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. My goal is to see our district continue being a pacesetter in statewide education. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. Image courtesy of Comal ISD. For best results call during our business hours 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. Enrollment (14-15) 20,327 students. 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. Internet stream is unaffected. person will not be tolerated. 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. 3:16 PM Apr 25, 2022 CDT, Learn more about the candidates for districts 6 and 7 for the Comal ISD board of trustees. You have permission to edit this article. Comal ISD is very reliant on homeowners to provide growth funding. We need to reach out to local or even corporate businesses to see if we could get any donations from them. 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. I would decide on whether or not to approve a budget by seeing and listening to my districts needs. If you are an incumbent, please defend your vote on the decision to rescind the districts mask mandate March 9. This allows me to have a completely neutral view of Comal ISD as I do not have any favorites in terms of schools, teachers, and administrators nor do I have any negative views either. My kids are twelve, six, four, and I recently had another child who is almost seven months now. Comal ISD Positions 1, 2 and 5all single-member districtswill be up for. 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. In addition, utilizing school design replication would lower design costs, maintenance costs and fixture costs. However, we need to ensure that there is equity throughout our schools. The idea of approaching grade level level, for example, is touted as the mark for schools to achieve comfort. Dont be bamboozled! 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. racist or sexually-oriented language. Northside board policy is to declare whoever wins the most votes the winner, so there wont be a runoff. Irma Iris Duran de Rodriguez came close to coming out on top, with 31% of the votes. 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 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. Answers from candidates have not been edited or fact-checked. Internet stream is unaffected. It is not the role of the Board of Trustees to dictate what parents choose for their children regarding masks or COVID vaccines. Every Monday evening you'll get caught up with the top stories from the last week. I do not like the latest unofficial grades for our school district and how our students are not meeting basic educational standards set for the [State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness], and in Math and Science. Based on the recommendations of the Comal Forward committee, Comal ISD Board of Trustees on Feb. 15 approved an order calling for a $634,659,847 bond election to be held on Saturday, May 6, 2023 to address the needs of the district. 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 Click here to find out what district you are in. I do believe Comal ISD is doing a good job in educating our students. I want to be your trustee because corrections are needed on this board. I have over 13 years of experience making financial decisions. As a Trustee, I intend to allow parents to make decisions that are best for their children. What is your current or most recent occupation? Would you like to receive our daily news. With 16 competitive races spread across six different Bexar County school districts Saturday, familiar names held a lot of sway. Career Training is an important by product of our educational system. Early voting will take place Oct. 18-29. FILE PHOTO: A sign tells people where to cast their ballots. August 17, 2021 - Monday evening, the Comal ISD Board of Trustees called for two elections to be held on Nov. 2. *Courtney Beach Biasatti: District No. At CI, Lauren covers education, local government, transportation, business, real estate development and nonprofits in New Braunfels. We need to keep expanding our programs to keep up with our rapidly growing district. As a Board, we are committed to ensuring that our teachers, staff and auxiliary employees are compensated fairly for the work they do on behalf of our students.. In 2016, I accepted a position at a startup within Rackspace and, once again, came home to the Hill Country this time, forever. Cheryl . Error! This will have a domino effect on our community if we do not address this before the coming school year. Be a voice for all Comal ISD communities. 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. Texas called me back home and I transferred to Texas Tech University, where I majored in Wildlife Management. We do not need to do deficit budgeting. This tally should include: Understanding of Texas and New Braunfels. Support for TPR's Education News Desk comes from H-E-B Helping Here. Thats a responsibility I take really seriously coming into the board.. Proactively address district growth. Meet the Teacher, Orientation, & Open House, Lamar University Educational Leadership Program. Occupation: I am currently retired, but I do some substitute teaching. Currently, COMAL ISD comprises over 40% minorities in our student body; yet, representation on the school board does not reflect this. From my perspective Comal does not treat their school employees well. Would you like to receive our daily news. Proposition A will also fundcampusreinvestmentandinfrastructure projectsas well asthe purchase ofcampus safety and security,busesand land. Masks are a simple and effective way to help provide that safety. 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 I believe handling growth is going to come down to understanding the data around that growth. It now has approximately 30,000 students. Each trustee on the Board is elected separately from the single-member district in which he/she resides. You have permission to edit this article. Teachers must know their school board has their back. 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. Teachers in some cases are even overworked due to the high demand to meet their high standards. Carey Watson Hildebrand will represent Place No. I have a B.S. Ryan and I made our home New Braunfels seven years ago, and we have loved living here. Every Monday evening you'll get caught up with the top stories from the last week. 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. 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. Board meetings should be live streamed so that all members of our community have the opportunity to attend and participate. I am Orlando OJ Dona, and with your vote I will be your Trustee for Comal ISD SMD 7 on May 7, 2022. Those board member positions are occupied by Marty Bartlett and Cody Mueller, respectively. 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. 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. 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. Updated | Mainly sunny. Ensure our budgets do not contain wasteful spending and insure we are meeting the needs for the education of our children as best we can. 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. Comal ISD is very reliant on homeowners to provide growth funding. I have been involved in the acquisition and approval of major capital projects while working for major corporations such as M&M/MARS-Wrigley. 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. Incumbent Laurie Schley lost to former board member Jason York in the race for District 3. Copyright 2021 Comal County Republican Party Paid for by the Comal County Republican Party. 2005-2022 Community Impact Newspaper Co. All rights reserved. We've already got a shortfall of budget around special education. I believe I have a unique set of skills which will allow me to do that. Because I have children in the district, I am 100% invested in what is best for students. Two of seven seats on the Comal Independent School District board of trustees were up for by-district general election on May 6, 2017. They will be joined by Daniel Carrillo. Mainly sunny. Do you think your district is doing a good job educating its students? I feel as if this prevents students from having a good learning environment and reaching their full potential. Each trustee on the Board is elected separately from the single-member district in which he/she resides. KTPD 89.3 FM in Del Rio's broadcast signal is currently down. We have lived in Garden Ridge for over 10 years. At CI, Lauren covers education, local government, transportation, business, real estate development and nonprofits in New Braunfels. Rafael Diaz, who was appointed to replace Macias, won the District 7 seat, which represents all of Judson. The last day to apply for a ballot by mail (received not postmarked) is April 26. I have used my skill sets of Cost Accounting, Capacity Planning and Engineering in multi-million dollar capacity manufacturing facility expansions. If the School Board approves the updated Hillsborough County District Map, the students of thousands could be affected during the next school year. 5:11 PM Feb 2, 2021 CST, Applications for election to the school boards will be accepted until Feb. 12. One of the biggest challenges the school district faces is student performance, and I dont mean just performance on state-mandated tests. I am an avid sportsman and wildlife conservationist. Low 52F. Rule ISD. I plan to push for the development of intentional and conservative budgets that prioritize hiring and compensating existing teachers as well as hiring well-qualified teachers to fill new positions. 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. Good communications between schools and parents is sometimes not there, and teachers and staff are leaving because of a lack of trust or for other unknown reasons because our Central Office doesnt have a process to analyze why. Error! 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. Six candidates are vying for Comal ISD single-member districts 6 and 7 in this May's election. 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. At CI, Lauren covers education, local government, transportation, business, real estate development and nonprofits in New Braunfels. Elections will be held for Comal ISD District 1, 2, and 5. 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. Why or why not? I taught for 5 years in Northside ISD as an engineering instructor at one of their magnet schools Construction Careers Academy located next to Earl Warren High School. Where are our new students coming from? More students came back to in person learning when they saw how effective the precautions were. To be elected to a school board, an individual must be a qualified voter: 18 years of age or older, a U.S citizen, a Texas resident, a registered voter, not determined to be totally or partially mentally incapacitated by an appropriate court, and not finally convicted of a felony. Finally, high-quality teacher retention and recruitment is a significant challenge, and we must seek creative solutions to funding increases. 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. In following years, the tax rate is projected to lower back to 92 cents in 2022 and 91 cents in 2023 due to rising property appraisal values. 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,. Zeke Mendoza, who died shortly after Texas winter storm, was also on the ballot for District 3. One side consists of parents and students, another side consists of teachers and administrators and support staff. Lauren joined Community Impact Newspaper as a reporter in October 2019. Comal ISD incumbent Tim Hennessee received 61% of the vote in his race, despite facing two challengers. 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. If you are not an incumbent, would you have voted to rescind the mask mandate? 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. I plan to have town hall meetings with anyone in the district who wishes to be heard. Christopher Willis and Fabian Castillo Dealva are seeking the District 2 seat. This allows me to literally Think Outside the Box when looking at solutions to problems facing the community and its educational requirements. Would you like to receive our daily news? Courtney Beach Biasatti, Drastatas opponent, said she would have polled her constituents before making a decision about masks. Lastly, Im a mother, a breast-feeding mother, a mother of four, a working-class mother. She is a school board candidate in Comal ISD for the District 1 seat. If approved by voters, the Maintenance and Operations tax rate for 2021 would be 94 cents compared to 2020s tax rate of 92 cents. Proposition B, at $61,487,803, willfunda variety ofathletic programenhancementprojects at Canyon,Canyon Lake, Smithson Valley High and Mountain Valley Middle. Incumbents Flo Bernal and James Sullivan, Jr. retained their seats. I graduated from San Antonio College in 2015 with my Associates Degree, and then I went on to graduate from Texas State University in 2017 with my Bachelors Degree in English and 7th-12th teaching certificate. 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. . Teacher retention and pay is crucial to insuring we have the best teachers for our children. In 2022, four of the seven board seats are up for election. Voters in Bexar and Guadalupe Counties re-elected Place 4 trustee Edward Finley and chose retired teacher Belinda Evans to represent Place 7. 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. (Community Impact Newspaper staff). High 82F. As for being an educator for 6 years, I have seen what works and what did not work in these other school districts. 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. Answers from candidates have not been edited or fact-checked. Comal ISD is divided into single-member districts and has a seven-member Board of Trustees. We have a daughter Carolyn who is a Pharmacist in Austin. 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. that is degrading to another person. Yes, there are pockets of goodness in individual teachers and teams across the district, but for the most part this is dismal and must change. 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. However, downtown residents and residents of the Monte Vista, King William and Lavaca neighborhoods opted for new representation in the San Antonio Independent School District. Notifications from this discussion will be disabled. For more information about the Comal County Elections, click here. Camille Phillips can be reached at camille@tpr.org, on Instagram at camille.m.phillips and on Twitter at @cmpcamille. 2005-2022 Community Impact Newspaper Co. All rights reserved. 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. 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. Current New Braunfels ISD District 1 trustee Keith D. Smith will face off against Morgan Lindsey Armitage, who will appear as Morgan Renaud on the ballot, for the seat. 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. Comal ISD, District 1 Tim Hennessee, Incumbent Brittany Soto Comal ISD, District 2 David Drastata, Incumbent NEW BRAUNFELS, Texas - Comal Independent School District Superintendent Andrew Kim will be leaving the district after 10 years. 5:11 PM Feb 2, 2021 CST Casey Moeller 13. Success! Meet the Teacher, Orientation, & Open House, Lamar University Educational Leadership Program. He received 120 votes. Brittany Soto: District No. Beginning on April 19, there will be an election for two members of the Board of Trustees for New Braunfels Independent School District. This is a state issue however. Looking to replace the District 6 trustee seat for Comal ISD, which is currently occupied by Marty Bartlett, are newcomers Amanda Jones and Amber Bracegirdle. Lauren joined Community Impact Newspaper as a reporter in October 2019. Jason Isbell 5. Would you like to receive our daily news? KTPD 89.3 FM in Del Rio's broadcast signal is currently down. 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. 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. 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. What would be your top priorities if you are elected? [1] As an educated, experienced trustee, I can help effect this change. My goal is not to raise taxes. Five school board member positions in New Braunfels ISD and Comal ISD will be up for election May 2. If elected, I intend to understand and communicate to constituents the districts efforts to close those gaps. 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. Don't Threaten. Success! Current board president and UTSA education professor Carol Harle easily won reelection in District 6, and incumbent Karen Freeman received the majority of the vote, even with a crowded field of three challengers. I have lived in New Braunfels 11+ years and have a family of four two of which graduated from Canyon High School. In addition, several San Antonio-area school districts are holding bond elections, including: Comal ISD: $500 . FILE PHOTO: A vote sign sits on the curb at the Comal County Senior Center voting location Tuesday, Nov. 2, 2021 in New Braunfels. This is a challenge. I served in the Army Corps of Engineers with the 25th Infantry Division. 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. 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. We must continue to study the projected growth in the district so we can make strategic decisions regarding when and where to purchase land. On Tuesday, district administration will go over specific guidelines with the board about what it can and cannot do related to sharing information about the election with the public. Why or why not? Yes- as a mother of 3 I am very impressed with the current curriculum, Yes- I believe they feel supported by the district. 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. Local school boards dont have much of a say in this. 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. She currently works as a COVID-19 contact tracer. Details about the VATRE and Bond 2021 can be found on theDistrictswebsite. Click here to find out what district you are in. | By. School discipline at some schools are lax and district policy is not always enforced. Due to large volume of calls messages left may not be promptly answered. I have served as a high school vice principal and have taught at colleges and universities in four states since 2000. Proposition C, at$20,397,672, will fundstadium capacityexpansion projects at both Canyon Lake and Davenport High Schools. Last fall, current Board President David Drastata called the coronavirus the China virus in an athletic booster letter, a term criticized for contributing to anti-Asian rhetoric. In addition, taxpayers continue to receive the benefit of the 20 percent local homestead exemption, which equates to $65 per month, or $780 per year, in savings. Served on the districts Safety Committee? Parents are concerned about what is taught in our classrooms that Texas is not immune to the rampant progressive ideology that is being taught in other states and there is no mechanism in place for our district to give them any kind of assurance. Sorensen is the mother of a 5th grader enrolled at SAISDs Bonham Academy and vice-president of the Lavaca Neighborhood Association.