Hunt ISD ranks among the best schools in Region 20, which includes 58 districts in and around South Central Texas. District staff members were able to help students process the trauma of the July 4, 2025, flood and achieve academic success.
🎆 Where to celebrate Fourth of July in San Antonio, surrounding areasSan Antonio, Texas Weather Radar | KSATLocal News– One of the region’s top academically performing school districts sits in the heart of the Hill Country flood recovery zone: the Hunt Independent School District.
Students returned to class just weeks after the devastating July 4, 2025, flood that killed 119 people in Kerr County, including two children who would have been students in the district, incoming Hunt ISD Superintendent Sarah Nichols said.
“It started out extremely hard,” Nichols told KSAT. “There was a lot of unknown. We didn’t know what we were getting into. We didn’t know what was coming.
”“Academics is essentially on the back burner until a student’s well-being is taken care of,” Nichols said.
“And so, just trying to navigate — making sure we were addressing the whole child. ” Nichols said students pushed through difficult moments as the school year unfolded, including the first storms after the disaster.
“There were some hard days. There were some hard weeks,” Nichols said.
“But for the most part, they were impressive at how they pushed through, how they pushed through the first thunderstorm. ” Hunt ISD Superintendent Luci Harmon, who is retiring and wrapping up a 35-year career in education, said the district’s approach was to take care of people first and trust academics would follow. According to Harmon, the community’s response made that possible thanks to families and neighbors organizing special events and support for children.
“We took good care of our adults, and they took care of business, just staying focused on instruction and doing what they needed to do to make our kids be successful,” Harmon said. “So, it really wasn’t a year lost instructionally. ” Nichols credited the broader community for “pouring into” the district, including educators-in-training from nearby Schreiner University who helped teachers maintain instruction during a difficult year.
Hunt ISD also found ways to honor the two children killed in the flood. During the dedication of the district’s new gym, staff memorialized the students by placing their signatures — saved from schoolwork — onto the gym floor.
“He had the idea of having Renee and Lyle sign the floors,” a staff member said. “So, we still had some of their student work. So, this is actually their signatures. ” Renee Smajstrla would have entered third grade and Lyle Zunker would have entered second grade.
Two annual awards will now be given in their memory to students who exemplify love, joy and courage, district leaders said. Despite the trauma that touched nearly every family in the area, the small rural district grew last school year, by local standards, from 195 students to 217.
“I wish every community could come and see how this community loves this school,” Harmon said. “This is how it should be. ” Nichols said her goal as she steps into the role is to protect that culture and keep families moving forward. Patty Santos joined the KSAT 12 News team in July 2017.
She has a proven track record of reporting on hard-hitting news that affects the community. How Tattoos are Helping in a Mailbox Theft Investigation"Reach, Throw, Row, Don't Go" — Know This Before You Hit the LakeAshley Gonzalez challenge Ja'Kobi Gillespie to a spin-offHow to protect your child's identity after a data breachCrooks Are Targeting Broadway Businesses in Alamo HeightsCamp Mystic Files for Bankruptcy — Here's What Happens NextA Father Lost His Whole Family in One NightBusiness Owner Killed: Family Demands Answers After Shocking Discovery
Please follow us on Google to support usHill Country Hill Country Floods July 4 Floods Kerr County Education Ksatkids
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News: You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Extreme heat warning to go into effect Wednesday for the Philadelphia region as July 4th approachesAn Extreme Heat Warning is set to go into effect Wednesday for the entire Philadelphia region just as American 250 and July 4th celebrations get underway.
Read more »
Hunt Preservation Society’s recovery progress, a year after July 4 flood devastated communityBefore the July 4 flood, the Hunt Preservation Society was already an established local nonprofit. So when disaster hit, money was able to pour in immediately. They've been the main fund allocation nonprofit for Hunt ever since.
Read more »
'Quadruple threat': Officials warn of dangerous July 4 heat in DC regionThis could be one of the hottest Fourth of Julys the D.C. area has seen in decades.
Read more »
South Jersey communities adjust Fourth of July events as extreme heat grips regionCommunities are adjusting plans as extreme temperatures prompt residents to stay indoors and local officials to modify July 4th events.
Read more »