Compare SBISD Trustee Candidates On Issues

These are positions found online about the Trustee candidates’ positions on issues.

POSITION 5:

Jennifer Hyland, Trustee Candidate, Position 5

Jennifer Hyland’s position on SBISD issues can be found on her website:

• Literacy for All: Building Strong Foundations. Advocate for evidence-based reading instruction, high-quality materials, early intervention, expanded dyslexia support, and improved transparency in 504 and Special Education services.
• Student Outcomes: Prioritizing Academic Excellence. Focus on measurable student growth, close achievement gaps, and foster a college and career-ready culture for all students.
• Fiscal Responsibility: Smart Spending for Students. Ensure efficient use of taxpayer dollars, prioritize data-driven budgeting, and promote long-term financial sustainability.
• Transparency and Communication: Open and Honest Leadership. Increase transparency in decision-making, ensure clear data on student performance and spending, and actively support teachers by fostering collaboration between educators, families, and district leadership.

Diana Martinez Alexander, Trustee Candidate, Position 5

We have been unable to find any specific SBISD issues on Diana Martinez Alexander’s website. Her website appears to be dedicated to her 2022 candidacy for Texas’ 38th Congressional District election.

In a recent Facebook post, she posted “We can do that on our school board too, embracing the Core Values (Every Child, Collective Greatness, Moral Compass, Collaborative Spirit, Limitless Curiosity), and work authentically to implement them through our budget and policies.”

In a recent Bluesky post, she posted:

On her YouTube channel, Diana Martinez Alexander described how to be involved in financial protests, physical protests and other actions in Houston. Alexander acknowledged that the next protest is “when you organize it.” On Valentine’s Day, she and others protested vouchers outside of Lacy Hull’s office building.

POSITION 6:

Walker Agnew, Jr. – Trustee Candidate, Position 6

Walker Agnew, Jr.’s position on SBISD issues can be found on his website:

• Prioritize Academic Excellence. Our job is to prepare Spring Branch ISD students for future success, whether that’s in college, the work force, trade school, or the military. It’s vital that we ensure high academic standards are set to push our kids to their highest potential and remain a top-tier district. The continued expansion of career technology education (CTE) and improvements to our literacy curricula are essential.
• Engage the Community. With well over 30,000 students, timely, accurate, and transparent communication is critical. Parents need a reliable avenue to raise and address concerns, and our community should be able to provide feedback on future facilities planning and upgrades. Campus safety can be further improved through relationships with our campus police officers and community stakeholders.
• Focus on Fiscal Responsibility. Fiscal responsibility and transparency are key to maintaining the community’s trust. As we advocate for additional funding from the state and explore additional revenue sources, we must ensure taxpayer dollars are used effectively and efficiently. We need to look down the road to strategically plan out long-term projects to avoid cutting programs which benefit our students.

David Enrique López – Trustee Candidate, Position 6

We have been unable to find a website for David Enrique López.

In Facebook posts, he stated:

“While I appreciate the sentiment of recognizing board members’ time, it’s important to reflect on actions, not just words. The current SBISD Board has done far more to erode trust than to build a brighter future. Their decisions to shutter beloved schools, dismiss community voices, ostracize LGBTQ+ students, ban books, censor teachers, and over-police Black and Brown students point to an agenda that prioritizes division and exclusion over the safety and well-being of “Every Child”. Leadership should unite and uplift a community, not politicize it to push extreme agendas.”

In a 2023 article about having more diversity on the SBISD Board, Lopez is described as seeking to provide more representation on the SBISD Board for residents living on the north side of I-10, stating that there are “disparities between schools south of I-10 and north of I-10.” The article states that Lopez had two prior unsuccessful attempts at running for SBISD Board. Lopez sees the removal of LGBTQ and pride-related items — mostly rainbow flags — from classrooms as “losses” and just another reason why a lot of people in our community “would give up”.

David Lopez testified in the trial of a federal lawsuit filed against SBISD, its Board of Trustees, and others. The lawsuit seeks to change SBISD to a single-member district, similar to Houston ISD. Lopez testified in support of single-member district elections instead of an “at-large” elections for SBISD Trustees.

J. Steven Smelley – Trustee Candidate, Position 6

We have been unable to find his position on any specific SBISD issues on J. Steven Smelley’s website.

POSITION 7:

Caroline H. Bennett – Trustee Candidate, Position 7 (Incumbent)

Caroline H. Bennett’s position on SBISD issues can be found on her website:

• Committed to academic excellence for ALL STUDENTS in SBISD. I feel strongly that all of our children should be valued and treated with respect. From Special Education to Advanced Placement classes, we should be providing our children with the academic resources they need to succeed upon graduation. Whether they choose to go to college, enlist in the military, or attend a trade school, I will ensure our students have the tools to achieve success!
• Put the focus back on reading, writing, math, and science, not politically charged programs and curriculums. Basing curriculum decisions on politics is wrong and hurtful to our children. I do not support bringing. CRT into the classroom. I will work to ensure teachers and administration focus on reading, writing, math, and science.
• Attract, develop, and retain the best teachers in the state. Qualified teachers are essential to providing a strong academic foundation for our students. I will work to bring the best talent to SBISD. As a former teacher, I understand the needs of faculty and what tools and benefits they need to make their careers in SBISD fruitful and enjoyable. SBISD Board of Trustees is a partner with our teachers, faculty, and administration. I will encourage a partnership based on trust and excellence.
• Restore trust and transparency on the school board and welcome community participation and build positive relationships with all stake-holders. The Board of Trustees has the privilege of educating the children of SBISD and the job should be taken seriously. Parents need to know exactly how the Board is making decisions, how they are voting, and what information they are using while making these decisions. I promise the utmost transparency so that parents and other voters within SBSID can trust the judgement of the Board.
• Will preserve and protect SBISD’s at-large voting system. I am adamantly opposed to single-member districts. SBISD has been a success because we are a unified district. Each taxpaying, registered voter within SBISD has the honor to vote for each SBISD Board of Trustees. That should remain. By moving to single-member districts, our families and communities will lose the connection to each and all Board members, and the Board members will lose their accountability to the district as a whole. I will strongly preserve and protect our at-large voting system.

Patricia Cabrera – Trustee Candidate, Position 7

We have been unable to find a website for Patricia Cabrera.

A 2023 article about having more diversity on the SBISD Board, describes Patricia Cabrera’s dream that the attention to students on the north side (of I-10) will improve by having somebody on the board who shared experiences with them, saying “You have to provide role models for (students), people who have made it through.”

Patricia Cabrera testified in the trial of a federal lawsuit filed against SBISD, its Board of Trustees, and others. The lawsuit seeks to change SBISD to a single-member district, similar to Houston ISD. Cabrera testified in support of single-member district elections instead of an “at-large” elections for SBISD Trustees.

Juan Jose Reyes – Trustee Candidate, Position 7

Juan Jose Reyes’ position on SBISD issues can be found on his website:

• Elevating Every Student, Strengthening Our Schools. I’m Juan Jose Reyes, and I’m running for the SBISD Board of Trustees because every child deserves an excellent education—no exceptions, no second-class students. Our public schools must elevate all students, ensuring they have the resources and opportunities to succeed.
• Transparency and accountability are non-negotiable. Families, teachers, and taxpayers deserve clear communication and responsible decision-making from our district leadership. I will advocate for an open, honest approach to governance.
• Our resources must serve our students first. I will prioritize academic excellence by ensuring district funds are spent wisely—on classrooms, teachers, and student success.
• Together, we can build a stronger SBISD that works for all students. I ask for your support to make this vision a reality.
• Juan Jose Reyes for SBISD Board of Trustees – No Child Left Behind.

We suggest you do your own investigation into the positions of the candidates on issues.