Election results show one incumbent winning in Tarrant County College races
Four seats are up for grabs in the Tarrant County College District.
Trustee positions in Districts 1, 2, 3 and 5 are up for grabs, with some candidates running to end what they call “liberal indoctrination” in the college district.
The board will have to manage a $825 million bond approved in 2019 and adjust to the revenue lost during the coronavirus pandemic.
Results below show results including early votes and 168 of the 173 precincts.
District 1
In District 1, incumbent Teresa M Ayala earned 78% of early votes while Jeremy Sixtos trailed with 22%.
Ayala, 55, has served on the board since 2015 and is a TCC alumna. She is a contract specialist and lives in Fort Worth. Her district covers Saginaw, downtown Fort Worth and the city’s north and south sides.
Ayala told the Star-Telegram her focuses are student retention and student access, recovering revenue lost during the pandemic and keeping low-cost programs and certifications intact as the student population grows.
Her three priorities are to broaden access for dual credit programs for high school students, bolster job training and career technical education, and establishing a dedicated community college vocational training program.
Sixtos, 23, also a TCC alumnus. He works in IT support, according to his campaign filing.
District 2
The race for District 2 saw Shannon Wood ahead of incumbent Conrad C. Heede in early votes, 67% to 33%.
Heede, 79, has served on the board since 2011. He works in real estate and lives in Colleyville. His district covers Richland Hills, Bedford, Grapevine, Colleyville, Keller, Southlake, Westlake, and parts of Hurst and Euless.
Heede said the biggest challenges facing his district is the management of the $825 million bond, propelling students into well-paying jobs with the college’s Pathways Program and to continue partnering with surrounding business and school districts to provide students more opportunities.
His three priorities include using the bond to build/renovate buildings to be energy-efficient, sustainable, technologically advanced and adaptable to last more than 50 years, eliminate disparities in access to education and fully implement the college’s philosophy of serving its community and students.
District 3
Jeannie Deakyne leads Stephen Chacko in early voting results, 75% to 25%.
Incumbent Dianne Patrick will not seek re-election in the district covering central and north Arlington and parts of Euless. She was appointed to the board in 2016 and elected in 2017.
Chacko, 47, is an investor, according to his campaign filing.
Deakyne, 45, said on her Facebook page that her years working with Arlington schools give her the know-how to “ensure that your tax dollars will help equip facilities, create workforce solutions, and deliver innovative programs accessible by all learners throughout the six-campus Tarrant County College District.”
District 5
About 37.19% of early voters in south Arlington and in Mansfield gave their nod of approval to Shannon R. McCullouch. Incumbent Leonard Hornsby with 31.44% and Christi Clanton followed with 31.37%.
Hornsby has been in office since his appointment this year. He is a minister and executive pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church in Mansfield. The district covers south Arlington and Mansfield.
Hornsby, 68, said the biggest challenges facing the district are upgrading the campuses, ensuring students receive the best education possible at an affordable rate and giving students the skills needed to become gainfully employed.
His priorities are building energy efficient buildings, establishing close partnership with businesses to develop programs to upgrade and develop a skilled workforce and supporting faculty to develop innovative means of delivering instruction.
Clanton, 28, and Sherry McCullouch, 51 are challenging Hornsby for the seat.
Clanton, a consultant, said on her Facebook page that her priorities are allocating tax dollars wisely and eliminating wasteful spending, preparing students for technical careers and jobs, and to “stand up to the progressive liberal agenda that has been ravaging our education systems for far too long.”
This story was originally published May 1, 2021 at 7:31 PM.