Lauren joined Community Impact Newspaper as a reporter in October 2019. Hello, my name is Kaila Stovall. Comal ISD incumbent Tim Hennessee received 61% of the vote in his race, despite facing two challengers. Beginning on April 19, there will be an election for three members of the Board of Trustees for Comal Independent School District. Use the 'Report' link on 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. Comal Independent School District elections (2015) - Ballotpedia I stand up for what I believe in, and I am highly motivated to see our schools succeed. 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. Hes returning to the board after resigning to join the Alamo Colleges Board in 2019. 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. In 2016, I accepted a position at a startup within Rackspace and, once again, came home to the Hill Country this time, forever. 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. Incumbent Wes Clark is looking to defend his New Braunfels ISD at-large trustee seat. Board of Trustees Agendas & Minutes Board Policies Elections Meeting Schedule Meeting Video Single Member Districts Past Board Elections Q&A: Get to know who is running for the Comal ISD board of trustees If successful, this issue will become the responsibility of each school district to decide on, potentially in perpetuity. If elected, I intend to understand and communicate to constituents the districts efforts to close those gaps. From my perspective Comal does not treat their school employees well. San Antonios largest school district, Northside ISD, had three competitive races on the ballot. Texas A&M University System bans diversity statements from job applications, Movies romanticized the Alamo. Top priorities for me are transparency in how board decisions are made. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph.. Mostly clear. By Lauren Canterberry Being sure our children are at the forefront of all decisions made by the school district is my top priority, and I will continue to advocate for the conservative family values that are important to many living in Comal County. This tally should include: Understanding of Texas and New Braunfels. comal county fire department 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. Clark joins Megan Louise Willis, who will appear as Megan Stratemann-Willis on the ballot, and James Randall Lenard, who will appear on the ballot as Randy Lenard for one of two seats. 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. Folks, I dont like the gamesmanship with student testing. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph.. Mostly clear. Comal ISD Trustees Adopt Tax Rate, Approve Separate Elections to Brittany Soto, 19, poses in front of Canyon High School in New Braunfels, where she graduated last May. It is our responsibility to use money wisely, and the wisest thing we can do is pay our teachers more, but not only our teachers, we also need to pay our support staff more. CISD has done a great job keeping the schools open and I hope they remain open through the end of the school year. . FILE PHOTO: A vote sign sits on the curb at the Comal County Senior Center voting location Tuesday, Nov. 2, 2021 in New Braunfels. Youth Development Director for Ignite Volleyball Association. My passion and motivation to make a difference are my girls and their education. 1 of 2. We also need to make sure that before we continue to let people outside of the district register students here, we have sufficient staffing, especially for our students who are [in special education], [English language learners] and on 504 plans. Heath Pinkerton 21. He received 38% of the vote, placing him a fraction ahead of Lillian Zapata. An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Joel Torres III 6. Board meetings should be live streamed so that all members of our community have the opportunity to attend and participate. There are ways to responsibly manage growth that allows for the tradition of excellence and student success to continue in our district. Signup today! I am no progressive I am a Christian and am for family values, a quality education for all students, hard work, academic integrity, teacher-enforced discipline supported by administration, and the entire district answerable to you, the voter. The Texas Secretary of State's elections department is also an excellent resource for election/candidacy questions and can be reached at (512) 463-5650 or http://www.sos.state.tx.us/elections/candidates/index.shtml Submit application to: Comal ISD, 1404 IH 35 North, New Braunfels, Texas, 78130, US Updated A keen eye must be kept on how our tax monies are being spent. I do believe Comal ISD is doing a good job in educating our students. My roots run deep in Comal County and I graduated from Comal ISD. For more information about the Comal County Elections, click here. Zapata was disqualified from the race due to residency issues. Comal ISD board of trustees District 1 - impact What do you think are the biggest challenges facing the school district and how do you plan to address them? Comal Independent School District elections (2017) - Ballotpedia If the School Board approves the updated Hillsborough County District Map, the students of thousands could be affected during the next school year. I believe in hard work and integrity demanded it of my own children and students and will demand it of this board if you elect me. Standardized tests should not exist. I would like to see teachers, teach and not have to focus on the standardized testing regulations. Internet stream is unaffected. (Warren Brown/Community Impact Newspaper). 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. 9:53 AM Apr 21, 2021 CDT We have lived in Garden Ridge for over 10 years. Updated I plan to keep a students first mindset in all decisions. Comal ISD Board Commits to Contested Case Hearing What could it be doing better? Details about the VATRE and Bond 2021 can be found on theDistrictswebsite. Camille Phillips can be reached at camille@tpr.org, on Instagram at camille.m.phillips and on Twitter at @cmpcamille. at 5:30 p.m., a drawing will take place in the Board Room at the Comal ISD Support Services Building, located at 1404 IH 35 North, New Braunfels, TX 78130, for the purpose of determining the order in which the names of candidates for the Board of Trustees shall appear on the official ballot for the May 6, 2023, trustee election. These will be held outside of our regular board meetings. Christopher Willis and Fabian Castillo Dealva are seeking the District 2 seat. More students came back to in person learning when they saw how effective the precautions were. Don't knowingly lie about anyone Jason Isbell 5. It is important we manage our tax monies prudently. I want to use my skills to help our districts children thrive in an educational environment. The goal of these lawsuits is to nullify Governor Abbotts Executive Order GA-36 on mask mandates in schools and give that power to school boards throughout the state. I am Orlando OJ Dona, and with your vote I will be your Trustee for Comal ISD SMD 7 on May 7, 2022. By Lauren Canterberry I have been involved in the acquisition and approval of major capital projects while working for major corporations such as M&M/MARS-Wrigley. Texas school board elections, 2015 - Ballotpedia It should also allow contractors to sharpen their pencils on how to rebuild similar buildings based on previous experience. VisitVotetexas.govfor more information on how to register. I feel a very personal and serious responsibility for all children in our growing district and the quality education they receive. Preliminary election results for three open seats on the Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City ISD school board show voters chose experience with one exception. Delivering entertainment and live music news straight to your inbox every Thursday morning. 2. Enrollment (14-15) 20,327 students. 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. 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. NEW BRAUNFELS, Texas - Comal Independent School District Superintendent Andrew Kim will be leaving the district after 10 years. 7. One of the biggest challenges the school district faces is student performance, and I dont mean just performance on state-mandated tests. Six candidates are vying for Comal ISD single-member districts 6 and 7 in this Mays election. What are their needs? Comal ISD Trustees Adopt Tax Rate, Approve Separate Elections to Address Compensation, Growth Stephanie Johnson August 17, 2021 Comal ISD's 2017 $263.5 million school-bond package included $94 million for the construction of two middle schools and $21.3 million for technology. How would you / do you decide whether or not to approve the budget recommended to you by district administration? Comal ISD candidate, 19, is one year out of high school and running for Sargent, who was the District 4 trustee from 2017 to 2020 for the New Braunfels ISD school board, is running again this time for at-large trustee after being defeated by John Tucker by 251 votes during the 2020 election for the District 4 seat. We need to reach out to local or even corporate businesses to see if we could get any donations from them. 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. 2005-2022 Community Impact Newspaper Co. All rights reserved. Full results: Texas House District 118 and more Bexar County elections Get the latest breaking news from The Herald-Zeitung. Increasing teacher pay to keep teachers in Comal ISD would be a step in the right direction. Five school board member positions in New Braunfels ISD and Comal ISD will be up for election May 2. Diaz is married to Texas State Board of Education member Marisa Perez-Diaz and was endorsed by Julin Castro. Would you like to receive our daily news. If you value our commitment to the highest standards of responsible journalism and are able to do so, please consider making your gift of support today. I would have polled the constituents in my district- all staff, parents and student input would be considered before casting my vote. Early voting will take place Oct. 18-29. Threats of harming another degree in Management. D. At first I believe Comal ISD did a good job of providing options to students and parents to see if theyd like to attend in person or remote learning. Nine out of the 10 incumbents on the ballot won reelection. New Braunfels voters will elect CISD school board members for districts 6 and 7. Johnson Ranch Elementary - Comal ISD I enjoy hunting, fishing, or traveling when I have the time. | What grade on an A-F scale would you give your districts response to the coronavirus pandemic. Be Truthful. What would be your top priorities if you are elected? Low 52F. Why or why not? By. Single-Member District 1 incumbent Steve Lechelop, an attorney who has represented the district since 2013, was narrowly defeated by Sarah Sorensen, a former legislative analyst in the New York State Assembly. The Comal Independent School District board of trustees is gearing up for a bond election and a tax rate increase election in November. Most charter schools follow strict guidelines to for their test scores and are very selective of their students. 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. 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. It is imperative the Board of Trustees be comprised of people who are ready to set aside personal political ideologies and collaborate in a way that, together, advocates for what is in the best interest of our students. Sitting in a quiet room for 4 hours straight with only a lunch break is not an efficient way to ensure our students are retaining information. My top priorities include: Looking at our budget and finding where we are overspending so that we can find a way to pay teachers and support staff more; making sure we are being more transparent and accessible to parents, Comal ISD staff and all community members; offering support by listening to Comal ISD staff to find out what things need to change in our schools to ensure student success; and communicating with constituents. School Board District 1. Proposition D, at $34,540,000 will fund student and teacherinstructional technologyand network infrastructure projects. Occupation: I am currently retired, but I do some substitute teaching. PDF Notice of Election (Aviso De Eleccin) Comal Independent School Timberwood Park Elementary - Comal ISD They will be joined by Daniel Carrillo. *Tim Hennessee: District No. please consider making your gift of support today. 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. This can be accomplished by replicating school designs which should lower design and construction costs, lowering maintenance parts and fixture costs, and allowing contractors to look at previous issues and correcting those in lower price bids. I challenge voters to look at the most recent grade report on their local school and not be horrified. 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. Thats a responsibility I take really seriously coming into the board.. Think of the Comal ISD school district as a triangle. Irma Iris Duran de Rodriguez came close to coming out on top, with 31% of the votes. Elections will be held for Comal ISD District 1, 2, and 5. I served in the Army Corps of Engineers with the 25th Infantry Division. My time as a teacher has been rewarding, exciting, and, at times, mentally, physically, and emotionally exhausting. Elections - District - Comal Independent School District Elections Notice of deadline to file an application for a place on the ballot Notice of Deadline to File It appears you don't have a PDF plugin for this browser. 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. Share with Us. 1What is your current or most recent occupation? For New Braunfels ISD, there are two at large trustee seats and one for District 1 up for grabs, while Comal ISD is looking to fill trustee positions for District 6 and 7. Do you think your district is doing a good job educating its students? Where are our new students coming from? person will not be tolerated. 2005-2022 Community Impact Newspaper Co. All rights reserved. Elections - District - Comal Independent School District Ill focus on the latter. I do believe the pressure put on students and teachers to perform is not necessary. High 82F. Of adjoining school districts bordering Comal ISD, our teachers are number six in terms of compensation. Sign up today! Being a teacher has always been my dream job, so Im thankful I am able to continue down this path. Students go through immense amounts of stress and pressure to pass these tests. For TPR's full Voter Guide, click here. Answers from candidates have not been edited or fact-checked. School Board District 6. I have lived in New Braunfels 11+ years and have a family of four two of which graduated from Canyon High School. Comal ISD, District 6: The trustee candidates speak Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. Early voting begins April 25 and ends May 3. Support for TPR's Education News Desk comes from H-E-B Helping Here. The early years of my post-graduate career were spent in the outdoor industry, beginning with the famed YO Ranch and, soon after, a luxury wing-shooting lodge in Kentucky. Transparency is critical to our constituents whether they have children in the district, or not. each comment to let us know of abusive posts. Texas Public Radio | However, we need to ensure that there is equity throughout our schools. Businesses and taxpayers are the end customers for our educational product we put out into the marketplace once students graduate. Students, parents, and staffed should not have to worry about contracting the virus while going to school. Lillard set franchise and career marks with 71 points tied for the most in the NBA this season and 13 3-pointers in the Portland Trail Blazers' 131 -114 victory over the Houston Apartment Therapy flipped into Apartment Therapy If you are an incumbent, please defend your vote on the decision to rescind the districts mask mandate March 9. Garden Ridge Elementary - Comal ISD Comal ISD, District 1 Tim Hennessee, Incumbent Brittany Soto Comal ISD, District 2 David Drastata, Incumbent Even though she was the only member of the slate to win election, Sorensen said narrow margins in the other races show a lot of people are behind them. We must continue to study the projected growth in the district so we can make strategic decisions regarding when and where to purchase land. Because I have children in the district, I am 100% invested in what is best for students. Before this, I worked at Ed White Middle School in NEISD for four years. or anything. Ryan and I made our home New Braunfels seven years ago, and we have loved living here. Beginning on April 19, there will be an election for two members of the Board of Trustees for New Braunfels Independent School District. Big Country elections: 3 of 4 school bond proposals defeated Image courtesy of Comal ISD. Each Comal Independent School District Board of Trustees, District 3 Also seeking to win one of the at-large trustee seats, which are currently held by Clark and David Heefner, is Matthew D. Sargent. I am a full-time student at St. Phillips College. Have they mentored students in the National Honor Society or won awards for Robotics at the Texas State Level with their kiddos? I was born and raised in Comal County and attended Smithson Valley High School where I played football and was a member of the track & field team throughout my high school years.