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Hays CISD welcomes home former music teacher as first-ever Fine Arts director

By Elizabeth Evans
Updated  January 21, 2020 4:50pm CST
Education
FOX 7 Austin

KYLE, Texas - Hays CISD has named its first-ever Fine Arts director.

Superintendent Dr. Eric Wright announced that Patty Moreno has been selected for the position, returning home to the school district where she started teaching nearly thirty years ago.

Patty Moreno (Hays CISD)

According to a release from Hays CISD, Moreno is a career professional music educator with nearly 30 years of experience who began her career in 1991 at Kyle and Green elementary schools. 

“We couldn’t be more excited to welcome Patty home,” said Wright. “She knows our district, she has a wealth of fine arts knowledge, and she has the passion it takes to keep our programs among the finest in the state.” 

In 1993, Moreno started teaching older students at Kyle Intermediate School and became Hays CISD's lead elementary music teacher – a position she held for 15 years. In 2008, she became a fine arts coordinator for Austin ISD, supervising content and writing curriculum for more than 100 elementary music teachers and secondary level choral directors. 

Moreno has also served as a music consultant for Round Rock and Houston ISDs. She co-founded the Hays CISD honor choir and the Kodály music certification program at Texas State University where she continues to serve as a director, says the release.

In 2012, she was appointed by the State Board of Education to serve on the Texas Education Agency’s committee to review and write updated music essential knowledge and skills requirements for all Texas music students. 

Among Moreno’s many awards and honors, her Kodály music program team was previously named an H-E-B Excellence in Teaching Award state-level semi-finalist, and she was selected as Tom Green Elementary School's teacher of the year. 

Moreno holds a Bachelor of Music in Music Performance and Piano Pedagogy and a Master of Music Education, both from Texas State University and graduating with honors. She also holds a lifetime certification in Texas to teach all levels of music.