Positions 3 and 7 will be on the ballot for consideration by voters as, in accordance with the Texas Elections Code, Fort Bend ISD calls board elections on the first Saturday in May of each year, according to the district website. Board trustees are elected to three-year terms on a rotating basis. Two are elected each year, one from each side of the district.
The incumbent for Position 3, Jim Rice, will be seeking re-election May 7. Rice serves as the board’s vice president. Meanwhile, the incumbent for Position 7, Dave Rosenthal, will not be seeking re-election. Rosenthal serves as the board president.
Community Impact Newspaper reached out to the five candidates running for positions 3 and 7. Below are their responses.
* Incumbent
Position 3
Jim Rice*
Relevant Experience: Project management
Top priority: "My top priority if elected is ... [to] work with the Team of 8 to ensure academic success for all our kids."
www.jimricefortbendisd.com
Q: What would be your way of addressing the district’s current budget shortfall?
JR: Work with the superintendent to ensure every stakeholder in Fort Bend ISD, parents, teachers, administrators, support staff and even students understand exactly what the scope of the problem is, how the current funding mechanisms operate and what options are available to the community to adequately fund education in Fort Bend ISD. As a longtime business owner, who has created jobs and met payroll for decades, combined with my 12-year service to Fort Bend ISD, I am confident that with enough community input we can ensure our children get a quality education.
Q: For kids who have experienced learning loss, how should the district go about closing those gaps?
JR: First, listen to our teachers. They are on the front line in the classroom and know better than anyone else what is required. Second, support and respect our teachers, and implement their suggestions and provide for them through salary and benefit adjustments as we can afford. Third, the school board must work proactively with the administration to implement programs needed. Lastly, we must model the behavior we wish to see in our students.
Q: The board of trustees is filled with members with a variety of backgrounds, experiences and opinions. How would you navigate those differences to get everyone on the same page and working toward a shared goal?
JR: I will bring my 12 years of school board experience to bear and join my fellow trustees as we work together with our superintendent to ensure academic success and achievement for all our kids. I will work collaboratively with my colleagues as we participate in the decision-making process of the Fort Bend ISD board of trustees. I have consistently done this throughout my years in office and am extremely proud of the broad-based support I have received from teachers, parents, administrators and community members throughout our school district.
Rick Garcia
Relevant Experience: IT project Manager and team Lead
Top priority: "My top priority if elected is ... 1. Invest in Teachers. 2. Mental Health & Wellness. 3. Innovation and fiscal responsibility through technology."
www.voterickgarcia.com
Q1: What would be your way of addressing the district’s current budget shortfall?
The quickest way to address the budget shortfall is to go through and evaluate all of our district programs and physical assets, and determine their ROI (return on investment). I would also support efforts to evaluate the software the district is using, such as instructional software, as well as all of the services we are using. Are we getting what we paid for? Are these services still being used? We also need to look at our building utilization to ensure we are being stewards of the taxpayer dollar.
Q2: For kids who have experienced learning loss, how should the district go about closing those gaps?
The district is going to have to create an evaluation instrument that can determine the level in which the students are performing. We need to continue using our benchmark assessments, such as the Ren360. Determine where our gaps are and focus on filling the holes. We need to also make sure teachers are equipped with the resources they need to be successful. I support the development and implementation of [the] Local Accountability System (LAS).
Q3: The board of trustees is filled with members with a variety of backgrounds, experiences and opinions. How would you navigate those differences to get everyone on the same page and working toward a shared goal?
As president of my neighborhood [homeowners association] and as a MUD (Municipal Utility District) director, I have a history of working with people from different backgrounds and with different opinions. I have a proven track record of working together with others. Gaining the respect of others requires listening and allowing everyone to be heard. If you create an environment where there is trust and no judgment, then you can navigate any situation.
Position 7
David Hamilton
Relevant Experience: Commercial insurance agent
Top priority: "My top priority if elected is ... helping the district recover from the education fallout from our COVID[-19] policy decisions."
[email protected]
Q1: What would be your way of addressing the district’s current budget shortfall?
The budget shortfall will be a significant challenge. One of my priorities will be shifting more of our spending into the classroom in terms of our overall budget, so as we handle the budget shortfall I will oppose cuts that directly impact the classroom. I will work to find ways to cut spending at the district level and with consultants first, and in this situation every penny spent by the district has to be justified.
Q2: For kids who have experienced learning loss, how should the district go about closing those gaps?
The first step has to be getting more parents engaged. Students with engaged parents were not hit as hard, and the most success as we recover will be found by getting parents engaged. My second priority will be finding ways to give each student answers to “why?” questions about education. I heard someone recently say, “If you learn more you earn more,” and I think helping more students identify a plan that will lead to a rewarding career will give them a “why” that will help motivate them and keep them on track.
Q3: The board of trustees is filled with members with a variety of backgrounds, experiences and opinions. How would you navigate those differences to get everyone on the same page and working toward a shared goal?
The best way to bring everyone together is to stay focused on our common goals. We mostly agree on defining the problems and we mostly agree on the goals. Most of our differences are found in what we believe is the best path to get “from point A (where we are now) to point B (our goals).” If we keep the goals in mind, then I am confident we can get past our differences and unite around doing what is best for all Fort Bend ISD students.
Shell McClue
Relevant experience: Commercial insurance agent
Top priority: Candidate did not respond.
Q1: What would be your way of addressing the district’s current budget shortfall?
Candidate did not respond.
Q2: For kids who have experienced learning loss, how should the district go about closing those gaps?
Candidate did not respond.
Q3: The board of trustees is filled with members with a variety of backgrounds, experiences and opinions. How would you navigate those differences to get everyone on the same page and working toward a shared goal?
Candidate did not respond.
Orjanel Kianna Lewis
Relevant experience: Attorney/policy advisor, adjunct professor
Top priority: "My top priority if elected is ... bridging the education gap, supporting teachers and staff, and ensuring safety/security for all."
www.orjanel4fortbend.com
Q1: What would be your way of addressing the district’s current budget shortfall?
First, let’s perform an expenditure review to discover cuts that don’t decrease our capacity. For example, salary is our largest line item, so we must determine if there are positions that have been open the entire school year that haven’t been filled. If we’ve operated for that long without that position, release that salary budget hold to reduce our deficit. Second, bring back the 7,000-plus students who live within FBISD but attend school elsewhere. The state funding those students will bring to the district will bridge our budget shortfall tremendously.
Q2: For kids who have experienced learning loss, how should the district go about closing those gaps?
The first year back in regular classes should be a rebuilding year. Instead of forcing our teachers to “teach to the test,” our teaching focus should be on bridging the education gap with genuine learning. FBISD is taking great strides in requiring summer school for at-risk students, but there’s always more we can do. After-school enrichment and tutoring will be critical. In the near future, it’s vital that FBISD hires more teachers to ensure we have smaller class sizes. This will lead to far greater success for our students.
Q3: The board of trustees is filled with members with a variety of backgrounds, experiences and opinions. How would you navigate those differences to get everyone on the same page and working toward a shared goal?
The same way I’m running my campaign ... by listening, first and foremost. I’m reaching out to communities in every feeder pattern to solicit input on the kind of trustee they need for their students. Once elected, my approach will be similar. Listen first, ask questions, and only then suggest ways forward. I’m fortunate to work with a broad array of diverse people in my professional career, and building relationships and consensus with them is a huge part of my job. This experience is what I’ll bring to the board of trustees.
