TF: I'm certain that I'm not a typical candidate for the school board. However, I think I'll be helpful in building a successful district that creates a strong academic start for our children.

TF: I believe in creating student opportunities in science and energy. In the Austin area, the engineering community is growing dramatically. My goal is to assist in the development of complementary and appealing education programs in Dripping Springs.

TF: The pandemic has been exceedingly difficult on school systems. Dripping Springs has maintained comparatively low numbers and seem successful with complex contact tracing. It is imperative to not reduce our diligence in the next months.

TF: In these days of distance and online learning, I hope to have the opportunity to offer innovative ideas to give our school system first-rate capabilities. Additionally, I look forward to planning effective boundaries reflecting rapid population changes.

LH:​Since day 1 at DSE our experience has been nothing short of welcoming and supportive. My questions always receive a prompt, direct, informative response. I assumed this would be synonymous with the board. Instead, I’m met with generic

answers and streamed one-way meetings.

LH: Restore a trusted connection between the school board; the community it serves; and administration, teachers and employees through increased access and transparent communication. Initiate results-driven conversations focused on problem-solving action items and definitive timelines. Advocate for public-facing, measurable goals and accountability metrics to increase transparency and collaboration.

LH: Their job was unenviable and hard, but it was the vague/intermittent and last-minute communication that initially eroded our confidence. There’s a lack of urgency, transparency and confidence to have public-facing discussions. I don’t expect to agree with everything, but I do expect to be part of the conversation.

LH: Own the brutal facts. Decisions of the past have put large segments of our district families in no-win situations, and our administrators are losing critical strategic planning time. This redraw is just the beginning. The board must immediately engage the community to find real and fiscally sound solutions.

MJH: Serving as a trustee is time consuming, but also rewarding to be part of a team of eight responsible for making the district the best it can be for every student, teacher and staff member. I would be honored to utilize my experience and passion for the future of education.

MJH: If re-elected, I would help a new superintendent lead us to continue reordering our education system, allowing personal learning of college-bound and industry-bound students. I want to continue our work for alternative assessments to STAAR that captures a holistic picture of a student, including mental well-being.

MJH: Leadership is making choices among competing positions. We have done this. Many people did not want schools open. Many people wanted no masks. We have charted a course allowing students to learn, parents to choose, extracurriculars to happen, all without having to close for infection spread.

MJH: We have developed a comprehensive process including outside demographers, a long-range planning committee of community leaders and modeling to constantly reassess the district’s needs. As people continue to come here for these excellent schools, everyone should understand the constant need to reassess where lines are drawn.

SH: I believe educating our children should be top priority and not overshadowed by social issues. Our community needs a school board that is financially responsible. Taxpayers of our school district should not have such a large burden placed on them because of elaborate spending. I believe a school board should be transparent as it is very important that decisions made for the district should be communicated to the community.

SH: Equal education for all students and educating the children of our district is top priority. Reduce spending on school and administrative facilities and lowering taxpayers' burden. Involve parents of the students in decisions made for the school district by seeking the parents' input on those decisions that directly impact the students education.

SH: The district did not respond quickly enough to the pandemic. Students should have been allowed to go to in-class learning much sooner than allowed, with teachers teaching those students in the classrooms. I believe it is important for students to have the interaction with the teacher and classmates.

SH: While there is rapid growth in the district, the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in parents deciding to withdraw children from the school system to enroll in other educational institutions or have decided to home school. Because of the uncertainties that the pandemic has caused, all new construction should be put on hold until it is determined what, if any, new construction is needed. Redrawing elementary school boundaries should also be put on hold. An assessment needs to be made of the impact the pandemic will have on future attendance and district needs.

KK: I was approached by friends to address the limited financial transparency issue at DSISD because of my extensive school finance experience.

KK: I would address the district’s debt practices to save taxpayers money and free interest payments for student use.

KK: The students’ and campus staffs’ welfare is the primary concern, and district personnel are trying. In order to address the learning challenges, I would ask that the parents and district staff work together to tailor the curriculum delivery in a matter that meets the students’ learning requirements. It takes team effort to make the system work.

KK: Rapid-growth districts have to look at projections and try to estimate facility needs. This is best done with open communication with neighborhoods, developers, Realtors and district personnel. Community agreement is paramount to making campus boundaries work. Dripping Springs ISD is part of the Dripping Springs community, and boundaries should be a team effort.

SO: I am seeking re-election to provide stability and leadership while navigating emerging from the pandemic, hiring a new superintendent and developing a new strategic plan. I want to ensure the district continues to strive to meet the needs of students, focus on students' social/emotional needs and practices fiscal responsibility.

SO: My goals are to hire a new superintendent; participate in his/her successful onboarding; collaborate on the new strategic plan; continue to identify and support the efforts of administration to close the gaps for our students, especially our most vulnerable populations; and strive to improve district communications as well as continue to navigate the challenges of a fast-growth district.

SO: I believe the district has successfully navigated the pandemic with little support from our state’s leaders. The lack of a large outbreak speaks to the success of the district’s protocols and the effort of district staff. DSISD did have a return to in-person learning while many other districts did not.

SO: I would continue to keep informed and rely on the growth data with an eye to the future impact to our students and staff while contemplating solutions. I would weigh the recommendations by administration and seek staff and community input. These decisions are difficult and require input by all stakeholders.

Why have you decided to run for school board?

TQ: I’m a mom who’s worried about the direction of my district. And I want to help it succeed.

If elected, I'll help DSISD better manage its finances, lower the tax rate and improve student outcomes. We'll also do a better job of selecting a quality superintendent for the long haul.

TQ: Three immediate goals: 1) Change board policy to facilitate a more open dialogue between the public and those they elect. 2) Adopt the no-new-revenue tax rate. 3) Focus any future bond proposal on needs, not wants. One long-term goal: 1) Improve student achievement in the classroom.

TQ: The district handled some aspects well, but was lackluster in others. For example, the board did a poor job communicating early on about when schools would open and how they'd work. Families like mine need our local leaders to do a better job providing parents with clearer, more timely direction.

TQ: The bond advisory committee’s mission should be expanded to monitor the progress of the 2018 bond and also team up with district staff to make recommendations to the board on all future bond projects. Smarter, more strategic planning will mitigate things like redrawing elementary school boundaries.

SR: I'm running for DSISD school board to uphold educational excellence amidst unprecedented times, to prioritize health and safety within the schools (including emotional and developmental health) through the transition to a post-COVID[-19] environment while limiting unnecessary rules and restrictions, and to ensure fiscal accountability in a rapidly expanding school district.

SR: I'm proud of our district's commitment to prioritize on-campus, in-person learning. If I was on the board, I would have surveyed students and staff for feedback consistently, provided metrics for monitoring efficacy of safety protocols, worked toward loosening unnecessary restrictions, and communicated clearly to concerned parents and citizens.

SR: Exponential growth in a community requires strong leadership to articulate a vision for the district’s future and inclusion of all voices—parents, students, teachers, staff and community members—to ensure excellence in education and commitment to community values. All decisions should ultimately be in favor of helping children thrive.