I enjoy hunting, fishing, or traveling when I have the time. Support our teachers and staff. Meet the Teacher, Orientation, & Open House, Lamar University Educational Leadership Program. Comal ISD Board of Trustees Calls May Bond Election The Comal ISD Board of Trustees approved a bond package that will accommodate continued enrollment growth as well as address items such as campus safety and security, student technology, and expansions and improvements at existing campuses during a meeting on Feb. 15. Incumbent Laurie Schley lost to former board member Jason York in the race for District 3. However, lifting the mask mandate that was set in place to protect students and staff less than 12 hours before the next school day and without consulting experts completely disregards all of those efforts. These two separate elections will consist of a Voter Approved Tax Ratification Election(VATRE), which will address teacher and staff compensationand new teaching positions,and a Bond Election, which will address continued District growth. Code 11.002. Conservative family values are my moral fiber and have guided me throughout my life. There is a trust that comes from our Constitution that the republic works, and that the People will elect in a fair election the only kind we have here in Texas the representative whose values best represents them. The San Antonio Independent School District board elections are among the most hotly contested, with the district's largest teachers union backing a slate of candidates to unseat three incumbents and replace a departing trustee on the seven-member board. After graduating with a degree in journalism from the University of Georgia Lauren was a freelance journalist and worked as a college English teacher in China. It is no secret that Comal ISD is growing at an unprecedented rate, and how well we handle additional student enrollment is crucial. 2005-2022 Community Impact Newspaper Co. All rights reserved. We have lived in Garden Ridge for over 10 years. Yes- as a mother of 3 I am very impressed with the current curriculum, Yes- I believe they feel supported by the district. . | I plan to have town hall meetings with anyone in the district who wishes to be heard. Proposition B, at $61,487,803, willfunda variety ofathletic programenhancementprojects at Canyon,Canyon Lake, Smithson Valley High and Mountain Valley Middle. Tex. Proposition D, at $34,540,000 will fund student and teacherinstructional technologyand network infrastructure projects. Hes returning to the board after resigning to join the Alamo Colleges Board in 2019. From my perspective Comal does not treat their school employees well. The Boards primary functions are goal setting, approving the budget and policymaking. Six candidates have filed for two Comal ISD trustee positions, five seek two city council spots, and six vie for three seats on the New Braunfels ISD board. Code 11.061; Tex. Don't Threaten. At CI, Lauren covers education, local government, transportation, business, real estate development and nonprofits in New Braunfels. Carey Watson Hildebrand will represent Place No. Low 52F. My goal is not to raise taxes. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. VisitVotetexas.govfor more information on how to register. We don't have the staff to meet currently enrolled needs, so this has to be addressed and continually assessed if we're ever going to have a hope of breaking out of the cycle of hiring contractors that take us over budget. I have started youth sport organizations and had to create and approve budgets from year to year. The Comal Board of Trustees approved a bond package worth $147.4 million at its February 2015 meeting, that was put to voters on the May 9, 2015, ballot. This is a challenge. And though COVID is thought of as being to blame, math scores for students across all grade levels K-12 have dropped from 50% in 2019 to 35% in 2021, and similarly in other disciplines. This would include being proactive in seeking out land to buy for future construction. Students, parents, and staffed should not have to worry about contracting the virus while going to school. Finally, high-quality teacher retention and recruitment is a significant challenge, and we must seek creative solutions to funding increases. Get an email notification whenever someone contributes to the discussion. 3:37 PM Feb 22, 2022 CST With the end of the month-long candidate-filing period for the May 7 elections last week, the slate of hopefuls for seats on area school boards and the New Braunfels City Council is set. We will continue to lose teachers, and we will start to see students leave this district. Standardized tests should not exist. The next election for Board members is scheduled for May 6, 2023. I feel compelled to serve on the Comal ISD Board of Trustees, first and foremost, because I have two young daughters and many friends with children in the district. Each and every child in our district should be prepared for a productive and fulfilling future. One big challenge I have mentioned previously is to manage the phenomenal growth that Comal County has been experiencing the last 5 years. Brittany Soto: District No. Comal ISD has a seven-member Board of Trustees. Incumbents Flo Bernal and James Sullivan, Jr. retained their seats. Texas A&M University System bans diversity statements from job applications, Movies romanticized the Alamo. Oak Creek and Freiheit Elementary Schools, and a new middle school to relieve Canyon Middle School. KTPD 89.3 FM in Del Rio's broadcast signal is currently down. please consider making your gift of support today. We need to look at how we plan out future growth by working with local leaders in New Braunfels, Garden Ridge, Canyon Lake and Smithson Valley to insure we meet this growth in a fiscally responsible manner. May 7 Election results: School, College Districts Northside ISD, North East ISD, ACCD, Alamo Heights ISD, Boerne ISD, Comal ISD, Harlandale ISD, Ingram ISD, Kerrville ISD,. Seats representing District 1 and 2 on the City Council are up for grabs, as incumbents Shane Hines and Justin Meadows did not file for reelection. I have experience in Engineering, Cost Accounting, Production Planning and Plant Operations Management. School board candidates must be registered voters, reside in the district they are filing for and must have resided within the school district for at least six months. NEW BRAUNFELS, Texas - Comal Independent School District Superintendent Andrew Kim will be leaving the district after 10 years. Meet the Teacher, Orientation, & Open House, Lamar University Educational Leadership Program. Lastly, Im a mother, a breast-feeding mother, a mother of four, a working-class mother. Proposition A, at $411, 287,320, will fund the construction offournew schools:Elementary #19, which will provide relief for Clear Spring and Freiheit Elementary Schools; Elementary #20, which will provide relief for Garden Ridge and Morningside Elementary;Middle School #8, which will relieve Pieper Ranch Middle School; anda new Hill Country College Preparatory High School. My wife, Tory, and I attend Northeast Bible Church and have two daughters who go to Garden Ridge Elementary School. Texas Public Radio. Comal Independent School District Board of Trustees Calls Two Elections to Address Enrollment Growth and Teacher Pay The Comal ISD Board of Trustees called for two elections to be held Nov. 2. Election day will be November 8, 2022. Neither filed for re-election. Lauren joined Community Impact Newspaper as a reporter in October 2019. Would you like to receive our daily news. I also earned a Master of Business Administration from the University of Houston and transitioned to VP of Operations for an oilfield service company in College Station. Thats a responsibility I take really seriously coming into the board.. For the past two years, theComal ISDBoard has beenworking witha group of community members representing all areas of the districttodevelop abondpackage that allows the district to continue to addressnearly6,000new students who are projected to enroll in Comal ISD over the next five years. That means we need to open the doors of our schools and invite our taxpayers to see the facilities and programs that could not be possible without their financial support. person will not be tolerated. | Have my opponents served as a vice principal? I want your vote as the trustee for our district because I am greatly concerned about the reasons why good teachers and staff are leaving our district, some after only three or four months in the classroom; why bus routes are being canceled; why teachers get yearly pay cuts because any increase they get is less than the rise of inflation, pay cuts, and the failing grades! I think the biggest challenges are the erosion of discipline in schools, current progressive ideology that is tainting the purpose of education, the philosophy and approach to student performance and learning in school, and STAAR test results. Being a teacher has always been my dream job, so Im thankful I am able to continue down this path. School board terms are four years long. that is degrading to another person. Brittany Soto: District No. There was a lot of concern over the health precautions that were going to be set in motion for the school year, but ultimately the first semester was a success. The base of this triangle is taxpayers who expect our schools to provide a good education for our students in an up to date learning environment who can be the leaders and workers of the future. To the registered voters of the Comal Independent School District, Texas: (A los votantes registrados del Distrito Escolar Independiente de Comal, Texas:) Notice is hereby given that the vote centers listed below will be open 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. on May 1, 2021, for voting in a general election in single-member districts 1 and 2 to elect Businesses and taxpayers are the end customers for our educational product we put out into the marketplace once students graduate. CTE Spotlight: Health Science Students Gain Experience, Earn Certifications View the 2022 School Board Candidates. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. Comal County Isd District Map - Comal County Isd District Map - Locating a map of your county's district may be difficult. Comal Independent School District elections 2015 bond package See also: What was at stake in the 2015 Comal Independent School District election? [1] 3:16 PM Apr 25, 2022 CDT, Learn more about the candidates for districts 6 and 7 for the Comal ISD board of trustees. In comparison, Northside School District which has approximately 110,000 students and Northeast ISD which has 60,000 students can easily fit within the boundaries of Comal ISD and have a much denser and diverse tax base to support this higher student number to include businesses. Also seeking to win one of the at-large trustee seats, which are currently held by Clark and David Heefner, is Matthew D. Sargent. My goal is to see our district continue being a pacesetter in statewide education. Elections will be held for Comal ISD District 1, 2, and 5. Revenue generated by the VATREcould fund compensation increasesofup tothree percent annually over the next three to four years. The seats of District 1 incumbent Stephen Smith, District 2 incumbent David Drastata and District 5 incumbent Amy Freund were up for election, in addition to a special election for the District 6 seat held by Marty Bartlett. Delivering entertainment and live music news straight to your inbox every Thursday morning. Political agendas and ideals have no place in the classroom. Proactively address district growth. After the filing period for the upcoming May election closed Feb. 18, a total of 12 candidates filed for two Comal ISD and three New Braunfels ISD trustee positions. Drastata and four other board candidates voted to remove the districts mask mandate in March without surveying parents or giving them time to make alternative plans. Former Judson trustee Jose Macias Jr. will once again represent Judsons District 4. The requirements for being a Trustee on the Board of Trustees for the District may be found at Board Policy BBA (Legal), which may be accessed by clicking this linkand inserting policy code BBA.. May 6, 2017. I am aware of the importance of replication of equipment in our school system to include school designs. TPR was founded by and is supported by our community. Greetings, Texans. Comal ISD, District 1 Tim Hennessee, Incumbent Brittany Soto Comal ISD, District 2 David Drastata, Incumbent File Photo | Camille Phillips | Texas Public Radio. This could be done by being more proactive in reducing construction costs via replication of construction designs. Six candidates have filed for two Comal ISD trustee positions, five seek two city council spots, and six vie for three seats on the New Braunfels ISD board. We've already got a shortfall of budget around special education. Top priorities for me are transparency in how board decisions are made. This is a state issue however. There was an error processing your request. City council hopefuls must have resided in their respective districts at least six months prior to filing, have resided in the city at least 12 months prior to the election date, and in no way be currently indebted to the city. Rafael Diaz, who was appointed to replace Macias, won the District 7 seat, which represents all of Judson. Jason Isbell 5. Lastly, it is no secret that there are divisive political agendas threatening to infiltrate our schools a place where these differences should be set aside. A- opening schools in August was beneficial to the kids AND offering virtual learning as an option. Every Monday evening you'll get caught up with the top stories from the last week. or anything. | These skills can be acquired by more investment in Career and Technical Training courses at existing high schools or consolidation into schools that specialize in particular career options. I do believe the pressure put on students and teachers to perform is not necessary. I will do everything in my power to support the school district in providing the best teachers, curriculum and facilities needed to prepare our students for what lies ahead. As a Trustee, I intend to allow parents to make decisions that are best for their children. 7. Details about the VATRE and Bond 2021 can be found on theDistrictswebsite. Increasing teacher pay to keep teachers in Comal ISD would be a step in the right direction. Beginning on April 19, there will be an election for two members of the Board of Trustees for New Braunfels Independent School District. Voters, in turn, approved the measure. The Comal ISD board of trustees had a busy night Monday, but after some public comments on the district's mask policy the meeting largely focused on the district's tax rate and bond elections. I stand up for what I believe in, and I am highly motivated to see our schools succeed. Harlandale ISD residents reelected both incumbents on the ballot in their first election since the Texas Education Agency put them under the oversight of a conservator. Every child is different and learns differently so grouping them under 1 umbrella doesn't really give a clear picture of academic success and failure. Student enrollment growth is also a significant challenge for the district, and is projected to increase by 1,200-1,500 students per year for the next four years. Occupation: I am currently retired, but I do some substitute teaching. Christopher Willis and Fabian Castillo Dealva are seeking the District 2 seat. Sorensen is the mother of a 5th grader enrolled at SAISDs Bonham Academy and vice-president of the Lavaca Neighborhood Association. While I acknowledge that each student has different learning style, I do not support charter schools. Our coverage includes school board member and candidate profiles, noteworthy election issues, district data, and more. My roots run deep in Comal County and I graduated from Comal ISD. Amanda Jones and Amber Bracegirdle are vying for the District 6 position, and David Krawczynski, Kaila Stovall,. Error! Click here to find out what district you are in. I want to serve on the board because being more involved in the community has not always been easy as a mom and a teacher, so this is my way to get more involved and to help students in a different way. Andres Campos-Delgado, an area manager, Jimmy Vallejo Delgado, a business consultant, and Suzanne Kasey Lynn, a COBRA specialist, have filed for the District 1 seat. Answers from candidates have not been edited or fact-checked. We need to fix these things. 3:37 PM Feb 22, 2022 CST, Three New Braunfels ISD positions and two Comal ISD positions will appear on the ballot May 7. Also . Trustee meetings drew packed board rooms this year following a series of controversial actions, motivating those who opposed their decisions to launch a get-out-the-vote campaign. Each has . . If elected, I intend to understand and communicate to constituents the districts efforts to close those gaps. Sorensen was part of aslate of candidates backed by the teachers union, student groups and progressive organizations running against board incumbents and former city councilwoman Leticia Ozuna. Masks are a simple and effective way to help provide that safety. Joel Torres III 6. These acquired skills give me a key understanding of educational requirements and issues, personnel and disciplinary issues, construction, capacity planning, maintenance and finances as well as the caring and compassion needed to understand and address any issues facing the Comal ISD School Board. Those board member positions are occupied by Marty Bartlett and Cody Mueller, respectively. Proposition C, at$20,397,672, will fundstadium capacityexpansion projects at both Canyon Lake and Davenport High Schools. What is your stance on the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) tests? High 82F. Comal ISD residents who need to register to vote or need to update their voter registration due to a recent change of address,maydo so untilOct. 4. accounts, the history behind an article. I have a B.S. The date and location of the next general election of Trustees for the District shall be in the Single-Member Districts as indicated in Board Policy BBB (Local), which may be accessed by clicking this link and inserting policy code BBB.. Comal ISD single-member districts 6 and 7 are up for election this year and are occupied by Marty Bartlett and Cody Mueller, respectively. Comal ISD is divided into single-member districts and has a seven-member Board of Trustees. Where are our new students coming from? He was one of two trustees to vote against removing the mask mandate. Voters in Bexar County's wealthiest school district overwhelmingly approved a tax rate election Tuesday night, but voters in three other Bexar County school districts rejected their districts' requests for bond funding. Use the 'Report' link on Elections will be held for Comal ISD District 1, 2, and 5. March 14, 2012 Candidates for the Comal ISD School Board including Stephen Smith (District 1), David Drastata (District 2) and Amy Freund (District 5) are all unopposed for the May 12. Sorensen said she wants parents and students to have more of a say in their schools, and to bring more transparency to the budgeting process. Hello, my name is Kaila Stovall. I would like to see teachers, teach and not have to focus on the standardized testing regulations. No board, no person, no institution is perfect. What would be your top priorities if you are elected? You have permission to edit this article. I feel as if this prevents students from having a good learning environment and reaching their full potential. Clay Page will be the new trustee representing Place No. Served on the districts Safety Committee? Updated During those three years of college, I cared for my four-year-old, married my husband, Ryan, and had two more children. Mask mandates are still being litigated in the Texas Court of Appeals by 19 Independent School Districts. degree in Management. Note: Names are listed in order of appearance on the ballot according to the city clerks' office. I am involved in and understand the community, and I have based my campaign on the collective opinions and objectives of family stakeholders in the district. More students came back to in person learning when they saw how effective the precautions were. Brittany Soto, 19, poses in front of Canyon High School in New Braunfels, where she graduated last May. At CI, Lauren covers education, local government, transportation, business, real estate development and nonprofits in New Braunfels. According to a letter sent to residents from Comal ISD. TheBoard called for aVATREto generate additional local revenue toprovide teachers and staff with additional compensationand to fund new teaching positions to meet student enrollment growth. Local school boards dont have much of a say in this. We need to be very proactive in locating where new housing developments are going up and how to serve the educational needs of our fast growing district. I have been involved in the acquisition and approval of major capital projects while working for major corporations such as M&M/MARS-Wrigley. But I believe transparency and accountability lead to trust throughout an organization, and no matter how an organization is currently run, there are always improvements that can be made in transparency and accountability. Board members should be willing to talk with their constituents and work with them to ensure every voice is heard and taken into account when making decisions. Currently I am an English Language Arts and Reading high school teacher working with 9th-12th grade students who are working towards earning English credits so they can stay on track to graduate with their peers. I also plan to live stream board meetings and allow community members to speak and listen in, so that their voices are part of the conversation. While I was recruited to play football for McKendree College in Illinois, a knee injury ended my football career. Delivering entertainment and live music news straight to your inbox every Thursday morning. All are for three-year terms. We have a daughter Carolyn who is a Pharmacist in Austin. The candidate filing period is August 2-16, 2022. For more information about the Comal County Elections, click here. After graduating with a degree in journalism from the University of Georgia Lauren was a freelance journalist and worked as a college English teacher in China. Mainly sunny. Student grades are not improving, and the loss of teachers is making it worse. Educ. The statistics show that masks work in helping slow the spread of Covid. What could it be doing better? Six candidates are vying for Comal ISD single-member districts 6 and 7 in this May's election. School Board District 6. Mainly sunny. Retired principal Corrine Saldaa narrowly won election with 33% of the vote. I want to participate in the process to fix it as your trustee. By. Signup today! 5. I am still learning about budgeting. School discipline at some schools are lax and district policy is not always enforced. Comal ISD, District 7: The trustee candidates speak. Our teachers work hard for our students, and, if I am elected, I plan to take a fiscally conservative approach to increase teacher compensation. Schools should keep students safe and secure while they learn. Folks, I dont like the gamesmanship with student testing. 5:11 PM Feb 2, 2021 CST, Applications for election to the school boards will be accepted until Feb. 12. School Board Elections: Comal ISD Texas Public Radio Published April 19, 2021 at 1:20 AM CDT Note: Names are listed in order of appearance on the ballot according to the city clerks' office. degree in Industrial Engineering and a M.S. Also, Im a Latina this is important because the makeup of our board is not representative of our community. While there are teachers and staff that they commend, they seem to want to silence some or refuse to hold others accountable for their actions resulting in distrust. I came into education in my later years through alternative certification pursuing a specialty in career and technical education while getting certified in High School Math and Science, Business Education, Social Studies, Career and Technical Education, and Grades 4-8 Math, Science, Social Studies and Generalist. After graduating with a degree in journalism from the University of Georgia Lauren was a freelance journalist and worked as a college English teacher in China. Two of seven seats on the Comal Independent School District board of trustees were up for by-district general election on May 6, 2017. I feel a very personal and serious responsibility for all children in our growing district and the quality education they receive. The District 5 seat, left open for the first time in 31 years after longtime trustee Katie Reed decided not to run for reelection, also attracted four candidates. M-F 10-2. Comal ISD is divided into single-member districts and has a seven-member Board of Trustees. My kids are twelve, six, four, and I recently had another child who is almost seven months now. I have a BA in Math Education, an MS in Computer Systems from the Air Force Institute of Technology, am teacher-certified in Hawaii and Texas, have certifications from TEA as a math teacher, and am Texas Principal-certified. Comal ISD is very reliant on homeowners to provide growth funding. Click here to find out what district you are in. Eric joined Community Impact as an editor in July 2021, returning to journalism after several years in the New Braunfels business community.
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