Candidates Gabrielle Moore and Brian Shanks filed for the trustee position.
The election for District 5, occupied by board President Clementine Cantu, was canceled after no one filed to challenge Cantu.
The last day to register to vote is April 7, and the last day to apply for a ballot by mail is April 26. Early voting will run from April 25-May 3, and election day is May 7.
Candidate responses have been edited for length, style and clarity.
Gabrielle Moore
Experience:
former city of San Marcos Planning and Zoning commissioner, a former member of SMCISD [Student Health Advisory Council], the city of San Marcos bond committee. She is a current board member of Sustainable San Marcos, League of Women Voters, Hays County Womenu2019s Political Caucus, MoveSM and the Four Rivers Board of Realtors Governmental Affairs Committee. Gabrielle and her partner have been proud Rattler parents from Bonham Pre-K to San Marcos High School graduate.
Occupation:
San Marcos-area Realtor
Candidate Website:
www.votegabriellemoore.com
Contact Information:
[email protected]
What would be your top priorities if you are elected?
Raising average daily attendance and teacher and staff retention through district support and competitive salaries.
What best ways do you see the district handling growth?
The district has lost attendance by 10% over the pandemic. My priority is educating our current students and ensuring that others feel confident to return to school.
Brian Shanks
Experience:
13-year military veteran; 19 years in higher education; 30 years leadership experience; current Boy Scout leader and martial arts instructor; past youth soccer, T-ball, softball and flag football coach
Occupation:
director of Learning Spaces at Texas State University
Candidate Website:
www.briankshanks.com
Contact Information:
[email protected], www.facebook.com/brian.shanks.1004
What would be your top priorities if you are elected?
The school district’s No. 1 mission is providing a quality education to our community’s children. Right now, our schools are rated lower than surrounding districts, and I want to address this issue by refocusing on academics at all grade levels, quality teacher retention and graduation improvement rate. Improvement in these areas will positively affect our San Marcos community by providing a desirable place for businesses and families to invest in.
What best ways do you see the district handling growth?
School board members and district leadership in conjunction with city, county, and state officials need to accurately forecast growth and prepare for that growth in advance. We need to use the predicted growth rate numbers to strategically plan for the next five and 10 years. Doing so would help the district plan for new school builds, transportation needs, teacher recruitment and staff hiring.
