Updated 10:00 p.m.
According to unofficial results, all three incumbents up for election on the Cy-Fair ISD school board were re-elected. With all 98 precincts within CFISD reporting, Don Ryan garnered 85.5 percent of the vote, or 17,252 votes, to defeat challenger Shaik Ahmed and hold onto Position 6.
"I really am just thrilled to be able to contnue to serve the community and volunteer as a board member, and I really like the fact that I'm going to be able to serve with [trustees] Bob Covey and John Ogletree," Ryan said. "We have a really great board right now and I think we're going to be able to do a lot of great things moving forward."
John Ogletree Jr. and Bob Covey—who both ran unopposed—will return to Positions 5 and 7 on the school board.
Ryan said he believes his experience on the board, particularly when it comes to addressing growth and the challenges of balancing a budget, will serve him well as the district continues to grow.
"For the 13 years I've served on the board, we have been the fastest growing school district in the state," he said. "We're prepared for the challenges. It's a matter of putting our plan in action and moving forward. I think we're going to do great things."
Ogletree and Covey both expressed gratitude at an Oct. 15 candidate forum for being able to continue to work in the district.
"I will always and constantly support the teachers, staff and administrators who work in this district because they have, years ago, started a reputation to make it excellent," Covey said. "There have been changes and challenges, but it continues to go that way. I believe that being part of this is giving back to the community that gave me so much."
Ogletree said the district has achieved many great things, but said there is much more left to accomplish and he looks forward to being a part of it.
"One of the reasons I love what I do is because—from the superintendent, to every principal, every counselor, every teacher that I've met—they believe that every student can achieve and deserves a quality education," he said. "As long as I can walk into a school and sense that atmosphere and sense that drive in the teachers, I want to be a part of it. I believe we can achieve even more than we have already achieved."
A total of 23,891 voters participated in the CFISD election, which is 9.3 percent of the 257,028 people registered to vote in the district.
Posted 7:30 p.m.
With early voting results tallied, Don Ryan holds a significant lead over Shaik Ahmed in the race for Position 6 on the CFISD school board with 85.71 percent of the vote. A total of 8,603 people participated in early and absentee voting for this race.
Voting for the school board election was open to all registered voters in the CFISD school district. Trustees serve staggered three-year terms. Position 1 and Position 2, held by Tom Jackson and Christine Hartley, are up for election in 2014.
All results are unofficial until canvassed.