The Texas Comptroller, Glenn Hegar, sent a letter to the Texas Governor Greg Abbott, Lieutenant Dan Patrick, Texas Speaker of the House, Dan Phelan, and members of the 88th Texas Legislature layout out the current state of monies in Texas. To put it simply, Texas has money!
In Texas, public policy begins its journey in legislative committees, with education policy specifically initiated in the Texas House Committee on Public Education and the Texas Senate Committee on Education. Both committees consist of elected representatives dedicated to shaping the future of education in the state.
Education policy is a cornerstone of any state's political landscape, and Texas is no exception. Understanding the stances of the major political parties on K-12 education is crucial for voters looking to make informed decisions. In this post, we delve into a side-by-side comparison of the current party platforms in Texas, sourced directly from the Texas Democratic Party and Texas Republican Party websites.

Texas State Board of Education

The Texas State Board of Education (SBOE) is a governing body responsible for overseeing public education in Texas. It sets educational standards, adopts textbooks, and develops curriculum guidelines for K-12 schools. The SBOE consists of 15 elected members, each representing a specific district, and plays a key role in shaping educational policy and ensuring compliance with state laws. Its decisions impact millions of students and educators across the state.

Resources:

District 1 Gustavo Reveles (D) ** Newly Elected

Address/Contact

2100 George Dieter
P.O. Box 962792
El Paso, TX 79996
(915) 299-8293

Counties

Atascosa, Bandera, Bexar (partial), Brewster, Crockett, Culberson, Dimmit, Edwards, El Paso, Frio, Hudspeth, Jeff Davis, Kimble, Kinney, La Salle, Maverick, Medina, Menard, Pecos, Presidio, Real, Reeves, Schleicher, Sutton, Terrell, Uvalde, Val Verde, Webb, Zapata, Zavala

Resources

  • unavailable

District 2: LJ Francis (R)

Address/Contact

4833 Saratoga Boulevard # 114
Corpus Christi, TX 78413
(361) 502-1442
Email: LJ.Francis@tea.texas.gov

Counties

Aransas, Calhoun, Cameron, Hidalgo (partial), Jackson, Kennedy, Kleberg, Matagorda, Nueces, Refugio, San Patricio, Victoria, Wharton, Willacy

Resources

District 3: Marisa B. Perez-Diaz (D)

Address/Contact

P.O. Box 701342
San Antonio, TX 78270
(210) 294-6140​​​​​​
Email: marisa.perez@sboe.texas.gov

Counties

Bee, Bexar (partial), Brooks, Dewitt, Duval, Goliad, Gonzales, Hidalgo (partial), Jim Hogg, Jim Wells, Karnes, Lavaca, Live Oak, McMullen, Starr, Wilson

Resources

District 4: Staci Childs (D)

Address/Contact

405 Main Street, Suite 450
Houston, Texas 77002
(281) 713-3371
Email: Staci.Childs@tea.texas.gov

Counties

Harris (partial)

Resources

District 5: Rebecca Bell-Metereau (D)

Address/Contact

P.O. Box 425
San Marcos, TX 78666
(512) 665-2157
Email: rebecca.bellmetereau@tea.texas.gov

Counties

Bastrop, Blanco, Caldwell, Guadalupe, Hays, Travis

Resources

District 6: Will Hickman (R)

Address/Contact

1701 N. Congress Ave.
Austin, TX 78701
(512) 463-9007
Email: will.hickman@tea.texas.gov

Counties

Harris (partial), Montgomery (partial)

Resources

District 7: Julie Pickren (R)

Address/Contact

3422 Business Center Dr., Suite 106-7
Pearland, TX 77584
(361) 585-4389
Email: Julie.Pickren@tea.texas.gov

Counties

Brazoria, Chambers, Fort Bend, Galveston, Hardin, Jasper, Jefferson, Liberty, Newton, Orange, Tyler

Resources

District 8: Audrey Young (R)

Address/Contact

P.O. Box 2683
Trinity, TX 75862
(936) 662-4264
Email: audrey.young@tea.texas.gov

Counties

Grimes, Harris (partial), Houston, Montgomery (partial), Polk, San Jacinto, Trinity, Walker, Waller

Resources

District 9: Keven Ellis (R)

Address/Contact

P.O. Box 151453
Lufkin, TX 75915
(512) 710-7915
Email: ellisSBOE@gmail.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/KevenEllisDC

Counties

Angelina, Camp, Cass, Cherokee, Dallas (partial), Franklin, Gregg, Harrison, Kaufman, Marion, Morris, Nacogdoches, Panola, Rains, Rockwall, Rusk, Sabine, San Augustine, Shelby, Smith, Titus, Upshur, Van Zandt, Wood

Resources

District 10: Tom Maynard (R)

Address/Contact

P.O. Box 625
Florence, TX 76527
(512) 763-2801
Fax: (512) 532-9517
Email: tom@maynardfortexas.com

Counties

Anderson, Austin, Bell, Brazos, Burleson, Burnet, Colorado, Comal, Falls, Falls, Fayette, Freestone, Gillespie, Henderson, Kendall, Kerr, Lampasas, Lee, Leon, Limestone, Llano, Madison, Mason, Milam, Robertson, San Saba, Washington, Williamson

Resources

District 11: Brandon Hall (R) ** Newly elected

Address/Contact

1109 Roaring Springs Road
Fort Worth, TX 76114
(817) 732-1786

Counties

Dallas (partial), Hood, Johnson (partial), Parker, Somervell, Tarrant (partial)

Resources

  • unavailable

District 12: Pam Little (R)

Address/Contact

632 Merlot, Fairview, TX 75069
(972) 342-6697
Email: pam.little@tea.texas.gov

Counties

Bowie, Collin, Cooke, Dallas (partial), Delta, Denton (partial), Fannin, Grayson, Hopkins, Hunt, Lamar, Red River

Resources

District 13: Aicha Davis (R)

Address/Contact

P.O. Box 4525, Dallas, TX 75208
(469) 340-3643
Email: Aicha.Davis@tea.texas.gov

Counties

Dallas (partial), Tarrant (partial)

Resources

District 14: Evelyn Brooks (R)

Address/Contact

3245 Main St., Ste. 235-141
Frisco, TX 75034
(972) 322-9780
Email: ebrooks@evelyn4texaseducation.com

Counties

Bosque, Clay, Comanche, Coryell, Dallas (partial), Denton (partial), Eastland, Ellis, Erath, Hamilton, Hill, Jack, Johnson (partial), McLennan, Mills, Montague, Navarro, Palo Pinto, Wise

Resources

District 15: Aaron Kinsey (R)

Address/Contact

P.O. Box 605, Midland, TX 79702
(325) 238-6050
Email: aaron.kinsey@tea.texas.gov

Counties

Andrews, Archer, Armstrong, Bailey, Baylor, Borden, Briscoe, Brown, Callahan, Carson, Castro, Childress, Cochran, Coke, Coleman, Collingsworth, Concho, Cottle, Crane, Crosby, Dallam, Dawson, Deaf Smith, Dickens, Donley, Ector, Fisher, Floyd, Foard, Gaines, Garza, Glasscock, Gray, Hale, Hall, Hansford, Hardeman, Hartley, Haskell, Hemphill, Hockley, Howard, Hutchinson, Irion, Jones, Kent, King, Knox, Lamb, Lipscomb, Loving, Lubbock, Lynn, Martin, McCulloch, Midland, Mitchell, Moore, Motley, Nolan, Ochiltree, Oldham, Parmer, Potter, Randall, Reagan, Roberts, Runnels, Scurry, Shackelford, Sherman, Stephens, Sterling, Stonewall, Swisher, Taylor, Terry, Throckmorton, Tom Green, Upton, Ward, Wheeler, Wichita, Wilbarger, Winkler, Yoakum, Young

Resources

Relating to the creation of the office of inspector general at the Texas Education Agency to investigate complaints by parents of children enrolled in public school.
Relating to the participation by non-enrolled students in University Interscholastic League-sponsored activities.
Proposing a constitutional amendment establishing a parent's right to direct the education of the parent's child.
Relating to the enforcement of the prohibition on passing a school bus using images and video from a school bus infraction detection system.
Relating to the establishment of an ombudsman for parents of children enrolled in public school.