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Taylor ISD superintendent outlines gains in academics, CTE and attendance in State of the District
Summary
Superintendent Dr. Garcia told the Taylor ISD Board of Trustees the district saw gains in attendance and academic programs, highlighted career and technical education partnerships and celebrated student and staff achievements during the Jan. 27 meeting.
Dr. Angelica Garcia delivered the district's State of the District to the Taylor ISD Board of Trustees on Jan. 27, highlighting academic gains, career-and-technical-education partnerships and improved attendance that she said translated into additional revenue for classrooms.
Garcia said the district now serves "nearly 3,000 students," and described a range of student successes including top finishes in academic competitions, award-winning arts and athletics programs, and expanded CTE offerings and internships with industry partners such as Samsung.
The superintendent framed the updates around the district's four strategic priorities: students, staff, stakeholders and stewardship. She said the district's academic and extracurricular achievements include first-in-state, third-in-nation finishes for the academic decathlon team, a string of athletic playoff appearances, and local students earning more than $1.2 million in scholarships to date.
"Our job is not to make the decision for them, but provide every opportunity possible so that they are empowered to take charge of their own future," Garcia said. She also noted the district's early college program and Samsung internship pipeline, describing a former intern, Nathan, who progressed from internships to postsecondary credentials and employment plans in instrumentation technology.
Garcia reported targeted instructional work in early literacy and writing. She said principals and assistant principals have completed more than 1,200 classroom walk-throughs to monitor curriculum alignment and instructional rigor, and that the district's direct phonics program for early grades is beginning to show predicted gains.
On attendance, Garcia said a one-percentage-point gain in attendance equates to roughly $217,000 in revenue and yields more students in classrooms. She linked that improvement to district outreach efforts to call families of absent students and to wraparound supports.
The superintendent also cited workforce and climate metrics: a 71 percent retention rate for the 2023-24 school year and a substantial share of experienced teachers. Garcia said staff rated professional development sessions at an average of 4.6 out of 5.
The meeting included a short video celebrating the district's centennial and the district's ambassador and foundation work; Garcia thanked community partners and previewed upcoming community engagement around long-range planning.
Looking ahead, Garcia said the district will continue focusing on increasing the percentage of students meeting grade-level standards, narrowing achievement gaps and maintaining an "exceptional workplace climate" to support recruitment and retention.
Ending: The district plans to continue monitoring student outcomes and community partnerships as part of its strategic scorecard and will bring related agenda items to future board meetings.
