Wylie ISD is located in southern Collin County and covers 41 square miles. The district serves the communities of Wylie, Sachse, Murphy, Lucas, Lavon, and St. Paul. Wylie ISD has 20 campuses including one 6A and one 5A high school, one alternative high school, three junior high schools (grades 7 and 8), three intermediate schools (grades 5 and 6) and eleven elementary campuses (grades Pre-K through 4).

Students

The district instructs 15,800 students where 51.4% are of Anglo heritage, 21.8% are of Hispanic heritage, 14% are of African American heritage, 8.6% are of Asian heritage, 3.2% are of two or more races, and 1% are of American Indian heritage.  The graduation rate for the Class of 2016 was 96.3%, and 65% of those graduates were considered “college - ready graduates” in both English and mathematics.  About 80% of the 2016 graduates were considered “college and career ready graduates.” 

Teachers

There are over 17,000 staff members employed by Wylie ISD, and about 900 of those members are teachers.  The average teaching experience is 10.5 years, and the average experience with the district is 5.7 years.  Over 29% of the teaching staff have advanced degrees, where over 200 teachers hold a master’s and 4 teachers hold a doctorate. 

The salary for first year teachers during the 2016-2017 school year was $52,000.  Those who held a master’s earned an additional $1,000, and those who held a doctorate earned an additional $2,000. Stipends were given to teachers who worked in the bilingual ($3,000) and English language learners ($1,500) department.  The current student – teacher ratio is 15.8:1. 

First year teachers are partnered up with a trained mentor, who is a veteran teacher, to guide them through their first year.  Throughout the year they will attend Wylie ISD’s First Year Academy, where a district representative will lecture on certain topics as an additional effort to help make the first year a bit easier. Some of the topics that will be discussed include

•    Classroom Management
•    District Policies and Procedures
•    Instructional Strategies
•    State Testing
•    Special Ed/504 Rules and Regulations and more

Superintendent

Dr. David Vinson has over 20 years of experience in public education.  He attended Texas Tech University, where he received his bachelor’s in business administration and his master’s in education.  He also received his Doctor of Philosophy in Curriculum and Instruction.  He began his career as a gifted and talented teacher and coordinator in Idalou ISD around 1992.  He worked as a principal and director of technology and federal programs in Ralls ISD.  He then worked as a principal for Frenship Middle School, which is a part of Frenship ISD. He then became assistant superintendent for secondary education for the same district. For the next six years he was Floresville ISD’s superintendent, and he then became superintendent for Wylie ISD in July 2011. 

Technology

Each campus is equipped with computer labs and media centers. Each classroom has a data projection system, and it is the goal of the district for each classroom to have at least two computers.  Most classrooms in the district are equipped with document cameras and other peripherals and/ or have an interactive Smart white board. 

10 Reasons to Choose Wylie ISD

•    TEA Standards: continues to improve test scores, with scores 10+ points above state averages
•    Education Foundation: helps to promote quality education throughout the district
•    #edtechWylie: goal is to integrate technology into lesson planning
•    Fiscally Responsible: district has maintained a strong fund balance, competitive salaries, and an effective tax rate
•    Academics: continually strive to improve student performance and integrate technology
•    Extracurricular Options: a wide assortment of sports are offered
•    Small Town Feel: has a small town feel, even though a 5A high school and over 15,000 students
•    Dual Language: has established a bi-literacy program model, both in English and Spanish
•    Birmingham Trust: helps to learn mechanical trades
•    The Wylie Way: continue to display core values for the district

Wylie ISD Foundation

The Wylie ISD Foundation serves the students and teachers of the district through monetary support, hosting events, and other avenues.  The funds raised by the foundation are used as grants to support teachers, schools, and district initiatives plus to provide scholarships for students.  So far, the foundation has supported the district through 33 endowments that accumulate to over $1.3 million, which includes a total of $750,000 in classrooms grants, $250,000 in senior scholarships, funds for technology equipment and more. 

To learn more about Wylie ISD, visit their site at www.wylieisd.net.