Gatesville ISD names new theatre director, fills band leadership role

Gatesville ISD has filled two of its most visible fine-arts jobs before students return this fall, naming Caitlynn Monaghen as theatre director and James Trammell as head band director at Gatesville High School. For families whose children spend long afternoons in rehearsal rooms, on the practice field or under stage lights, the hires mean the district is not waiting until the last minute to sort out leadership for programs that shape school culture and student participation.

Monaghen, known to students as Miss M, came to Gatesville after two years at Hughes Springs High School, where she served as One Act Play director, Prose and Poetry sponsor, Theatrical Design sponsor, UIL Film sponsor, Collegiate Scholar Mentor and Class of 2026 sponsor. That background gives Gatesville a theatre director who has worked across performance, contest preparation and student mentorship, a mix that can matter in a program where one teacher often guides both productions and student growth.

Trammell brings seven years of music education experience to Gatesville High School. He began his career in 2019 as an assistant band director at Timpson ISD, where he helped the high school band earn two State Military Marching Silver Medals and one Bronze Medal, while also helping the junior high band collect multiple awards. He later taught in Valley Mills beginning in 2023, giving Gatesville a director who has already worked inside competitive band programs at multiple grade levels.

The timing matters because Gatesville’s band program has been on a strong run. The Fightin’ Hornet Band was a 2024 UIL State Marching Band finalist, a 4A Honor Band State semifinalist and an ATSSB OPS state finalist. The band also placed eighth at state in San Antonio’s Alamodome, a result that raised expectations for what comes next and made the leadership change more consequential for students, parents and booster families who track the program closely.

The hires land as Gatesville ISD moves from one school year to the next after the Gatesville High School Class of 2026 graduated 164 seniors at McKamie Stadium on May 22. For Coryell County families, the message is clear: the district is protecting continuity in two high-participation programs that affect rehearsals, contest calendars, student recruitment and the day-to-day rhythm of the campus long before the first bell rings in 2026-27.