At its Regular Board Meeting on April 28, 2025, the Taylor ISD Board of Trustees heard student and staff recognitions, department and program reports, and approved several items.

See the recap of events below:

RECOGNITIONS

Superintendent Coin of Excellence

T.H. Johnson Elementary librarian Brenda McNulty received this month’s Superintendent Coin of Excellence for going above and beyond her duties as a librarian and educator. She takes the time to individually check in on all her students, and also serves as an interventionist on her campus.

She’s brought Project Lead the Way, a STEM learning program, to her campus, providing her students with new avenues of learning starting in Pre-K and Kindergarten.

“Every student on this campus has benefited from her passion, innovation, and deep love of literacy and STEM. Mrs. McNulty, you are a quiet force behind so much of our students' success. Your dedication, flexibility, and heart have not gone unnoticed. You exemplify what this Coin of Excellence stands for,” said THJ Principal Andy Basche. 

Track

Taylor HS student Tiana Candee was recognized for her outstanding track performance by earning a spot as a Girls 22-4A Regional Triple Jump qualifier.

FFA

Three Taylor HS students were recognized for their performances at livestock shows and youth fairs, thanks to their hard work and dedication to the FFA program. Here’s a list of those recognized: 

Jose Martinez - Reserve Champion: Pecan Pie at Williamson County Youth Fair
Sydney Raney - 2nd Place Steer at Houston Livestock Show
Heather Hines - 4th Place Chickens at Williamson County Show, 84th Place Chickens at Houston Livestock Show

Color Guard

The Taylor HS varsity and junior varsity color guard teams were recognized for their big wins at competitions in their respective categories. The varsity team was named the 4A Overall Top Ranking Guard by the Texas Educational Colorguard Association and the junior varsity team won the title of National Champion!

TEE Foundation Grants

The TEE Foundation also announced several grant winners at the board meeting, awarding more than $54,000 in grants to support enriching educational programs. Here’s the list of awardees: 

• Sydney Rush - MSE Level Up With Lu: A Grant For Interactive Pe Innovation - $35,000
• Cody Hunt - THS Experience History - $16,698
• Elaine Edwards - MSE A Day Of Drumming - $1,000
• Melody Martin - THS Collaboration & Creativity With Instruments & Props - $926
• Jean Barnett - THS One Last Trip - $510
• Cynthia Proctor & Day Strong - NPE Literally Thinking Outside The Box - $375

REPORTS

2022 Bond Update
All the projects from the 2022 bond are nearing completion, with projects at Naomi Pasemann ES and T.H. Johnson ES already complete. Take a look at where each project stands: 

• Taylor HS: Ag Science space will be completed by the end of May 2025.
• Main Street ES: Roadwork is underway for the road behind the school leading to Mallard Drive.
• Taylor MS: Landscape and exterior parapet will be completed in early May.
• Maintenance: Paving will begin this week and furniture will be delivered next week. Staff will move in soon.

Budget Workshop
The Board of Trustees heard about preliminary property values and factors that influence the budget process, including the 89th Legislative Session, appraised values, and other factors. The district is currently in the process of reviewing staffing, stipends, and raises. The next step is setting the baseline revenue, which brings the board closer to adopting the 2025-26 budget and setting the 2025 tax rate.

MTSS
Our Multi-Tiered Systems of Support program ensures students receive targeted learning supported through interventions. Identified students are pulled into small learning groups where they receive individualized instruction to bring their performance up to, or surpass, grade-level expectations.

The goal of the program is to get all students the help they need to catch up with their classmates and reenter the classroom with the skills to continue learning in a traditional classroom setting.

So far, 200 students at our primary schools have successfully completed the program. We have four interventionists at Main Street ES and Naomi Pasemann ES, and two staff members at THJ who take on interventionist duties. 

CAC Update
The Community Action Committee recently held its final meeting, where they discussed the possibility of recommending a bond to the Board of Trustees. This has been a monthslong process, where nearly 80 community members have met and discussed the needs of the school district and how a bond could improve aging facilities and address the projected growth over the next 10 years. 

Members of the committee will provide a recommendation at the May board meeting based on the group’s decision. 

NEW BUSINESS

• Flexible School Day Program - Approved
• Program Manager Pre-Bond Services - Approved
• Use future bond funds within the next 18 months to reimburse fund balance expenditures for items related to facility improvements - Approved
• Food Service Management Company Contract Renewal - Approved

See the full meeting at this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LX6r8-SZ9YI