Cicely Taylor has a bachelor's degree in education from the University of Illinois. She and her husband have lived in Katy for 20 years.

Meet the Katy ISD school board Position 3 candidates

Meet the candidates: Position 4, Katy ISD Board of Trustees

Op-Ed: Cicely Taylor's Community-First Vision Can Strengthen Katy ...

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Cicely Taylor earned a bachelor's degree from Colby College and a master's degree in curriculum and instruction from The University of Texas at El Paso.

Cicely is an education senior-level administrator. She previously worked as a classroom teacher and taught for Teach For America. She also helped run her family's preschools. 

Cicely currently works as the chief of staff at Acelero Learning, a company focused on early childhood educational opportunities. She previously worked various roles at KIPP Texas Public Schools, including the chief of staff.

Cicely previously ran for a seat on the Katy ISD Board of Trustees in 2026 but did not win.

Katy Independent School District, Texas, elections - Ballotpedia

Cicely previously ran the Katy Independent School District Board of Trustees in 2022 and 2023, but did not win.

2026 Texas May Uniform Election

For Candidate Cicely Taylor on Issue school-curriculum:  
Opposes broad book-banning policies and supports parental rights to choose for their children through notifications and opt-out protocols.

Opposes broad book-banning policies, while supporting parental rights to choose for their children through notifications and opt-out protocols.

- Opposes broad book-banning policies, while supporting parental rights to choose for their children through notifications and opt-out protocols.

School Curriculum

Said, "My first priority is to address our projected budget shortfall with a strategy that has the least possible impact on our classrooms and the quality of instruction. I would call for a comprehensive, line-by-line operational audit to identify non-essential administrative overhead and redundancies. I would also request a review of our school attendance and enrollment data, along with community growth projections, to identify resource needs and refine campus allocations. By finding efficiencies in the "back office" and course-correcting on allocations, we ensure that every available dollar is protected for the needs of our "front lines," our classrooms and student programs."

Advocates for a comprehensive operational audit and a review of community growth projections and school attendance and enrollment data to develop a plan to address a future budget shortfall to keep their classrooms and student programs as unaffected as possible.

Said, "Next, we must expand career and technical education opportunities. I will advocate for expanding capacity at the Miller Career and Technology Center to eliminate current waitlists by leveraging virtual learning opportunities and identifying appropriate underutilized space on our Katy ISD properties. Furthermore, I propose small college partnerships with local universities, allowing students to earn associate degrees and expand our industry certification options, providing a massive financial and professional head start for our families."

Supports expanding career and technical education opportunities by eliminating waitlists through virtual learning opportunities, while proposing small college partnerships with local universities to provide a head start for families.

Said, "Finally, at a time when school districts will be working with less, I want to prioritize competitive benefits for staff. This means we must be extremely aggressive when negotiating benefits. We must identify what matters most for our staff regarding benefits and find savings in those areas. The high cost of health care is being felt everywhere. We must leave no stone unturned in finding innovative options to provide some relief, even if only incremental."

Supports prioritizing competitive benefits for staff and being aggressive during negotiations when finding what matters most to find savings in those areas, including healthcare.

- Advocates for a comprehensive operational audit and a review of community growth projections and school attendance and enrollment data to develop a plan to address a future budget shortfall to keep their classrooms and student programs as unaffected as possible.
- Supports expanding career and technical education opportunities by eliminating waitlists through virtual learning opportunities, while proposing small college partnerships with local universities to provide a head start for families.
- Supports prioritizing competitive benefits for staff and being aggressive during negotiations when finding what matters most to find savings in those areas, including healthcare.

School Facilities & Resources

For Candidate Cicely Taylor on Issue student-wellbeing: Advocates for transparency in decision-making processes and effective communication with staff and the community.

Advocates for transparency in decision-making processes and effective communication with staff and the community.

- Advocates for transparency in decision-making processes and effective communication with staff and the community.

Student Wellbeing

Said, "Increasing teacher pay is also necessary and we must seek innovative and financially responsible ways to do this. For recruitment, we must continue to develop the “grow your own” programs to support teacher certification. We must tap into our alums, who major in education in college, as a pipeline. Additionally, we must partner with local universities and colleges' teacher prep programs, including those at HBCUs, to identify potential new teacher recruits."

Advocates for increasing teacher pay and developing a pipeline of alums majoring in education, along with a partnership with local teacher prep programs.

- Advocates for increasing teacher pay and developing a pipeline of alums majoring in education, along with a partnership with local teacher prep programs.

Teachers

Opposes school vouchers, emphasizing that if adopted, Katy ISD must maintain strong academics and programs that support every child and family.

Opposes school vouchers, emphasizing that if adopted, the Katy ISD must maintain strong academics and programs that support every child and family.

- Opposes school vouchers, emphasizing that if adopted, the Katy ISD must maintain strong academics and programs that support every child and family.

Access to Education

As of April 1, 2026, Cicely Taylor’s website did not contain information on this issue.

Ethics & Conduct

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Cicely Taylor

Cicely Taylor is from Chicago, Illinois. She attended Colby College and the University of Texas at El Paso. She has lived in Katy for over 18 years. Cicely is a wife, mother, and grandmother.

Cicely previously ran for a seat on the Katy ISD Board of Trustees two times but did not win.

Said, "I do not believe in broad book-banning policies. Katy ISD acknowledges a parent's right to choose for their own child by having notifications and opt-out protocols. There is no need to revise the current policy if used to fidelity."

Plans to address budget shortfalls by conducting an operational audit to identify non-essential administrative costs and reviewing school attendance data to refine resource allocation.

Supports expanding career and technical education opportunities.

Said, "we must be transparent in the process and over-communicate the 'why' behind decisions to our staff and community."

Wants to prioritize competitive benefits for staff.

Supports increasing teacher pay and developing programs to recruit teachers.

Said, "I am not pro-vouchers. If vouchers were adopted Katy ISD must be the district of choice with strong academics and programs that support every child and family."

Isaac Brickman

Rafael Perez

Graham Shirley

Haider Razvi

Sean Hesterly

- A trustee is an elected member of a local school board who helps govern a public school district.

- Trustees represent community interests and are responsible for setting policies that guide how the school district operates.

- The board of trustees hires and evaluates the superintendent, who manages the day-to-day operations of the district.

- Trustees approve the district’s budget, monitor spending, and may set the local tax rate or call for bond elections to fund schools.

- The board also oversees educational programs, district goals, and overall performance.

- In Texas, trustees are elected to four-year terms, often on a rotating basis, so not all seats are elected at the same time.

- Trustees serve without financial compensation.

An official who sets policy for a local school district. 