Austin ISD board of trustees member Tamala Barksdale said Aug. 11 she does not plan to seek reelection in November.

Barksdale, who has served on the board in At-large Place 9 since 2010, said she has decided to spend more time with her family. She plans to place her support behind Dr. Kazique Prince in his bid for her current spot on the board.

"He is a resident of East Austin," she said. "His kids have gone to Austin schools since they were babies and he is a very involved PTA dad. He did a lot of reconciliation work for the PTA at Kealing [Middle School], bringing together the magnet and the comprehensive program, and his professional training is in inclusion [and] communication. ... He's a great fit for the board."

Barksdale's term is one of the five that will end in November. She said she is confident about the future of the board, including the four trustees who will remain on the board.

"I trust the voters of Austin," she said. "I think the people that are going to be elected in the fall are going to be the right people for the right time for this district. Austin voters are very savvy; they pay very close attention, especially to school board issues, and I think that the next slate of people that come in are going to be right for the board."