TYLER, Texas — Tomorrow is the first day of school for the students of Uvalde, and school districts across the nation plan to wear maroon to show that they stand with the community.
"We’ll be grieving with them to some extent and also rising up with them," said Larry Calhoun, superintendent of Overton Independent School District.
After the tragic mass shooting last May the community has received support from across the nation.
OISD posted an announcement on their Facebook page, encouraging students and staff to wear maroon tomorrow.
"Our heart hurts for those folks and I wish there were more we can do," Calhoun said. "I don't know what else we can do, but we'll be with them in our hearts and spirits."
But what sparked a small town, across the state from Uvalde to encourage students and staff to wear maroon?
"We have a family in our community that lived and worked in Uvalde before they came to Overton," Calhoun said. "One of them reached out to me and wanted to know if we could do this."
Closer to Uvalde, another superintendent in Rocksprings, Texas a city that’s an hour north from the Uvalde community will also be participating.
"It's very near and dear to all of us and what happened in Uvalde can happen to any of us," said James Oliver, superintendent of Rocksprings Independent School District. "I think it just as a reminder to all of us, what they're going through their students, their parents, their staff and it's a good way for us to show support."
During their latest graduation, students let 21 balloons fly to symbolize the 21 lives lost in the tragic mass shooting.
"We went to several tournaments and Uvalde last year," Oliver said. "Our kids get to know their kids and have some good relationships. So they really are a neighboring school district. We spend a lot of time an hour south of us right down the road."
"It reminds us that tragedy can happen anywhere," Calhoun said. "We certainly feel a sense of kinship with educators and students nationwide, certainly within the state of Texas."