Southern Denton County residents will head to the polls this spring to decide a plethora of municipal and school board contests.
The Cross Timbers Gazette asked each candidate in a contested race to answer a brief questionnaire to help voters make an informed decision at the polls this May. Election Day is Saturday, May 1, with early voting April 19-27.
On the ballot for the 2021 Northwest ISD General Election are Places 1 and 2 on the Board of Trustees. In Place 1, DeAnne Hatfield is unopposed in her reelection bid, and in Place 2, Mark Schluter is seeking reelection against challenger Kevin Lebanik.
Northwest ISD is also calling a $746 million bond election on May 1 after voters soundly rejected a $986 million bond package in November.
The candidates for Place 2 on the Northwest ISD Board of Trustees are listed in alphabetic order below:
Northwest ISD Place 2 (3-year-term)
Kevin Lebanik, 41
Place of residence: Fort Worth
Occupation: Territory Sales Manager
Education: Cleveland State University
Ohio State University
Public Service: Denton County AgriLife Extension Agency Horticulture Advisory Board
Flower Mound PD Santa Cops
Roanoke Food Pantry
Keep Roanoke Beautiful
Beautiful Feet Ministries
What motivated you to run for this position, and why are you the best choice? I decided to run for School Board to help bring a different perspective. Not one of an educator, administrator or politician but rather a parent. I’m just a Dad who wants the best not just for his family but the district as a whole. As a parent, I know the day to day tasks of getting kids up and going to school, balancing careers and the “end of day routine ”home work, extra curricular activities , winding down from work while trying to protect “ family time”. We have children currently in high school, middle school and elementary. Almost every decision made by NISD directly affects my family. Professionally, I work with my clients budgets( these are not suggestions but hard deadline amounts) to balance achieving desired results within their set parameters. I’m not new to having realistic conversations about where desired results and budget meeting are.
What is your mission statement? To bring the perspective of a parent of current primary, middle school and two high school students to NISD School Board. Not of an educator or administrator but that of a parent. Just a Dad trying to help make a difference.
Candidate Facebook page: facebook.com/Lebanik4NISDSchoolBoard
Email: [email protected]
Mark Schluter, 65
Place of residence: Wise County
Occupation: Director of Transportation and Construction Engineering
Education: BS in Civil Engineering, Texas A&M University
Public Service: Northwest ISD Board of Trustees
City of Rhome Planning and Zoning Commission- Chair
Circle T MUD Board
What motivated you to run for this position, and why are you the best choice?The most important reason that I am running for office is because the future of our country depends on the education of our students. I believe that our students need to be college, career and military ready through a rigorous curriculum and real-world experiences. I have been a part of NISD since I began in elementary school. I have lived through the rapid growth of our district and will continue to strive to provide programs to make our students successful in the real world. My father was a teacher in the District and inspired so many students. I am motivated to be able to give back to the community that has given so much to me through my education, friendships and community support. NISD is one of the fastest growing districts in the State and my experience on the board and as an engineer supporting infrastructure provide me with the insight to contribute to the board’s experience.
What is your mission statement? Our students, parents and staff have been through so much since March 2020 I want to make sure we do everything we can to address our students’ social/emotional needs, and also give our kids the tools they need to succeed. I am hoping for the passage of our bond to continue this challenge while reducing our budget due to State funding cuts.
Email: [email protected]
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