Longview ISD kicked off the 2026-27 school year Friday by turning Lobo Coliseum into one giant pep rally, bringing employees from across the district together to celebrate achievement, welcome new Lobos, and set the tone for the year ahead.
The district's annual Staff Convocation combined the energy of a Friday night in Lobo Stadium with staff recognition, community partnerships, and a message that every employee has a role in what happens for students when school begins Monday.
Employees began arriving shortly after 7:15 a.m. for a Convocation Pre-Party in the Longview High School breezeway, where middle school cheer teams formed welcome lines as staff stepped off district buses.
Traveling Tom's Coffee, ETX Lemonade, a photo booth, shopping booths, and other activities filled the breezeway before employees moved inside for an 8 a.m. community vendor fair featuring dozens of businesses, colleges, restaurants, nonprofit organizations, financial institutions, health organizations, and other community partners.
By 9 a.m., the party moved into Lobo Coliseum.
The Big Green Marching Machine, Lobo Cheer, Viewettes, and Majorettes helped bring employees to their feet as campuses packed their assigned sections of the coliseum with signs, cheers, and plenty of friendly competition.
Teacher Incentive Allotment honorees opened the rally by walking through a district rally line during the Longview fight song before being recognized for their achievement. New Longview ISD employees followed one of the district’s Convocation's signature traditions, running through campus-created banners before joining their new teams in the stands.
“Convocation is one of those moments when you can see the strength of Longview ISD all in one place,” said Superintendent Dr. Marla Sheppard. “Every person in this coliseum has a role in what happens for children this year. We have tremendous opportunities ahead of us, and I want our staff to begin this school year knowing that we believe in them, we are proud of them, and we are going to keep pushing together to make Longview ISD a world-class district for every student.”
The district also celebrated campus and district Teachers of the Year and recognized employees and campuses for achievement, improvement, engagement, and service.
The morning was intentionally anything but a traditional opening-day meeting.
Campus teams competed against one another in pep-rally games, employees cheered from the stands, district and campus leaders joined in the competition, and schools battled throughout the morning for Convocation's most coveted piece of hardware, the Longview ISD Spirit Stick.
Ware Elementary entered Friday as the reigning champion and officially returned the Spirit Stick before the 2026 competition began.
“The Board gets to see the work of this district from a lot of different perspectives, but there is something special about seeing our employees together like this,” said Michael Tubb, President of the Longview ISD Board of Trustees. “These are the people who turn our priorities and our community's expectations into something students experience every single day. Today is a chance to celebrate them, but it also reminds us just how much talent, commitment, and pride we have working on behalf of Longview students.”
Convocation also highlighted the district's relationship with the Longview community.
The annual vendor fair gave employees an opportunity to meet representatives from local colleges, businesses, restaurants, banks and credit unions, healthcare providers, nonprofit organizations, and other community partners. Those relationships can extend into campus fundraising, family resources, community involvement, and future partnerships throughout the school year.
Staff also supported Go With The Flow, a Longview initiative that helps provide access to feminine hygiene products. Employees could donate pads, pantyliners, tampons, and wipes during the pre-party, while the organization distributed classroom hygiene kits for Longview ISD employees to take back to their campuses.
Approximately 800 classroom kits were prepared for distribution, with additional refills available to campuses as supplies are used.
“What makes Convocation special is seeing people from every corner of Longview ISD come together as one team,” said Elizabeth Ross, Longview ISD Director of Community Relations. “You have brand-new employees standing beside people who have served this district for years, community partners showing up for our staff, and campuses cheering for each other like it is a Friday night football game. We wanted people to leave feeling celebrated, connected, and genuinely excited about coming back Monday to serve kids.”
The celebration concluded with the district's annual Spirit Stick presentation and the Longview school song before employees returned to their campuses for final preparations.
The scale and energy of Convocation are intentional, district leaders said. Before students walk through the doors, Longview ISD wants the people serving them to begin the year knowing their work matters and that they are part of something larger than a single classroom, campus, or department.
Longview ISD students return Monday, Aug. 17, for the first day of the 2026-27 school year.