Posted on Apr 9, 2025 in
NEWSWORTHY
By: Bill Jameson, School Board Committee Chairman, The Fort Bend Business Coalition
Bill Jameson
This May 3, 2025, Fort Bend voters will go to the polls to elect school board trustees in several districts, including Fort Bend ISD, Lamar Consolidated ISD and Katy ISD. Traditionally voter turnout for these elections is sparse at best, and that needs to change. Why? Because school board trustees not only manage the quality of education for our children, how they manage their districts is paramount to a thriving, economically sound community. Managing multi-million-dollar budgets is a business that requires planning and experience. Having the right trustees in leadership positions matters.
The Fort Bend Business Coalition (FBBC) is dedicated to cultivating and supporting elected officials who understand and act on the needs of the business community by exercising common sense in making decisions and developing policies. Having school districts who produce a local educated workforce and whose policies are in alignment with new and future businesses is critical to the growth of the county. How does this vision translate to school board trustees?
Single Issue Candidates
Many school board trustee candidates are focused on a single issue, whether it be quality education, building new schools or more personal issues. Single issue candidates are not what complex school districts need to insure their growth and success. There are multiple issues to consider when managing school districts that have employees, real estate holdings, vehicle fleets, quality assurance thresholds and million-dollar budgets. This component alone requires a much broader scope than a candidate with a single-issue focus. This requires business acumen and a full understanding of the role of school board trustees.
Publicly Funded with Taxpayer Dollars
School district budgets are comprised of taxpayer dollars – our money – and trustees must be good stewards of public funds. Furthermore, trustees must exhibit a significant degree of budgeting intelligence. Bond issues are complex fiduciary projects; this is a business issue. Budgeting intelligence comes from good business practices and more importantly, business experience.
United, Cogent Leadership
Trustees must work together as a cohesive team with a common goal. This message of leadership, teamwork and responsible governance attracts both residents and businesses to a community. Their structure and message should be unified. A united school board with clear, concise communication equates to good business practices.
Who are the Best Pro-Business Candidates?
The FBBC is a general purpose Political Action Committee (PAC) dedicated to the belief that a viable education system is vital to sustaining a prosperous community; therefore, the FBBC is proud to support school board candidates who share our commitment to keeping Fort Bend one of the best communities to live, work and raise our children.
School board candidates endorsed by the FBBC in the upcoming May 3, 2025 election include:
Fort Bend ISD
Rick Garcia (Incumbent), Position 3 and Cheryl Ann Buford, Position 7
Lamar Consolidated ISD
Zach Lambert (Incumbent), District 1; Monica Henderson, District 2; Leslie Menchaca Gracia, District 3 and George Arroyos, District 6
Katy ISD
Victor Perez (Incumbent), Position 1 and Lance Redmon (Incumbent), Position 2
Early voting is April 22 – 29, 2025. When you go to the polls, remember school boards matter for children AND business.
For more information about the Fort Bend Business Coalition, visit www.FortBendBusinessCoalition.com.
