October 25, 2025 — Austin Taylor, the principal of Northtowne Elementary, has spent the last 24 years guiding students toward success. His education journey wasn’t a straight path but was driven by a passion for learning and a desire to make a meaningful difference. Under his leadership, Northtowne Elementary has seen steady improvements in its Ohio School Report Card ratings, rising from two stars in 2021-2022 to three stars.
Despite his current success, Taylor’s path into education began in an indecisive place. He owned and operated a shoe store while earning his health and physical education degree. As he worked toward success in owning a small business, education kept calling to him. Taylor balanced both worlds for a time, while his experience in teaching soon made him reconsider his priorities.
“It was eye-opening to see how you can really have an effect on these kids,” Taylor emphasized.
Taylor began his teaching career at Millennium Community School, initially teaching sixth grade on a temporary license. He then moved to the now closed Barrett Middle School in Columbus City Schools, where he taught physical education and coached baseball.
“Ultimately, I gave up the shoe store because I had to decide,” Taylor said. “I knew I couldn't do both, so I decided to stick with teaching. So, I closed the store and taught elementary physical education at Whitehall School District for 14 years.”
After closing the shoe store, Taylor wanted something closer to home. After securing a teaching position at Whitehall City School District, Taylor found a deep connection to his role, which kept him teaching elementary physical education for 14 years. This time strengthened his passion for early education by witnessing the growth of students as they advance through each grade.
“I loved the environment,” Taylor said. “Being at the elementary level and seeing the transformation from kindergarten to fifth grade really stuck with me. That’s when I knew this was my path.”
After years of experience in the classroom, Taylor realized he wanted to make an even greater impact on students and the broader school community. He pursued an administrative license and eventually accepted the principal role at Northtowne Elementary.
“I love having experiences with students at all levels but I just felt like something was missing,” Taylor said. “Now, this is my fourth year at Northtowne, and I love it. Looking back, it was kind of a big deal to change districts 20 years in, but I just wanted to see where this would take me, and I'm glad that I did it.”
Taylor’s leadership style is centered on servant leadership, a principle that has earned him high praise from his colleagues. Michael Dickerson, Northtowne’s school counselor, speaks highly of Taylor’s leadership approach and his ability to always remain the most positive person in the room, regardless of the school's challenges.
“Our school is continuing to move in the right direction,” Dickerson said. “Each year, we have challenges, and through those, he is always the most positive person in the room and ready to be there to say, 'How are we gonna solve this problem?' And encourages us to work together to solve it.”
The improvements at Northtowne Elementary reflect Taylor’s leadership and dedication to student success. Under his guidance, the school has made significant strides, showing how passion and purpose can inspire an entire school community to dream big and achieve more, year after year.
