Five Round Rock school board seats are up for election. Meet the candidates.

Sixteen candidates, including five incumbents, are running for seats on the Round Rock school board in theNov. 8 election.

The school board comprises seven trustees, each elected at-large for four-year terms. The Place 3, 4, 5 and 6 seats will be decided in a general election as those trustees' terms are ending. The Place 1 seat will be decided in a special election following the resignation over the summer of Trustee Jun Xiao.

Amber Feller, 49, is facing one opponent as she seeks reelection for her second term in Place 3: Orlando Salinas, 35, a chief financial officer at Zoom Contracting and Consulting. Maryam Zafar, a 20-year-old English major at the University of Texas, had filed to run but withdrew from the race on Monday. In her announcement she said she is endorsing Feller.

Cory Vessa, 44, who holds the Place 4 seat, is being challenged by Linda Avila, 53, an educational diagnostician; Jill Farris, 38, a homemaker; and Alicia Markum, 39, a stay-at-home parent.

Amy Weir, 56, who holds the Place 5 seat, is seeking reelection for her second term, faces two opponents: Stefan Bryant, a 51-year-old grants manager; and Christie Slape, a 50-year-old former teacher and professional organizer. Joshua Billingsley, a 40-year-old business intelligence analyst had filed to run but has suspended his campaign.

Tiffanie Harrison, 36, also will be seeking reelection for a second term in the Place 6 seat. Don Zimmerman, 62, a former Austin City Council member and a high-tech systems engineer, is running against her.

Four people will be contending for the Place 1 seat against 47-year-old Kevin Johnson, who was appointed to the seat on July 25. Also vying for the seat are John Keagy, a 41-year-old engineer; Yuriy Semchyshyn, a 37-year-old software engineer; and Estevan Zarate, a 51-year-old teacher and actor. The winner will be up for reelection in 2024.

Early voting begins Oct. 24 and runs through Nov. 4.

During early voting, you can cast a ballot at any polling location. You can look up locations at teamrv-mvp.sos.texas.gov/MVP/mvp.do beginning two days prior to the start of early voting by entering your name, county, date of birth and ZIP code. Hours of operation vary by location.

Most counties in Central Texas, including Williamson and Travis counties, allow you to vote at any polling location on Election Day. Polling locations are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Election Day.

Saying they are in support of trustees Mary Bone and Danielle Weston, who have had a contentious relationship with the rest of the board since they were elected in 2020, a slate of conservative candidates known as Round Rock One Family is running on a platform that calls for more oversight of library materials, the teaching of biological male-female differences and not gender identity, and the prevention of critical race theory from being taught in taxpayer-funded schools.

In a joint statement, the coalition said the biggest issues in the district are the controversy surrounding the superintendent, a lack of parental rights and a budget crisis.If elected, the five candidates have pledged to work to hire a new superintendent, redirect resources back to the classroom, elevate student achievement and prioritize school safety.

Bone and Weston have long been at odds with the other board members over issues ranging from mask mandates in school to the hiring of Superintendent Hafedh Azaiez a year ago. In April, a Williamson County judge dismissed a lawsuit that Weston and Bone has filed against the other board members over proposed censure resolutions.

Place 1

Johnson said teacher retention is the biggest issue the district has to address as high-quality instruction is needed to have great student success. Johnson also said the district has to take steps to ensure communication with stakeholders as it works to improve itself.

His goals if elected are to establish academic excellence by working with the board and the superintendent to develop a system that guides the district to achieve excellence.

Johnson says he is the best candidate for the position because he has served at the local, state and national level, which has allowed him to better serve him the community.

"I am seeking to be elected as a trustee ... to continue serving the city I selected to raise my family in and the school district I chose to assist with educating my children," he said. "I believe I am the best candidate for Place 1 due to my commitment to this community and my desire to be a part of a governance team for Round Rock ISD focused on academic excellence."

Keagy, a member of the conservative Round Rock One Family, says he is the best candidate for the seat as he is a natural problem solver and will work to ensure that schools and students are the priority for the board.

"I understand and acknowledge the critical challenges facing the district today," Keagy said. "And I am ready to return to a learning-focused agenda, get parents back in our schools and make students the priority once again."

Semchyshyn said the most important issue the district is facing is a lack of public trust on the board. He said parents also are concerned about the superintendent, property taxes and the safety of students.

He said he believes he is the best candidate because of hisprofessional success. "I am a self-made person," he said. "This experience will enable me to keep the district's focus on setting our kids up for success in the modern competitive world."

Zarate said that equity, teacher retention and a lack of collaboration among board trustees are the biggest issues affecting the district. He said parents are more concerned about the quality of education their children are receiving and what they may be missing due to restrictions of books.

If elected, Zarate said he wants to build and expand relationships with business and organizations within the district, expand student access to therapist and social workers and continue to volunteer with parent teacher associationswithin the community to understand the issues they care about.

Zarate says he is the best candidate because the volunteer work he has done with the district has allowed him to understand what it really needs and what the community is interested in.

Place 3

Feller, the current board president, said the biggest issues the district is facing are teacher retention and COVID-19 learning loss, sentiments that she said are shared by parents and other community members.

She said her goals, if re-elected or not, is to fight for an increase in basic funding allotment from the state, a cost-of-living adjustment on recapture and to provide more incentives to retain and recruit teachers and staff. She said she will work to learn from what happened during the pandemic to make improvements and adjustments.

Feller said she is the best candidate because of her experience.

"The learning curve of a trustee is significant, and we need trustees that can start their job and be effective from day one after the election," she said. "Very shortly after the election, the next legislative session will begin and the next budget cycle in RRISD will also begin. RRISD needs trustees who are skilled and experienced, who will hit the ground running and advocate for students immediately."

Salinas, a member of the conservative Round Rock One Family coalition, said he is dedicated to ensuring the safety of Round Rock students andthat as a Texas Ranger, he is more than qualified to do so.

Salinas also served as choir director at St. Elizabeth Catholic Church and in the district's Capitol Project Oversight Committee.

"Nothing is more important than the safety of our children," Salinas said.

Before withdrawing from the race, Zafar said a teacher shortage is the district's biggest issue. "There simply has not been enough support for teachers compared to the workload they've been asked to complete," she said.

Place 4

Vessa, who is seeking her second term, said the biggest issues the district faces are teacher retention and learning loss from COVID-19. She said community members have told her they are worried about student success and well-being.

If re-elected, Vessa said she will work to ensure the district can competitively compensate teachers and staff, invest in career and technical education and diversify learning models.

Vessa said she is the best candidate because over her tenure she has advocated for students, following the concerns of parents, teachers and community members, she said.

"During a time of unprecedented challenges, I listened to stakeholders and transparently made data-driven decisions that consider all valid needs and concerns, and find balanced solutions," she said. "In a time of deep polarization, I have demonstrated commitment to the middle ground."

Avila did not respond to request for comments. According to her campaign website, her priorities are to focus on core academics, compensating teachers, advocate for marginalized communities and to cut unnecessary spending.

Farris is among the five candidates running as part of the Round Rock One Family coalition.

Farris said she is uniquely qualified for the position due to the amount of time she has spent volunteering for the district, helping students and staff, and making sure students will be competitive when they enter the workforce.

"I am the only Place 4 candidate who has the courage to hire the right superintendent, Farris said, "set ambitious goals for 46,000 students, get parents and the community back into our schools and stop wasting hard-earned taxpayer money."

Markum said the biggest problems the district faces are inequity issues between student populations, a teacher shortage and lack of district and community resources. She said parents have reached out to her with concerns about their children's safety, and mental and behavioral health. She said parents also want more transparency.

If elected, Markum said, she would focus on free, high-quality education, empowering students to choose their own path after graduation and to partner with stakeholders to ensure communication between them and the district.

Markum says her strong belief in the need for public education is what makes her the best candidate. She said she believes in investing in the district to help further students' careers.

"I believe we should invest time and resources into creating inclusive school communities," she said. "We have a responsibility to hold public education in our district to a high standard in order to provide our students with equitable opportunities for future success and to ensure that all children's rights to a high-quality public education are fulfilled."

Place 5

As the current board secretary, Weir said the biggest issues the district is facing are increased recapture and learning loss suffered from COVID. Additionally, Weir said community members are concerned about the division on the board.

If re-elected, Weir said she would continue the work she has done while on the board, such as compensating teachers, improving student learning outcomes, attending all meetings and advocating for the Title I campuses.

Weir says her experience on the board and in leadership positions makes her the best candidate. She said that despite threats, she will continue to make hard decision. Additionally, she said, she holds the title of master trustee from the Texas Association of School Boards.

"The past four years have been extremely difficult for everyone," she said. "The knowledge I have accumulated over the past four years on the board and my many years of volunteering in the district gives me the experience needed to carry out the duties of a trustee."

Bryant did not response to request for comment. According to his campaign site, his focus is to enhance safety and security issues throughout the campuses, improve academic proficiency in the lower performing sub-populations district-wide, and to standardize reasonable and reliable systems across learning communities.

As a former teacher and a mother of four within the district, Slape said she understands the issues the district is facing, making her best qualified for the position.

"I know the RRISD is not the destination district it once was," she said. "It's time to abandon distractions and focus on providing a bright future for all our students."

Place 6

Current board Vice President Harrison says the political extremism from both sides is having a negative influence on the board, and is the major issue the district is facing.

"Children are not red or blue, yet we have people and PACs from hyper-partisan extremism groups seeking to influence our local election from outside of our area," she said.

She said parents also are worried about school safety, and rising property taxes and the cost of living.

Harrison said she will continue to build on the work she has done as a trustee if re-elected by focusing on ensuring all students have access to the resources they need, regardless of their circumstance or ability, and transparency.

Harrison said she is best qualified for the position as she brings the perspective of a teacher, which she views as necessary.

"I am a product of Round Rock ISD schools and a two-time teacher of the year who has had incredible success in teaching all children," Harrison said. "I understand the relationship between education and preparing our students for meaningful careers. I recognize the role of a trustee as governance and accountability and have a background in policy."

Zimmerman, a member of the conservative Round Rock One Family coalition,said the problems the district is facing is due to corrupt and incompetent leadership, and said he is running to replace it with leadership that prioritizes academic achievement.

Zimmerman said what makes him the best candidate is that he sued bureaucrats to eliminate a tax and won.

"I know how to defeat the crooked exercise of power by bureaucrats," he said. "Your average candidate doesn't even understand that problem, much less know how to stop it."

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Meet the 16 candidates running for the Round Rock school board of trustees.