Incumbent Arati Singh wins Austin ISD District 9 at-large position, looks at top priorities

Austin residents elected incumbent Arati Singh as their choice for the Austin ISD District 9 at-large seat Nov. 8.

Singh showed a lead in the early election and remained the frontrunner in the race against Heather Toolin, an interior designer and AISD mom.

“The voters—by passing the bond and electing progressive, student-centered candidates—show that our students and public schools are worth investing in,” Singh said. “The election also shows me that AISD can become a world-class school district with audacious goals and the ability to meet them—and I couldn't be happier about that.”

District 9 is an at-large position, meaning the trustee represents the entire district, rather than just one geographic area. Singh received 67.68% or 126,834 votes, and Toolin received 32.32%, or 60,559 votes.

Singh is an educational evaluator and a former bilingual teacher and has 10 technology patents. She was first elected in 2018 to a four-year term serving as the Austin ISD District 9 at-large trustee. During her campaign, she said her re-election would allow her to focus on students’ emotional, physical and social safety; teacher pay; and education funding.

Her first few priorities in her second term include having a successful superintendent search, filling out vacancies with qualified teachers, strengthening special education programs and ensuring fiscal health, she said after winning the seat.