Monday, September 26, 2022, Bastrop ISD kicked off its inaugural “Drive Sames 4 Education” Perfect Attendance Program at Sames Bastrop Ford at 1115 Highway 71 in Bastrop. Students and their principals from Bastrop High School, Cedar Creek High School, and Colorado River Collegiate Academy were all in attendance to celebrate the initiative. Also included were members of the Bastrop ISD school board and the Bastrop Chamber of Commerce.

“Being in school each and every day is the key to a student’s academic success, and a perfect attendance program that puts a high school student into a new vehicle is an amazing incentive for our students to stay motivated to come to school,” said Krystal Gabriel, Principal of Bastrop High School.

The Drive Sames 4 Education Perfect Attendance Program was created in 2013 by Sames Auto Group to highlight the importance of daily school attendance. The program is open to all students enrolled in Bastrop High School, Cedar Creek High School, and Colorado River Collegiate Academy. Each six weeks, a student who has perfect attendance can earn a special voucher, which they will turn in at the dealership. With five six-weeks periods left in the school year, students can be awarded up to five perfect attendance vouchers.

“We know the teachers, coaches and staff in BISD are ready to welcome students each day, and we want students to be there in class giving their best,” said Craig Murphy, General Manager of Sames Ford. “We are proud to partner with Bastrop ISD in this attendance initiative for students. They are our future employees, our future customers, our future leaders.”

The vouchers will go into a drawing for a new 2022 Ford EcoSport, which is a subcompact SUV with standard all-wheel drive and a 2000-pound tow rating. A group of semi-finalists will be selected from each high school for the final phase of the giveaway, which will occur in May. In addition to the cost of the new vehicle being covered by Sames Ford Bastrop, the tax, title, and license fees will be paid by Prosperity Bank in Bastrop, which makes this vehicle completely free to one lucky high school student.

“On behalf of our Board of Trustees, I sincerely thank the Sames Auto Group, as well as our friends at Prosperity Bank, for offering this incredible incentive to our students. It’s a partnership that we hope will continue for many years to come,” said Barry Edwards, Bastrop ISD Superintendent.

Sames Auto Group, continuously owned by the Sames family through five generations since 1910, is officially recognized as the oldest dealership in Texas. The group comprises 16 new and pre-owned vehicle locations in South and Central Texas. Franchise holdings include Ford, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram, Honda, Mazda, Kia, and Nissan. For more information visit www.samesauto.com.

Since 1983, Prosperity Bank has provided banking services and investments to consumers and small to medium-sized businesses. In addition to traditional deposit and loan products, Prosperity offers digital banking solutions, credit and debit cards, mortgage services, retail brokerage services, trust and wealth management, and treasure management. Prosperity operates 275 locations throughout Texas and Oklahoma. To learn more, visit www.prosperitybankusa.com. 

The Bastrop Independent School District is a fast-growth public school system in the picturesque Lost Pines of Central Texas, conveniently located just 30 miles southeast of Austin, 100 miles northeast of San Antonio, and 130 miles west of Houston. Bastrop ISD is made up of 15 schools, 12,500 students, and 433 square miles throughout Bastrop, Cedar Creek, Dale, Paige, Red Rock, and Rockne. For more information, visit www.bisdtx.org.