Education

For thousands of families across Spring ISD, Link Elementary School was never just another campus on a map. It was where children learned to read, where teachers became mentors, where parents found community, and where generations of students began building the futures they carry today.

Now, after 44 years serving families in north Houston, the campus is preparing to close at the end of the 2025-26 school year as part of Spring ISD’s districtwide Optimization Plan. But before those doors close for the final time, the community gathered to celebrate the school that helped shape so many lives.

On May 2, former students, retired staff, longtime educators and families filled the halls of Link Elementary one last time. The reunion quickly became more than a farewell event. It became a reflection of what neighborhood schools mean to the communities around them — especially in places where campuses become woven into family history.

Throughout the evening, one message echoed from room to room: Link Elementary’s legacy will not end with the building itself.

A School That Became Family for Generations

For Cindy Kercheval, Link Elementary became deeply personal long before her daughter ever enrolled there.

Kercheval joined the campus in October 1989 as a paraprofessional before eventually becoming the school secretary. Over the course of 37 years in education, including 14 years at Link, she watched generations of students grow up inside those classrooms.

When it came time to choose a school for her own daughter, the decision was immediate.

“The school became not just my workplace, but my family,” Kercheval said. “I knew the caliber of education that was being taught here, and I knew it would be the perfect place for my daughter.”

That daughter, Alyssa Nobles, attended Link Elementary from pre-K through fifth grade, often just steps away from her mother during the school day. Today, Nobles works in education herself — a career she says was inspired directly by the teachers and staff who invested in her as a child.

“I now work in education because of coming to this school,” Nobles said. “I wanted to be the same person to others that those individuals were for me. Being at this campus really shaped me to be something more and to strive for something more than what we were born into.”

Stories like theirs have become common throughout Spring ISD’s Link Elementary community. For many families, the campus represented stability, opportunity and encouragement during some of life’s most formative years.

Celebration Highlights the Heart of the Link Elementary Community

Inside the cafeteria, the farewell celebration reflected the culture the school spent decades building.

The campus choir opened the ceremony with a heartfelt performance before teacher and Westfield High School alumnus Josh Hunt delivered a moving trumpet solo. Later, pre-K students led by teachers Allison Kiker and Martha Palmer closed the program with a dance performance that drew applause and smiles from families packed inside the room.

For current principal Tangy Stith, the evening reflected the support system that has long existed between the campus and its families.

“Our school really has turned into a community,” Stith said. “Families have said, ‘Hey, if you ever need anything, just give me a call.’ The school will always do the same for them.”

Stith first arrived at Link Elementary in 2016 as assistant principal. In 2020, after the passing of principal Justin Jones, she stepped into the leadership role during one of the most emotional periods in the school’s history.

“That was probably the most emotional time for us just as a campus,” Stith said. “We all had to learn to grieve together, and we worked through that. Through those tough times we bonded as a staff and our families bonded together with us.”

That sense of resilience and togetherness became a defining part of the school’s identity in recent years — and one many families said they will carry with them long after the campus closes.

Spring ISD Leaders Reflect on Link Elementary’s Legacy

District leaders also used the ceremony to reflect on the school’s broader impact across Spring ISD and the north Houston community.

Spring ISD Board of Trustees Vice President Natasha McDaniel highlighted the contributions of the school’s namesake, Joan Link, who served the district for two decades before becoming Spring ISD’s first board secretary.

“Her dedication to service helped shape the foundation of this district,” McDaniel said. “It is that spirit of connection that has lived on ever since.”

Spring ISD Superintendent Dr. Kregg Cuellar said Link Elementary’s influence extends far beyond the physical campus itself.

“When we talk about legacy, we’re talking about planting seeds for a future we may never personally see — investing in a tree whose shade will benefit generations to come,” Cuellar said. “While the doors of this school may close, its impact lives on through the success, opportunities, and futures of every child it helped shape.”

As school districts across the Houston area continue balancing enrollment shifts, facility needs and long-term planning decisions, Link Elementary’s farewell also reflects a broader conversation happening in communities throughout Texas about the evolving role of neighborhood schools.

Former Students Return to Remember What Link Elementary Built

After the formal ceremony ended, guests slowly wandered through hallways lined with old photographs, memory displays and decades of campus history.

Each corner sparked another reunion. Former classmates embraced. Retired teachers pointed to class photos. Families shared stories about school programs, field days and classroom traditions that had become part of their lives.

Among them was former student John Chatman, who attended Link Elementary from pre-K through fifth grade before graduating in 1996. Today, he serves as a pastor and entrepreneur — and credits the school with helping shape his leadership journey.

“This is a campus that builds leaders,” Chatman said. “This school taught us how to be fathers, how to be entrepreneurs, how to be business people and corporate leaders. At the end of the day, that's what education is all about — it's to give us what we need to lead. To lead is to leave a legacy.”

That legacy now lives in former students working in education, business, ministry and countless other professions throughout Houston and beyond.

While Link Elementary School’s final chapter is approaching, many families said the event proved something important: schools may close, but communities built inside them often continue for generations.

As Spring ISD moves forward with its Optimization Plan, the memories created inside Link Elementary’s classrooms, hallways and cafeteria remain deeply rooted in the people who called it home.

Residents can stay tuned to My Neighborhood News for continuing coverage on Spring ISD schools, district changes and community developments across the Houston area.

By Tiffany Krenek, My Neighborhood News 

Tiffany Krenek has been on the My Neighborhood News team since August 2021. She is passionate about curating and sharing content that enriches the lives of our readers in a personal, meaningful way. A loving mother and wife, Tiffany and her family live in the West Houston/Cypress region.