The Okaloosa County School Board named Kimberly Nihill Taylor, Current Niceville High School Assistant Principal, the new principal of STEMM Academy in Valparaiso.
STEMM Academy consistently performs as one of the top middle schools in Florida – and was named a Blue Ribbon finalist by the US Department of Education.
The previous principal, Dr. Scheree Martin, was moved to a leadership role at the Department of Juvenile Justice near Crestview after Mid Bay News reported she was the subject of several disciplinary actions regarding Exceptional Student Education (ESE) students at the school.
Nihill Taylor, a graduate of Niceville High School, has spent more than three decades as a teacher and administrator in the Okaloosa County School District.
According to a release on the school district’s website, Nihill Taylor was a military child who moved frequently before settling in Okaloosa County. She attended Lewis Junior High (now the Lewis School) and Niceville High School before earning a bachelor’s degree in Studio Art from the University of West Florida.
In 1992, Taylor began her teaching in Okaloosa County in the Art Department at Meigs Middle School. A year later, she joined the staff at Niceville High School, teaching 9th through 12th-grade Art, including Advanced Placement (AP) Art History and AP Portfolio. Her dedication extended beyond the classroom as she coached volleyball and softball before becoming the Electives Department Chair.
Nihill Taylor earned a Master’s degree in educational leadership at the University of West Florida in 1996 and was named Okaloosa County’s Teacher of the Year in 2002. She achieved National Board Teacher Certification in 2006.
in 2016, she transitioned to the dean’s position at Niceville High School and was appointed as an assistant principal shortly after. A school district release said Taylor contributes to sevearl school and district committees, including the School Advisory Council (SAC), AP Finance and Resources, School Performance Plan (SPP), and Mentor programs.
Nihill Taylor is married to Rod Taylor, a teacher at Niceville High School. They have two children.
We love to bring you, and all of your neighbors, the news for free – it’s a part of who we are. But just because something is free doesn’t mean it’s cheap.
Your sustaining donation of just $10 per month helps us keep the powerful accountable and make the mortgage on time. If you notice you keep coming back for more stories from us – please consider supporting our work so we can do it for the long haul (and not be homeless).
Register or login with Mid Bay News and never get another pop up on our site!
