people in this community who went above and beyond beat the pavement, to get out and get the word out about the importance of (the bond) election, for the future of this community, and I want to say thank you to each and every one of you,” Hollingsworth said.

Next for the district will be the opening of the Wilemon STEAM Academy in January. It is being constructed at US 287 and Business 287, across from Waxahachie High School. Frankilou Jett Elementary in August of 2026, though a site hasn’t been finalized. Waxahachie Creek High School, which will be located off US 77 near Dunaway Elementary, will open in August of 2027.

But for now leaders are excited about the possibilities of Jimmie Ray Elementary and what’s ahead for a new campus.

“It is a family here,” Rector said. “Family was important to Mr. Jimmie Ray, and that is something that I am very focused on, is ensuring this school, this community, everybody feels at home. Everybody feels like a family here. I don’t even refer to my staff as staff. We are the Jimmie Ray family.”