This year’s national honorees exemplify leadership and innovation in communication, driving meaningful change in schools and communities across the country.

As federal policies and executive orders continue to affect K-12 education, school communicators face growing challenges navigating legal, political and community dynamics. To help clarify this evolving landscape, NSPRA spoke with Mark W. Cheramie Walz, partner at Sweet, Stevens, Katz & Williams LLP, who advises school districts on legal compliance and risk management.

School public relations is evolving—fast. As the education and communication landscapes shift, so do the responsibilities, challenges and opportunities facing school communicators. Findings from NSPRA’s 2024 Membership Profile Survey confirm what many in the field already know: The role of a school communicator is more dynamic and essential than ever.

Join us on July 20-23, 2025, at the Washington Hilton in the vibrant Dupont Circle neighborhood of Washington, D.C., for the largest communications-focused professional development event for school communication professionals, superintendents and education leaders. 

The Department of Homeland Security recently issued a directive rescinding guidelines that had prohibited Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection from conducting enforcement actions in "sensitive" areas, such as elementary and secondary schools. NSPRA members can access resources and guidance to help navigate these developments.