Aubrey ISD Elementary School No. 5 finally has a name: Marilyn Hampton Elementary School.
The Board of Trustees surprised Hampton at the Oct. 21 school board meeting with the news.
“She was an educator without a classroom, a teacher without a formal degree, and a cherished member of the Aubrey ISD family whose impact will continue to be felt for years to come,” Superintendent Dr. Shannon Saylor said.
Saylor spoke of Hampton’s 39 years of dedicated work as a custodian in the district and her continued involvement even after her retirement.
Tears filled Hampton’s eyes. “Thank you, thank you, thank you; … I love all of y'all,” Hampton said.
While there, Hampton, who the kids know as Ms. Marilyn, posed for a photo with Anverly Laster, the school's first principal.
Following the meeting, Hampton’s surprise became a national story, being featured on regional to national outlets, including Good Morning America.
“I can’t even describe it,” Hampton said on Tuesday morning. “I thought I was there to accept something from that legacy co-op. … Never in a million years did the girl that graduated from Viola, Arkansas, thought this was going to happen.”
At the meeting, Construction Consultant Dr. Scott Niven said the Hampton Elementary School project is moving along well and that there are “no major issues to report.”
The elementary school is expected to open in August 2027.
He added that the Administration Building is also progressing steadily and is on schedule.
The board approved the purchase of furniture for Hampton Elementary School, with a maximum amount set.
“For context, it's not just the purchase of the furniture; it's the delivery, assembly and installation, which is a major component, especially with the tight timeframe during the summer,” Chief Financial Officer Dr. Brian C. Walton said.
Bilingual and ESL Director Monica Molinar presented the board with an annual progress report in both the bilingual and ESL programs.
There are 63 languages spoken districtwide; the top three are English, Spanish and Telugu.
The program has 934 students in the 2026-27 school year, and it accounts for 17.7% of AISD students, up from 330 students in 2022-23.
“This last year, we exited 52 students from our program,” Molinar said. “That meant they met all the requirements to leave ESL. I'll monitor them for two years.”
In 2025-26, 31 teachers were on waivers serving 156 students; that number increased this year to 35 teachers serving 306 students.
“The district is now reimbursing for testing, certification and a stipend for everybody that holds bilingual or ESL, … so teachers are starting to get those certifications,” Molinar said.
Monaco Elementary Principal Brett Dobbs gave his campus report.
“Our kids are growing,” Dobbs said, adding that reading needs some improvement.
He shared action steps, including adjusting the schedule so teachers have more planning time.
Teachers can now track their own data to monitor student progress.
“We're identifying those weak areas that we really need to make sure that we're focusing on that,” Dobbs said.
Following, West Elementary School Principal Jennie Petrasic presented her campus report.
Petrasic shared that the West students outperformed the district in a couple of assessments.
Action steps include improving Tier 1 instruction, tracking and analyzing data, holding weekly meetings with teachers, providing professional development, and implementing targeted small groups and interventions for students.
“We are trying hard, so we're working hard,” Petrasic said.
