Small-Town Grit: Taft Union High School District’s Story of Resilience and Renewal

In a tight-knit town rooted in the legacy of oil fields, the Taft Union High School District (TUHSD) is defined by its hard work, resilience, and unyielding community pride. Over the past decade, the district’s educators and leaders have faced challenges head-on, driven by the belief that hard work and collective effort can yield positive results for their students.

Recently, Taft High School celebrated a significant achievement, with state CAASPP data revealing a 12.75 percent year-over-year increase in English Language Arts (ELA) proficiency and a 7.22 percent increase in math proficiency — an impressive accomplishment in the wake of challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Seeing our team have success with kids. There’s nothing sweeter than that, knowing we’re doing something good, we’re making progress,” said Superintendent Jason Hodgson.

Now in his fourth year, Hodgson describes the district’s ethos as one of connection and shared purpose. This closeness is mirrored in the unique fabric of the community, where many teachers and staff are former students. Hodgson shared that up to 75 percent of the district’s coaches are alums, a testament to the town’s enduring investment in its schools.

“The focus is on the kids in the community,” Hodgson said. “We’ve had some common community struggles that have helped to bring people together, and they do fantastic work.”

The connection is personal for Principal Mary Alice Finn of Taft High School. A third-generation graduate of Taft High herself, Finn returned to the community to raise her family after 25 years away. 

“What makes Taft unique is that we have an extremely hard-working community, and the work we do is hard,” Finn said. “Parents respect us, we respect our families, and they trust us with their kids.”

A History Tied to Oil

The city of Taft originally grew out of the booming oil industry in the early 20th century. It began as a railroad settlement supporting the Midway oilfield. It quickly transformed from a cluster of saloons and makeshift buildings into an incorporated city in 1910. 

As the population surged to support the oil boom, the need for formal education grew, leading to the establishment of Conley High School in 1911. Initially a branch of Kern County High School, Conley High School became independent in 1915 and relocated to a new campus in North Taft in 1917. This campus, which remains home to Taft Union High School, hosted its first graduating class of 11 students in 1918. The city’s population expanded from 6,000 in 1920 to 10,000 by the end of the decade, marking a steep increase in student enrollment.

“We live in oil country. Our city has survived on the oil industry for years, and believes in it,” Hodges said. “It’s been a point that’s also brought us together.”

Hard Times and Harder Work

Despite its rich history, Taft has faced its share of challenges. Economic and political shifts in the petroleum industry, reducing the reliance on oil, have strained the community, reducing local tax revenue and creating uncertainty about the future. This economic pressure has rippled into the schools, where access to resources, healthcare, and mental health support is an ongoing challenge.

“As a lot of those major funding sources leave the community, it really puts a strain on what remains,” Finn explained. “It’s a challenge when those political things limit that.”

Then, in 2013, a tragic school shooting shook the community to its core. A student shot and wounded a fellow student and grazed the head of their teacher. Police arrested the shooter after the teacher convinced him to surrender. The tragedy left a lasting impact on the students and staff, leading to a downward turn in school morale. However, after a period of healing, the district rallied together once more, proving that together, they can overcome any obstacle.

“The staff really binds together to figure out what’s right by kids, regardless of the hard situation, they’re going to make sure the kids succeed, and they’re going to work through whatever challenge it is,” said Stacey Stansberry, director of education technology and curricular innovation. “They will work hard for the kids and for each other.”

When COVID-19 arrived, it forced another reckoning for the district. Educators found themselves grappling with new challenges: distance learning, technology integration, and addressing students’ social and emotional needs in a rapidly changing world. Yet, amidst the upheaval, there was an opportunity to go back to the drawing board.

“COVID made you look at education, everything was tossed up in the air and put down in a different way,” Stansberry explained. “We started over with what works right now for our students. We’re always evaluating what’s working and what needs to be done differently.” 

September 20, 2024: Afternoon sunlight shines on the historic Taft High School.

Small Wins and Cultural Shifts

Through these challenges, the district has embraced a strategy of incremental progress — “small wins” that build over time. Hodgson described how the district’s adoption of trust-based observations, where administrators collaborate with teachers on effective instructional practices, has helped shift the culture and build confidence.

“I think it’s a huge boost in confidence for our leaders; we know what we’re doing, and we’re willing to take risks,” Hodgson said. “We don’t need to be expert professors in instructional practices, but we need to be courageous.”

Finn noted a shift in academic testing. Students in 11th grade are required to undergo state standardized testing, but Taft created similar annual assessments for all grade levels and subjects, fostering a unified testing environment for all students and eliminating distractions. 

“I think that was probably what pushed us over the edge to find some success,” Finn said. “We’re seeing the fruits of our labor. It’s fun to feel like what you do every day actually makes a difference.”

At the heart of Taft’s mission are three core goals: Learn, Work, and Play. Learn focuses on academic achievement. Work includes collaboration and preparing students for the real working world. Play is about establishing an engaging atmosphere for students and bridging the gap between the school and the community. These objectives guide the district’s strategies, from improving student engagement to fostering deeper partnerships with parents. 

“We’re working together cohesively as a campus because if our culture is good and the staff is working well together, the students feed off that energy and that positivity,” Stansberry said.

The success of TUHSD isn’t just measured in improved test scores or academic accolades. It’s reflected in the pride felt by a community that believes in its schools, its educators, and most importantly, its students. 

“These students know that everybody is pulling for them and looking for them on and off campus,” Stansberry said. “It’s super powerful the way that they unite and work together for the common good.”