Eliana Germann
School Pride. Overall Involvement. Student Support. Open Communications. Teacher Celebration. These are just some of the values Mr. James Bush has started incorporating only weeks into the 2025-26 school year at Lake Travis High School.
“I want to be in there with students [and] I want them to have a great experience,” said Bush. “You can’t tell if a student is having a great experience unless you’re in the mix with them.”
Getting to know Mr. Bush
During a Q& A, Bush, who earned his bachelor’s degree in corporate communications at the University of Texas and his Master’s from Lamar University, shared that he never expected to end up in education. After meeting a principal from Conroe Independent School District at a golf game, he was told to look into teaching; and he did.
After beginning his career in the classroom, he quickly transitioned to the role of assistant principal in 2017. Before too long, he moved into the position of principal and has served at a variety of school districts in this role including Willis ISD, Conroe ISD, and The Woodlands.
“Woodland was 4400 kids; Conner was a school with 5600 kids, 4000 at Grand Oaks,” said Bush.
His experience with large schools such as LT ensures he is confident in leading a large student body to greater success. One of his keys in doing so? Being directly involved with students.
“In my opinion the culture of a school is dependent on its senior class. And if seniors are engaged, invested and excited about their school experience that radiates through the entire school.”
Looking Ahead
This attitude is Bush in a nutshell: a principal who is not only immersed in the school environment but always looking ahead for his students and staff. His direct involvement makes him extremely knowledgeable on all the changes occurring on campus, including the current construction which began over summer
Though he understands the frustration the changes on campus are causing students, faculty and parents due to the closure of roads, limited parking, and a back-up in K-Hall, Bush, along with other members of the administration team, are doing everything they can to make the process as painless as possible.
“Two years seems to be the magic number,” said Bush, regarding the overall schedule. For the football stadium, however, Bush is planning on roughly 13 months.
“The idea was to play a couple of home games this year [and then] it immediately goes under construction, which allow[s] students next year to have a couple of home games as well,” said Bush.
LeT’s RIDE
A top priority for both Bush and the new superintendent of LTISD, Curtis Null, is rebranding the LT community. After consolidating many topics, Bush created: LeT’s RIDE which represents the official list of staff values at LT, the school handbook, and the LTHS honor code: Respect, Integrity, Dedication, Engagement.
“If everybody can communicate the same thing, the same value systems, the same ideas, you can really make things happen,” said Bush.
His commitment to the brand ranges from greeting students at the front door every morning to encouraging students to show their school spirit any chance they get. While his energy and passion are contagious, Bush hopes to not just be a leader for students and staff, but to be an integral part of the school.
“If I do it right, I think you will see people get really excited about being a part of Lake Travis,” said Bush. “ I think you’ve already seen change at the front door.”
We have, Mr. Bush. And we are thrilled to have you be a part of the LT Community.