Candidate Questionnaire
Community Impact
Community Impact invited candidates in this race to respond to a questionnaire for their coverage. Answers are capped at 50 words each — anything past that limit is cut off rather than edited — and responses that attack other candidates personally are not published. My combined "relevant experience" line was limited to 15 words.
Relevant Experience
10 years MUD/HOA board president; CISD SHAC Parent Chair; 20 years IT; Texas A&M engineer.
1. Why are you running for this position?
My wife taught in Conroe ISD for 12 years. I watched strong educators leave and families lose confidence while the board chased political agendas instead of governing. I am running to restore transparency, support teachers, and refocus the board on student outcomes and responsible budgets.
2. What are the biggest challenges facing this district?
Trust, focus, and money. Major decisions happen with little teacher or community input. The board rarely reviews student outcome data publicly. Meanwhile flat enrollment, an underfunded state formula, and staff retention problems are colliding. Rebuilding confidence has to come first; the rest follows.
3. Do you have any thoughts on how Conroe ISD can address the growing special ed student population?
Special education is now roughly 17 percent of enrollment and growing far faster than the district overall. We need transparent reporting on caseloads and evaluation timelines, clean coding to capture HB 2's new intensity-based funding, and enough diagnosticians and paraprofessionals to serve every student on time and in compliance.
4. What do you see as the greatest challenge for Texas education in the next 5 years?
Funding structure. The basic allotment has not kept pace with inflation, and Texas still funds districts on attendance rather than enrollment. Add vouchers and charter expansion, and public schools lose ground. I will advocate in Austin in 2027 for enrollment-based funding and an indexed allotment.
5. What can the district improve on when it comes to supporting teachers both in and outside the classroom?
Give teachers a real voice before decisions are made, not after. Protect planning time, cut busywork, and take student discipline seriously, since it drives many out. Outside the classroom: competitive pay, including a VATRE where the math works, and honest communication from district leadership.
6. What steps can Conroe ISD take to prevent budget shortfalls in the future?
Forecast enrollment conservatively and report variances publicly. Stop funding recurring costs with one-time money. Review legal spend and major contracts against stated outcomes. Capture every dollar HB 2 provides through clean coding. Long term, rebuilding enrollment through trust and academic quality is the real fix.