Meet your Hays CISD school board candidates

JESSE ESPINOZA

1. I have lived in Texas all my life and in Hays CISD for 14 years and 8 months. Since turning 18 I have dedicated 16 years of my life serving the public. I served 8 years in the Texas Army National Guard. I have served over 8 years with Kyle PD where I am a Sergeant serving the citizens of Kyle. I started the Kyle Police Association in 2007 and served as President. We gathered enough signatures on a petition to put Civil Service on the ballot and Civil Service passed and we negotiated a contract for the police officers with the City of Kyle. I strongly believe the teachers, custodians, bus drivers, and all the staff who work every day with our children are the backbone of the school and their voice should be heard and I will work hard to represent them.

2. I have an 18 year old daughter, Marina, that graduated from Lehman High School in 2013. I have a 15 year old daughter, Jessica, who is a freshman at Lehman High School and a 10 year old daughter, Giselle, who is a fourth grader at Fuentes Elementary. I have a son, Jesus Jr., who will be 4 years old in April who will be going to Fuentes Elementary when he is 5 years old.

3. Safety, Growth and Retention of teachers.

4. Safety will always be number one and should be addressed at all level from educating our children, parents, teachers and staff. We need to keep our school buildings secured and keep our children and staff safe. We should have a good working relationship with law enforcement. Growth will occur and we need to stay on top of it if not it will become a serious problem. Hiring more teachers to have a smaller ratio of students per teacher so they can effectively teach our children would be one way to address this issue. Retention of our teachers must be done and we need to first look at what we are paying our teachers and where their pay stands with the surrounding districts.

5. I believe there should be checks and balances in all aspects of life. Hays CISD has a curriculum and with that should have rules and guidelines. We need to make sure they are being followed. I believe we have competent teachers, staff, and parents that can come together and make sure the curriculum is being followed. 

6. I support the upcoming bond due to the biggest ticket item being a middle school. With the growth that has occurred in the recent years our middle schools will be overcrowded and that brings up the safety issue.  

7. I have lived in Hays CISD for 14 years 8 months.

8. While on duty with Kyle PD I have given money to total strangers and homeless individuals that I come in contact with to help them out with food and transportation. 

9. My favorite teacher was Ms. Curcoe, my math teacher. I struggled with math and she took the time to work with me and never made me feel like I was less important.

10. I am the B shift night Sergeant for the Kyle Police Department.

11. I believe that I have what it takes to get things done. I have a proven record with getting Civil Service on the ballot and negotiating a Meet N Confer Contract with the City of Kyle for the police officers. I want to advocate for the children, parents, teachers and the Hays CISD staff and let their voices be heard. I believe every position within the school district plays a critical role and no one position is better than the other.

12. The best advice I have received was from my mom, Guadalupe Zuniga. She told me “Respect is earned, not given.”

TERESA (TERI) TOBIAS

1. I have dedicated the last 10 years of my life to volunteering within our schools in various PTA positions, Campus Leadership Teams, and District Committees. In addition, my experience as a special needs parent has inspired me to seek education on parent rights and responsibilities, as well as special education services. My motivation to run for school board comes directly from my children, the special needs community, and my love for Hays CISD. I have a true passion for community service and I believe, that if elected, I would be an asset to the board.

2. I have 3 children with two attending Hays CISD schools. Michael is 15, and a Freshman at Lehman High School. Matthew is 7 and is a 2nd grader at Fuentes Elementary.  Natalia is 3 and currently attends First Baptist MDO.

3. 1. District Growth

2. Hiring and retaining qualified faculty and staff

3. Student Achievement

4. District growth will continue to be a challenge as we strive to provide the best possible education for the students in our schools, even as space and resources are stretched. I believe the upcoming bond proposal is one way the board is looking to address this challenge. 

Hiring and retaining qualified faculty and staff is very important to our district success. Compensation and professional support top my concerns for our teachers. I would love to see them be given a true opportunity to weigh in on issues regarding their needs every step of the process.

Student achievement is always a challenge for any school district, because there is always room to improve. Providing our teachers with the opportunity for training and necessary resources is a very important step. We must also address the services we provide for Early Childhood Development and School Readiness. 

5. The curriculum audit is recognized as a valid tool for the improvement of curriculum design and delivery. I would fully support an audit that encouraged our faculty participation and input.

6. I support the upcoming bond proposal. The proposal addresses growth and technology issues being faced by our district and will only serve improve our schools.

7. I have lived in the Hays CISD district for 10 years and love this area. My husband is a Hays graduate and couldn’t wait to move back to to his home town.

8. I am a big science fiction fan and I love to read.

9. My favorite teacher growing up was my high school Honors Biology teacher, Mr. Richard Cronshey. His lessons were always inventive and fun. I remember reading A Brave New World in his class and falling in love with science!

10. I am a Stay at Home mom, Parent Volunteer, and Special Needs Advocate. I currently serve as a Lobo Band Booster Officer, Lehman PTSA member, Fuentes PTA member, and as a parent mentor with the Texas Parent 2 Parent Disability Network.

11. I believe that my extensive volunteer work throughout the school district shows how dedicated I am to the continued success of our schools. If elected, I promise to serve with that same dedication in a trustee position.

12. Don’t cry because it’s over, Smile because it happened! - Dr. Suess

WILLIE TENORIO, JR.

1. I am a second term School Board President and former Vice-President. The President facilitates Board meetings and along with the Board, provides direction to the administration. I have served as a PTA and Booster Club volunteer, Hays CISD Education Foundation Board member, Hays CISD District Leadership Team parent representative, and on the 2004 Citizen’s Bond Committee. 

After graduating from the University of Texas at Austin with a degree in finance, I worked as an accountant, program auditor, and a software business analyst. The majority of the school board’s decisions depend on strong financial analysis and my education and job experience give me the tools needed for the challenge.

2. My son, Will, is a junior at Lehman High School, and my daughter, Natalia, is a sixth grader at Chapa Middle School. Will attended Chapa and both children attended Fuentes Elementary School, named for my Aunt Susie Fuentes, the sister of my father, Willie Tenorio, Sr.

3. The biggest challenge is growth. The district grows at the rate of 700-900 students annually. To put that in perspective, a typical elementary school has a capacity of 700-800 pupils, so we are essentially growing at the rate of an elementary school per year. 

Second, we must continue to improve student achievement to meet the rising State standards and provide the rigorous education required for the jobs of the future.

Third, fiscal responsibility is a must. The legislature didn’t fund student growth in the 2012-13 budget and only restored partial funding in the 2014-15 budget. We must maximize every dollar to support our students and teachers.

4. To address growth, we need to continue working with our demographer to accurately project population increases and plan for smart growth. Addressing growth includes a plan for facilities and additional educators and staff.

To improve student achievement and create life-long learners, the Board must set high expectations and increase the level of rigor district-wide.

We have demonstrated fiscal responsibility by keeping administrative costs low compared to state averages. Also, during 2003-11, Hays CISD grew in square footage by 96.5%, but our electricity consumption only grew by 4.5% due to our energy efficiency measures. Additionally, we have secured foundation funding to partially offset the cost of the Hays CISD Wellness Clinic construction. 

We have created a foundation of stewardship of the taxpayer’s dollars and I will continue pursuing strong fiscal responsibility by questioning expenses to ensure every dollar is maximized for the benefit of our students.

5. I support a curriculum audit to ensure consistency in curriculum content and implementation across all schools. The Board recently added internal audits to improve and foster an environment of continuous improvement.

6. I support the bond! We need the bond proposal to meet the challenges of growth to maintain and add to our facilities. Middle School #6 is needed because three of our five middle schools are bursting at the seams. We can place more students into the classroom, but that is not conducive to the creation of life-long learners.

The safety of our children and faculty are of the utmost importance. The bond will improve security at all our campuses. 

To serve our students, we need to use the technology of the future and not the past. By updating technology, we give our students tools for a bright and successful future. 

We require more buses for our expanding student population.  

The bond also improves our career and technical offerings, including the purchase of equipment to establish cosmetology and biomedical sciences career pathways at both Hays and Lehman High School.

7. I was born and raised in Hays County. I lived in Austin for four years, and then moved back to Kyle to raise my family. I attended Kyle Elementary, Hays Middle School (now Wallace Middle School) and graduated from Hays High in 1986.

8. In the 90s, I was a cameraman, lighting technician and stage manager for “Virtual Noise”, the longest running music cable access show in Austin history. We featured local Austin music, including the Derailers, prior to their national celebrity.

9. I can’t pick one favorite teacher. I still remember all of my elementary school teachers because they all made an impression on me: Mrs. Witte, Mrs. Guerrero, Mrs. Ewald, Mrs. Brooks, Mrs. Pesek, and Mrs. Lightfoot. Every time I file for election, I am reminded of Mrs. Lake, my sixth grade teacher. She always encouraged me to run for an office one day. I try to return my teachers’ commitment to me by supporting the Hays CISD teaching staff.

10. I am a software business analyst. I work with staff and programmers to produce software solutions to lower costs, reduce workload, automate processes and make the workplace more efficient. In the past, I have worked as an accountant, and federal program auditor.

11. I am running for re-election because a strong education improves the life of each student, by enabling them to be a strong, productive member of society. Thanks to my Hays CISD education, I was able to get a great start in life and I want the same for the 17,200 students in the district.

I have the experience and commitment to Hays CISD, demonstrated by a long history of service to the district. As our school district faces financial challenges, we must remain focused on maximizing the dollars we spend directly educating students while balancing our responsibility to offer the absolute best facilities we can afford. The majority of the school board’s decisions depend on strong financial analysis and my education and job experience, as an accountant, program auditor and software business analyst, give me the tools needed for the challenge.

12. The best advice I have ever received wasn’t really advice. It was by example. My father taught me the worthiest goal is to help others achieve their dreams.

MIGUEL ZUNIGA

1. I am a good candidate because I have a broad background as scientist, entrepreneur, and educator. I have worked in higher education for over 15 years and have served as advisor and instructor. I understand what approaches are useful in helping students learn and also what doesn’t work in the classroom. I am an independent thinker and I review both sides of policies before making a decision and I am not afraid to say no whenever necessary. I have the best interests of the students and taxpayers in mind, and I want to help make Hays CISD one of the best districts for our children.

2. I attended Kyle Elementary, Kyle Middle School and graduated from Jack C. Hays High School in 1995. I have lived in the Kyle/Buda/Uhland area for over 15 years and currently reside in Kyle Waterleaf Subdivision. I am married to Roxanne Zuniga and we have a 5 year old daughter named Ashlyn that will be attending Tobias Elementary in the Fall of 2014. Ashyln is currently attending Stepping Stone Preschool in Kyle, Tx.

3. We are rapidly growing and we will need to invest in resources to maintain sufficient productivity in the coming years. The median income in our district is about 69K and therefore we as taxpayers are feeling stretched each year that our property taxes increase. We need to do a better job attract good paying jobs to Kyle and this starts with graduating students that are ready for the technical advanced workplace. 

4. I would like to see the district be more resourceful in the spending, for example what happens to all of the old district equipment such as buses and vehicles? Are we getting any volume discounts, are we getting the best bid from our contractors, land purchase, and lawyers? I believe the district has a lot of leverage that in can bring to the table in negotiations and I will be making sure that we are not overpaying for goods and services. I would also like to see the district obtain more grant funding to pay for some of the special programs and training in our classrooms.

5. I support a curriculum audit because many courses no longer directly apply to the needs of the new workforce. We need to make sure that enough time is spent in the classroom actually teaching students new skills and application of knowledge and less time spent on memorization of trivial facts and dates. I want children to spend time learning web design, programming, cyber skills, and learning about how are tax and financial systems work in the real world. 

6. The bond proposal is going to have a huge impact on the growth of our district. There are many great projects on the bond such as the building of a new middle school. However, 36 million for the building and up to 3.3 million for buses seems quite excessive to me especially with how slow the economy has been in the last 5 years. I would think that we would be able to find cheaper pricing and I want the district to use its leverage when making deals with its contractors and equipment providers. We can’t just pay for everything by charging the tax payers, I believe our corporations and businesses can also participate in lowering our expenses.

7. I lived in HCISD for the first 20 years of my life, then moved to Virginia for 5 years and returned to HCISD in 2007 to live close to my family and friends. I will always feel a special bond with Hays CISD because of the many great memories and relationships it helped to create for me when I was growing up. 

8. I enjoy spending quality time with family and friends. I am a huge supporter of charities, street vendors, the performing arts, and outdoor live music.

9. My 8th grade English teacher Mrs. Eisenburg is my favorite because she left a lasting impression to always believe in myself, to work hard, and to love reading and writing. Because of her, I disciplined myself to read various books, to prepare for exams, and to study during the long summers when I was off from school. 

10. I am a Scientist and Analytical Chemist in the Newborn Screening Mass Spectrometry Laboratory at Texas DHHS. I also am part time instructor with San Antonio College at the New Braunfels Technology Center. I have been a scientist for the last 15 years and I enjoy sharing my knowledge of research and experiments with scientists as well as non-scientists. 

11. I am the fresh new candidate that can bring a new perspective to the board. I don’t believe that overspending is going to solve all of our children’s education problems. I care about the safety of our children and want to see them succeed in their future goals. I want to see accountability from the district and more involvement with the community. I will work to keep our property taxes from increasing due to waste and overspending. 

12. Don’t be afraid to walk into something new or to start from the bottom, we all have to start somewhere to get to where we want to be.