Pol. Adv. paid for by Texas Freedom Network.
A lot of folks might feel overwhelmed or even powerless in the face of the seemingly constant stream of corruption, lies, incompetence, and cruelty in Texas politics right now. But what if we told you there’s a way for you to make an out-sized, positive impact on your community, with minimal effort? We’ve got three words for you: School. Board. Elections.
We get it–school board elections aren’t as “sexy” as presidential or senate races, and heck, they’re often near the bottom of the ballot where it’s easy to forget about them. But if you haven’t heard, local school boards are now on the front lines of a push by far-right extremists to control everything from what bathrooms our children can use to what they can learn in science class. Your vote this November can go a long way towards pushing back.
“The school boards are the key that picks the lock.”
It wasn’t always this way. Texas school board races are supposed to be nonpartisan, and used to be fairly straightforward, low-budget affairs focused on local issues related to managing districts and improving educational outcomes. All that began to change in 2021 when political action committees funded by pro-voucher billionaires began pumping over a million dollars into school board races across the state, especially in races near Dallas and Houston. Their ultraconservative candidates, who often ran on anti-“critical race theory” (CRT) fervor in white-majority districts, were successful more often than not, and took control of multiple school boards.
These new, PAC-backed, extreme-conservative majorities began to flex their muscles by passing all manner of discriminatory policies, like requiring transgender students to use the bathroom that corresponds to their sex assigned at birth and directing teachers to not “promote” the use of pronouns inconsistent with a student’s birth certificate.
This was the case in Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District, Texas’ third largest school district, and the largest to be taken over by far-right trustees. In 2021, Natalie Blasingame won her spot on the Cy-Fair board with funding from the Conservative Republicans of Harris County, running on an anti-CRT platform and the premise that the community had “lost faith in the district to educate and not indoctrinate our kids.” The same year, Scott Henry and Lucas Scanlon won their seats with funding from the Conservative Republicans of Harris County and Texans for Educational Freedom, a PAC whose website rails against “radical indoctrination, anti-American curriculum, sexually explicit materials, and Marxist teachings.” They were joined on the board by three more conservatives in 2023, after Ted Cruz and other Republican politicians threw their weight behind the candidates. The far-right takeover of Cy-Fair was complete, and the trustees got to work.
The consequences of bad board members
They passed a measure in May of 2024, over the recommendation of their superintendent, to eliminate more than a dozen chapters from five digital books that had already been approved by the conservative-controlled State Board of Education. Blasingame initially brought the measure to the board, complaining that chapters discussing “vaccines and polio” were inappropriate, as were chapters in a textbook for aspiring teachers that discussed understanding and educating diverse learners. One would think that a chapter on how to educate diverse learners would be welcome in a district where 80% of students are Black, Latine, or Asian.
While cutting chapters from books, they also cut the number of librarians in the district by more than half, leaving some elementary school libraries open only one day a week. But they didn’t just cut things out; they added, too. There will be two new Bible-focused electives for the 2025-2026 school year. New library policies made it easier for parents to challenge books and other materials in school libraries and control what books their own children can access. And as of January of this year, there is a new policy stating schools must notify parents when their child asks to use a pronoun not matching their sex assigned at birth. Parents would be able to sign a form asking that the school accommodate such pronoun use, but teachers and staff can request that they be allowed to misgender children anyway on the grounds of exercising their “sincerely held beliefs.”
Texas Freedom Network and our partners called on the board of trustees to reject the policy, as did many community members. Sadly, it passed on a 5-1 vote.
Here’s where the hope comes in…
What if that lone voice of reason had three other trustees on the board who put children’s welfare above political pandering? With exactly three seats up for election this November, there’s an exciting opportunity to make that a reality and flip control of the Cy-Fair ISD Board of Trustees!
TFN is proud to endorse Lesley Guilmart, Cleveland Lane, Jr., and Kendra Camarena. All three candidates have vowed to put kids over politics and oppose book bans. Let’s take a look at their races.
Position 5: Lesley Guilmart
Lesley Guilmart is a longtime educator and advocate for public schools with over 20 years of experience in education. She has served as a high school English teacher, instructional coach, administrator, and teacher certification officer. Guilmart also leads Cypress Families for Public Schools, a nonprofit dedicated to uniting the community behind the district, and is the parent of two current CFISD students. Here are Guilmart’s key focus areas:
- Ensure safe campuses, restore librarians, support teachers with pay and respect;
- Make strategic financial decisions that prioritize student safety and success;
- Advocate for full support for public schools and equitable state funding;
- Uphold separation of church and state in curriculum and programming;
- Foster transparent, accountable board practices that value all community input.
Position 6: Dr. Cleveland Lane, Jr.
This one is spicy. In an unusual move, Blasingame, who currently occupies Position 5, decided to run against fellow incumbent Henry for his position instead of running to keep her own seat. Reporting indicates the Harris County Republican Party had decided not to endorse Henry, and that some claimed he was not conservative enough. Blasingame has highlighted his failure to support her effort to create personnel and volunteer positions for chaplains in the district.
The infighting took a telenovela-type turn when Blasingame secretly recorded a conversation with the wife of fellow trustee Lucas Scanlon. A close friend of Blasingame then threatened to release the recording if Scanlon’s wife did not take down a social media post announcing her support for Henry over Blasingame.
Luckily for the students of Cy-Fair, there is a candidate in the race who is more concerned with the education and welfare of Cy-Fair students than creating political drama. Dr. Cleveland Lane, Jr. is a current Cy-Fair parent and an associate professor at Prairie View A&M. He brings over 25 years of teaching and administration experience to the school board race, and vows to:
- Support rigorous academic standards and ensure students of all backgrounds have access to the tools and support they need to succeed;
- Champion competitive pay, professional development, and a positive work environment that uplifts teachers, paraprofessionals, and support staff across the district;
- Prioritize transparency, accessibility, and open dialogue.
Position 7: Kendra Camarena
Kendra Camarena has spent over 20 years as an educator, serves on the board of a local community organization, and is a parent of a current CFISD student. She would like to be known for listening thoughtfully, advocating strongly, and creating an environment where educators feel supported, parents know their voices are valued, and students are given every opportunity to thrive. Her priorities include:
- Investing our tax dollars wisely to prioritize safety and strengthen the schools our children rely on;
- Focusing on student success by closing
opportunity gaps and supporting every learner; - Creating safe, welcoming schools where all
children feel seen, valued, and supported; - Listening to and lifting up our teachers, cafeteria workers, custodians, bus drivers, counselors, administrators, staff, and families.
What if I’m not in Cy-Fair?
Anyone, anywhere can donate and even volunteer for candidates in the Cy-Fair school board race. It is one of the best opportunities we have in Texas to flip control of a school board away from far-right extremists.
You can also make a difference where you live. Seven other school districts are holding school board elections this November: Aldine, Alief, Houston, Klein, Lake Worth, Lewisville, and Spring. One of the most exciting things about this November’s school board elections is that they are coming on the heels of May elections that saw voters reject the majority of far-right school board candidates across the state. November could very well bring about the same course-correction toward teaching the truth, especially if we stay engaged in our local elections and encourage our friends and family to stay engaged, too.
Why school board races should be a priority when you vote
All elections are important, of course. But local elections for positions like school board trustees often affect our daily lives in more direct and concrete ways than larger, national offices. They are critical, yet often have low participation, especially when not held at the same time as those “bigger races.” In smaller races with lower turnout, your single vote has even more power since the margins are so small. Only 17.47% of eligible voters cast ballots in the election that decided the 2023 Cy-Fair trustee positions; the difference between the winners and the unsuccessful challengers ranged from just 1,168-3,084 votes.
All children–no matter what school district they live in, their race, or their identity–deserve a high-quality education in a safe and welcoming environment that respects and values them. Whether your next school board election is this November or next year, commit to voting in it and all your other races, and encourage others to vote, as well!
Make your plan to get to the polls today.
