The Socorro Independent School District is in financial turmoil and needs strong leadership on the Board of Trustees. We must do everything we can to ensure SISD exits the Texas Education Agency Conservatorship stronger and more financially stable than ever before.

I will focus on minimizing waste, promoting efficiency, and ensuring accountability for taxpayer dollars while prioritizing the quality of education inside our classrooms.

 

Fiscal Responsibility

  • No new revenue tax rate is our highest tax rate: My long-term goal is to actively seek ways to reduce the overall tax burden on our community by implementing a culture of fiscal prudence and accountability. This includes conducting regular audits, reducing wasteful spending, and eliminating redundant or obsolete programs ensuring we are “living within our means”.
  • Eliminating Bureaucratic Waste: A thorough review of administrative expenses should be conducted to identify and cut unnecessary overhead. Resources should be focused on classroom needs rather than excessive bureaucracy.
  • Operations and Maintenance: I believe in responsible stewardship of taxpayer dollars. Rather than constantly expanding our infrastructure, let's focus on maintaining and optimizing our existing assets. Regular maintenance and efficiency improvements can extend the lifespan of our infrastructure and reduce the need for costly replacements.

 

Provide Quality Education

  • Ensure we attract and retain the best educators: Teachers are the center of gravity when discussing quality education. While salaries and benefits are integral, we must also help teachers by reducing bureaucracy and regulation. We need to reduce the administrative overhead so teachers can spend more time focusing on instruction rather than paperwork, compliance, and excessive training or development.
  • Prioritizing Core Educational Goals: Spending should be directed towards programs and materials that directly impact student learning outcomes. Extraneous programs should be carefully evaluated for their effectiveness and necessity.
  • Budget Prioritization for Classroom Support: Advocate for a school budget that prioritizes direct classroom needs, ensuring teachers have access to necessary resources without using personal funds or relying on fundraising methods.

 

Transparency and Accountability

  • SISD budgets and financial information should be fully transparent and easily accessible to taxpayers. School board members and district staff should provide detailed accounts of revenue and expenditures. I will ensure that this information is accurate and made available on the SISD website in a timely manner.
  • School Board Trustees must be actively engaged in the community: Listening to open forum comments at monthly Board of Trustee meetings is not sufficient. I look forward to hosting regular public forums and establishing clear communication channels with members of our community. I will participate in community events and work closely with local elected officials to establish a relationship of trust and cooperation.