Candidates were asked to keep responses under 75 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
Angie Hanan*
Experience:
28 months as FBISD trustee, Position 1 (as of March 2023); active school and community volunteer; mom of a high school junior who has attended FBISD since kindergarten; master of education in curriculum and instruction; career-educator; Texas certifications for principal, elementary English and self-contained for grades 1-8, reading specialist, legacy master reading teacher, gifted and talented, and English as a second language
Occupation:
Educational consultant
Contact Information:
281-460-0330
What can residents expect from you, if elected?
Building public trust through seeking and utilizing stakeholder input for improvement planning is of utmost importance. I will continue to be accessible and responsive to students, parents, staff and community members. If stakeholders feel the district is not responsive—reach out to me. If re-elected, I will continue to emphasize the critical role stakeholder input plays in the success of FBISD. I will continue to ask tough questions and to hear your voices.
What are your top priorities?
1. FBISD must provide challenging and relevant educational experiences for every child, regardless if they are struggling, striving or above grade level. 2. As the largest employer in the county, FBISD must aim to attract and retain highly-qualified staff to support educational outcomes. 3. FBISD must ensure students and staff enter our campuses feeling physically and emotionally safe, including feeling valued and heard and having a sense of belonging to their learning or work community.
The school district is currently facing a $24 million budget shortfall. What steps would you take to ensure the district is able to meet the educational needs of its students and offers a competitive salary for its teachers and administrative staff?
Step 1: Texas must increase funding to traditional public schools. I have contacted legislators to increase funding. I urge you to do the same. Step 2: Providing board oversight for program evaluation and transparent budget forecasting is paramount for district financial health and vitality. Step 3: 11,000 employees make educating 80,000 students possible. Finding funds for pay increases will be challenging; however, I support salary structures that keep up with rising inflation and that recognize longevity.
Oscar Saenz
Experience:
For 23 years, I’ve helped Texas ISDs adjust policies, set up operations, and manage $2.6 billion in bond programs; set up teams and systems that ensured proper management of over 300 contracts and 400 school facilities; ensured the community was informed by acting as the day-to-day interface with the school district, Oversight Committee, board of trustees and community. As a member of the Texas State Guard, we collaborated with school districts to set up emergency shelters for the community.
Occupation:
Principal for engineering firm
Candidate Website:
https://www.oscar4fbisd.com
Contact Information:
832-377-6565
What can residents expect from you, if elected?
I’m running for BOT to restore trust. I will communicate openly and honestly with our parents, teachers, businesses, and the community at large. I will also make decisions with logic, compassion, and perspective.
What are your top priorities?
1) District’s rating - I will work to improve our District’s overall “B” rating. 2) District’s budget - I will move to improve our financial health by adjusting policy to include key performance indicators that can be tracked and will tell board members when we are headed toward financial crisis. 3) Efficient operations - I will lead the conversations for efficient ways to manage the bond program to maximize the funds that go towards buildings, renovations, and maintenance.
The school district is currently facing a $24 million budget shortfall. What steps would you take to ensure the district is able to meet the educational needs of its students and offers a competitive salary for its teachers and administrative staff?
For 23 years, I’ve helped Texas ISDs adjust policies, set up, and manage operations with the focus on maintaining budgets. My team and I accomplished it by developing and planning an explicit list of priorities, monitoring progress through detailed key performance indicators, and establishing a predetermined communication schedule to let the community understand the progress.
