Thursday, December 5, 2024
This article is the second of a two-part series covering the candidates vying for the Granbury ISD board of trustees Place 3 and Place 4 positions.
The Granbury Chamber of Commerce hosted a candidate forum Monday, Oct. 7, at the Lake Granbury Conference Center. Candidates for Place 3, Tim Bolton and Bret Deason, and Place 4, Courtney Gore and Jaci Lopez, presented their platforms and answered questions.
Dr. Eric Morrow, an associate professor in the department of government, legal studies, and philosophy at Tarleton State University, moderated the discussion.
Following are the candidates’ responses to questions asked during the forum.
WHAT MOTIVATES YOU TO RUN FOR OFFICE, AND WHY DO YOU THINK PEOPLE SHOULD VOTE FOR YOU?
Courtney Gore: “My community members came to me with concerns about CRT ... I had a real desire to make sure that we weren’t teaching any child to feel bad about the color of their skin.”
“After I got elected ... I requested all the lesson plans for social and emotional learning ... I found absolutely nothing” related to CRT.
“During that process, I learned that we have amazing public schools here in Granbury ISD ... our kids are amazing.”
“I want to do everything I can to support them and to support the kids in this community.”
Jaci Lopez: “I’m running because our community is seeking strong leadership with transparency, integrity and trust.”
“The school board name ‘trustee’ means we are the holders of public trust, and we need to build that trust with the community back again.”
“Children’s mental health and test scores are heartbreakingly low ... Teachers are frustrated; they are the most capable of handling education in the classroom.”
“I care too deeply about the future of our community and our state, not just for my children but for yours as well, because this is our future.”
Bret Deason: “We’re really excited to talk about giving back to the community, and what better way to help try to impact the outcomes of students and kids in this community.”
“This is one of the most important jobs, I believe, in our community; we need to lead.”
“We also need to show our kids that we’re willing to work together because they’re watching.”
“So we need to work together ...”
Tim Bolton: “I’m a principled conservative and want to put education first.”
“I treat my employees that way, I treat my peers that way and with mutual respect, and so I want to bring that into the schools as well.”
“My experience as a manager goes back to what I was saying before about empowering teachers, parents and taxpayers.”
“I want to make sure that your voice is heard.”
WHAT IS YOUR ROLE AS A TRUSTEE; WILL YOU FOCUS ON WHAT YOU THINK IS BEST FOR STUDENTS AND TEACHERS IN THE DISTRICT?
Tim Bolton emphasizes servant leadership in both his faith and his roles as an employer and employee. He believes the school board should serve the entire school community, including students, staff, parents and taxpayers. “We need to model good leadership,” he says, and create a healthy learning culture for students.
Bolton acknowledges the importance of critical responsibilities like policymaking, budget oversight and curriculum decisions but stresses the need for accountability. He believes the board should incorporate what benefits students, teachers and the community at large on a spiritual, mental and physical level.
Courtney Gore describes the role of a trustee as one that authorizes and monitors, with the administration and superintendent making recommendations and implementing decisions. Trustees ensure accountability through tools like the strategic plan and campus improvement plans. “Our strategic plan is on the Granbury ISD website,” she notes, calling it a roadmap that keeps the board on track and allows them to monitor progress. Gore emphasizes the importance of using these plans to hold board members, teachers, students, parents and the community accountable.
Jaci Lopez advocates for an open door policy to ensure teachers feel heard, pointing out that many teachers, including those who have left the district, feel restricted by policies. “Teachers know what they’re doing in the classroom,” she says, stressing the need to allow them more freedom to teach. She suggests reducing restrictive policies and increasing classroom visits from administrators and school board members to offer praise and recognition. Lopez believes that even if pay isn’t ideal, teachers still need to feel validated, heard and appreciated.
Bret Deason stresses the importance of listening to taxpayers and school district employees, noting that “our employees in the school district are taxpayers as well.” He believes school board members should listen to them and actually apply what they say. With his wife and sister both being teachers, Deason acknowledges teachers’ various experiences, stating, “You can ask a thousand different teachers ... and all of them are right” based on their classroom experiences. He also emphasizes the need for school board members to be present and supportive, saying, “It’s important that a school board member actually shows up to teacher events.” He feels this has been lacking in recent years.
WHAT SPECIFIC INVOLVEMENT DO YOU HAVE IN THE COMMUNITY THAT WOULD HELP YOU UNDERSTAND THE NEEDS OF OUR FAMILIES AND CHILDREN?
Courtney Gore’s involvement in the community:
“I serve on the board of the United Way, which is heavily involved in serving our community and connecting our families and students with other partner agencies in the community.”
“It was because of those public school educators and their connection to the resources in the community that they were able to get me into a program ... I was able to get job building skills, resume skills, interview skills before I left that program.”
“Knowing your community resources and being involved in those community programs ... there’s so many community resources here in Granbury ISD.”
Jaci Lopez’s involvement in the community:
“My specific involvement is personal experience. I grew up in California. I saw the policies and I saw the hard times they caused.”
“I know what that’s like to be that single mom. I know what that’s like to struggle and need help, and I also know what it’s like to be a student and need that help, as well as working at a job after school and helping my mom pay my bills or her bills.”
“We have climbed out of poverty and welfare to be successful business owners. So I know what that’s like ... So those are all not unique experiences, though. There are families in Granbury having those exact same experiences right now.”
Bret Deason’s involvement in the community:
“I’ve been involved. I currently serve on four different boards, two of which have to do with the success of kids, helping kids and aiding kids in this community.”
“I’ve served the last four-and-a-half years on the Hood County Children’s Charity, which is one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever done.”
Tim Bolton’s involvement in the community:
“I grew up there at the children’s home, and so my time, talent and treasure for the last 40 years… I have gone back there… I do a lot for them, actually.”
“I uprooted my family from Dallas to come back and be closer to that as my ministry so that I could continue that.”
“I’ve taught several Sunday school classes ... I encourage volunteerism.”
REGARDING COMPETITIVE SALARIES FOR ALL EMPLOYEES, INCLUDING THE SUPERINTENDENT AND ALL ADMINISTRATORS, WHAT IS YOUR UNDERSTANDING OF IT AND YOUR POSITION?
Jaci Lopez believes that while the district may not be able to offer the highest salaries, especially compared to larger districts like Frisco or Dallas, it can provide a supportive work environment. She states, “We need to look at their experience ... recommendations, as well as their accomplishments” when considering competitive salaries. Lopez emphasizes the importance of creating a culture of encouragement and positivity, open doors, communication, trust, integrity and transparency, which she believes will help retain teachers. She concludes, “What we can do is offer a place that gives them a place that they’re comfortable being in and that they feel appreciated and valued and respected and heard.”
Bret Deason emphasizes the importance of competitive salaries, particularly for experienced teachers. He acknowledges that salaries are not everything but believes in paying teachers fairly to retain skilled staff. Deason explains that many older teachers were leaving the district because “they were paying higher stuff” elsewhere, noting that their retirement is based on the last five years of employment. He stresses the value of retaining tenured teachers, stating, “The more tenured teachers we have, the more experienced teachers we have, it blends for our younger teachers as well,” and highlights their role in mentoring younger staff.
Tim Bolton emphasizes empowering and rewarding teachers: “We want to equip teachers. We want to reward teachers. We want to empower teachers.” He believes that we need to pay our teachers a competitive salary. “Their retirement is based on the last five years of their employment and so we are losing them to higher paying districts.” Teachers should have the autonomy to manage their classrooms as they see fit. He stresses the need for a supportive culture where teachers feel valued and appreciated and are given pay that’s rewarding to them. While acknowledging that “salary isn’t everything,” Bolton critiques the previous administration’s failure to plan for competitive salaries, saying, “You can’t get to a place where you’re so far out of competitive salary range that you have to go back to the taxpayer to bail you out.” He emphasizes his own approach to planning, stating, “I can tell you exactly how many employees I have ... I don’t have to guesswork and hold salaries hostage to get a tax return.”
Courtney Gore highlights the complexity of school finance, stating, “If only school finance was that simple. I wish it were.” She emphasizes the board’s success in advocating for the VATRE, which led to teachers starting with a $60,000 salary, making them competitive with neighboring districts. Gore also points to the teacher incentive allotment, a new program in the district’s strategic plan, stating, “It’s a new program that we’re bringing here that is actually going to make us competitive with some of those higher paying districts.” She notes that the program will be tailored to Granbury ISD, ensuring it is a unique and effective incentive for teachers, with the ultimate goal of “improving those student outcomes, paying the best teachers possible, and attracting the best teachers possible.”
AS A MEMBER OF THE SCHOOL BOARD, DO YOU UNDERSTAND THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE SCHOOL DISTRICT AND THOSE THAT HOMESCHOOL?
Bret Deason: “I respect anybody that wants to take on that challenge of homeschooling and parenting.”
“I’m not opposed to that, but I do think we need to study that and see how that would work as far as homeschooling kids participating in UIL. I think giving kids an opportunity is something I’m about.”
“We must respect everybody’s decision, whether they homeschool or attend public school. That’s extremely important.”
Tim Bolton: “I’ve done it all ... I had three sons, and they all did different things.”
“My oldest two boys were homeschooled until fifth and third grade. That’s about right.”
“We wanted to encourage that as well” (referring to his sons wanting to transition to public school).
Courtney Gore: “So it’s no longer considered an alternative education program. It’s more mainstream.”
“Children who are homeschooled ... want more flexibility in their schedule ... they also create a great sense of community around their homeschool.”
“As public school educators, we need to be ready to serve those children when they do come to us and get them up to par wherever it is they need to be.”
Jaci Lopez: “I have been to lots of homeschool communities. I hear the reasons why they’re homeschooling, I hear their complaints, and I hear their struggles.”
“The Tim Tebow Bill — that was a terrible, terrible bill ... There was no funding for public schools for homeschoolers to participate in UIL activities, and it would create a new burden on homeschoolers.”
“I have a unique opportunity here to be a bridge between the board in the community and the homeschool community ... so that both sides can fully understand each other and just put away some of these toxic differences.”
IN THAT THERE ARE A NUMBER OF ISSUES ON THE LEGISLATIVE AGENDA, WHAT DO YOU THINK ARE THE PRIORITY EDUCATION ISSUES THAT WILL MOST LIKELY BE CONSIDERED, AND WHAT DO YOU THINK THEIR IMPACT WILL BE? IN A SENSE, WHAT LEGISLATIVE OUTCOMES DO YOU HOPE TO SEE, AND WHAT WILL THEIR IMPACT BE ON GRANBURY ISD?
Tim Bolton’s takeaways:
Courtney Gore’s takeaways:
Jaci Lopez’s takeaways:
Bret Deason’s takeaways:
WHAT IS YOUR POSITION ON THE SERVICES ISSUE: PROVIDING FULL-DAY PRE-K FOR ALL AND BRINGING BACK FREE LUNCHES?
Courtney Gore: “If that’s something our community wants, absolutely ... It sets that student up for educational success for the rest of their academic career.”
“Especially if you are an economically disadvantaged student, it makes a huge difference in your academic career for the rest of your life.”
“The reimbursement amount for that program isn’t enough ... There was a huge gap between the actual cost of food and how much we’re getting from that federal program.”
“We believe in high quality, nutritious food ... We’re not buying cheap junk food for our kids.”
Jaci Lopez: “If there truly is a need for full-day pre-K, I would definitely be open to exploring that ... analyze the numbers, see the costs, and understand the parent situation.”
“We really want ... for the children to be with their parents for as long as possible. Those are those formative years.”
“I am very grateful for the information from Courtney ... I haven’t seen anywhere on the budget where there was a deficit from the federal school lunch program, so I’ll have to look further into that.”
“There’s a lot of students that are affording ... Even if they don’t qualify technically for the free and reduced lunch ... they’re just struggling.”
Bret Deason: “When I first heard that they were offering the pre-K, I was adamantly against it ... then I started talking to the school administrator as to what the focus was.”
“There were a lot of kids that were showing up in kindergarten through first grade, and their reading levels were way behind the curve ... If you can’t read, you’re not going to learn.”
“I’m kind of on the fence as far as pre-K. We’re also going to leave that up to the community to decide whether they want it.”
“There was a lot of misinformation when the school pulled it back ... It’s still available for kids that qualify.”
“We need to see what we can do to help those kids out there as well.”
Tim Bolton: “I think that is encroaching more and more into the home ... I think that’s a parental responsibility.”
“You want to keep kids in communication with the ones who love them the most, their parents, and in their presence as long as you can.”
“I get the push and the pull on that ... where you have two parents working and that becomes more difficult to train those kids up by the time they get to kindergarten.”
“I would just leave that to voters.”
WHAT IS YOUR POSITION ON CELL PHONES IN THE CLASSROOM?
Jaci Lopez believes cell phones should be put away in classrooms to minimize distractions and prevent inappropriate use. While she recognizes the importance of having a phone for emergencies, she advocates for policies that restrict access during class time to protect students’ mental health and self-esteem.
Bret Deason is entirely against allowing cell phones in the classroom, viewing them as distractions that hinder learning. He believes the existing technology in schools is sufficient for educational needs and emphasizes that there are alternative ways for parents to be contacted in emergencies.
Tim Bolton believes cell phones have no place in schools and supports policies that restrict their use. He notes that such measures have improved relationships among students and teachers, reduced bullying, and had an overall positive impact on the school environment.
Courtney Gore supports the policy the district already has in place that prohibits cell phones in elementary and middle school classrooms while allowing teacher-specific use at the high school level for certain academic purposes. She emphasizes that there are filtered blockers in place to restrict access to inappropriate websites and social media during school hours.
IN YOUR ROLE AS A SCHOOL BOARD TRUSTEE, IF A PARENT, GROUP OF PARENTS, OR COMMUNITY MEMBERS TOLD YOU THEY DO NOT FEEL THEIR VOICES ARE BEING HEARD BY THE BOARD, HOW WOULD YOU RESPOND?
Bret Deason: “One of the things the school board started was an open town hall meeting ... It was community-driven ... in that open town hall, they had an open dialogue.”
“You have to be able to listen ... Come up with a solution and work together, not with an agenda behind you.”
Tim Bolton: “I want to represent you so well that you know my cell phone and express those issues to me.”
“It goes to just inquiring within the community, understanding what those concerns are, and then bringing them to the rest of the board.”
Courtney Gore: “There was this misconception ... that when they came to speak at the board meeting, if they were talking about nonagenda items, we couldn’t respond, and so they felt like we were just ignoring them.”
“Through the strategic planning process ... we came up with the town hall meetings ... where we can actually address the issues that are concerning those parents or community members at that time.”
Jaci Lopez: I’ve mentioned a few times that I want to be a bridge between the board and the community ... so that we are getting problems solved and that there are resolutions.”
“I love the town hall meetings once a quarter ... I would like to propose at least every other month that we need to be having those town hall type meetings.”
CANDIDATES’ CLOSING STATEMENTS FROM THE OCT. 7 FORUM.
Bret Deason expresses gratitude to the chamber and attendees for the opportunity to share his views. He highlights his four years of involvement in school board meetings and emphasizes the positive achievements of students and teachers in the district despite negative perceptions. He reaffirms his commitment to the community, stating that he will continue to be involved regardless of the election outcome.
Tim Bolton thanks the audience for their time and emphasizes prioritizing the community’s needs. He presents a mnemonic, “BEST,” which stands for being good stewards of funds, putting education first, spending wisely, and ensuring transparency. He stresses the need for accountability to taxpayers and expresses his commitment to these principles.
Courtney Gore emphasizes her and Deason’s commitment to keeping political agendas out of schools and focusing on students. She highlights their dedication to nonpartisan leadership that serves all students and the importance of supporting teachers and engaging the community. Gore believes informed and engaged parents lead to better educational experiences for students and calls for the community to move forward positively. She encourages support for her campaign, stating, “Vote Deason and Gore — together we soar.”
Jaci Lopez expresses her readiness to serve on the school board as a voice for the community, emphasizing the need for transparency, integrity and communication between all community members, including homeschoolers and public school families. She advocates inviting the community to GISD events to increase awareness and support. Lopez aims to empower teachers, strengthen relationships between the school board and parents, and encourage students to improve test scores.
A general election for these trustee places will be held on Nov. 5. For early voting and election day information, visit: https://granburyisd.org/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=3781644&type=d&pREC_ID=2559549
