The Taylor Public Schools

Duane's take

Here's my telling of what the official marker has to say about the Taylor Public Schools, out of Williamson County. Now settle in, because this one's got more layers than a good brisket. It starts back in 1877, when the Taylor area was making do with several private schools.

That went on until 1880, when something new took shape: a public institution called the Stock Company School, built and maintained by a group of private citizens. Already you can see the spirit of it, ordinary people deciding that education was worth their time and money. The very next year, a school for the Black children of the community opened as well.

Two schools now, side by side in the same young town. Then came 1883, and a bond election passed, which provided the revenue to keep public schools running in Taylor on a more solid footing. With that foundation set, a man named Augustus Hill stepped forward.

He had been the head of the Bastrop Academy, and now he became the first superintendent of Taylor's public schools. What he presided over was a ten-grade system, all of it housed in a three-room building that somehow held primary classes, grammar classes, and high school classes all at once, along with the small Negro school. One building carrying the whole weight of a community's ambitions.

Well, Taylor kept growing, and by 1890 the enrollment had climbed high enough that a three-story building was erected, and a greater variety of subjects opened up for those students. Now that is a turn of events. From a cramped three-room schoolhouse to three full stories in the space of a decade.

The years kept coming after that. Surrounding school districts were annexed, one by one, making the Taylor public schools considerably larger. And in 1950, the schools were removed from municipal control altogether with the creation of the Taylor Independent School District.

The marker puts it plainly: for a century, these schools have been a source of pride for the community, and the citizens of Taylor have been faithful supporters of public education. Graduates have gone on to become business leaders, professionals, civic leaders, people whose roots ran back to those same classrooms. It started with private citizens willing to build something, and it grew into something the whole county could point to.

That's the Taylor Public Schools.

What the marker says

From 1877 until 1880, several private schools served residents of the Taylor area. In 1880 a public institution, the Stock Company School, was built and maintained by a group of private citizens. A school for black children of the community opened the following year. In 1883 a bond election passed which provided revenue for maintaining public schools in Taylor. Augustus Hill, former head of the Bastrop Academy, became the first superintendent. He presided over a ten-grade system, which consisted of a three-room building for all primary, grammar, and high school classes, as well as the small Negro school. Because of increased enrollment, a three-story building was erected in 1890, and a greater variety of subjects was offered to the students. In later years surrounding school districts were annexed, greatly increasing the size of the Taylor public schools. in 1950 the schools were removed from municipal control with the creation of the Taylor Independent School District. For a century the Taylor schools have been a source of pride for the community, while citizens have been faithful supporters of public education. Graduates of the Taylor schools include numerous business, professional and civic leaders.