Local voters will elect three Salado Independent School District trustees to three-year terms.
Candidates for the Salado ISD Board of Trustees will appear on the ballot in this order: Savannah Hennig, Kimberly Redelsheimer, David Matthews and Eric Malmin.
Salado Village Voice asked the candidates the following questions:
Question 1: Senate Bill 8 approved 18-13 will create a school voucher-like program. What challenges, if any, for public schools do you foresee local school districts facing in the coming years, if this proposal passes in the House and is signed into law by Governor Abbott? Do you favor school vouchers? Why or why not? (200 words)
Question 2: H.B. No. 5367 to create Solana Ranch Municipal Utility District (MUD) in the southern portion of Salado ISD has been introduced into the House. This MUD could bring as many as 14,000 homes to southern Bell and northern Williamson Counties. What impact do you foresee this and other proposed developments having on Salado ISD? Is SISD prepared for this potential growth? (200 words)
Question 3: Rate the facilities of each campus from 1 being poor to 10 being excellent. What, if anything, should be done to improve the existing facilities at Thomas Arnold Elementary? At Salado Middle School? At Salado High School? (300 words)
Question 4: A facilities planning committee will wrap up its meetings in May, shortly after you possibly take a seat on the SISD board of trustees. Do you support calling for a November bond election? What new facilities do you think should be included? (200 words)
Savannah Hennig
Question 1: There are many proposed voucher bills this legislative session, each laid out a little differently. I acknowledge that a school voucher program could be beneficial for students whose school district is not meeting educational standards or student needs. However, I have unanswered questions. Senate Bill 8, as written, would provide $8000 annually in state funding to a student who participates in the voucher program. Many private schools charge a higher tuition than this, and the bill doesn’t address what private schools are allowed to do if $8000 doesn’t cover tuition. The bill doesn’t address whether private schools who receive state funding would now have to adhere to state testing standards nor whether religious private schools who participate can still teach religious courses. Public schools receive state funding and therefore must adhere to state accountability and regulation. Knowing whether this would apply to any participating educational provider is imperative. The primary challenge I foresee is equity in accountability, regulation, and funding, and I advocate locally and at the state level for public schools to have the educational programs, support for staff, funding, and safety measures they need to allow them to serve students well.
Question 2: Salado ISD has known about this potential development for some time, and the district has done well in creating conversation with not only this developer but others in the area to gather information, learn about proposed timelines, and discuss the donation of land for potential future school sites. Securing possible facility locations is a huge step toward preparing for the growth that’s coming, and the Solana Ranch developer has a reputation for providing land not only for schools but for emergency services as well. It’s important to recognize that should this MUD pass, 14,000 homes will not be built in year one. This is a development that will take place over the next 10-20 years, but it will have a large impact on our school district. Preparing for growth includes continuing conversations with developers, staying abreast of new developments, allocating land for potential school sites, determining timeframes when new schools/buildings/extracurricular facilities are necessary and then moving forward appropriately. It’s also extremely important that the district keep the community knowledgeable of the growth that’s here and the growth that’s coming so that as needs arise, the district has support from the community.
Question 3: Thomas Arnold Elementary has three separate buildings that are typically denoted as TAE 1, TAE 2, and TAE 3. The physical facilities at TAE 1 and TAE 3 need the most amount of work, but the high school is currently the most overcrowded. If we’re rating on a scale of 1-10 for physical condition, I would rate TAE 1 and TAE 3 as a 2/3, TAE 2 a 6, the middle school at nearly 10, and the high school a 7.
TAE 1 and TAE 3 need improvements/renovations and the high school needs more space. There is a long list of needs for a variety of spaces, but without passing a bond, the district cannot make any major improvements to facilities. The district has and will continue to maintain these facilities, and in recent years has replaced roofs, replaced HVAC’s, repainted, replaced flooring, updated as feasible, etc., but to improve the facilities on any substantial basis requires funds that the district does not and will not have without passing a bond. The question asks what the district should do, but realistically it is what the district can do, given our available funding. This leads to question 4:
Question 4: I would support a bond election, because I believe our district needs it. On a percentage basis, we are the second fastest growing district out of the 77 districts in Region 12. Absorbing that kind of growth into our existing facilities is very challenging, and we are running out of space. It’s important to understand that if the community passed a bond, it would not increase the district’s tax rate. The Interest & Sinking (I&S, debt service) tax rate is already at $0.50 and will not increase.
I believe the district’s top needs are exactly what the facility committee has preliminarily identified which are a new high school to include ag facilities and performing arts, major renovations to the elementary school, and a new stadium. As a current school board member, I am not serving on the facility planning committee, but I served on the previous one in 2018 and know the immense amount of work that is involved. Assuming the committee brings a recommendation to the school board, I look forward to hearing what they’ve determined are the most pressing needs for the district and having an open discussion with board members about the future facilities for Salado ISD.
Kimberly Redelsheimer
Question 1: If Senate Bill 8 is signed into law, I predict that there may be challenges for rural and low-performing school districts. SISD is well-positioned to weather these challenges, due to our population growth and highly rated schools. SISD has an extremely high graduation rate, dedicated teachers, and involved parents. All the stellar attributes that make SISD a sought-after school district will mitigate the effects of a state-wide voucher program. SB 8 as it currently stands would make up to $8,000 a year available to use for a student’s private school tuition. While this would empower school choice by giving parents more resources to fund their choice of school, it could have detrimental effects on some public schools. School choice is very important, and I think that all parents should be able to choose the best school setting for their child, whether that be Public School, Private School, or Homeschooling. I think that school vouchers can be used effectively to give power to parents, but I have concerns about taking funds away from at-risk school districts.
Question 2: New developments and increased population are having a powerful impact on daily life in Salado, not only on SISD. Currently SISD is not prepared for rapid population growth. There are not enough safe and effective facilities now for SISD to adequately manage its current student populations. SISD is working to become prepared for these changes, and the success of a bond election in November is vital for this preparedness. SISD needs to prepare for growth with plans that allow for future flexibility. SISD needs to think strategically and creatively about the space, facilities, and staffing needed to provide education for current and future students. Though growth and change are never easy, a positive outcome of this growth is the opportunity to improve and expand the programs and facilities of SISD.
Question 3: I polled my three high schoolers to get a sense of how they would rate the facilities of each campus, as they have been students in all 3 facilities. Their ratings are: TAE-4, SMS-9, SHS-5. As a military family, SISD is the sixth school system we have been a part of. SHS is the most crowded school my kids have attended. The older sections of TAE and SHS need significant improvements. Many safety problems at TAE and SHS stem from physical plant issues and a lack of adequate space. The use of portable buildings is not optimal for learning or safety. I attended the April 10 Facilities Planning Committee of SISD, and I was impressed by the energy, questions, and passion of all participants involved. It is hard to make decisions when there are many legitimate needs and a limited amount of dollars. The committee is ranking and evaluating priorities with input from over 50 stakeholders, who are committed to a top-quality public school system in Salado. I look forward to hearing the recommendations of the Facilities Planning Committee. I am confident that this committee will make compelling plans to make SISD more equipped to educate students and provide an inviting work environment for teachers and staff. SISD’s facilities should match the high quality of the student achievement we see at SISD. Investment in spaces such as a Performing Arts Center would benefit students of all ages throughout the ISD.
Question 4: I support calling for a November bond election. SISD needs to invest in infrastructure and physical plants at all three campuses, especially at TAE and SHS. The Facilities Planning Committee has sound insight into which campus(es) should be prioritized for renovation or new construction. It’s important to first have a detailed analysis of the current strengths and weaknesses of each campus to be able to effectively improve facilities. I think the educational spaces at TAE and SHS should be the focus of infrastructure improvements. SISD Athletic facilities need to be able to accommodate athletes and spectators. SISD should explore the construction of a Performing Arts Center to benefit all SISD students and the Salado community at large.
David Matthews
Question 1: Every bill has its pros and cons. This bill seems to be missing some major details. For example, would this voucher be income-based, how long would the vouchers be received, will the government start holding private schools to the same standards as public schools, will private schools continue to be selective with potential students if they have vouchers, etc. The list of questions could go on and on. I don’t know enough about this bill to have an opinion on if I favor it or not.
I would be more interested in seeing Senate Bill 9 passed that would include raises for teachers based on the teacher experience, establishing a grant program to increase the number of classroom teachers, and creating a grant program to rehire retired teachers to fill vacancies etc.
A concern for me about Senate Bill 8 would be the effect of these vouchers on the government’s education funds and how much money would be lost for public schools.
Question 2: Driving around Salado and seeing the new rooftops going up is enough to say that Salado will be a 5A School in the next couple of years. There is no telling how long or what the timeline is for this new district, but it could be ten years from now. If these 14,000 homes do come, SISD would have to look at needs like more land further away from our current schools to curb the traffic problem, current building expansions, or land closer to the current facilities. Currently Salado is not prepared for what everyone can see coming, and that’s why we need a bond passed to make precise decisions on new buildings.
Question 3: While rating each school’s facility sounds like an easy task, it is not. The order of schools from oldest to newest is the Elementary School, High School, and Middle School. My daughter once attended a school in a building more than 100 years old and it adequately provided for the needs of the neighborhood so it sometimes comes down to functionality. The schools’ facilities will always need improvement as they get older and technology advances. However, it’s not the facility that makes the school, but the staff, and our teachers and administrators are making the best out of what they have until we get a bond passed.
Question 4: I would be supportive of a bond and would like to see multiple thoughts and ideas on what the bond money would do. It would be my goal to see the board showing good stewardship of tax-payer dollars to build the proper buildings for Salado students and teachers. It’s hard to say which facilities should be included in the bond because we need all three campuses enlarged and each campus has special needs.
Eric Malmin
Question 1: The passing of a voucher-like program would provide parents with state funds to use toward their child’s education outside of their local public school system. This system could possibly result in decreased funding for public schools as parents remove their children from local districts and enroll them in private schools that they deem more appropriate for their children. Salado ISD is currently one of the lowest funded districts per student and any decrease in funding could be devastating to the future of the district.
In general, I tend to be against government funding of private entities. However, I am also against taxpayer dollars funding a public school system that is not in line with the priorities, values and expectations of the parents and community members. Salado ISD must continue to work to understand, meet and exceed these expectations in order to continue to be an attractive destination for parents and their families.
Question 2: It is hard to imagine any district our size being prepared for the amount of growth that is currently being projected. The facilities at our high school and elementary school are already inadequate for our current student body. The addition of thousands of new homes will only compound the issues we are already having. As we look to the future, the district must be proactive in preparation for this impending growth. We must ensure that any plans for the future meet our current needs as well as our projected needs. We cannot afford to fall further behind; however we must not rush into something that will prove to be inadequate in the future.
Question 3: Thomas Arnold Elementary: 3/10. The facilities at TAE present many issues. Currently students must exit the building to move from one class to the next. Enclosing the walkways at TAE would improve safety and security for our students and teachers. The gym at TAE 1 is in dire need of renovations. There is a portion of the campus without fire suppression systems. These are just a few of the things needing attention at TAE. In general, the campus is dated and any attempt at renovation will likely result in significant additional costs.
• Salado Middle School: 9/10. This is our newest campus in the district, and it really is a wonderful school. The facility functions well with our current student population and is designed in a way that will accommodate significant future growth. There is a need for a permanent solution to the mud problem at the outdoor common space just outside of the cafeteria. The ground in this area cannot support grass and results in students tracking mud into the building creating more work for our custodians and limiting their ability to respond to needs elsewhere on campus.
Salado High School: 4/10. Salado High School has been too small since the first day it held classes. The common use spaces such as the cafeteria, gymnasium and hallways are all undersized and present safety concerns for students and staff. These inadequate common spaces limit the ability to add additional needed classrooms, lab space and facilities for CTE programs. Due to these core limitations, it is difficult to suggest meaningful improvements that would solve our problems at this campus. I would be willing to seek the counsel of experts in this area in order to come up with creative solutions that address the unique needs of this campus.
Question 4: Salado ISD is growing rapidly, and our current facilities are not sufficient to support this growth. In order to provide a safe and secure learning environment for our students at all levels we are going to have to invest in the future of this district. I appreciate the time and effort of the members on the planning committee. They have a difficult task, and I am confident they are working with our students’ best interests in mind. As I previously stated, the most glaring needs are at the high school and elementary school levels, and I feel these should be our top priorities when considering a bond. I would consider supporting a bond election if the proposal was well thought out, thorough and fully addressed our long-range needs.