West Orange Cove-CISD welcomed families to participate in its first annual Mustang Roundup last Thursday. The district brought together essential resources, departments, and community organizations at a single event to help families register and prepare for the 2026-2027 school year. The idea arose as a way to address parents' questions directly.

“We wanted to have a one-stop shop, one location where parents can come and take care of all their back-to-school needs to have a successful start,” said Tiffany Brown, WOCCISD Deputy Superintendent.

“It’s very important for our District to remove all barriers for our students,” Dr. Vanessa Bennett, Director of Career & Technology, added. She said the centralized event helped simplify the process for parents with students across multiple campuses. Having representatives from each campus and district department represented a unified Mustang Nation, and the event fostered a strong connection among students, teachers, and district staff.

“In Orange, we have organizations that can meet the needs of our children- to connect them together [helps] our parents understand that we are all here for them and for their children,” said Dr. Betty Washington, Director of Special Programs. With the success of Mustang Roundup, WOSHS Assistant Principal Stephanie Smith looks forward to continuing the event for years to come.

“We did receive an SSI (Student Success Initiative) grant for this, and we plan to have this annually,” she said.

WOSE Principal Vickie Oceguera hopes the event builds Mustang Momentum, helping bring the community and the district together.

“However the school goes, the community goes, and however the community goes, the school goes,” she said.

“We value relationships with parents and students, so this was the foundation for that.” Families who were not able to attend Mustang Roundup can still register online at woccisd.net. The first day of school is August 12.