Taunton School Committee honors two retiring alternative-school principals at May meeting

TAUNTON — May 13, 2026 — Taunton School Committee devotes May meeting entirely to student and staff recognitions, retiring two pioneering principals. Superintendent Thomas Cabral surprised Principal Elizabeth Rodriguez, founder of the Taunton Public Virtual Academy, and Principal Bert Delaney of Taunton Alternative High School with unannounced retirement tributes, telling Rodriguez her "fingerprints" would remain "forever" at the Virtual Academy and asking Delaney to return to present the school's 1,000th graduate with a diploma — a milestone the 13-year-old program is approaching after helping close to 900 students earn diplomas. Curriculum Supervisor Ashley Pacheco Gamet presented national language exam medals to 22 Taunton High School students who competed among tens of thousands nationally in Spanish, Portuguese, Latin, and French. Senior Braden Johnson of Taunton Alternative High School was recognized as the first student from that school in 13 years to speak at Massachusetts Student Government Day at the State House, and a senior robotics founder identified as Greg was praised for delivering what Communications Coordinator Cynthia Johnson called "one of the most thorough, well-researched presentations I have ever looked at" to the school committee's high school subcommittee before heading to Purdue to study engineering.