At the June 2, 2025, School Board Workshop, the Bryan ISD Board of Trustees approved the hiring of Laura De La Rosa as the new Principal of Johnson Elementary School and Bryant Washington Jr. as the new Director of Transportation.
Johnson Elementary School Principal
Bryan ISD Promotes Johnson Administrator to Principal Position
During the June 2 Bryan ISD School Board Workshop, the Board of Trustees unanimously approved Laura De La Rosa as the next Principal of Johnson Elementary School. She will be leading the school after Amy Thomman was named the new Principal of Ross Elementary School last month. Ms. De La Rosa has spent her entire career at Johnson, serving most recently as the school’s Assistant Principal.
Ms. De La Rosa began her teaching career in 2015 as a dual language teacher at Johnson Elementary, serving students in third, fourth and fifth grades, before being promoted to Assistant Principal in 2021. During her time at Johnson, she has been recognized as the school’s Teacher of the Year in 2019 and then as Johnson’s Administrator of the Year in 2024.
“It feels very surreal,” she said of the new role. “I’ve had a dream of becoming a school principal ever since I was an elementary student myself. It’s truly an honor to be able to have the opportunity to lead such a great campus.”
As she moves into the principal position, she said, student achievement is her primary focus and said it is a team effort with the entire school community. She also wants to continue where Ms. Thomman left off in cultivating the school’s positive culture and climate with students, employees and families.
A product of Bryan ISD, Ms. De La Rosa, said she had tremendous teachers at Neal Elementary, SFA Middle School and Bryan High School who inspired her to become an educator and administrator. After graduating from Bryan High, she went on to earn her Bachelor’s Degree from Texas A&M University and her Master’s Degree from Sam Houston State University.
“We are incredibly proud to see one of our own – someone who walked our halls as a student and later shaped young minds as a teacher and administrator – step into the role of principal,” said Bryan ISD Superintendent Ginger Carrabine. “Ms. De La Rosa’s deep roots in this community, combined with a proven commitment to excellence in education, makes her uniquely prepared to lead with insight, empathy, and vision.”
Director of Transportation
Bryan ISD Hires Experienced Transportation Professional to Lead Department
During the June 2 Board of Trustees Workshop, the Bryan ISD Board of Trustees unanimously approved Bryant Washington Jr. as Bryan ISD’s newest Director of Transportation. He joins Bryan from Huntsville ISD where he was most recently the Transportation Assistant Director and Coordinator.
Mr. Washington brings with him 14 years of experience in public school transportation, all with Huntsville ISD. He began his career as a bus driver when he was attending Sam Houston State University.
Earlier in his career, Mr. Washington had aspirations of becoming a teacher, but he fell in love with driving a school bus while attending Sam Houston State University. He remained in the Transportation Department at Huntsville ISD after graduating from Sam Houston State University with his Bachelor’s Degree. He has served as a driver, router, planner, interim shop supervisor, and finally as assistant director and coordinator of the department. He has also served on multiple district-level committees.
As he moves into Bryan ISD, he said his top goal is to create a family-oriented culture in the Transportation Department with safety as its highest priority. “By doing that, I hope that we don’t just leave the family in the four walls of the Transportation Center, but we will also take that to the four walls of the school bus,” Mr. Washington said. “Those children are your children. They’re your grandkids. They’re your nieces and nephews, and we look out and treat those students as if they’re our own.”
“We’re excited to welcome Mr. Washington as our new Director of Transportation. He will bring not only extensive experience, but also a heartfelt, family-centered approach to leadership,” said Bryan ISD Superintendent Ginger Carrabine. “Mr. Washington is deeply committed to student safety and building strong connections with families and staff. We’re confident his passion and expertise will enhance our transportation services and positively impact our entire school community.”
Children First. Always.