Superintendent Estrada honored with prestigious award

Lockhart ISD

Lockhart Independent School District Superintendent Mark Estrada has been named a national LifeChanger of the Year award winner. A surprise ceremony was held at Lockhart ISD Central Office Wednesday morning with about 50 attendees, including district central office employees and school board officials .

Estrada was selected as one of 18 winners out of 850 nominations for K-12 school employees from across the country. He will receive a $3,000 prize, which will be awarded as a $1,500 individual prize and a $1,500 donation to the district.

Estrada was recognized for providing unprecedented leadership during these unprecedented times.

When the pandemic hit, the switch to virtual learning was incredibly challenging for Lockhart’s staff and students, from the lack of wifi signals in rural areas, to the need for meals and other supplies. His determination to ensure that all students have access to quality education despite the barriers laid out before them, has proven to be LifeChanging.

During the 2020-2021 school year, Estrada accomplished the following:

• Had 5 wireless towers built in rural areas, which increased student internet access from just 64% to 93%
• Established a bilingual helpline for families
• Mobilized school buses to deliver free meals to students in rural areas in addition to the curbside meal service. This resulted in a total of 1.26 million free meals served to students in rural areas.

As one parent shared on Estrada’s LifeChanger of the Year profile, “I am so impressed by what Mark has done. Being a single mother of five, it can be devastating to not be able to get what your child needs. In this strange time, having internet is so important. From all the parents and children, thank you so much for all you do.”