In August of 2011, the Killeen Independent School District celebrated the opening of two new schools, Haynes Elementary and Pathways Academic Campus, marking a significant chapter in the district's history. Then superintendent Robert Muller expressed excitement about these additions, recognizing their enduring service to the community. Importantly, both projects were accomplished without impacting the tax rate, a testament to prudent planning and execution.

Haynes Elementary School, situated at 3309 W. Canadian River Loop, welcomed nearly 800 students for its inaugural academic year. Ronald Rainosek, then president of the KISD Board of Trustees, reminisced about the area's rural past, once a favored spot for hunting, now transformed by the city's expansion. The 125,000-square-foot facility, completed in mid-May of 2011, was finished under the board's approved budget of $13.8 million, showcasing efficient resource management.

Max Cleaver, the district's then executive director for facility services, highlighted the school's eco-friendly features, including a cafeteria equipped with a pulper to minimize waste and high-efficiency air conditioning systems.

The school commemorates the legacy of William and Parrie McBryde Haynes, known for their remarkable contribution as owners of one of Central Texas's largest cattle ranches. Their generous bequest of $100,000 for college scholarships to the school district, along with a land donation to the state orphans' home of Texas, reflects their commitment to education and community.

Reflecting on its history, Haynes Elementary underwent a transition in 2006, with the closure of the original school on Zephyr Road due to attendance zone revisions. Bill Diab, the principal of the new Haynes, previously served at the original school and brings a wealth of experience from Clark Elementary. Diab's promise underscores the school's commitment to providing a nurturing and stimulating environment, where students thrive in a culture of positivity, safety, and academic enthusiasm.

In August of 2012, a gathering of nearly 100 students, alumni, parents, and esteemed officials convened at Haynes Elementary School's auditorium at 4100 Zephyr Road in Killeen. This assembly aimed to honor the school's remarkable 44 years of dedicated service as a community educational hub.

Dr. Jim Hawkins, the then superintendent of Killeen Independent School District, shared that due to a decline in local residency, Haynes as a neighborhood school was no longer essential. In the fall of 2012, elementary students found their educational homes at Ira Cross or Clifton Park elementary schools. The majority of the staff transitioned to the new Saegert Elementary School, bidding farewell to Linda Pelton, the retiring principal of nine years.

The event welcomed notable guests, including Mayor Tim Hancock and representatives from the Darnall Army Community Hospital, long affiliated with Haynes as their adopted school.

Haynes was set to now serve as KISD's alternative school for middle and high school students. During the celebration, Phyllis Rosen and Johnny James, directors in the alternative program, were honored with a dedication plaque by Pelton and Hawkins.

Reflecting on her tenure, Pelton, the fifth principal, expressed gratitude for the opportunity, emphasizing her commitment to ensuring an exceptional educational environment for all. Speakers included former principals Alice W. Douse (the 3rd principal) and Ronald Gawryszewski (the 4th principal), each highlighting the school's legacy and the dedicated faculty's pivotal role.

Cub Scout Pack 254 commenced the program with a presentation of colors, followed by invocations from Pastor William Campbell and a warm welcome from then KISD Board President Brenda Coley. The Haynes Alumni Choir, under the direction of Lauria Barrett and Sylvia Campbell, delivered melodious renditions, while the event concluded with a benediction by Rev. J.A. Moland of the Greater Peace Missionary Baptist Church, that had been designated as the school's emergency shelter.

The school's namesakes, William Allen and Parrie McBryde Haynes, were remembered for their pioneering contributions. The legacy of their generosity, through significant bequests benefiting KISD and the Parrie Haynes Ranch, continues to support education and scholarships.

In the words of Dr. Hawkins, elementary schools lay the foundation for a lifetime of learning and success, and Haynes Elementary has epitomized excellence in fulfilling this critical mission.

As Killeen ISD students and staff members join the rest of the nation this month to celebrate African-American Heritage Month, a former local educator stands tall in memory as a respected, servant leader.
 
Alice W. Douse, Killeen ISD’s first female African-American principal, provided calm, courageous leadership to the community she loved. 

Alice Douse KISD Educator 1964 - 1996
In 2017, KISD dedicated the new Alice Douse Elementary School, named for a former teacher and administrator who was the first female African-American principal in the district.
 
Douse and her husband Marion Douse had four children, Cathy, Mtisha, Glenda and Carla.
 
One of her daughters, Glenda Douse McKinnon said during the dedication that Douse’s brother and sister remembered their sister “Lil’ Alice” reading to them and giving them directions as children.
 
“Her mind was never dormant or unfocused,” a written copy of McKinnon’s reflections says.

Even after the longtime educator retired, she enrolled in a class to sharpen her computer skills and was known to contact her adult children to help her with homework, sometimes late at night.
 
“That’s who she was – always learning.”
 
Known as a strong, caring leader who took time to listen and to motivate, Douse served beyond her profession as an educator.
 
She was a charter member of a service sorority and a founding member of her church.
 
KISD Board Member Corbett Lawler said he met Douse in 1976 in a job interview when he was principal at the former Smith Junior High School. Eventually, the two were principals together and Lawler said that she was a voice of reason and that he never saw her angry.

She started working in KISD as a sixth-grade teacher at the Marlboro School in 1964. When that school closed, she moved to Pershing Park Elementary, where she became the district’s first African-American assistant principal.
 
From there, Douse became the district’s first elementary school science consultant before her appointment to principal of Haynes Elementary School, the first female African-American in that role, which she continued nine years until the opening of Hay Branch Elementary in 1986.
 
After 10 years as Hay Branch principal, she retired from a 33-year education career.

The Anderson Chapel AME Church dedicated the Marion J. and Alice W. Douse Community Centers.

In 2016, Mrs. Alice Wright Douse passed away. She was 86 years old. Her legacy of excellence lives on through the countless lives of students and staff she impacted.