Ott's Outlook

While I hope that you are enjoying a restful and relaxing start to their summer, I wanted to update you on a couple of important items approved by our Board of Trustees during the month of June.

First, the trustees approved the 2026-2030 Temple ISD District Goals. These goals will help guide decision-making in the district for the next five years. The six approved goals each address a different measure of district success and relate to Early Childhood Literacy, Early Childhood Math, College, Career, and Military Readiness (CCMR), Innovative Learning Opportunities, Safe and Healthy Environment, and School Community Engagement. You can read the specific goals on the district graphic included below.

Creation of the 2026-2030 district goals started in February of 2026 as trustees first discussed the required goals per the Texas Education Agency (TEA). The board also discussed additional goals with the involvement of community stakeholder groups to provide feedback and input during the process. The board held a series of listening circles with various community groups that represented the Temple Area Co-Ed Ministerial Alliance (TACMA), the Temple Education Foundation (TEF), the TISD District Educational Improvement Committee (DEIC), business leaders, monolingual/bilingual families, and local healthcare professionals. Trustees also met with Temple High School students, Temple ISD alumni and principals from across the district. The board then created goals that meet the needs of the district and community based on the feedback and input provided by these listening circle sessions.

We are so grateful for the participation of these groups in the goal-setting process and are confident that these goals will help Temple ISD continue to meet or exceed the high expectations of our students, families, staff, and community.

Trustees also approved a balanced budget for the 2026-2027 fiscal year. Being able to accomplish that feat has truly been a team effort. Temple ISD passed its first deficit budget in the 2023-2024 school year and was transparent about funding shortfalls. While preparing for this year’s budget, senior leadership took a hard look at strategic expenditures, operational costs, and restructured or delayed certain timelines as revenue was recaptured in the district. Our finance department was diligent about looking at property tax audits to regain state fundings, maximizing interest income whenever possible, and being strategic about refinancing and selling bonds to take advantage of the most favorable rates.

We have also focused on reducing the district’s absenteeism rate to improve both state funding and student outcomes. We have improved our chronically absent rate by more than 3.4% over the past year by identifying at-risk students sooner and increasing family engagement by communicating supports to those families.

The district has also become asset lean by selling surplus properties whenever possible. TISD has sold the Dickson and Cater properties, Emerson, the Crestview neighborhood lot, and Woodson Field just in the past several years. Community partners have also stepped in to support district activities such as STEM expansion across the district.

With this said, the greatest example of community partnership was the passage of Proposition A and Proposition B in Election 2025. The passage of Proposition A provided Temple ISD with the necessary funds to cover the safety and security mandates by the Texas Education Agency.

We are so appreciative of our hard-working staff members and so grateful for the support of our families and community. Temple ISD will continue being good stewards of taxpayer dollars and passing a balanced budget is one more example of that commitment.

Sincerely,

Bobby Ott

Temple ISD has a long history of excellence and we have had many, many graduates who have gone on to exemplify our vision to become influential and impactful leaders in their local communities and beyond. Temple ISD Alumni Spotlight will feature alumnus and alumna that have represented our community and our district in a positive way.

To nominate yourself or a Temple ISD graduate, please complete our online Alumni Spotlight Nomination Form. Nominations will be reviewed and candidates selected by the Temple ISD Board of Trustees Policy Committee