WACO, TX – The Temple ISD Board of Trustees has been named the 2025 Region 12 School Board of the Year and regional nominee for Outstanding School Board of the Year. The Board of Trustees was nominated for recognition by Temple ISD Superintendent Dr. Bobby Ott.
“Education Service Center Region 12 takes great pride in acknowledging the Temple ISD Board of Trustees for their outstanding achievements and steadfast commitment to improving student outcomes,” said Dr. Kenny Berry, Executive Director of ESC Region 12. “We applaud the impactful work the TISD board does on behalf of the students and families they serve.”
The Temple ISD Board of Trustees comprises seven members: Dan Posey (President), Ronnie Gaines (Vice President), Virginia Suarez (Secretary), Bre’Layshia Alexander, Shannon Gowan, Shannon Myers and Dawn Cook. Each member is elected to a three-year term serving a single-member district in Temple, providing equitable representation for all neighborhoods, businesses and families. All board members have strong connections to Temple ISD as they are either graduates, former employees, parents of students or lifelong residents of the community.
“Our Board is composed of seven unique individuals with different backgrounds who serve on the Board for one reason – doing what is best for our students and staff members,” said Dan Posey, President of the Temple ISD Board of Trustees. “Once we reach a Board decision, we stand by it and the administration. The needs of our students and TISD personnel always come first for all Board members and our superintendent.”
Temple ISD is a 6A school district in Bell County with over 8,800 students in grades Pre-K through 12 and nearly 1,400 employees. The district has one high school, three middle schools, eight elementary schools, one early childhood pre-k center and two alternative campuses. Temple ISD’s mission is to “inspire, motivate and empower students to reach their maximum potential,” which is evident in all decisions made by the Board of Trustees.
“The Temple ISD Board of Trustees reflects the highest level of transparency and student-centered responsiveness in their service,” said Dr. Bobby Ott, Superintendent of Temple ISD. “They are the gold standard for governance and our constituents are blessed by their selfless commitment towards continuous improvement.”
The Temple ISD Board of Trustees aims to be innovative and progressive when it comes to meeting the needs of students and helping them reach their potential. The Board believes in supporting college and career readiness at all levels, and challenges Temple ISD staff members to be creative when brainstorming educational experiences. Student engagement is very important to members, as student connection is an indicator of success in high school. To keep students engaged at campus and district levels, the Board has focused on developing a variety of academic and extracurricular anchor programs for students.
Academically, Temple ISD offers Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, Dual Credit and OnRamps programs to ensure students are prepared to pursue post-secondary goals. On the career readiness side, members of the Board have leveraged their connections to help the district develop partnerships with local industry leaders, including Meta, Baylor Scott and White, Temple Chamber of Commerce and more. Through these partnerships, Temple ISD students have access to internships and work-based learning experiences that often result in job opportunities after graduation. With these programs and more, Temple ISD has maintained a graduation rate of over 95%, and more than 80% of students achieve a CCMR point.
For the Board of Trustees, there is no event that is too small for them to show up for. Temple ISD staff members provide a monthly important dates document for the Board and invite members to events as if they were parents. Board members regularly show up to support students and staff and remain visible in the community. Additionally, Board members tour campuses quarterly, allowing them to see policy in action and provide encouragement to the students and staff carrying out new initiatives. Through these tours, Board members have seen every service offered in Temple ISD, including general education services and special programs such as bilingual/ESL, special education, deaf education and more. This focus on experiencing all the district offers allows Board members to be educated and well-informed as they make important decisions.
The Board of Trustees understands the importance of a positive physical learning environment, and members are very engaged in facility improvement conversations. The Board Facilities Committee analyzes needs, considers plans and provides direction on projects to be brought to the full Board for consideration. The Board’s attention to meeting facility needs led to the approval of a bond election in November of 2021 to open a new elementary school, add additional classrooms at various campuses, remove all portables and build a new operations center. While the bond failed by two votes in the initial election, the Temple ISD Board of Trustees recognized the importance of what the bond would provide and decided to go out for a bond again in May of 2022.
To prepare for the new bond election, the Board gathered input from district administration and worked with voters to modify the bond proposal. During this second effort, Dr. Ott presented informational sessions to various stakeholders to help the community understand the bond and solicit feedback. The bond presentation was given at more than 50 events, and Board members attended different sessions throughout the process to show their support for the bond and maintain transparency. With these efforts, the Temple community overwhelmingly supported the new bond proposal of $164.8 million for Temple ISD, the largest bond ever passed for the district.
“In working through a series of high-level decisions that have elevated and continued to unify the community at large, this Board has fulfilled their role with the highest degree of responsibility, compassion and diligence,” said Ott. “This is a board of diverse perspectives, varying backgrounds and mutual respect for one another, with a singular focus on doing what is right for all students and staff of Temple ISD.”
ESC Region 12 will recognize the Temple ISD Board of Trustees and other regional educators of the year in the coming months. The Texas Association of School Administrators School Board Awards Committee will review all regional school boards of the year and select up to five boards to recognize as Honor Boards. The award committee will interview the five Honor Boards at txEDCON in the fall and name the Texas Outstanding School Board during the convention.