Gatesville ISD honors student for kindness on bus route

A seventh grader who quietly helped younger riders buckle in on a Gatesville ISD bus and a senior who built one of the district’s most decorated athletic careers were among three students recognized at the April 27 school board meeting.

Peighton Jo Hauck was honored for what happened on a March 6 bus route while Transportation Director Kris Raney was serving as a substitute driver. When the bus reached Gatesville Primary School, Hauck moved from the back of the bus to the front, helped elementary and primary students get seated and buckled, and even led them in a quiet game to keep the ride calm and orderly. District leaders said Hauck helps regularly, not just on that one trip, a detail that made the recognition about more than a single good deed. It also underscored how much day-to-day school transportation depends on student behavior as much as adult supervision. Gatesville ISD lists a transportation help line at 254-865-2062 for families with questions about bus service.

Emma Pollard, a Gatesville senior, was recognized for a career that stretched across volleyball and basketball and left a long trail of records behind her. The district said she finished with about 3,537 total points across the two sports and was ranked first-team Super Centex in both basketball and volleyball, while also placing eighth in her class academically. Her basketball records included 40 points against Rosebud Lott on Dec. 4, 2025, 16 made free throws against Copperas Cove on Dec. 12, 2025, 162 free throws in the 2025-2026 season, a 92.3 percent free-throw performance against West on Nov. 18, 2025, 26 rebounds in a game on Jan. 16, 328 rebounds in the 2025-2026 season, and seven steals in games against Valley Mills on Dec. 5, 2025, and Franklin on Dec. 11, 2025. In volleyball, she set a record with 38 kills against Marble Falls.

Pollard’s recognition added to a senior year already marked by major milestones. She reached her 1,500th high school basketball point in February and was named first-team academic all-state by the Texas High School Coaches Association in March. Her academic standing also reflected the district’s broader message about student success beyond athletics. Superintendent Dr. Barrett Pollard said Gatesville ISD values a “generous, supportive, family-oriented community” and keeps a high priority on literacy, career and technical education, technology, and well-rounded student opportunities. He said the district’s mission is “our story, our kids, our opportunities, our success.”

The board’s Student Spotlight showed how Gatesville ISD uses public meetings to highlight more than policy and budgets. In a county where school reputations travel fast, Hauck’s quiet help on a bus route and Pollard’s record-setting career presented two different versions of the same message: Gatesville schools are producing students who shape campus life and represent the district well beyond the classroom.