Wearing the school colors of navy blue and orange, Gabi Niño, Joe Lee Johnson Elementary STEAM Academy principal, opened the Oct. 7 ribbon-cutting ceremony by welcoming students, district leaders, community members and Johnson family.
The celebration included a student performance, presentation of a video commemorating Johnson’s legacy, along with comments from Round Rock ISD Board of Trustees President Paul J. Tisch, Superintendent of Schools Dr. Steve Flores and Niño. The event concluded with a proclamation declaring the first Friday of October as Joe Lee Johnson Day and the official ribbon cutting. After the ribbon had been cut, the school’s student council conducted campus tours.
“Joe Lee Johnson Elementary School will challenge and build strong students, a true reflection of the man whose legacy our school honors as we create our own,” said Niño. “I am incredibly proud to honor and continue his mission as a dedicated educator, focused on ensuring every student is supported in becoming the best version of themselves.”
Joe Lee Johnson students and staff proudly call themselves Trailblazers, a name regarded as a daily tribute to the Johnson legacy. Johnson was a District educator from 1950-1986 and the namesake of the District’s 34th elementary school.
Funding to build Joe Lee Johnson was approved in the 2014 bond. The school, located in the Wells Branch community, opened Aug. 26, 2016.