Friday, April 26, 2024
The first of three candidates forums sponsored by the Granbury Chamber of Commerce was held Tuesday evening and featured candidates for three seats on the Granbury School Board of Trustees.
All seven candidates participated in the event, which was held at the Lake Granbury Conference Center.
Granbury Mayor Pro Tem Trish Reiner served as moderator.
About 150 people attended.
The chamber livestreamed the event. Video is available for viewing on the Granbury Chamber of Commerce Facebook page.
Places 5, 6 and 7 are on the November ballot. Two incumbents, Barbara Townsend of Place 6 and Paula McDonald of Place 7, are seeking re-election. Mark Jackson did not seek another term for Place 5. There are three contenders for that seat.
Townsend is being challenged by Jeff Hastings, former security director for the GISD.
McDonald has competition from Karen Lowery.
Candidates for Place 5, in ballot order, are Terry Louvin, Billy Wimberly and John Mark Graves.
Candidates were allowed to make a three-minute opening statement. They were given two minutes to respond to questions, one minute for rebuttal, and one minute for a closing statement. The order in which they responded to questions was rotated.
In their opening statements, some candidates provided more biographical information than others. Some used a portion of their time to state attributes that they feel are important in school board members.
Townsend, the school board’s current president, was the first to provide an opening statement.
She said that she has been on the GISD board for seven years and volunteered for the school district for 20 years in various capacities. She said that she has two degrees — a bachelor’s in aerospace engineering from Georgia Tech and a master’s in business administration with an emphasis in finance from Texas Christian University.
Townsend stated that she is the founding president of the Granbury Education Foundation, has volunteered for the Optimist Club and Christmas for Children, and is a member of the United Way Roundtable.
Hastings, who now works for the Sheriff’s Office, stated that he has been in the district “for many years.” He said that he began his law enforcement career in 2007 and has been in the schools since 2009. He stated that he has been part of the SWAT team for 12 years and a canine officer for 10 years.
McDonald said that she is a Granbury High School graduate, a former biology teacher, the parent of a student in the school district and a businesswoman.
“I own businesses,” she said. “I know how to run them.”
Lowery said that she has been married for 37 years and raised two children. She said that she “volunteered quite a bit” for the school systems where her family has lived, including booster club and PTA involvement. She cited experience that includes work as a substitute teacher, a pre-school teacher and a cafeteria worker.
Graves is a former Granbury school board member who in 1998 earned the prestigious title of master trustee through the Texas Association of School Boards. He said that he has been married to his wife for 40 years and they have five children, three of whom graduated from GISD and two of whom currently are GISD students.
Louvin said that he has been married for 27 years and has four grown children and six grandchildren. He worked in the oil field manufacturing industry in Odessa and went on to hold mid- and upper-level management positions, including as division vice president for Stewart & Stevenson. He said that he decided to run for the school board after attending multiple school board meetings.
Wimberly, from Muleshoe, graduated from Texas A&M University with a degree in agricultural economics and later received a master’s degree in human resources management from Houston Baptist University, now Houston Christian University. He was a pilot for the U.S. Air Force for more than a decade and then flew for Delta Airlines for 31 years.
An Eagle Scout, Wimberly said that his years-long involvement with Boy Scouts has included being on the staff of the National Jamboree. He said that he is the longest active tenured member of the Pecan Plantation Volunteer Fire Department and that his wife is a former teacher for the GISD.
QUESTIONS
The chamber provided each contender with a list of six questions in advance of the forum, which gave them an opportunity to thoughtfully prepare responses.
However, additional questions were submitted by audience members just before the start of the forum.
The following questions were prepared by the chamber. The approximate time mark in the video is listed, indicating when the questions were posed and then answered.
n What makes a school district successful — specifically, what programs like JROTC and CTE should the district invest additional resources (in) to help GISD students achieve greater success? Place in video: 25.30 (25 minutes, 30 seconds).
n What do you see as the school board’s role? Specifically, do you believe in micromanaging district operations or creating policy to implement the district’s vision? Place in video: 38.25.
n Fall enrollment numbers have confirmed that GISD is growing faster than anticipated. Going forward, what does the school board need to do to ensure that the district has adequate facilities to handle current and future student population? Place in video: 49.25.
n What kind of relationship should Granbury ISD and the school board have with its community? With its parents and families? Place in video: 1:03.30.
n Granbury ISD, like most (school districts) in Texas, (has) recently been making a significant investment in student and teacher security in the wake of Uvalde. What additional investment do you want to see the board make to continue making Granbury schools as safe as possible? Place in video: 1:18:50.
n Tell us your thoughts about more student/community involvement and social interactions outside of school. What would you do to better equip our students and future generations on how to interact with peers and future colleagues of all ages, backgrounds and personalities? Place in video: 1:34:20.
In the remaining minutes of the forum, candidates responded to two questions that had been submitted by audience members.
The questions asked their views on how underperforming campuses can achieve acceptable performance and in what areas within the school district have candidates personally served.
Those questions and responses begin around the 1:45 mark in the video.
Reiner ended the forum at 8:03 p.m.
UPCOMING FORUMS
The two remaining forums will also take place on Tuesday evenings from 6-8 p.m. at the LGCC.
On Oct. 18, candidates for the county clerk and Precinct 4 county commissioner races will respond to questions.
Republican incumbents Katie Lang (county clerk) and Dave Eagle (commissioner) face Democrats Harold Granek and Grant Wood, respectively.
A forum for two Granbury City Council races will take place on Oct. 25.
Place 1 (mayor) candidates are incumbent Jim Jarratt and challenger Tony Mobly. Place 2 candidates are incumbent Eddie Rodriquez and Pat Abell.
The chamber will livestream those forums as well.
Early voting for the Nov. 8 election will begin on Monday, Oct. 24.
