Extra Credit

Candidate stops quest for Fort Worth school board District 9 seat

The race for the Fort Worth school board's District 9 seat is down to two people.

Candidate Melody Palacios notified supporters on Saturday by email that she is no longer going to pursue the seat because of health reasons, she told the Star-Telegram.

She said school district officials told her that ballots have already been printed for the May 11 election and that it was too late to officially withdraw.

One candidate, Ashley E. Paz, is challenging incumbent Juan Rangel for the seat. Palacios said she is not making an endorsement of either candidate vying for the seat.

Jessamy Brown

United Educators Association endorses Fort Worth ISD board incumbents for re-election

The Fort Worth-based United Educators Association employee group is endorsing the re-election bids of two Fort Worth school district trustees, a news release said.

The group, which represents more than 6,000 Fort Worth school district employees, is endorsing incumbents Carlos Vasquez in the school board's district 1 and Juan Rangel in district 9.

"Juan Rangel and Dr. Carlos Vasquez have proven themselves as champions for our students and our teachers," Steven Poole, UEAs executive director, said in the release. "As a current teacher, Dr. Carlos Vasquez understands the needs of our students. Juan Rangel's experience on the school board is important to help us focus on the continued improvement of our schools."

Vasquez, a teacher, has two challengers: Camille Rodriguez, a podiatrist and Jacinto A. Ramos Jr., a juvenile probation officer.

Rangel, a marketing/management consultant, is also in a three way race. Ashley E. Paz, an event planner and Melody Palacios, who gave her occupation as a housewife, are also running for the seat.

The group's executive board reviewed the candidates' qualifications, voting records and other factors, the release said.

Jessamy Brown

 

Fort Worth school board candidate maintains he is eligible for district 1 seat

In the middle of a three-way race for the Fort Worth school board’s district 1 seat, questions surfaced about whether one of the candidates meets the residency requirements for the post.

At issue is whether Jacinto A. Ramos Jr. lived in the single-member district for six months before the March 1 filing date, as required.

The Star-Telegram asked him to respond. Ramos said he has lived in the district, representing Fort Worth’s north side, since July 2012. That’s seven months. [Update: okay, it was pointed out that it is more than seven months. ]

Two people are challenging incumbent Carlos Vasquez, a teacher, for the seat. Camille Rodriguez, a podiatrist, is also in the race.

Ramos used to live in a home he owns on Cochise Drive in far north Fort Worth (near Haslet), but said he leased the property out in June 2012. Because new tenants were located quicker than expected, the family stayed with Ramos’ mother in her home on Northwest 30th Street from June 15 to 30. The next month, they moved into the property they own on Harrington Avenue. In August, they registered a son at Northside High (two other children attend school in another school district, where Ramos’ wife is an employee).

Tarrant County property tax records show Ramos still has a homestead exemption on the Cochise Drive property. He paid taxes on the property in December.

Ramos says he filed documents to have the homestead exemption changed this month but more paperwork is needed for it to be complete.

He said one part of the initial delay was he had to supply a drivers license with his new address on it to switch the homestead exemption. That’s according to state law changes that went into effect Sept. 1, 2011.

He said he renewed the license in October. Also, he said, the new one had not arrived by Nov. 6, election day. So he voted back at the Haslet-area precinct that matched the license he had at the time, he said.

“I thought that it updated the voter registration when I did the license renewal,” he said. He changed his voter address on March 4 at the Tarrant County Elections Center, a clerk said Thursday.

Jessamy Brown

First elected in 1983, Fort Worth ISD trustee TA Sims files for May 11 election

Tuesday update
The last incumbent with a seat up for election on May 11 has filed. No opponents have filed.

On Tuesday, Dr. Theophlous Aron (T.A.) Sims Sr., a pharmacist, filed paperwork seeking another term representing the board's district 4. Sims, 72, was first elected to the board in 1983.

Monday update:
Dr. Carlos Vasquez has filed for the upcoming Fort Worth school board election, scheduled for May 11.  Vasquez, 45, who listed his occupation as an educator, is seeking another term as the board's district 1 representative.

All incumbents except Dr. Theophlous Aron (T.A.) Sims Sr. have filed to retain their seats on the board. And Sims, in a telephone interview on Monday with the Star-Telegram, confirmed that he intends to run for another term in district 4. He expects to file paperwork this week.

The board of education trustees are elected by voters in each of nine districts and serve as single member district representatives. Trustees serve four year terms and are not paid for their service.

Friday update:

Trustee Norman Robbins, 65, has filed for the May 11 election. Robbins, a senior community relations manager, is seeking another term to represent the board's district 7.

So for those keeping track, incumbents in districts 7, 8 and 9 have filed this week.

Original Post:

Two Fort Worth schools trustees on Wednesday filed paperwork to seek another term on the board.

By mid-afternoon on Wednesday, the opening of the campaign filing season for municipal and school board elections, Juan Rangel, 65, a marketing/management consultant, filed in district 9 and Joe Ralph (J.R.) Martinez, 46, a realtor, filed for district 8.

The Fort Worth school board has nine single member districts. Districts, 1, 4, 7, 8 and 9 are up for election on May 11. Members serve four years.

We'll add more trustee filings as they are posted on the school district's website.

Jessamy Brown

"Our taxpayers value education in Crowley ISD:" Voters OK tax rate hike

Update:

A link to the entire Star-Telegram article from Friday is now available.

Original post:

Crowley school district voters passed a measure Wednesday to raise the property tax rate by 13 cents.

The increase will net the school district an extra $7.6 million in operating money, Star-Telegram staff writer Shirley Jinkins reports.

The new total tax rate will be $1.67 per $100 of property value. An owner of a $135,000 home, the average in the Crowley district, will pay an extra $114 a year in property tax. The tax increase passed by a two-thirds vote in the two-county district.

The total between Tarrant and Johnson County voters was 66.1 percent passing to 33.9 percent against.

Here are more details and FAQs about the Tax Ratification Election.

Shirley Jinkins via Jessamy Brown

 

Texas Sen. Wendy Davis to speak at education rally at Texas capitol on Sat.

UPDATE:

Texas senator Wendy Davis, of Fort Worth, is among the officials on the schedule to address education supporters at Saturday's Save Texas Schools rally in Austin, according to organizers and Davis' spokesman.

Other speakers are:

Rep. Mike Villarreal, San Antonio; Rep. Donna Howard, Austin; Sen. Leticia Van de Putte, San Antonio; John Kuhn, Supt. of Perrin-Whitt schools in North Texas,  Dr. John Folks, Supt. of Northside schools in San Antonio; Thomas Ratliff, Texas State Board of Education; Pastor John Ogletree, First Metropolitan Church, Houston/Cy-Fair schools; Congressman Lloyd Doggett; State LULAC Director Joey Cardenas

The event will include a performance by Austin musican Eliza Gilklyson and the march to the Capitol will be led by the McNeil High School Drum line.

A group from Arlington schools is carpooling to the rally, organizers said.

Original post:

Fearful that lawmakers will slash the Texas public education budget when the legislature meets again next year, the Save Texas Schools coalition is rallying at the capitol on Saturday.

Supporters are organizing carpools to the event, which starts with a march departing from at 12th and Trinity streets in Austin.

Organizers say that they want to demand that legislators and candidates running for seats to prioritize education.

"Why rally when the legislature is not in session?," the group asks on their website.

Here's their answer:

"In 2010, many pro-public education legislators were defeated in their primary elections by candidates who had one mandate, and that was to cut the size of government, including schools. With so few people voting in primaries, it was easy for one interest group to change our whole legislature. We need to do the same in 2012!

"If we can energize supporters of public schools to get out and vote for pro-public education candidates in the upcoming primaries (where 130 of 150 house seats will be determined), we can restore funding to education and prevent further deep cuts in 2013."

In addition to school funding, they're concerned about overtesting, increased tuition costs and dwindling financial aid.

Details: March 24, the march is at 11 a.m., the rally is at noon on south side of state capitol.

Jessamy Brown

 

Fort Worth school trustees file campaign reports

School board members filed the required campaign finance reports this month, which can be found here.

Board vice president Juan Rangel reported no contributions or expenditures, and T.A. Sims did not file a report. Carlos Vasquez, who is running for state representative, reported having $32,000 in outstanding campaign loans.

Ann Sutherland reported $25,900 in outstanding loans and $5,640 in contributions, including donations from Larry Shaw, who runs the United Educators Association, ($1,500) and Linebarger Goggan Blair and Sampson ($1,000). That firm was to get the district's delinquent tax collection contract, but then trustees narrowly voted to rebid the contract yet again after concerns arose about how it was awarded. (That firm and the former delinquent tax collection firm of Perdue, Brackett, Flores, Utt and Burns Joint Venture have both contributed to other trustees previously.) Among her expenditures were $500 to the Texas Ethics Commission for a fine levied against her last year for not reporting in-kind contributions from UEA. In September, Sutherland said the commission assumed incorrectly that she had been made aware of UEA funds spent to support her campaign, but she decided to not to appeal the fine to put the situation behind her. UEA officials had said then that their own reports showing she swore to some expenditures was a mistake and has since been corrected.

Judy Needham spent $1,100 including an $100 donation in October for Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, $250 for State Rep. Mark Shelton, R-Fort Worth and $500 toward the campaign for state comptroller Susan Combs.

Tobi Jackson reported loaning herself $4,045, and Christene Moss reported having $583 in an outstanding campaign loan. Norm Robbins' expenditures included a $250 donation to the campaign for state Sen. Wendy Davis, D-Fort Worth. Former trustee Camillle Rodriguez reported having $92 remaining from her 2008 campaign when she was defeated by Vasquez for the District 1 seat. 

-Eva-Marie Ayala