Tyler ISD’s State of the District focuses on school safety

TYLER — Tyler ISD held their annual “State of the District” where school officials discussed safety measures on their campuses. According to our news partner KETK, the event was held during the monthly Tyler Area Chamber of Commerce luncheon, where the superintendent of Tyler ISD, Marty Crawford, recognized the importance of school safety and said that a student cannot perform well if they don’t feel safe. “You know, our school system employs a police officer to put in every campus, and that’s unheard of across the state almost. That’s one thing that’s a challenge every day, but we think we’re seeing some success there because we have a solid safety and security department to keep our kids and our teachers safe,” said Crawford. The event honored first responders with the 2023 Community Partner of the Year Award where they presented plaques to 10 different agencies from the local, county and federal level in recognition of their commitment to creating a secure environment.

Tyler ISD also honored Shirley McKellar and Jesse E. Rider Sr. as distinguished alumni. McKellar is currently a city of Tyler councilwoman and served as a candidate for the United States Congress. Rider is a chairman of the Deacons at College Hill Missionary Baptist Church in Tyler.