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Out of 77 school districts across the 12-county education service area of Region 12, Temple ISD’s JoMeka Gray has been named the 2025 Region 12 Elementary Teacher of the Year and regional nominee for Texas Elementary Teacher of the Year. 

Out of 77 school districts across the 12-county education service area of Region 12, Academy ISD’s Arlene Sefcik has been named the 2025 Region 12 Secondary Teacher of the Year and regional nominee for Texas Secondary Teacher of the Year.

Education Service Center Region 12 is excited to invite the community to the fourth annual STEMfest event on Saturday, July 20. Hosted in partnership with the Mayborn Museum and Carollo Engineers, this free event aims to expand awareness and interest in STEM through interactive and engaging activities and demonstrations.

Marlin ISD Superintendent Dr. Darryl J. Henson has been named the 2024 Region 12 Superintendent of the Year and regional nominee for Texas Superintendent of the Year. Henson was nominated by the Marlin ISD Board of Managers and selected from a slate of candidates by a committee of Region 12 area school board member

The Falls County Rural Collaborative (FCRC) is proud to announce its official designation as a Rural Pathways Excellence Partnership (R-PEP) under House Bill 2209. This pioneering collaborative effort includes Marlin ISD, Rosebud-Lott ISD, Education Service Center 12, and local higher education institutions.

Education Service Center Region 12 staff will join forces with area educators, mental health advocates and care providers to host the 19th Annual Teen Suicide Prevention Symposium on June 12. The goal of the event is to gather community members to learn and take action to help save lives through awareness, intervention and prevention of teen suicide.

The Texas Association for Pupil Transportation held its 23rd Annual State School Bus Safety Contest on Monday, April 22, at Education Service Center Region 12 in Waco. A total of 15 students from across the state prepared and presented an original oration to convey the school bus safety topic for the year. This year’s speech contest topic was “Driving Safely Into the Future.”

For the first time since 1878, Waco residents and visitors will witness a total solar eclipse from the path of totality and experience darkness for four minutes and 13 seconds. To build excitement for this historic event, Education Service Center Region 12 will partner with the City of Waco to host STEAMclipse as part of the Eclipse Over Texas: Live From Waco events. 

The Education Service Center Region 12 Technology Foundation surprised nine Region 12 educators with $85,500 in grant funds during the week of March 18. These grant funds will support education technology projects that are expected to impact 5,354 students at eight school districts in the region.

After a search led by John Bass of the Association of Education Service Agencies, The Education Service Center Region 12 Board of Directors, with the approval of the Texas Commissioner of Education, has hired Kenny Berry as the next Executive Director of ESC Region 12. Berry, who is currently the superintendent of Clyde CISD in Region 14, will officially begin his new duties on April 1, 2024.

Prepare to eclipse boundaries and illuminate futures at Education Service Center Region 12’s STEAMclipse event on April 6, 2024. Hosted in partnership with the City of Waco as a part of Eclipse Over Texas: Live from Waco, STEAMclipse is a free festival that will encourage attendees to solve, think, experience, apply and make.

Education Service Center Region 12 will host the Second Annual Region 12 Spanish Spelling Bee on Thursday, February 22, at 9:00 a.m. Although this will be the second Spanish spelling bee in the region, it will be the first time the event is hosted at the service center.

Education Service Region 12 honored the 2024 Counselors of the Year and others during Friday's 11th Annual School Counselor Appreciation Luncheon.

After serving as the Education Service Center Region 12 Executive Director for 12 and a half years, Jerry Maze, Ed.D., will retire at the end of January 2024. His official notification to the ESC Region 12 Board of Directors was submitted and approved in October 2023. 

The Region 12 Schools & ESC Staff Directory is now available.