Two candidates vie for District 2 spot on Austin school board
East Austin voters in November will choose between two candidates to replace Austin school board member Ofelia Zapata as the District 2 representative.
Tracking along Interstate 35, largely east of the highway, District 2 stretches from just north of Lady Bird Lake to south of East Slaughter Lane. Zapata, who has served on the board since 2020, isn't seeking reelection.
The newly elected member will join the school board as the district faces a $119 million budget shortfall and a state-mandated order involving its chronic failings in delivering special education services.
Also, District 2 is home to Mendez Middle School, a district school that has been run by charter company Third Future Schools since 2022 after years of failing state test scores.
The candidates
Sarah Ivory, 37, is a former teacher who worked in St. Louis, Del Valle and Austin schools as a teacher, behavior specialist and coach for educators. She's the mother of a second grader and a kindergartner in Austin schools as well as a 2-year-old.
Ivory now works for Texas Education THRIVE, a University of Texas program that provides education professional development support to school districts.
Ivory said she wants a better plan from the district to incorporate feedback from parents and the community before making decisions. She is running in part because she wants to focus on improving outcomes at campuses, she said.
"I wanted to be part of a change to make District 2 schools the premier schools, to make Austin ISD the premier district in Texas," Ivory said.
In particular, Ivory would aim to bring restorative practices in social-emotional learning and literacy resources to area schools, she said.
Ivory also thinks Mendez Middle School would be better served returning to Austin district control, though the school does need significant change, she said. Ivory is interested in partnering with a local art nonprofit that could turn the school into an art academy.
LaRessa Quintana, 29, a graduate of the Austin school district, having attended the Ann Richards School for Young Women Leaders, has been vocal about her experience in foster care. Quintana has worked as a staff member at the Capitol and on the campaign for Austin City Council Member Vanessa Fuentes. She recently began working for the Texas Trial Lawyers Association.
Before attending Ann Richards, Quintana went to District 2 schools and said she experienced what it's like for a student to have inadequate resources. She is running to help bring more resources to District 2 students, she said.
"Our board and our system is capable of doing more," Quintana said. "We're capable of passing good policies, of engaging in different and creative ways, of showing up more."
Quintana also wants to bring Mendez Middle School back under Austin district control.
Quintana thinks it's difficult to assess how well Third Future has done in turning around the school's scores, given that fewer than 200 students are enrolled at the campus and that the Texas Education Agency hasn't released campus ratings in two years due to legal action unrelated to Third Future.
AISD school board races
Two incumbents, District 3's Kevin Foster and District 5's Lynn Boswell, are running unopposed for reelection.
For the District 8 at-large seat, six candidates are vying to replace outgoing board member Noelita Lugo.
Early voting will begin Oct. 21 . Election Day is Nov. 5.
