The positions held by Mary Jane Hetrick, Shannon O'Connor and Stefani Reinold are up for re-election. John Adams, Shanda DeLeon and Terri Purdy have filed to run, and Hetrick and Reinold will run for re-election. O’Connor will not be rerunning for her seat. A previous application by Tarek Haidar was withdrawn.
Terms for DSISD board trustees are three years in length. The three candidates with the most votes will win. Early voting begins April 22 and ends April 30. May 4 is election day.
Candidates running for the DSISD board were asked to keep responses within 50 words, answer the questions provided and avoid attacking opponents. Answers may have been edited or cut to adhere to those guidelines, or for style and clarity.
* indicates incumbent
Stefani Reinold*
Experience:
Current board president, former board secretary, elected to the board of trustees 2021
Occupation:
Physician
Candidate Website:
https://www.reelectreinold.com
How has your experience prepared you to be a Dripping Springs ISD trustee?
As the current board president and trustee for the past 3 years, I’ve witnessed immense changes in our district. From leadership and staff turnover to demographics and growth challenges, I’ve been an integral part of strategic expansion, vision planning, and implementation of district goals.
Why are you running for the Dripping Springs ISD school board?
DSISD has faced significant changes recently and consistency in leadership will guide our district through the challenges facing our district in the coming years. My proven leadership, grounded in the desire to do what is best for kids, is needed to help our district thrive and uphold excellence in education.
What is the biggest issue facing Dripping Springs ISD, and how do you plan to address it, if elected?
Managing growth needs, amidst financial constraints and staffing challenges, is a critical issue. Through engaging active community input, encouraging creative thinking from our administration, enacting streamlined policies and procedures, all while emphasizing small town values, we will continue to thrive through the growth.
If elected, what goals would you aim to achieve as trustee?
I’d continue to retain wonderful leadership within our district, work to improve staffing shortages and teacher turnover, continue to share transparency in budget and bond expenditures, encourage parent’s choice and autonomy within curriculum, electives and programming, and advocate for limited cell phone use and better management of technology on campuses.
What else do you want voters to know about you?
I’m a military wife and mom of four young children—two are school-aged and two are yet to enter our schools. My biggest motivation for service is to continue the excellent caliber of education for not only today’s graduates, but for all future graduates of DSISD schools.
Terri Purdy
Experience:
President, Cypress Springs PTA; chair, Friends of DSISD; Long-Range Facility Planning & HS No. 2 Design Committees
Occupation:
Program management consultant
Candidate Website:
https://www.votepurdy.com
Contact Information:
[email protected]
How has your experience prepared you to be a Dripping Springs ISD trustee?
I have poured thousands of hours into DSISD, volunteering in our schools and engaging with the administration and school board. I have also built bridges and genuinely connected with diverse stakeholders throughout the district. I believe those bridges and connections are vital to shaping the future of DSISD.
Why are you running for the Dripping Springs ISD school board?
I am committed to applying my experience, skills, and time to help DSISD meet head-on the challenges of fast growth. We must continue building new schools, passing bonds, and attracting and retaining great teachers, in order to provide all students with the high quality public education they deserve.
What is the biggest issue facing Dripping Springs ISD, and how do you plan to address it, if elected?
DSISD and most other districts are in financial crisis due to the state’s failure to increase school funding since 2019. Trustees must support district leaders in identifying ways to reduce expenditures and increase non-tax revenues, while maintaining excellence in education; and advocate for lawmakers to increase the student basic allotment.
If elected, what goals would you aim to achieve as trustee?
My goal is for DSISD to continue excelling in academics, fine arts, athletics, extracurriculars; and for the community to be informed and actively engaged. For trustees, success relies on genuine and respectful collaboration within the board, and with all DSISD stakeholders—students, teachers, parents, taxpayers, local government, businesses, nonprofits.
What else do you want voters to know about you?
I am all in for DSISD! Whether it’s volunteering in our classrooms, attending every school board meeting, or visiting lawmakers at the Capitol, I will always show up, speak up and step up for our children and schools.
Mary Jane Hetrick*
Experience:
Nonprofit consultant
Occupation:
DSISD trustee 9 years/officer for 6 years; TASB board officer
Candidate Website:
https://www.facebook.com/mjhetrick4dsisd
How has your experience prepared you to be a Dripping Springs ISD trustee?
Three terms on the board have given me experience with tough budget decisions, strategic planning, crisis management, navigating fast growth, attendance rezoning, and building schools through bonds with zero state funds for construction. My statewide school board leadership provides a network of colleagues to contact for lessons learned.
Why are you running for the Dripping Springs ISD school board?
Preparing our community’s kids for a future we cannot predict, while nurturing the whole child mentally, physically and emotionally, is my “why” of running. I believe my experience will be critical for what we’ll face in the next term as board colleagues have served an average of 1.8 years.
What is the biggest issue facing Dripping Springs ISD, and how do you plan to address it, if elected?
Our biggest issue continues to be fast growth in a highly taxed, “Robin Hood” district, with no inflation adjustment since 2019. I want to further partner with our community to problem solve the state’s recapture of our taxes and receiving zero dollars to build schools, as we welcome all students.
If elected, what goals would you aim to achieve as trustee?
In the next term, my primary goals are to implement our new Strategic Plan with fidelity to stakeholder input and intent; fully employ formative MAP testing, especially as it relates to student ownership of their own progress; and shepherd DSISD to be a leader in navigating artificial intelligence.
What else do you want voters to know about you?
I hope voters know I have a servant’s heart. I have been asked to lead (past and present) several nonprofit organizations as an officer, including leading through exceptional growth and performance. I believe in the power of listening for understanding, and the synergistic impact and benefit of community connections.
Shanda DeLeon
Experience:
Former high school teacher; volunteer; serving in multiple volunteer leadership positions throughout DSISD
Occupation:
Owner/instructor at Dripping Springs ISR (self-rescue swim)
Candidate Website:
https://www.shandafordsisd.com
How has your experience prepared you to be a Dripping Springs ISD trustee?
I have experience and perspective from one of our most important assets—our teachers. For the past 4 years I have been actively involved in district leadership roles, including the DSMS Campus Advisory Council, Elementary No. 6 Design Committee and DSMS PTA vice president.
Why are you running for the Dripping Springs ISD school board?
DSISD has some upcoming challenges—building schools, retaining teachers, limited funding. I can offer a unique perspective with my background as a teacher. I believe that even with rapid growth, we can maintain the small-town feel of Dripping Springs that many of us moved here for.
What is the biggest issue facing Dripping Springs ISD, and how do you plan to address it, if elected?
Proactively navigating growth in the district while remaining good stewards of taxpayer dollars. We undoubtedly need more schools to alleviate our overflowing campuses. We need to listen and truly understand the desires of the community to have the support to build the facilities necessary to further the mission of DSISD.
If elected, what goals would you aim to achieve as trustee?
In addition to committing to responsible growth strategies, I will prioritize supporting teachers as they are the heart of our school system. Inadequate pay, lack of affordable housing, and an increasing lack of respect from students are pushing teachers out of the profession. My goal is to increase teacher satisfaction.
What else do you want voters to know about you?
Representation across the district is essential. We elect at-large instead of in "places", allowing for a concentration of trustees living and attending schools in one area (currently Highpointe, Reunion Ranch, and Belterra). If elected, I will be the only trustee with kids in schools on the west side of DSISD.
John Adams
Experience:
33 years software engineer, 6 years as DSISD trustee, 9 years DSHS teacher
Occupation:
Retired software engineer and teacher
Candidate Website:
https://www.johnadamsdsisd.org
Contact Information:
512-858-5632
How has your experience prepared you to be a Dripping Springs ISD trustee?
I am a parent of 3 DSISD graduates, I have served on several board committees, served 6 years as a trustee and 9 years as a teacher. I’ve served on the Education Foundation board for 12 years. I have over 15 years of management experience in the IT industry.
Why are you running for the Dripping Springs ISD school board?
The board has lost a lot of experience recently. My 6 years of board experience can improve that. My last 9 years as a teacher at DSHS brings a unique perspective among board members. I want current and future students to have the same opportunities my children received.
What is the biggest issue facing Dripping Springs ISD, and how do you plan to address it, if elected?
Growth. We must not fall behind the power curve on our capital projects. Students are coming and we must ensure proper facilities for them. I will advocate for that. The quickest way to destroy our community’s value is to let the schools fail.
If elected, what goals would you aim to achieve as trustee?
Ensure a viable facilities plan to address student enrollment growth. Work with the Texas Association of School Boards to lobby the state Legislature for public education funding reform. Address the increasing difficulty in attracting and retaining faculty.
What else do you want voters to know about you?
My wife Sharon and I have been here since 1995. Our children received a wonderful education and I want to see that continue for other children. My passion for education led me to serve on the board and to later become a teacher after my first retirement.
