Jeff Snowden files for Frisco ISD Place 4. Jeff Snowden has filed for the Frisco ISD Place 4 seat.[/caption]

Jeff Snowden, an economic consultant, has filed for the Place 4 seat on the Frisco ISD school board for the May 6 general election.

Anne McCausland, who is running for another term, currently holds the Place 4 seat and is board president. McCausland has held the position as board member since 2011.

As a consulting economist, Snowden said his main clients are municipalities, and he helps conduct research, collect and analyze data.

Snowden was part of the stakeholder committee for FISD during its budget workshops to make recommendations for the 2017-18 budget. Within that committee he was part of the group that examined the district's finances.

“I think I can provide the board with an expertise and work with staff [on the budget] while explaining [the process] to all staff and the voters,” Snowden said. “I want to be an advocate for both the taxpayer and the school district.

Snowden has served on various boards throughout Frisco and Denton County for the past 12 years. For six years he served on the Denton County Transportation Authority board and served as chairman of the finance committee for the construction of the A-train, a 21-mile commuter rail line in Denton.

Snowden was also appointed by the Frisco City Council to serve on the Frisco Economic Development Corp. board. He served on the board for six years and was chairman for three years. Snowden’s term on the board ended in 2015.

If elected, Snowden said his primary focus will be on the financial restructuring of FISD and working to increase levels of student engagement throughout the district.

“My overall focus will be on lowering our operating costs through some smart [procedures] that the district is already doing,” Snowden said.

Snowden said FISD already has all the resources to be the best school district in North Texas.

“We want to be the benchmark for excellence in North Texas for public education,” he said. “I think that’s a reputation we’ve already started on, and we just have to build upon that.”

Asanga Jayatilaka has also filed to run for Place 4.