Lancaster Independent School District

February 28, 2025, Lancaster ISD/Lancaster, TX -- The Lancaster ISD Communications Department received honors from the Texas School Public Relations Association (TSPRA) for outstanding work in education communications. The awards were announced at TSPRA’s annual Star Awards celebration on February 19, 2025, at the Grand Hyatt in San Antonio, Texas during the association’s 63rd annual conference.

Lancaster ISD’s Communications Department received 29 Star Awards during the annual state conference, including three Crystal Certificates of Merits, and three Best of Category honors. 

“Each year, we set strategic goals for our district, and as a communications team, we work diligently to align our efforts with those priorities to showcase student success. It is truly an honor to have our work recognized by TSPRA and to be named among the best communications departments in Texas,” Lancaster ISD Chief of Communications Kimberly Simpson shared.

“Our communications team works hard every day to share the great things happening in Lancaster ISD. Their dedication and creativity make a real impact, and I’m grateful for their commitment to our district. This recognition from TSPRA is a reflection of their hard work, and I couldn’t be prouder,” she said.

This year, a record-setting 1,940 entries were received. For the first 47 categories, the entries are divided into three divisions based on the number of students the district, foundation or organization serves - under 15,000 students; 15,000 to  40,000 students; and over 40,000 students. Independent judges evaluate and score each entry based on its own merit. Bronze, Silver, and Gold Stars are awarded based on set criteria. Finally, the judges review their highest-scoring Gold Star winners and select a Best of Category for each division in each of the 47 categories. Crystal and Platinum entries are not split into divisions and there is only one Crystal winner in each of the nine categories. Judges are permitted to award Certificates of Merit to other Crystal entries that deserve recognition, although they did not receive the main award.