This month, Texas school public relations professionals went back to the beach. Held in Galveston for the first time in nine years, the annual Texas School Public Relations Association (TSPRA) conference is the largest regional school PR conference in the country.
Each year, TSPRA brings together communicators and leadership from districts of every size to share strategies, tackle new challenges, and strengthen the network that supports school communities across Texas. Falling over Mardi Gras, there was also plenty of fun. Beads, a parade, beignets, and the beach just across the road.
Throughout the week, conversations reflected the realities of school PR in 2026: budget pressures, rapid AI integration, upcoming ADA compliance requirements, and staff turnover placing additional responsibility on already lean teams.
School PR is demanding work. Conferences like TSPRA create space to learn from one another, build community, and return home with fresh ideas and renewed energy for the job. Here are a few takeaways from this year’s event.
Learning and Preparing for the Year Ahead
When you’re responsible for protecting a district’s reputation, managing crisis response, navigating public scrutiny, and marketing your schools—all while remaining neutral and protecting transparency and trust—there’s little room for error. That makes school public relations high-stakes, fast-paced, and incredibly important work.
Here, PR professionals get to talk candidly about the demands. They compare approaches to bond communication strategies, discuss AI policies, swap crisis response stories, and open up about staffing shortages and workload realities. The challenges are unique to school public relations, but often strikingly similar from district to district.
It’s a lot of pressure, which is why events like the TSPRA Annual Conference are so valuable. Many school communicators tackle these responsibilities solo or as part of a very small team. So each February, when hundreds of Texas school communicators gather in one place, they make the most of it.
This year’s sessions focused largely on what communicators are facing in 2026: budget constraints, ADA compliance requirements, rapid AI adoption without clear guardrails, and the ripple effects of staff turnover. One session called “We work in PR, not the ER” was led by Abbie Geveshausen from Cypress-Fairbanks ISD. It was a lighthearted reminder that while the work feels urgent, communicators don’t have to operate in constant reaction mode. She shared practical strategies for building systems that make proactive communication sustainable.
Keynote speaker Sheree Bogany, a fan favorite known to many as “Principal Auntie,” shared a similar message. Drawing on her experience as a teacher, administrator, and principal, she connected with attendees on their level. Her keynote, “WIN, Not WHEN”, challenged communicators to stop chasing perfect timing and instead focus on purpose, credibility, and consistent leadership. She encouraged TSPRA members to build trust and influence through daily preparation and strategic patience, reminding them that real impact comes from how they lead, not when results appear.
The stakes have always been high. But with preparation, strong systems, and steady leadership, school communicators can meet them with confidence.
A TSPRA attendee is captured working on her phone during the conference, because there’s never a dull moment in School PR. Submitted as part of the TSPRA Content Challenge powered by Class Intercom.
Celebrating Texas School PR
For professionals who often operate behind the scenes, recognition is rare and meaningful. This year, TSPRA wanted to extend that recognition beyond a single week in Galveston. To do so, they introduced the first-ever TSPRA Content Challenge powered by Class Intercom.
Attendees were invited to capture and share authentic moments throughout the conference. Photos and videos were submitted via Class Intercom, a communications and engagement platform that helps schools collect content from across their communities to create stronger social media storytelling. In doing so, attendees created a steady stream of real-time content that reflected both the professionalism and personality of Texas school communicators.
Now, TSPRA has a library of member-generated content to extend the life of the conference and highlight the impact of school PR professionals across the state year-round.
Attendees who participated not only had a chance to win some awesome prizes, but also saw how these tools could help them put what they were learning into action. As sessions emphasized proactive communication, the Content Challenge demonstrated what that looks like in practice. At the same time, the association modeled how school communicators can ease some of the pressure on their plates by empowering their communities to help gather content. The secure, moderated platform allows teachers, students, staff, and even parents to submit content that can be reviewed and shaped into strategic messaging.
Submissions poured in throughout the week, capturing the heart of TSPRA. Lauren Traina from Friendswood ISD created an engaging hype reel spanning the conference. Cindy Gutierrez from Pearland ISD shared fun moments from the opening reception, including colleagues grooving on the dance floor. Fabiola San Roman from Spring ISD posted a celebratory photo with his team after their karaoke win. The content was fun and authentic—something that carries even more weight in an age of AI-generated everything.
Later in the week, the celebration continued at the annual Star Awards Banquet. Each year, TSPRA honors excellence in writing, design, photography, video, campaigns, and strategic initiatives from its members. It’s a chance to recognize the hard work, strategic thinking, creativity, and leadership both individually and collectively.
TSPRA Has Your Back
What stood out most in Galveston was TSPRA’s culture as an organization.
School PR can be an isolating role. Many communicators serve as the sole voice of their district or work on small teams which is why community is so important.
In a letter to attendees, outgoing TSPRA President Kristyn Cathey, APR, shared the phrase, “I got your back.” It’s a reflection of how TSPRA members show up for one another. Sharing a template for a new policy, answering a late-night text during a crisis, or simply listening when the work feels heavy.
Life preservers placed throughout the conference served as a simple reminder of that mindset. With TSPRA, no one is in it alone.
The lighter moments throughout the week were where attendees built relationships. The annual Fun Run added to the energy of the conference, bringing members together outside of sessions. The Battle of the Regions karaoke competition once again brought a packed house, and the Mardi Gras parade got attendees out into the streets of Galveston, with both the current and incoming TSPRA presidents making a surprise appearance.
This week is also when TSPRA welcomes new leadership. Outgoing President Kristyn Cathey, APR, from Alief ISD made history last year as TSPRA’s first Black president. This year, she was nominated for the prestigious National School Communicator of the Year award which will be announced at the National School Public Relations Association conference in July. She passed the baton to Dr. Jordan Ziemer from Abilene ISD and we’re excited to see where he leads TSPRA in the coming year.
Class Intercom is proud to support TSPRA and school PR professionals in amplifying authentic community voices. When many storytellers are involved, the result is a more complete and engaging story. A special thanks to TSPRA for hosting another outstanding conference—we’re already looking forward to next year’s event in Austin!
