Nine-year Frisco ISD resident and parent René Archambault announced she is running for the Place 7 trustee position in the May 5 general election. The seat is currently held by John Hoxie, who was first elected to the school board in 2009. Filing for a position on the FISD board of trustees began Jan. 17. Places 6 and 7 are up for election. The last day to file for a spot on the ballot is Feb. 16. Community Impact Newspaper asked Archambault a series of questions. Her responses, edited for publication style, are below.

1. Why did you decide to run for school board?

We made Frisco, Texas our home for one reason: the schools. It feels like a natural next step, after being actively engaged in the district for over seven years to offer my experiences and skill set back to the district that has given my family so much. This is an exciting time for Frisco ISD and for active participation in the education and life preparation of our community of students. Frisco ISD is a district of excellence, and as we continue to grow both in enrollment and in number of schools (four new campuses open this fall), it is important to maintain the vision and mission of our destination district while growing student opportunity, teacher investment and community engagement. Our current trustees have a wide-ranging collection of experiences and professional backgrounds that serve our students and teachers well. As we prepare our over 58,000 students for college, career and to be globally competitive, I would like to bring my 14 years of experience in higher education to Frisco ISD and into this team moving forward. My desire is to help craft the next generation of strategic choices and student opportunities through the lens of college and career readiness.

2. What experience have you gained that you think prepares you for this position?

During my 14 years in higher education, I have worked to fiercely advocate and help prepare thousands of students as they pursue their educational and professional goals. That experience, coupled with my capabilities in building collaborative partnerships with other educational institutions will provide a direct benefit to the over 58,000 students in Frisco ISD as we move into the next phase of strategic and long-range planning. Over the last decade, I’ve worked to strengthen the reach of STEM (science, technology, education and mathematics) education and curricular offerings to middle school, high school, undergraduate and graduate students through innovative programming and mentoring. STEM occupations are growing at a rate of 17 percent, far exceeding all other occupations. For our district and community to stay competitive, our students need to have increased access to this area of learning. I hope to take the best practices and knowledge that I’ve gained and work to expand this area of our district, both in and out of the classroom. Throughout the last several years, I’ve been fortunate to serve on the steering and advisory committees for Richland College (a campus of Dallas County Community College District), and Emmitt J. Conrad High School’s Collegiate Academy (DISD), a unique program offering underrepresented first-generation college students the ability to graduate high school with an associate’s degree at no cost. I would like to bring my knowledge and experience with this innovative model of education into FISD and work with local institutions of higher education on expanded partnerships for our students.

3. If elected, what would be your top priorities?

• Increase teacher investment
• Expand opportunities for citizen engagement and building upon the already stellar collaborative efforts between our school district and the city of Frisco, businesses and local partners
• Broaden STEM-based opportunities for our students across all grade levels (both in and out of the classroom), further building on the success of expanded academic opportunities such as the International Baccalaureate (IB) program
• Continue to provide excellence in education as we grow in student enrollment and number of campuses and adhere to the mission of knowing every student by name and need

4. What else do you want voters to know about you and your background?

A fifth-generation North Texan, I have worked in higher education at Southern Methodist University for 14 years as a graduate admissions and marketing officer. I received my undergraduate degree in Business Administration from Texas Christian University, and a master’s degree in Education with a specialization in Education Policy and Leadership from Southern Methodist University. I am very active in the Frisco community, serving on the Frisco ISD Long Range Planning Committee, Frisco Education Foundation Advisory Board and Frisco FastPacs board of directors. I am an active member of the Frisco Women’s League (serving on the Junior Frisco Women’s League committee, which serves 90 high school young ladies across the district in building servant leadership skills and community engagement), Griffin Middle School PTA, and I volunteer on the Griffin Middle School Band Booster. Additionally, I am a member of the second annual Frisco ISD Insight program. My husband, Randy, and I have been married for 16 years. We have an 11-year-old daughter who attends Griffin Middle School and is active in the band (playing clarinet), in Frisco Amateur Summer Swim Team and Frisco Youth Theater. Website: www.reneforfisd.com • Facebook: www.facebook.com/ReneForFISD