STE. GENEVIEVE – The Ste. Genevieve County R-II School District has announced that Deputy Superintendent Dr. Paul Taylor has been hired by the Board of Education as Ste. Genevieve County R-II School District’s next superintendent beginning July 1, 2023.
“We have a long history of dedicated superintendents in this district, many homegrown, and we believe that Dr. Taylor will carry on our tradition of excellent leaders,” Board of Education President David Bova said. “Throughout his career at SG R-II, Dr. Taylor has proven an engaged leader through his focus on what is best for students, his dedication to the needs of his staff, and his support of our inclusive and innovative programs. We look forward to working with him in his new role as we venture into Prop SG projects and continue to provide an outstanding education for our students going forward.”
In January 2022, Superintendent Dr. Julie Flieg made the decision to retire with an effective date of June 30, 2023. She said that while this was not an easy decision, she knew that it was time to focus on her family.
“I hoped to leave our district with someone whom I trusted implicitly, and who always has our students’ and staff’s best interests at heart,” Dr. Flieg said. “Over the years, Dr. Taylor and I have made a great team, working and learning together, and there is no one else I would rather see lead SG R-II going forward. I have the utmost confidence in Dr. Taylor’s ability to lead our great district with heart, reason, and dedication.”
In order to create a proactive, effective transition period for the district, Dr. Taylor has held the role of deputy superintendent this school year with the goal of applying for the position of superintendent. This has provided an opportunity for Dr. Taylor to work closely with Superintendent Dr. Julie Flieg and with other area superintendents and state organizations to learn the various roles and responsibilities of the superintendent position.
Like other surrounding districts, Ste. Genevieve County R-II has recognized that the landscape of public education has changed drastically over the last several years, and our district has several fronts with which we had to focus, including: the Prop SG bond issue; ongoing legislative initiatives regarding funding, literacy programming; the district’s academic and social-emotional planning in response to COVID-19; navigating the district’s financial positioning given the uncertainty of Holcim and Mississippi Lime’s taxes; and more.
“Together with our educators, families, and our community as a whole, we can face any challenge and continue to strengthen our family, our traditions, and our strive toward excellence,” Dr. Taylor shared. “Educating our youth is the foundation of our community, and I look forward to supporting the educators who have chosen this noble profession, and to helping provide the framework for each of our students to find their future.”
About Dr. Taylor:
Dr. Paul Taylor has spent 20 years of his career at the Ste. Genevieve County R-II School District. He began teaching in 1997 as a middle school general science teacher at Perry County School District. He then became a graduate teaching assistant at Southeast Missouri State University, while earning a Master’s Degree in Biology. Dr. Taylor spent a year teaching high school biology for the Perry County School District before joining the SG R-II team as a high school biology teacher in 2003. In 2012, he became the Ste. Genevieve Middle School assistant principal, and then transitioned to middle school principal two years later. In the 2018-2019 school year, Dr. Taylor became the assistant superintendent, and is currently serving as deputy superintendent. The deputy superintendent position has provided the opportunity to better learn the role of the superintendent while also supporting Dr. McClard as he becomes familiar with the district and his new role as assistant superintendent.
Dr. Taylor is proud to have been a part of the original launch of new student programming at SGMS, which included the first SGMS lead groups. Lead groups were designed to help students identify and learn about a variety of personal interests while simultaneously creating school involvement and connection. Dr. Taylor’s doctoral dissertation focused on another program at SGMS, which identified students struggling academically and included them in a mentoring program. He is also proud to have revamped the new teacher induction program in his role as assistant superintendent; he looks forward to introducing new employees to the district and seeing how their backgrounds and expertise integrate into our Dragon climate and culture.
During his tenure at SG R-II, Dr. Taylor has served as chair, co-chair or member of the following committees: the Calendar Committee, the CSIP Committee, the Professional Development Committee, the Facilities Committee, the Dragon Advisory Team, the Wellness Committee, and the PLC Implementation Committee. He is a member of the Missouri Association of School Administrators (MASA).
Dr. Taylor is married to his wife of 22 years, Dana, and they have three children: Adalynn, 20; Ariella, 18; and Paul, 15.