Farewell drive-up for Paul Norton signifies end of era for school district

Former Texarkana Independent School District Superintendent Paul Norton speaks to local students and their family members on Tuesday during at farewell drive-up at the Sullivan Performing Arts Center in Texarkana, Texas.
Former Texarkana Independent School District Superintendent Paul Norton speaks to local students and their family members on Tuesday during at farewell drive-up at the Sullivan Performing Arts Center in Texarkana, Texas.

For Paul Norton and the Texarkana Independent School District, Tuesday's farewell drive-up indicated the end of an era.

Students, parents, faculty and fellow citizens of Texarkana drove by the Sullivan Performing Arts Center, where Norton and his family stood under a blow-up Texas Tiger mouth, to show support for the departing superintendent.

Orchestrated by Norton's former colleagues, the drive-up consisted of locals with signs, balloons, pom poms, cards, honking horns and even a dance routine by Texas High cheerleaders and students on a trailer.

It was a bittersweet moment for Norton, who has made countless connections with parents, students, staff and co-workers throughout his 19 years with the district.

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Arkansas running back signee Rawleigh Williams III posted a picture of his Razorbacks jersey on Instagram on April 28, 2015.

"It's amazing," Norton said. "That just means the world to me and my family that we get a chance to see everybody before we leave. It's a great opportunity to see that the people in Texarkana are just amazing, and to have been able to raise the kids and have our family in this community has been a true blessing."

One of those Texarkana locals present at the drive-up, Rob Sitterley, president and CEO of AR-TX Regional Economic Development Inc., said Norton's presence in the community will be hard to replace because of his success and caring attitude in the community.

"Paul has shown me the school, TISD and all the things it has to offer our kids, and it's a huge deal for me in economic development that I have qualified, smart kids that are going to come out of school with certifications or go on to get a degree," Sitterley said. "His wins are our wins. He's just a great guy that cares about our community and our kids, and he's going to be really, sorely missed."

Norton said what he will miss most about working with the district are the relationships he's made along the way.

"It's not a program. It's not an event. It's the people," he said. "It's from the Board of Trustees to the support staff, to the administration, to the teachers. It's a district full of passionate people that are here for the right reasons. I feel very hopeful that's the case in Lake Travis (ISD where Norton will serve as superintendent), but I know it is here."

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