May 2022 Election: Stephen Reyes

What made you want to run for this position?

Education is a huge passion of mine. Running for this position will give me the opportunity to give back to my community, my alma mater, and provide the best learning opportunities for all students in Elgin ISD.

What kind of experience - educational, professional or personal - do you bring to this position?

As a User Experience Designer, it is my job to research and design digital products that solve problems that users face in their everyday lives. Part of my job is to be empathetic and listen to users and their frustrations. However, there are limitations to how I design products, as they must align with my organization’s strategic priorities. An elected school board member must-have qualities such as listening to students, parents, and community and be empathic with their frustrations and concerns. Thus, my experience as a designer has equipped me to serve the Elgin ISD and the Elgin community. 

What do you think is the biggest challenge facing Elgin ISD?

One of the biggest challenges we are facing as a school district is our community's continuing growth. As more and more people and families move to our city, our school district needs to adapt to that growth. 

How do you expect Elgin ISD to adapt as Bastrop County’s population grows? Where do you see the school district in five years?

I expect our school district to expand its portfolio of learning facilities to accommodate the growing population in our school district. With the expected expansion of new campuses, we want to ensure a safe and welcoming learning environment for all students to succeed in our school district, and I see that being accomplished in the next five years.

What is one issue you want to fix or improve if you take office?

One issue we are facing across the country is a teacher shortage. Even though there is a goal to increase teacher retention rate, there is no adequate strategy to lower the turnover rate. It is an issue that will take lots of hands-on research to define and implement a successful strategy.

Why should the voters choose you? What sets you apart from your opponent?

Many of my opponents are running for seats on the school board because they are dissatisfied or disapproved of actions taken by the school board on issues that can be politicized. Education is a passion of mine, and when it comes to any issues, providing the best learning opportunities for our students will always be my priority. It will be an honor to serve my community and my alma mater.