TEMPLE, Texas — The Temple Independent School District’s Communications Department has been recognized with a total of 14 Star Awards presented by the Texas School Public Relations Association (TSPRA). The winners were announced at TSPRA’s 64th annual conference last week (February 18) in Galveston.
This year’s TSPRA Star Awards recognize work produced during the 2024-2025 school year. Temple ISD was recognized with five Gold Star Awards, four Silver Star Awards, and five Bronze Star Awards. The department was recognized with a Star Award for each of its submissions this year and the 14 awards are the most TISD has won in a single year. The district won three Gold Star Awards for photography in the Academic/Classroom photo category and added Gold Star Awards for Feature Video (Letters of Gratitude) and Promotional Video (TISD Plays the Texas Way!). TISD added Silver Stars in Published News Release, Photo/Other Subjects, Printed Ad, and E-Newsletter. Temple ISD was awarded two Bronze Stars for Published News Release and three more Bronze Stars for Feature Video. TISD was honored for communication pieces that focused on each group of district stakeholders - from taxpayers and community partners to students and families to teachers and staff to the news media. The Temple ISD Communications Department is comprised of Eric Larson – Director of Marketing and Creative Content, Amy Frei-Brown – Digital and Social Media Specialist, and Jon Wallin – Executive Director of Communications. Temple ISD competed with all districts across the state of Texas with 15,000 or fewer students.
“Temple ISD certainly shined at the TSPRA conference with an astounding 14 Star Awards for communications. We were noted for creativity, transparency, and community engagement,” said Dr. Bobby Ott, superintendent of Temple schools. “This doesn’t just occur through media channels, but also involves daily interactions at community and school-related events where you’ll almost always find a board member, senior leadership member, or campus principal interacting and supporting our constituents. We are grateful for the recognitions and will continue charging forward.”
The TSPRA Star Awards provide recognition for the outstanding education communications and projects of submitting members each year. Submissions are judged on set criteria across 47 main categories of competition covering various media and are recognized by division based on district enrollment. This year’s winners were selected from nearly 1,940 entries.
“Local business leaders, parents, spiritual leaders, and elected officials have constantly shared their appreciation for our communication and trust in TISD due to our transparency,” said Dan Posey, president of the Temple ISD Board of Trustees. “These recognitions are consistent with our financial transparency awards, rounding out another successful year.”
Ott was also recognized at the conference with the TSPRA 2025 Key Communicator Award. The Key Communicator Award is TSPRA’s highest honor for leaders who have made a significant impact in promoting public education through effective communication. In Temple ISD, Ott has prioritized open, two-way communication with families, staff, and community members. In the past year, he hosted more than 50 community presentations, sent monthly updates to more than 10,000 stakeholders, and continued to build strong partnerships with local leaders and organizations. Ott was presented with his award during one of the conference’s general sessions, and also had the opportunity to address attendees about the importance of public-school communication with stakeholders.
“Dr. Ott has set a standard from the top down for what communication in Temple ISD should look like and our school board, community, families, and staff have high expectations for our department,” Wallin said. “We strive every day to meet those expectations with clear and relevant communications to all of our constituents. It is important to keep our stakeholders informed and to tell the stories of Temple ISD. To have our efforts recognized by our peers with 14 Star Awards is extremely gratifying and I am very proud of our staff and our department.”