COPPERAS COVE – For the second year in a row, Copperas Cove ISD is home to an award-winning campus in creating a positive culture.
Thursday, Capturing Kids’ Hearts named Crossroads High School as a National Showcase School for the second consecutive year, recognizing the outstanding school administrators, teaching staff and faculty for producing exemplary outcomes with the Capturing Kids’ Hearts process.
“Earning this recognition for the second year in a row confirms what we see every day at Crossroads that, when relationships come first, success follows,” Crossroads HS principal Pat Crawley said. “This honor really reflects the dedication of our teachers and staff, and the way they invest in our students every single day through the Capturing Kids’ Hearts process.”
Capturing Kids’ Hearts is a program which targets building relational opportunities in age-appropriate manners for students, including in an effort to build positive staff-student relationships. The 2025-26 school year is CCISD’s third participating in the program at all four junior high and high school campuses.
Last year, Copperas Cove Jr. High School received the National Showcase School distinction alongside Crossroads, giving CCISD three such awards in two years.
“This award represents intentional work by Mr. Crawley and his remarkable staff at Crossroads,” said Superintendent Dr. Brent Hawkins. “Crossroads High School has always had a tremendous impact on the students in our district, but through the Capturing Kids’ Hearts process, students are winning both in and out of the classroom as a direct result of the improved relationships which have been built. I know that impact has only grown and it will continue to do so in the future.”
Since implementing the program, Crossroads High School has seen drastic decreases in behavior issues while attendance has improved greatly. This year, Crossroads is on pace to graduate more than 100 students, which is a school record.
Copperas Cove ISD tracks the quality of relationships between students & staff through surveys, which are included in the district’s strategic plan, Vision 2029.
“Our district is committed to following the processes in Capturing Kids’ Hearts to improve the climates in our schools,” Hawkins said. “We look forward to all four of our participating campuses soon joining the best of the best in the nationwide program, as our wonderful teachers and staff continue to implement these principles and work to not only educate their students on class material, but to forge lasting relationships that will encourage students for the rest of their lives.”