The Somerset Independent School District celebrated its 100th anniversary this year and some staff spoke about what makes the district special.
Justin Taylor, an agriculture science teacher at Somerset High School, has strong ties to the district.
“I went to school here and my grandparents were teachers here. My parents went to school here and now I’m back,” Taylor said.
Taylor is continuing his family’s legacy.
“My grandfather was the ag teacher here, so it’s a long family tradition. My little brother was an ag teacher for a little while,” Taylor said.
Taylor said traditions, family and community are what the school district is all about.
“Our community is getting bigger and stronger with the leadership, not only of the school but of the city. It has been a great experience as we see our tiny little town becoming a big-time South Bexar County kind of place,” Taylor said.
Rose Marie Chapa works for the district and says there’s a family atmosphere.
“Our teachers, our staff, truly, truly care about the kids,” Chapa said.
Chapa graduated from Somerset High School in 1987 and says a lot has changed.
“When I was in school, I used to laugh because we were small. We were less than 100 of us that graduated,” Chapa said.
Chapa says now the graduating classes are about 300 students.
Somerset ISD continues to grow and the district is investing in infrastructure and technology.
“Every classroom has a smart board and our technology is getting us where we need to be because that’s our future,” Chapa said.
This year the district also unveiled a multi-million dollar performing arts center.
Chapa says the future is bright for Somerset ISD.
“We excel in everything we do, whether it’s sports circuit, boys just went to our playoffs, basketball, our teams are great. FFA, our kids are speaking UIL, academics, everything. Our school’s a place to be. Somerset’s a place to be,” Chapa said.
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