Tag: school board election

Those who think school board races are boring and that all the candidates have similar messaging haven’t checked into Cypress-Fairbanks ISD lately. To begin with, incumbent and devout Christian Natalie Blasingame is taking on Board president Scott Henry amid speculation that he isn’t conservative enough.

At the other end of the political spectrum, several newcomers to the at-large positions have entered the race in the ongoing debate over the separation of church and state in public schools. Critics say the present board has spent too much time talking about pronouns and book bans and that, by cutting bus routes to save $4 million, they endangered children.

The school district has been under scrutiny for the last two election cycles, but particularly since 2023, when a 6-1 conservative majority emerged, led by Blasingame, who serves as the board’s vice president. Blasingame has stated publicly that the Lord put an agenda on her heart to “tear down the over-interpretation of the separation of church and state that has shut God out of schools.”

Blasingame, Henry, and Scanlon have been financially supported by Republican megadonors and engaged in pronoun policies, book bans, and the revision of CFISD textbooks to exclude references to vaccines and climate change. The slate of “pro-public education” candidates — Guilmart, Lane, and Camarena — is aiming to “take back” the board from officials they refer to as Christian nationalists.

Voters will have the chance to sort through the eight candidates seeking three school board seats in the November 4 election.

The ballot was finalized Monday, with Terrance Edmond, Lesley Guilmart, and Radele Walker vying for Place 5; Blasingame, Henry, and Cleveland Lane Jr. running for Place 6; and political newcomer Kendra Camarena and former trustee George Edwards Jr. facing off for Place 7. Incumbent Lucas Scanlon, who currently serves in Place 7, is not seeking re-election.

There are a few theories as to why Blasingame would run against a colleague who frequently votes with her conservative bloc rather than seeking re-election to the seat she already holds. Members of the political action committee Cy-Fair Strong Schools, who are trying to unseat the incumbents, say Henry lost the backing of GOP donors when he didn’t support chaplains in schools, a measure that ultimately failed.

“I think they’re trying to strong-arm Scott to drop out,” Cy-Fair Strong Schools board member Tara Cummings said in a text message last week. “Because the Harris County Republican Party isn’t endorsing Scott. He didn’t fall in line well enough with the extremist agenda.”

Blasingame did not respond to repeated requests for an interview. Henry agreed to answer questions by email and when asked about why Blasingame was challenging him, he responded: “Ask the incumbent. I focus on results, not personalities. Voters will judge records and plans.”

Cy-Fair ISD is the third-largest district in Texas, composed of 46 percent Hispanic students, 20 percent white students, and 20 percent Black students. About 60 percent are economically disadvantaged and 21 percent have limited English proficiency.

Place 5: Terrance Edmond, Lesley Guilmart and Radele Walker

Terrance Edmond filed for Place 5 just a few hours before the 5 p.m. Monday deadline. The Cy-Fair graduate is a former Houston ISD teacher and Prairie View A&M instructor who now runs an international tech company called The Owner School. He said he’s running for school board because he can’t get any answers from the district administration about financial waste.

“That’s the issue that I care most about, financial accountability,” he said. “I’ve seen the district that I came from drastically change. We’ve got school bus routes being cut and librarians being cut, and I need answers to very specific information about where the money is going. It’s a lack of transparency. If anyone can give me the information I need, I guarantee you I will withdraw my candidacy.”

Edmond said he needed special education services as a young student in Cy-Fair ISD because of severe attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder. Thanks to caring teachers, he was able to “get out” of special ed in ninth grade, he said.

“Cy-Fair gave me the opportunity to become the person I am,” he said. “I became the president of the debate team. Cy-Fair is very special to me. This is not about politics. What I care about is balanced, objective information. I am running to protect the taxpayers who get up every day and work hard for their families to have answers on where their money is going.”

Lesley Guilmart is a former CFISD educator and instructional leader for the Harris County Department of Education. She is the president of the nonprofit Cypress Families for Public Schools and works in higher education. She has two children in Cy-Fair ISD.

Guilmart, who moved to the district in 2009 for the schools, says the extremist majority has made decisions that have harmed students.

“I believe that every single child, no matter their address or ZIP code, deserves an excellent public education, and I want to make sure that we get Cy-Fair ISD back on track,” she said. “That starts with feeling safe and welcome and included and respected. When you start to have things posted on the walls and perhaps instructional materials or even staff members who are affiliated with a particular religion, that starts to imply to students that one religious tradition is more valuable or legitimate than others.”

Radele Walker is a graduate of Cy-Fair ISD and served as a school bus driver, special education paraprofessional, program coordinator, and assistant principal. She retired from the district in 2022, according to her campaign website.

Walker could not be reached for comment Friday or Monday. Her website outlines a platform with the following pillars: fiscal accountability and transparency; high academic expectations; standing strong for teachers; student accountability; safety and security; defending parental rights; and culture-war-free curriculum.

“As a retired assistant principal, I believe our classrooms should be dedicated to true learning — focused on reading, math, science, and fact-based history — free from political agendas or distractions,” Walker says on her website. “My commitment is to keep the culture wars out of our schools, guarantee full transparency in what is taught, and make sure parents are always informed and involved.”

The current Cy-Fair school board has been criticized not just for altering district curricula but for wasting time talking about pronouns and book bans while dismantling bus routes to save money.

After the transportation schedule was altered to stop offering bus rides to those who live within a mile or two of their school, 17 students were injured while walking or cycling to campus. Following a public outcry, the scrapped bus routes were added back into the budget in June.

On the subject of safety, Walker says on her website that every child deserves to learn in a secure, well-protected environment.

“I will stand for strong local control and apply common-sense security measures that stop threats before they happen,” she said. “Our educators must have the training, tools, and support to respond quickly and effectively in any situation. Protecting our children is our highest responsibility, and I will approach it with the firm commitment and seriousness it deserves.”

Guilmart said that the slate she’s running on, which includes herself, Lane, and Camarena, brings educational backgrounds and the experience of concerned parents with kids currently attending Cy-Fair schools.

“We know what types of questions to ask of the CFISD leaders as we work alongside them to move the district into a future that ensures every student’s safety and success,” she said.

Eleven percent of Cy-Fair ISD’s registered voters turned out for the 2021 election, and 16 percent cast ballots in 2023, Guilmart said. The candidate says she’s gotten feedback from a diverse group of stakeholders who are concerned that the board is wasting its time on censorship and making poor fiscal decisions.

“What makes me different from the current board majority is that I will look at the potential domino effects and be mindful of potential unintended consequences and work to be transparent and collaborative so we move forward in a way that’s smart and maximizes benefit to students in the community,” she said.

Place 6: Natalie Blasingame, Scott Henry, and Cleveland Lane Jr.

Blasingame was elected to a four-year term in 2021 on her third attempt at a school board seat. She has plenty of critics but even those who don’t like her method of leadership concede that she genuinely believes in the importance of providing a Christ-centered public education.

Her social media bio reads, “I’m a mother, educator, friend and community-minded person of faith. I love people and serving God.” Her candidate page bio reads, “Student outcomes don’t change until adult behaviors change.”

“Trustees should bring their time, talent, and a spirit of teamwork to the role. However, they should never GO ALONG JUST TO GET ALONG,” Blasingame wrote in a CFISD candidate questionnaire published four years ago. “That is how a divisive [critical race theory] agenda crept into our boardroom via a resolution.”

“Trustees should actively seek the voices of our citizens: hearing celebrations and concern, then respond as a team to address these,” she added. “Positive board relations mean nothing if we don’t represent the voice and values of our stakeholders.”

Blasingame also said that the community has lost faith in the district to “educate and not indoctrinate our kids.”

“Our board has allowed content into the curriculum that works against our values. In CFISD, we love each other and seek unity and excellence. We don’t tolerate racism and division. We want schools to be factories of HOPE where students leave prepared for careers and productive citizenship,” she said in the questionnaire.

“Our amazing teachers are on the frontlines each day addressing learning loss,” she said. “They deserve freedom to differentiate their teaching to meet each child’s needs. Let’s give teachers their voice back and return joy to the teaching profession! This will attract and retain the best teachers for our children.”

About 18 percent of Cy-Fair ISD’s teachers left the district in the 2022-2023 school year. Superintendent Doug Killian announced last year that a projected $138 million budget deficit would affect 320 teachers and 66 paraprofessionals and support staff.

“We are NOT laying off people,” Killian wrote in a public letter to the community. “We will use vacant positions that have not been eliminated to move staff into. We have prioritized filling open teacher and paraprofessional positions to help campuses meet their classroom needs first.”

Blasingame and Henry were both involved in an effort to ban books and revise the school’s library policy so that all new literature purchases to be approved by the board.

“Their argument was parental rights, that [the questionable books] are trying to indoctrinate my kid into this leftist woke ideology,” Cummings said in an interview earlier this month. “You’re the one who’s infringing on my right to decide what my kid can have access to. They pushed and pushed, and the district caved and revised their library policy. Now you have to opt in and it’s a lot more cumbersome for parents.”

Because of the new policy, some teachers have opted to shut down their classroom libraries because they don’t want to deal with the scrutiny from board members, Guilmart said.

The board removed entire chapters from digitized textbooks that made references to vaccines and climate change. Teachers aren’t allowed to talk about potentially controversial current events like the deadly Texas measles outbreak.

Blasingame has said that the curriculum lessons were rewritten to be more objective and to avoid the assertion that vaccines and climate change are settled science. The state requires that students learn about vaccines but teachers are not to opine on whether they’re good or bad but rather to explain how they work.

Henry said in a 2021 candidate questionnaire that he has worked as a software consultant for large multibillion-dollar companies for more than 20 years and has extensive knowledge in cybersecurity. He acknowledged in an email that the board has been criticized for some of its policies.

“Faith is personal, and I respect every family’s beliefs,” he said. “I follow the Constitution and Texas law, protect student rights, and keep academics front and center. Our materials review is transparent, TEKS-aligned, age-appropriate, and viewpoint-neutral. Equal rules for everyone, and politics stay out of the classroom.”

The board president listed several accomplishments he’s proud of during his four-year tenure, including pay increases for staff, bus drivers, cafeteria teams, paraprofessionals, and campus police. The district cut waste from the budget, prioritized keeping taxpayer dollars in the classroom, added new bus drivers and more reliable routes, and was named a Texas Art Education Association District of Distinction five years in a row, he said.

“We have returned the focus of the district to education, emphasized retaining great teachers and other staff and faculty, and have increased parental involvement and transparency,” he said. “As the third-largest school district, it was absolutely critical that we course-correct, and we have made great strides.”

When asked how he’s helped shape policy, Henry said, among other initiatives, the board “removed liberal indoctrination from classrooms and put the focus back on fundamentals.”

Lane, who made an unsuccessful bid against trustee Todd LeCompte in 2023, is a professor at Prairie View A&M University and a parent of two current students and one CFISD graduate. He said he’d like to see more community involvement and for the board to consider what parents want from the school district.

“There’s been some limitations on our students’ learning because [trustees] were editing the books,” he said. “Also I was very concerned about the many accidents that were happening because children were getting hit because of the modification of the bus routes.”

He said he wants to ensure that students are equipped to work in diverse communities with new technology, and he wants to focus on engaging educators, parents and students in the Cy-Fair school district who feel like their voices aren’t being heard.

“My big thing is to make sure that we get back out there and say this is ours and the only way it’s going to get better is if the community as a whole works to make it grow,” he said. “That’s my whole thing, continuing to work and be part of the growth of the district. I want us all to take ownership and make this district stand out, to be the beacon.”

Place 7: Kendra Camarena and George Edwards Jr.

Kendra Camarena said she and her husband and daughter moved to Cy-Fair ISD, like many, for the schools. The candidate is a former educator who now leads economic development and partnerships in the office of Harris County Precinct 4 Commissioner Lesley Briones.

Camarena said she’s been watching school board meetings since she moved to Cypress and was concerned “about a lot of the decisions, including the removal of bus transportation across the district.”

The candidate worked in education for about 20 years, serving as a teacher and instructional coach in Houston ISD.

“As a parent and as someone who has been in education and understands the diversity of the students — Harris County is one of the most diverse communities — I think it is extremely important that we respect all families and also respect parental rights,” Camarena said. “I want to ensure that every student feels valued. If we push one religion forward, I don’t want any other student who comes from a different religious background to feel that they are, in any way, shape or form, devalued because they think differently.”

The pro-public education candidates have emphasized that they’re not anti-Christian. Camarena quoted her favorite Bible verse in Isaiah, which says that “the word of God stands forever.” Camarena was raised in church and her daughter spends summers at a Christian camp. She said she’s not attacking anyone’s beliefs but rather wants to ensure a learning environment where students feel safe and accepted.

Cy-Fair ISD is one of many Texas schools named in lawsuits challenging new legislation, effective September 1, requiring the Ten Commandments to be displayed in every public school classroom.

Testimony was heard in a San Antonio federal court on Friday as advocates requested a preliminary injunction in Rabbi Nathan v. Alamo Heights Independent School District. The judge has not yet issued a ruling, according to Moises Serrano, a media relations manager with the nonprofit Americans United for Separation of Church and State.

Edwards is a U.S. Army veteran, a certified public accountant, and a former CFISD board member. He retired from Exxon Mobil after a 39-year career and said in a 2023 candidate questionnaire that he brings insight “into high expectations and standards for student success.”

When reached for comment Monday, Edwards said he couldn’t talk and that information about his candidacy is available on his website. He said in the questionnaire that the role of the school board is to govern, hire and evaluate the superintendent, adopt the budget, and provide a listening ear to the community.

“Positive trustee relations play an important role in student success,” he said. “Trustees with positive relations are able to focus significant attention on ensuring high standards and expectations for student success are sustained throughout the district.”

When asked about challenges facing the district, Edwards said too many students are not reading at grade level.

“This challenge must be addressed head-on so that our parents, teachers, and taxpayers will continue to have confidence in CFISD’s reputation,” he said. “Increasing parental involvement in student education, in addition to greater attention to reading practices, is paramount.”