BOERNE INDPENDENT SCHOOL BOARD

PLACE 1 Candace Affeldt

Affeldt, 48, has a desire, she says, “to put my skills and passion in business, education and effective communication to work in any capacity that will best serve the board and the BISD community as a whole.”

She and her husband, Jeremy, have lived in Boerne for four years. Three of her four children are still in the school system and a granddaughter is a few years away from entering school, “so I am not going anywhere any time soon.”

She says she will rely on 33 years in business “working in all spectrums from corporate, private, Fortune 500, higher ed and startups. I personally have owned multiple businesses and sold five businesses, giving me a full spectrum of running operations, politics, financials, etc.”

Carlin Friar

Friar, 53, currently the Boerne ISD board president, is running for re-election to his Place 1 seat. He has lived in Boerne for the past 10 years. He and his wife, Susan, are the parents of triplets who graduated from Champion High School in 2022.

A 1989 Boerne High graduate with a bachelor’s degree from UTSA, Friar has nine years of BISD board experience.

“I’m in my 38th year of banking and possess a strong financial background which is beneficial in analyzing the district’s financials,” he says.

“I have a proven track record of helping Boerne ISD lower its tax rate, increase teacher starting salaries by over $10,000 in the last six years and, with a focus on student achievement, our student academic performance improved.”

Mike Stewart

Stewart, 49, is “first and foremost, just a husband and a dad,” he says. The 1997 T e x a s A&M graduate, with bachelor’s degrees in mechanical engineering and business administration, has been a resident of Boerne for 12 years, with wife, Gretchen, and three children, two at Champion High School and a third at Boerne Middle School South.

Stewart says he is rational, analytical “and I know how to get stuff done.”

“Great teachers pushed me to pursue my dream of working on race cars for a living and I was able to live that dream,” he says.

“I want to be innovative so we can keep and attract great teachers to our community. We do this by focusing on teachers and enabling them to simply teach.”

QUESTION 1: School vouchers: Are they an unnecessary evil, or will they help families in the long run?

Affeldt: “Using the 80/20 rule, private schools represent 13% in the state of Texas; those parents have decided to send their students to private schools.

While looking at the numbers and weighing the pros and cons impacting our state and the education of our students, it doesn’t appear vouchers are an effective option.

We as the state of Texas need to be careful in our decisions, as our public schools represent 11% of the nation’s students.”

Friar: “Like them or not, I think the Legislature will pass some form of a voucher plan.

My biggest issue with the proposals to date is that charter schools do not have the same accountability measures as public school districts, nor are they required to accept all student applicants; for example, special education students or English language learners. I believe we must advocate for charter schools to have equivalent accountability to public school systems.”

Stewart: “No doubt school vouchers, disguised as school choice, will be a hot topic for this legislative session.

The reality is simple: Public tax dollars pay for fire and police for the community's good. You don’t get to use tax dollars to hire private fire and police, nor should you. The same goes for public education.

If vouchers become a reality, let’s just make the same rules apply to public and private schools. It’s that simple.”

QUESTION 2: Teacher pay: BISD raised pay 3.4% in 2023-24. Is that enough? If not, how would you propose paying for a larger teacher pay package?

Friar: “Teacher pay is a priority, and no topic gets more discussion. We want to pay more. We’ve trimmed positions where we can and increased starting pay by over $10,000 in the last 6 years.

We have had success advocating at the state level for property tax relief and increased district funding, but Boerne ISD still gets about $2,700 less per student than the state average.

We also provided midyear retention payments and increased benefit contributions.”

Stewart: “Teacher pay has reached a critical stage in Boerne ISD. While there have been raises, for a number of years wages were frozen and that has put us behind.

We need to start paying great teachers great, and this can all be done by shrinking the central office. Additionally, we have other classroom roles that need to be increased.

This can all be accomplished by prioritizing dollars in the classroom and not in administration.”

Affeldt: “Cost of living increase should be the minimum, that’s without going above and beyond in their jobs.

I know BISD has been working on this initiative for a while; however, thinking outside the box and an immediate return would be to look at reducing their costs.

As a community of business owners, we can help by giving teachers discounts and the board can help negotiate teacher discounts with larger businesses, reducing their cost of living.”

QUESTION 3: Bullying, vaping, fentanyl use — all are current buzzwords in public schools. Pick ONE: How can the BISD properly/ better respond?

Stewart: “I hear a consistent message from the teachers that there is a lack of discipline. This is a problem.

I have seen it firsthand with bullying. Bullying must be addressed with consequences. The steps we take, and the consequences, must be consistent and uniformly applied.

It is as simple as consequences for bullying and accolades for encouragement and positive peer pressure. This has to start at the elementary school level and continue through students’ career. A consistent message across campuses and administrators must be strictly adhered to create a culture of accountability and discipline.”

Affeldt: “Revise board policies and student handbooks to call out vaping and related devices with disciplinary action that is harsh enough to teach a lesson but doesn’t derail them from education, i.e. in-school suspension, community service, alternative school, etc.

Develop programs to educate students, faculty, staff and parents on the dangers of vapes, JUULs and the likeness.

Educate faculty, staff, and parents on what vaping devices look like and the signs of one doing it. If issues keep rising, we should investigate random vaping detection devices in schools.

Friar: “All three are important, but I’ll focus on bullying.

No student deserves to be bullied. Boerne ISD has school resource officers on each campus that not only deter bullying but serve as positive role models for our students.

Character development has become an important part of Boerne ISD curriculum, emphasizing traits of personal responsibility, collaboration and integrity. If bullying is reported, the district has a team that can rapidly intervene, investigate, and ensure accountability.

There’s a new focus on the ‘whole child’ to provide not only academic support, but emotional and psychological support to our students as well.”

PLACE 2 Noah Oviedo

Oviedo, 49, and his family, including wife Jennifer and their two children at Boerne High School, have lived in Boerne for the past six years. The national man ager of business development for Philips SymphonySuite has a bachelor’s degree from the United States Air Force Academy and a master's degree from the University of Arkansas.

“I am seeking an opportunity to continue serving this great community,” Oviedo says. “I believe that my life experience in the military and business world can help us keep our school district great as our community experiences inevitable growth.

“I believe in protecting our children both physically, and in what they are exposed to in their education.”

Dallas Pipes

Pipes, 42, a resident of Boerne for 22 years, and his wife, Lacey, are parents to four children, a 5-year-old at Fabra Elementary and three youngsters between 4 years and 13 months old. Pipes has been a part of the longrange steering committee, Boerne ISD Community Leadership Academy, Superintendent Search Community interview group, and is a Boerne Leadership graduate through the Boerne Chamber of Commerce. He earned a bachelor’s degree in business management from Colorado Christian University.

“I want to join the Boerne ISD School Board because I believe in serving the community,” he says, “a value deeply ingrained through my Christian faith and lifelong dedication to making a positive change.”

QUESTION 1: School vouchers: Are they an unnecessary evil, or will they help families in the long run?

Oviedo: “School vouchers are a complex issue that is beyond the scope of the job as school board trustee.

While I am for a school voucher program, I think the most important aspect would be clear qualification requirements and an appropriate timeline for implementation.”

Pipes: “I believe school vouchers could benefit certain districts, provided they maintain accountability standards similar to public schools and ensure equal access for all students, including those with disabilities or from underprivileged backgrounds.

Boerne, with its exceptional school system and cost-effective education, could serve as a model for effective voucher use. However, the impact of vouchers remains uncertain without detailed implementation plans, making it essential to scrutinize their potential risks and benefits carefully.”

QUESTION 2: Teacher pay: BISD raised pay 3.4% in 2023-24. Is that enough? If not, how would you propose paying for a larger teacher pay package?

Pipes: “Increasing teacher pay by 3.4% in BISD in 2023-24 is a step forward, but broader financial strategy is needed. To fund better salaries without falling into recapture, we must manage resources wisely, not forgetting other staff like custodians and bus drivers.

Addressing teacher retirement and cost of living adjustments requires state-level action to match benefits with inflation. Building relationships and seeking comprehensive solutions are key to improving pay and benefits sustainably.”

Oviedo: “Our school district is great because our teachers have had the opportunity to live in Boerne and raise their families here. We are currently paying our teachers below the state average. The opportunity to teach in Boerne is outstanding, but will it stay that way as we grow?

I think the issue is more than just, ‘pay the teachers more.’ The total compensation package is important and needs to be our number one priority.”

QUESTION 3: Bullying, vaping, fentanyl use — all are current buzzwords in public schools. Pick ONE: How can the BISD properly/ better respond?

Oviedo: “Bullying is well addressed in Senate Bill 179, also known as ‘David’s Law.’ Everyone from parents to students to teachers alike should be intimately aware of the scope and responsibility associated with David’s Law.

There are great resources for handling potential bullying situations on the Texas School Safety Center. I think this is a district responsibility that should be intimately woven into the fiber of not just our schools but in our community as a whole.”

Pipes: “Fentanyl usage poses a significant danger, primarily due to its lethal potency in small amounts and its widespread availability.

The increasing prevalence among youth and its longterm consequences surpass other issues. The uncertainty of its presence in other substances exacerbates the risk.

While Boerne ISD has made commendable efforts in collaboration with local law enforcement, there's a pressing need for escalated actions and broader community engagement. Strengthening partnerships and raising awareness can enhance preventive measures against this escalating threat, ensuring a safer environment for students.”

PLACE 3 Courtney Darter Bruce

Bruce, 43, attended Boerne ISD schools while growing up, then moved back to raise a family in Boerne. Married to Chris Bruce for 22 years, they have four children in Boerne ISD schools. In her 30 years in Boerne, she has served the district in various roles, from PTO co-president to long-range steering committee member, to countless roles in between. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Southwest Texas State/Texas State University.

“I am very passionate about our community and have strong connections with families across the district,” Bruce says. “My top priorities are to unite our community, help protect our schools' culture with strong morals and conservative views and be fiscally responsible with taxpayer dollars.”

Thomas Nordstrand

Nordstrand, 59, a resident of Boerne for the past five years, has two grandchildren in the Boerne school system. “I endeavor that they and all youth of the comm unity should continue to receive an excellent education. I am prepared to serve the community to advance excellence in the school district,” he says.

Nordstrand has an extensive educational background on which to rely for experience and thought. He has bachelor’s degrees in geology from Adams State University and in finance and marketing, from University of Texas-El Paso; a master’s degree in geosciences from UTSA; a master’s in production operations management from University of New Mexico; and is a Ph.D. candidate in environmental science and engineering from UTSA.

QUESTION 1: School vouchers: Are they an unnecessary evil, or will they help families in the long run?

Bruce: “My heart is that all students have opportunities to be successful. If private schools receive state funding in the future, then they should be on the same playing field as state-funded public schools.

Currently, they don't offer the same services. State attendance and testing benchmarks aren't required. Tuition can be raised to account for inflation.

More education options in our community increase our level of excellence at BISD and could make our schools even better.”

Nordstrand: “Boerne ISD is an excellent school district and because our community provides a quality education, I do not see the need for school vouchers.

In areas where parents need an alternative to a quality education, school vouchers may be an option; however, we cannot undermine public education. All youth within Boerne ISD deserve access to a safe learning environment where they are encouraged to excel.”

QUESTION 2: Teacher pay: BISD raised pay 3.4% in 2023-24. Is that enough? If not, how would you propose paying for a larger teacher pay package?

Nordstrand: “Teachers should be paid more. Teachers are unsung heroes who convey education to the youth of the community.

I also support increased contributions to retirement, flexible work schedules, professional development and other creative options that may attract and retain teachers.

Valuing our teachers through increased pay, enhanced benefits, and innovative incentives not only recognizes their vital role in shaping future generations but also ensures a brighter, more sustainable future for our community and society.”

Bruce: “BISD teachers work hard and are dedicated to preparing our highest resource, children, for a productive future. They deserve to be compensated fairly for their dedication.

Unfortunately, state funding formulas have not been adjusted since 2019 despite cumulative inflation of 20%, which limits BISD's ability to pay teachers what reflects their true value.

The state must increase basic allotment funding formulas, ensuring our children receive the best possible education and our teachers are compensated accordingly.”

QUESTION 3: Bullying, vaping, fentanyl use — all are current buzzwords in public schools. Pick ONE: How can the BISD properly/ better respond?

Bruce: “Bullying is a serious issue that can have a negative lasting impact. It’s our responsibility to create environments where students feel safe, supported, and valued, and where physical, verbal and online bullying is not tolerated.

Education is key, and we must teach students about the negative effects of bullying and encourage them to be kind to others. We also need to provide resources and support to those who have been affected by bullying.

Ultimately, our goal should be to create a place where all children can thrive and feel safe, no matter who they are or where they come from.”

Nordstrand: “I regard fentanyl use as the most dangerous. Addressing the issue will require a multifaceted approach prioritizing prevention, education, intervention and student support.

Strategies I would employ include comprehensive drug education programs, early intervention and screening, collaboration with community partners, training for staff and educators, positive alternatives and activities, support services, and parent and community engagement. Implementing these strategies in collaboration with stakeholder’s proactive steps can be taken to support the safe wellbeing of all students. Taking proactive steps in collaboration with stakeholders we can address the dangers of fentanyl use and ensure the safety and well-being of students.