Anonymous Family Donates Over $500,000 to Crockett ISD in Memory of Late Son
By Kelly Nicol
Messenger Publisher
CROCKETT — The Crockett Independent School District accepted a donation of more than half a million dollars during Monday night’s school board meeting, a gift described as both extraordinary and deeply personal.
Margaret Tuggle, Director of Special Services for Crockett ISD, presented the gift of $510,603 on behalf of an anonymous local family. The donation, she said, will have a district-wide impact, supporting instructional materials, technological upgrades, and equipment for the district’s rapidly growing Career and Technology Education (CTE) programs and other campus needs.
“Every student in Crockett ISD will benefit,” Tuggle told the board. “Whether it is through instructional materials, upgrades and improvements to technology, or tools and equipment for our CTE programs, this gift will touch every campus.”
The donation was made in memory of the couple’s son, Stephen, who died in a tragic accident more than four decades ago while driving home from college. In a letter read aloud by Tuggle, the donors also dedicated the gift in honor of their Christian faith.
“Our hope is that the items to be purchased with this gift will have a positive impact on the teaching professionals as well as the students,” the letter read.
The donors, lifelong residents of Crockett who returned to their hometown about 20 years ago, asked to remain anonymous, citing a desire to be treated no differently in their close-knit community.
The couple, who raised five children and now enjoy a growing legacy of grandchildren and great-grandchildren, have long supported educational initiatives in Houston County and beyond.
“They are ‘ordinary folks’ in their own words,” Tuggle said. “But I believe anyone who sows into the lives of young people is quite extraordinary.”
The gift is one of the largest single donations in the district’s history. Superintendent Damenion Miller and the board formally accepted the contribution with gratitude and a standing ovation.
“We are humbled and incredibly thankful,” Miller said after the presentation. “This will have a lasting impact on our students and staff for years to come.”
Crockett ISD officials say planning is already underway to allocate the funds across campuses and programs in the coming months.
