UDENTS TO In West Texas, where cotton fields stretch to the horizon and agriculture drives a $24.9 billion state economy, one school district is rethinking what it means to prepare students for the modern workforce. Lubbock Independent School District serves 24,000 students in a region that produces 60 percent of America’s cotton yet faces a challenge many urban districts would find counterintuitive: declining enrollment amid community growth. “Lubbock ISD’s mission is to nurture, develop, and inspire every child every day,” says Dr. Kathy Rollo, the district’s superintendent. “We base the decisions that we make around three pillars: value data, love people, and develop leaders.” The district educates students in a city that has evolved from a traditional agricultural economy into what local leaders describe as a seven-legged economic structure, encompassing technology, manufacturing, healthcare, and professional services alongside its farming roots. 290 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 06, ISSUE 08
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