Updated 10:02 CST
Jason Burdine has won the election for the FBISD Board of Trustees Position 1 with 39.5 percent of the vote.
Kristin Tassin defeated incumbent Bruce Albright for the Position 4 at-large seat, winning 41.8 percent of the vote.
Position 5 incumbent Dr. Patsy Taylor was also unseated. K.P. George won that position with 36.6 percent of the vote.
"I thank God first. And I thank my friends and family, Without their help, I couldn't have done this. It is a collective effort and I'm very thankful for a lot of people working hard for this," George said. "It isn't my win. The people who worked me, it is their win."
Posted 8:23 CST
Unofficial early results show Jason Burdine is in the lead for the Fort Bend County ISD Board of Trustees Position 1 with 39.6 percent of the votes with 0 of 97 precincts reporting. Kristin Tassin currently has the majority in Position 4, garnering 40.5 percent of the votes, while K.P. is ahead for Position 5 with 37.8 percent of votes.
FBISD board members are elected for three-year terms.
Financial responsibility and openness have been major points on the campaign. Candidates have expressed their desire to keep taxes low, while they would also like the board to be transparent with how tax dollars are spent. They have also stressed the need for the board to hold town hall meetings to seek the input of Fort Bend residents.
Preparing students for higher education through collegiate partnerships and a strong college-readiness curriculum a part of several candidates' platforms. Candidates also saw a need for strong vocational and technical programs for students who will enter the workforce immediately after graduation.
Position 1
Burdine leads the race with 3,174 votes, followed by Imam with 2,287 votes, Cherivirala with 1,922 and Udoagwu with 630.
Position 1, which represents the west side of the district, is the only seat up for election this year without an incumbent running. Dr. Ramesh Cherivarala, Q. Imam and Chijioke Johnson "CJ" Udoagwu of Sugar Land and Jason Burdine, of Richmond are vying to replace Susan Hohnbaum, who has held the position since 2008.
Burdine, who works in the financial industry, has a bachelor's degree in education. He currently works with FBISD as a member of the steering committee. In the past, Burdine has mentored at-risk children through the H.O.S.T.S program.
Cherivirala, a partner at New York Life Insurance Company, has served as a PTO officer and helped start booster clubs at various Fort Bend Schools. He is a member of Texas Representative Rick Miller's public education advisory team and the FBISD steering committee.
Imam works as a Project Manager at IBM and is a member of the Fort Bend and Missouri City chambers of commerce. He has worked with FBISD as a member of the steering committee and campus-based leadership teams at two different Fort Bend County schools.
Udoagwu has been a teacher for 10 years and is a certified school administrator. He is secretary of Nzuko Aro Houston Organization, an organization that performs humanitarian work in Nigeria.
Position 4
Tassin currently holds the lead with 3,111 votes, while Albright has received 2,452 votes, followed by Harrington with 1,661 votes and Carreon with 456 votes.
Bruce Albright of Sugar Land has held the Position 4 at-large seat and served as board secretary for one term. His challengers are Rodrigo Carreon of Fresno, and Deron R. Harrington and Kristin Tassin of Missouri City.
During Albright's tenure on the board, he was involved with efforts to raise teacher salaries, give students and teachers more school holidays and cut class sizes.
Carreon, a self-employed electrician, has lived in FBISD for more than 40 years. He has worked with Fort Bend County schools through the Volunteers on Public Schools program.
Deron R. Harrington, who has lived in Missouri City for 14 years works as an attorney and CPA. His wife teaches kindergarten in FBISD. Harrington is a veteran who volunteers with a variety of local faith-based organizations.
Tassin is also an attorney, specializing in intellectual property, business and contract law at Dry and Tassin. She is a co-founder and Director of Father's Joy, which works with children with disabilities. Tassin's involvement with the district includes serving as a member of the FBISD Parent Advisory Council.
Position 5
George leads with 2,825 votes, ahead of incumbent Taylor, who has 2,742 votes. Allfrey has received 1,894 votes.
Board candidates for Position 5, which represents the eastern portion of Fort Bend County, include incumbent Dr. Patsy Taylor and challengers Kris Allfrey and KP George.
Taylor was elected to the Board of Trustees in 2011. She holds a PdD in education leadership and was appointed to the National School Board of Education Council of Urban Board of Education in Washington, D.C.
Allfrey, a business owner and Missouri City resident, has lived in FBISD for 8 years. He is a member of Veterans of Foreign Wars, the Missouri City Chamber of Commerce and the American Legion.
George, a self-employed financial planner, is the current president of the Hightower High School Academies' Booster Club, which he helped found. His wife works as a teacher in FBISD.
All results are unofficial until canvassed.
