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In the last few months, Fort Bend ISD school board meetings have felt like reality TV episodes to Karina Anderson.

Anderson, whose son recently graduated from Elkins High School, has watched trustees bicker over the former superintendent’s contentious exit, the current superintendent’s rapid selection and a bond that’s running more than $100 million over budget.

The displays of conflict have left Anderson concerned that Fort Bend leaders are ignoring important issues, like retaining teachers and increasing special education resources. She hopes the upcoming Fort Bend school board elections will bring change to the nearly 80,000-student district.

“There has been a lot of distraction,” said Anderson, a former Fort Bend teacher. “It’s been comical, to say the least.”

For frustrated Fort Bend voters like Anderson, the upcoming May school board elections will, in many ways, serve as a referendum on the community’s feelings about the recent period of turbulence in the district. Two seats on the seven-member board are on the ballot, with early voting starting on April 22 and Election Day set for May 4.

The winning candidates will come onto a board grappling with strained trustee relationships and mixed community opinion about the district’s direction.

The divisions were laid bare in December 2023, when the district’s school board publicly battled over former superintendent Christie Whitbeck’s unexpected exit. Trustees offered conflicting accounts about what led to her sudden retirement. 

Trustee Kristen Malone, who is up for re-election next month, alleged her colleagues illegally coordinated to oust Whitbeck. Board President Judy Dae, who isn’t seeking re-election to her seat next month, and several other trustees accused Malone in Facebook posts of exploiting the issue for political gain. Most trustees have not detailed complaints in public about Whitbeck, though Trustee David Hamilton said Whitbeck wasn’t getting enough academic results.

Then, in January, some community members complained about a lack of board transparency when trustees selected new Superintendent Marc Smith, an abnormally hasty turnaround. Board members didn’t publicly seek community input on their preferences in a superintendent candidate.

Finally, in February, some community members called for more financial transparency after administrators revealed in February that the district’s record-breaking $1.2 billion bond passed in 2023 is already projected to run $133 million over budget, even before many construction projects get underway.

While two seats are up for grabs, the community’s stance on the divisive issues likely will be reflected most in the race for Malone’s seat. The one-term trustee has consistently clashed with many of her fellow board members, most of whom have endorsed one of her three opponents, former Fort Bend trustee Kristen Tassin.

Tassin, Malone take center stage

Tassin, who served as a Fort Bend trustee for six years before losing her re-election bid in 2020, said she would not be running again if the board was functioning well. If re-elected, Tassin pledged to prioritize professionalism, respect among colleagues and pushing for more audits of the district. 

“It feels like right now in Fort Bend, we have a culture problem, and culture starts at the top,” Tassin said. “And so we need a board that is cohesive, we need a board that is working towards consensus.”

In two candidate forums this week, Malone embraced her outspoken role throughout the superintendent shakeup, pitching her actions as a key argument for why voters should trust her. Malone said she’s “at peace” with her actions and will continue to “call it like it is.”

“Even when it’s hard and even when there are sleepless nights over it, I think it is important to have accountability and members on the board who are forthright with information about what’s really happening,” Malone said.

Malone, Tassin and three other candidates in the Position 6 race — Ferrel Bonner, Angel Hicks and Simran Patel — will face an electorate split over the recent tumult.

Missouri City resident Cher Binks fears the board has become “very political” in the last year but thought Malone “stood alone” with her actions during Whitbeck’s exit. 

“She was the only one who said, ‘This is not how we do this,’” Binks said. “That got huge accolades from me.”

Sugar Land resident Brad Moon, a Fort Bend County Republican Party precinct chair, walked into a candidate forum this week as a “strong supporter” of Malone. He hoped to learn more about the candidates’ plans to address finance and bond issues, but he left frustrated by a lack of concrete plans and Malone’s frequent allusions to leadership rifts. 

“The rest of us were all ready to move on,” Moon said. “But she seemed really bitter. She probably lost my support.”

Monitoring the bond

Candidates in both races also face calls for increased financial transparency, particularly in response to the bond overrun.

District administrators have said the bond issues partially stem from construction cost inflation and labor shortages, issues that have driven up expenses in districts throughout the state in recent years. However, they have also claimed an unnamed former employee in Whitbeck’s administration kept the rising costs secret for months. 

District leaders are working to cut construction costs by using cheaper materials and hiring fewer contractors, among other changes. However, they haven’t publicly detailed how they will close the entire shortfall.

Trustees voted in March to order a bond management audit and investigation into the former employee. Malone supported the audit but voted against the probe, citing concerns that the board’s lawyers would conduct a biased investigation.

At this week’s public events, several candidates stressed the need for more clarity on the bond.

“People shouldn’t be having to ask why we’re $133 million over. They should be able to see it,” said Adam Schoof, one of four candidates vying for Dae’s seat. “I think the community is ready for some kind of change.”

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