A Promise to Parents: Lamar CISD Celebrates Partnership, Trust and Opportunity

Every school day, thousands of Lamar CISD families entrust the district with what matters most: their children. 

They expect their children to be safe, supported, challenged and known. 

That trust forms the foundation of every classroom lesson, bus route, student opportunity and school experience across Lamar CISD. It was also the focus of the district’s annual Promise to Parents Brunch on Wednesday, Sept. 23, at the Lamar CISD Career and Technical Education (CTE) Center. 

Lamar CISD welcomed families, civic and community leaders, district leadership, the Board of Trustees, principals and students for a morning centered on partnership, transparency and the opportunities available to students throughout the district. 

Superintendent Dr. Roosevelt Nivens told parents that Lamar CISD understands the responsibility that comes with being entrusted with their children. 

“Every time you drop your child off at school or put them on the bus, you’re trusting us to take care of your child,” he said. “That’s a responsibility we don’t take lightly. Your children are our children, too, and we’re going to take care of them.” 

Dr. Nivens said Lamar CISD shares that responsibility with families, with parents and educators each playing a role in preparing students for what comes next. 

Centered on the district’s theme, “All In: Changing the GAME,” Dr. Nivens’ remarks gave families a closer look at what it means to serve a rapidly growing school district. As Lamar CISD grows beyond 50,000 students and prepares to open additional campuses, he explained that growth requires long-range planning and difficult decisions to balance enrollment and campus capacity while ensuring students continue to have access to the experiences they deserve. 

That planning is already looking years ahead. Demographic projections show Lamar CISD could serve nearly 57,600 students by 2030-31 and more than 66,000 by 2035-36, growth fueled in part by tens of thousands of homes planned within district boundaries. Those projections help district leaders anticipate where enrollment pressures are coming and plan campuses, capacity and resources before students arrive. 

But Dr. Nivens emphasized that growth is about more than adding schools or seats. It also means expanding the choices and opportunities available to students so they can leave Lamar CISD prepared for college, a career or the workforce.  

Throughout his remarks, Dr. Nivens thanked families for their partnership and confidence in Lamar CISD, emphasizing the role parents and the community play in supporting student success. “More students require more than seats,” Dr. Nivens said. “They require more pathways to success.” 

Parents did not have to look far to see those pathways in action. 

The brunch was hosted inside the CTE Center, where students from all seven Lamar CISD high schools have access to hands-on learning across career fields ranging from automotive technology and cosmetology to culinary arts. Students can gain real-world experience, earn industry-recognized certifications and develop skills that can lead directly to employment, further training or college after graduation. 

Dr. Nivens pointed to experiences inside the center as examples of what those pathways can look like. In culinary arts, students learn not only how to prepare and serve food, but also how to take orders, manage inventory, operate point-of-sale systems and understand the business side of running a restaurant. In cosmetology and automotive programs, students gain hands-on experience while working toward skills and credentials they can carry into the workforce. 

Those pathways extend beyond the CTE Center. Dr. Nivens also highlighted Bright Futures Academy, Lamar CISD’s specialized program for students with autism, as another example of creating different opportunities around individual student needs. The program is designed to help students develop academic, social and life skills that support greater independence and prepare them for life beyond school. 

Different students may take different paths, Dr. Nivens told families, but the district’s responsibility remains the same: making sure every student has a path forward.  

Following the brunch, families were invited to experience those opportunities firsthand through tours of the CTE Center, stepping inside classrooms, labs and specialized learning spaces for a closer look at programs available to students across Lamar CISD. 

The morning also gave students an opportunity to take center stage. Tomas High School junior Valentina Ciobotaru and George Ranch High School senior Sofia Um served as student emcees. As guests arrived, the Foster High School Flairs, Terry High School Band and Lamar High School Fillies welcomed them with student performances. The Tomas High School Choir and Adolphus Elementary Steel Pan Band later performed during the program, giving families a glimpse of student talent from elementary through high school. Their presence brought the purpose of the morning full circle: a partnership among families, schools and the community centered on the students they all serve.  

For Lamar CISD, Promise to Parents is more than the name of an annual event. It reflects a partnership that begins each morning when families place their children in the district’s care and continues through every classroom, campus and opportunity created for them. 

Parents bring their trust, support and partnership. Educators bring their expertise, dedication and commitment to student success. Students bring their talents, aspirations and potential. 

Together, those contributions create opportunities for students to discover their paths, pursue their goals and prepare for what comes next. 

That is the promise Lamar CISD makes to families every day.