LEANDER, Texas — As families across Central Texas gear up for the back-to-school season, some are doing so in the wake of tragedy. For many in Leander ISD, the new school year follows a summer of unimaginable loss, with homes destroyed and loved ones gone after the devastating Fourth of July weekend floods.

But one district employee is going above and beyond to make sure students don’t start the school year empty-handed.

Felicia Whaley is a Leander ISD bus driver who greets her students with a smile and a wave every morning.

This fall, Whaley is back on her usual route with the same stops and the same children. But for many of the families she serves, nothing feels the same.

“So then I thought, you know I really wanted to make an impact on these families. And then I thought about these

See Full Page