3 seek seat in sprawling Fort Worth school board district. Here’s our recommendation | Opinion
Three results-oriented candidates are running for the District 5 seat on the Fort Worth school board. Incumbent Carin “CJ” Evans, seeking a second term, has a slight edge based on experience and know-how.
What the school board needs more than anything is some quiet consistency, and Evans, a 45-year-old attorney, has been an effective member on an improving panel. She understands the district’s need to bolster academic achievement even while dealing with a budget deficit. Her focus on fiscal responsibility will be crucial going forward, though she also knows trustees can’t micromanage FWISD.
Evans has balanced representing perhaps the most varied board district, one that sprawls from Lake Worth to Benbrook Lake. Tanglewood Elementary and its highly engaged parents demand attention, but Evans understands other schools in the district, which includes Arlington Heights High, need extra help.
In our interview with the candidates, she advocated expanding Saturday school, which has helped make a dent in COVID learning setbacks. That’s the kind of push the district needs to get more children on track.
Candidate Kevin Lynch, a 42-year-old corporate accounts manager for a healthcare company, would bring a watchdog’s eye to the district’s academic performance. But he didn’t offer much contrast with Evans, other than an interesting pledge not to run for a second term if student outcomes don’t improve.
Josh Yoder shows that he has dug deeply into district operations and would ask tough questions. But there’s a fine line between raising issues and meddling deep in the weeds, and we’re not sure Yoder, a 35-year-old financial services firm manager, would walk it.
We’ve frequently questioned the district’s performance and accountability, and sometimes, new board members are needed to shake things up. But right now, the FWISD board needs stability and consistency after so much recent turnover, especially with Superintendent Angélica Ramsey’s ambitious plans to redesign and refocus the district administration. Evans will be a key part of that support.
Trustees are elected to four-year terms, for which they are not paid. Early voting begins April 24 and ends May 2. Election Day is May 6. If no candidate receives an outright majority, a runoff between the top two finishers will be scheduled.
BEHIND THE STORY
MOREHey, who is behind these endorsements?
Members of the Editorial Board, which serves as the Fort Worth Star-Telegram’s institutional voice, decide candidates and positions to recommend to voters. The members of the board are: Cynthia M. Allen, columnist; Steve Coffman, editor and president; Bud Kennedy, columnist; Ryan J. Rusak, opinion editor; and Nicole Russell, opinion writer.
Members of our Community Advisory Board may also participate in candidate interviews and offer their views, but they do not vote on which candidate to recommend.
Read more by clicking the arrow in the upper right.
How does the process work?
The Editorial Board interviews candidates, asking about positions on issues, experience and qualifications, and how they would approach holding the office for which they are running. Board members do additional research on candidates’ backgrounds and the issues at hand. After that, members discuss the candidates and generally aim to arrive at a consensus, though not necessarily unanimity. All members contribute observations and ideas, so the resulting editorials represent the board’s view, not a particular writer.
How do partisanship and ideology factor in?
We’re not tied to one party or the other, and our positions on issues range across the ideological spectrum. We tend to prefer candidates who align with our previously stated positions, but qualifications, temperament and experience are important, too.
This story was originally published April 8, 2023 at 5:32 AM.