New Fuentes Elementary School principal Regina Butcher personalizes her office before the beginning of school. (Photo by Jim Cullen)
by JIM CULLEN
Anyone who knew Regina Butcher before she was named to her first principalship – as the lead administrator at Fuentes Elementary School – also knew that their positive and enthusiastic friend was not going to allow any fading of the Stars’ shine. Her immediate predecessor, Jodie Wymore, took her skills to newly-opened Carpenter Hill Elementary.
Butcher is quickly establishing herself as the educational leader of her faculty and staff, imprinting her own ideas on the high-achieving campus.
Born in Tennessee, her family moved to Austin when she was two years old and she’s lived in the area most of her life, attending Austin ISD schools and the University of Texas where she earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees. She was making a mark even then, running track on the Longhorns’ first women’s scholarship team, an era she proudly calls “a very historic time for women.”
Subsequent tours of educational and coaching duties took her to North East ISD (San Antonio) Eisenhower Middle School, Austin’s Crockett High School and Eanes ISD’s West Ridge Middle School. Those stops were broken by a ten-year interruption to be a stay-at-home mom for her two daughters. She says she is blessed “to have two incredible daughters who make me proud every day.” Her youngest is Carpenter Hill Elementary teacher Brittney Simmons and her eldest is Dallas Children’s Hospital neuro-psychologist Dr. BriAnne Butcher.
Gina, as she is known to many, came to Hays CISD in 2002 and served four years as a Hays High School assistant principal, then joined newly opened Negley Elementary as assistant principal under Will Webber. While at Negley, she was named “Regional Assistant Principal of the Year” by the Texas Elementary Principals and Supervisors Association. Webber said in the nomination for his AP, “she was instrumental in establishing many of the traditions of our young campus. Amazing – sometimes it just clicks!”
Butcher brings an academic focus on becoming a real “Eco-school” one of the serious initiatives for which she’s already had buy-in from her faculty and staff. Aligning with the new Hays CISD Strategic Plan, a global awareness-themed thread is running throughout the school’s curriculum and daily activities. Her ideas demonstrate a true vision for the Stars and their community, both local and global.
It’s understandably been a whirlwind of activity for Butcher, but she admits she immediately loved “the feeling of being part of a big family at Fuentes.” She adds that she knows school namesake Susie Fuentes “would be so proud of the caring environment that she left as her legacy.” Of course, the job does bring its challenges. Butcher says one of the biggest so far has been ensuring safe and effective drop-off and pick-up procedures. She predicts an eventual “big improvement” in Goforth Road traffic flow for parents.
Asked about the greatest joy of her new assignment, her quick and emphatic answer is “the 673 hugs I get from students each day!”
