• 2021 CEEDS DSISD SCHOOL BOARD CANDIDATE SURVEY
    Part 1 - Rapid Fire Questions
    Section 1

     

    For Part 1 of our 2021 Survey, candidates were only given the option of responding "Yes," "No," or "Don't Know/Refused."

    As communicated to candidates, Part 1 - Section 1 questions will be evaluated throughout the entirety of our rating and endorsement processes.


    Question 1

    Should the current DSISD School Board do more to prioritize fiscal responsibility?

    YES

    • Kay Kizziar
    • Lynn Henson
    • Stephanie Holtzendorf
    • Tricia Quintero
    • Stefani Reinold
    • Jeffrey Aylstock

    NO

    Don't Know/Refused

    Did Not Respond

    • Shannon O'Connor
    • Mary Jane Hetrick
    • Thaddeus Fortenberry
  • Question 2

    Are you satisfied with the current level of transparency of and by the current DSISD School Board?

    YES

    NO

    • Kay Kizziar
    • Lynn Henson
    • Stephanie Holtzendorf
    • Tricia Quintero
    • Stefani Reinold
    • Jeffrey Aylstock

    Don't Know/Refused

    Did Not Respond

    • Shannon O'Connor
    • Mary Jane Hetrick
    • Thaddeus Fortenberry
  • Question 3

    Do you believe the current DSISD School Board is sufficiently attentive and responsive to and their actions representative of the beliefs, values, and opinions (i.e., accountable) of their ultimate bosses—the voters and taxpayers of the DSISD Community?

    YES

    NO

    • Kay Kizziar
    • Lynn Henson
    • Stephanie Holtzendorf
    • Tricia Quintero
    • Stefani Reinold
    • Jeffrey Aylstock

    Don't Know/Refused

    Did Not Respond

    • Shannon O'Connor
    • Mary Jane Hetrick
    • Thaddeus Fortenberry
  • Question 4

    Regardless of the TAX RATE, if a School Board Member votes to enact a budget that results in a DSISD tax bill for a property that is higher than that property's bill in the preceding year, did that School Board Member vote to “increase taxes” on that property?

    YES

    • Lynn Henson
    • Stephanie Holtzendorf
    • Tricia Quintero
    • Stefani Reinold
    • Jeffrey Aylstock

    NO

    • Kay Kizziar

    Don't Know/Refused

    Did Not Respond

    • Shannon O'Connor
    • Mary Jane Hetrick
    • Thaddeus Fortenberry
  • Question 5

    According to DSISD’s 2020-2021 Official Budget, DSISD’s total current bond debt obligations (principal + interest) are $470,930,730 (nearly one-half billion dollars), resulting a per-student debt obligation of $61,191.

     

    Recognizing that both of these debt rankings are higher than 95% of Texas school districts, according to our analysis of the Texas Comptroller’s latest Texas ISD debt data—should the DSISD School Board prioritize spending restraint and work to identify all possible opportunities for cost savings across all future bond propositions?

    YES

    • Kay Kizziar
    • Lynn Henson
    • Stephanie Holtzendorf
    • Tricia Quintero
    • Stefani Reinold
    • Jeffrey Aylstock

    NO

    Don't Know/Refused

    Did Not Respond

    • Shannon O'Connor
    • Mary Jane Hetrick
    • Thaddeus Fortenberry
  • Question 6

    As a DSISD School Board Member, would you oppose raising the Interest and Sinking (I&S) TAX RATE in order to increase DSISD's borrowing/bonding capacity that would allow for an increase in the overall dollar amount of future bond propositions?

     

    Remember, the I&S Tax Rate is not subject to 2019 Legislature's House Bill 3’s 2.5% Maintenance and Operations (M&O) Tax Cap, meaning that if the value of a property increases year to year (YTY), the property’s I&S taxes and DSISD's revenues will also increase by an equivalent amount, unless the I&S Tax Rate is lowered. Raising the TAX RATE would further accelerate those YTY tax increases.

    YES

    • Kay Kizziar
    • Stephanie Holtzendorf
    • Tricia Quintero
    • Stefani Reinold
    • Jeffrey Aylstock

    NO

    • Lynn Henson

    Don't Know/Refused

    Did Not Respond

    • Shannon O'Connor
    • Mary Jane Hetrick
    • Thaddeus Fortenberry
  • Question 7

    The $132 million May 2018 Bond was the most expensive in DSISD History. DSISD’s next bond is planned to be even larger. In a media interview regarding the 2018 Bond, former Superintendent Gearing put a price tag of $400 million on DSISD’s next bond.

    To increase accountability, should the DSISD School Board only present several smaller project-specific bond propositions to voters instead of one large (possibly $400 million) omnibus bond, so that voters themselves can decide which components/projects they are actually willing or able to pay for?

    Please note that having multiple propositions is a common practice. For instance,
    Hays CISD’s 2021 Bond calls for six different bond propositions.

    YES

    • Kay Kizziar
    • Lynn Henson
    • Stephanie Holtzendorf
    • Tricia Quintero
    • Stefani Reinold
    • Jeffrey Aylstock

    NO

    Don't Know/Refused

    Did Not Respond

    • Shannon O'Connor
    • Mary Jane Hetrick
    • Thaddeus Fortenberry
  • Question 8

    DSISD's $132 million 2018 Bond allegedly passed by just 1% of the vote, a razor-thin majority, and only after the School Board approved spending nearly one-half million dollars on attorneys fees to uphold Hays County Elections' certified vote totals, even after both DSISD and Hays County Elections officials admitted to many mistakes and maladministration of the election and its recount while under oath.

    There are several bond proposition-related bills currently being considered by the 2021 Texas Legislature, including at least
    one requiring future bond propositions to receive a super-majority of the vote.

    Do you believe future bond propositions should be required to receive a super-majority of community support before indebting the entire community?

    YES

    • Kay Kizziar
    • Stephanie Holtzendorf
    • Tricia Quintero
    • Stefani Reinold

    NO

    • Lynn Henson
    • Jeffrey Aylstock

    Don't Know/Refused

    Did Not Respond

    • Shannon O'Connor
    • Mary Jane Hetrick
    • Thaddeus Fortenberry
  • Question 9

    To ensure our community's tax dollars are spent efficiently and effectively, would you support moving DSISD to, or incorporating components of, modified zero-based or performance-based budgeting, instead of the current practices of (primarily) line-item and (secondarily) program-based budgeting?

     

    If you are unfamiliar, some information on these budget practices can be found here.

    YES

    • Stephanie Holtzendorf
    • Tricia Quintero
    • Stefani Reinold
    • Jeffrey Aylstock

    NO

    • Kay Kizziar

    Don't Know/Refused

    • Lynn Henson

    Did Not Respond

    • Shannon O'Connor
    • Mary Jane Hetrick
    • Thaddeus Fortenberry
  • Question 10

    To ensure our community's tax dollars are spent efficiently and effectively, would you support an independent, third-party efficiency audit of Dripping Springs ISD's finances?

    If you are unfamiliar,
    here is some information on efficiency audits.

    YES

    • Lynn Henson
    • Stephanie Holtzendorf
    • Tricia Quintero
    • Stefani Reinold
    • Jeffrey Aylstock

    NO

    • Kay Kizziar

    Don't Know/Refused

    Did Not Respond

    • Shannon O'Connor
    • Mary Jane Hetrick
    • Thaddeus Fortenberry
  • Question 11

    Less than one month prior to the start of the 2019 school year, DSISD’s last long-term superintendent resigned outside of his contractual window for doing so. The School Board voted to accept his resignation and apparently without penalty, even though they had no contractual obligation to do so.

    And then they did so again with his permanent, albeit short-term, superintendent replacement (even though it appeared the Board may have been pushing him out).

    As a result of that first vote that set off a disruptive chain of events, the District is now preparing for its FIFTH superintendent in less than THREE years.

    As a DSISD Board Member, would you vote to accept the resignation of a permanent superintendent outside of their contractually-permitted resignation window?

    YES

    NO

    • Kay Kizziar
    • Stephanie Holtzendorf
    • Tricia Quintero
    • Jeffrey Aylstock

    Don't Know/Refused

    • Lynn Henson
    • Stefani Reinold

    Did Not Respond

    • Shannon O'Connor
    • Mary Jane Hetrick
    • Thaddeus Fortenberry
  • Question 12

    Prior to 2019, the DSISD School Board allowed two public comment opportunities at Board Meetings with one near the beginning of the meeting and one near the end—and only required public comment forms to be submitted prior to the Board moving onto the agenda item following public comment.

    The School Board then began requiring public comment forms to be submitted prior to the start of the meeting (usually meaning a 30 minute to an hour+ wait until public comment as Board Meetings begin with various awards, acknowledgements, and presentations) and then during the COVID-19 pandemic began requiring public comment to be submitted at least 3 hours prior to the start of the 6 PM meeting.

    Is it appropriate for the current DSISD School Board's latest public comment policies to prioritize bureaucratic ease instead of maximizing opportunities for public participation, and as a DSISD Board Member would you support a continuation of the Board's current public comment policies?

    YES

    NO

    • Kay Kizziar
    • Lynn Henson
    • Stephanie Holtzendorf
    • Tricia Quintero
    • Stefani Reinold
    • Jeffrey Aylstock

    Don't Know/Refused

    Did Not Respond

    • Shannon O'Connor
    • Mary Jane Hetrick
    • Thaddeus Fortenberry
  • Question 13

    During the height of the initial COVID-19 pandemic panic in March 2020, the DSISD School Board transferred significant portions of their powers and oversight to DSISD’s superintendent, an unelected bureaucrat.
    Those powers/that resolution remained in place for over four months.

    Recognizing that this was a slow-motion pandemic and that neither the pandemic nor the Governor’s state of emergency provided any meaningful impediments to the Board continuing to meet remotely, was it appropriate for the Board to have transferred many of their powers to the superintendent for such an extended period of time?

    YES

    NO

    • Kay Kizziar
    • Lynn Henson
    • Stephanie Holtzendorf
    • Tricia Quintero
    • Stefani Reinold
    • Jeffrey Aylstock

    Don't Know/Refused

    Did Not Respond

    • Shannon O'Connor
    • Mary Jane Hetrick
    • Thaddeus Fortenberry
  • Section 2

     

    As communicated to candidates, the following Part 1 - Section 2 questions are for transparency purposes only as community feedback indicated these are among voters' top issues for this 2021 DSISD School Board Election.

    A response of either a "yes" or "no" will have a positive impact on candidates' Transparency Ratings, while a response of "don't know/refused" or not responding at all ("did not respond") will have a negative impact on candidates' Transparency Ratings.

    Again, CEEDS will not be using the following questions to determine candidate endorsements or support beyond any impact on Transparency Ratings as specified above.

     

    Question 14

    As a DSISD School Board Member, will you be committed to maintaining and ensuring adequate resources—or even expanding and increasing—DSISD's personalized learning options (e.g., CTE/SpEd/Special Services/Gifted and Talented/AP/Dual College Enrollment/International Baccalaureate/College Prep/Fine Arts/STEM/Etc)?

    YES

    • Kay Kizziar
    • Lynn Henson
    • Stephanie Holtzendorf
    • Tricia Quintero
    • Stefani Reinold
    • Jeffrey Aylstock

    NO

    Don't Know/Refused

    Did Not Respond

    • Shannon O'Connor
    • Mary Jane Hetrick
    • Thaddeus Fortenberry
  • Question 15

    Leander ISD just committed to a permanent remote/virtual-learning option for high school students.

    Do you oppose offering a permanent remote/virtual-learning option for DSISD students?

    YES

    • Lynn Henson
    • Jeffrey Aylstock

    NO

    • Kay Kizziar
    • Stephanie Holtzendorf
    • Tricia Quintero

    Don't Know/Refused

    • Stefani Reinold

    Did Not Respond

    • Shannon O'Connor
    • Mary Jane Hetrick
    • Thaddeus Fortenberry
  • Question 16

    Should all DSISD students have the option to learn from and be tested using printed materials (e.g., textbooks, print outs, paper materials, pens and pencils, etc.) instead of being required to use electronic devices?

    YES

    • Kay Kizziar
    • Lynn Henson
    • Stephanie Holtzendorf
    • Tricia Quintero
    • Stefani Reinold

    NO

    Don't Know/Refused

    • Jeffrey Aylstock

    Did Not Respond

    • Shannon O'Connor
    • Mary Jane Hetrick
    • Thaddeus Fortenberry
  • Question 17

    The for-profit data-mining of education technology (EdTech) providers has been described as a modern gold rush and the FBI even warned in 2019 that the vast troves of data collected by EdTech companies “present unique exploitation opportunities for criminals.”

     

    As a DSISD School Board Member, will you ensure that any EdTech contracts:
    1) limit the collection and prevent the monetization of DSISD student data,
    2) that students or their parents rather than DSISD or private corporations maintain ownership and the ability to permanently delete any data collected, and
    3) that the entirety of that data remains secure, encrypted, and accessible only on a “need-to-know” basis?

    YES

    • Kay Kizziar
    • Lynn Henson
    • Stephanie Holtzendorf
    • Tricia Quintero
    • Stefani Reinold
    • Jeffrey Aylstock

    NO

    Don't Know/Refused

    Did Not Respond

    • Shannon O'Connor
    • Mary Jane Hetrick
    • Thaddeus Fortenberry
  • Question 18

    As part of DSISD's Social Emotional Learning (“SEL”), the District conducts regular “assessments” of and tracks students' progress on SEL competencies. In fact, students' SEL scores are tracked as part of DSISD's Continuous Improvement Plan.

     

    As a DSISD School Board Member, do you support the District continuing to treat SEL "assessments" as something other than a "psychological examination, test, or treatment", which per the DSISD Student Handbook requires written parental consent—and even though SEL is acknowledged to be a psychological "intervention"?

    YES

    NO

    • Kay Kizziar
    • Stephanie Holtzendorf
    • Tricia Quintero
    • Stefani Reinold

    Don't Know/Refused

    • Lynn Henson
    • Jeffrey Aylstock

    Did Not Respond

    • Shannon O'Connor
    • Mary Jane Hetrick
    • Thaddeus Fortenberry
  • Question 19

    19a: Should masks and other PPE be optional for students under 10 as well as special needs students?
    19b: Should masks and other PPE be optional for all students and staff?

    YES to Both

    • Kay Kizziar
    • Lynn Henson
    • Stephanie Holtzendorf
    • Tricia Quintero
    • Stefani Reinold
    • Jeffrey Aylstock

    NO to Either

    Don't Know/Refused

    Did Not Respond

    • Shannon O'Connor
    • Mary Jane Hetrick
    • Thaddeus Fortenberry
  • Question 20

    The American Bar Association (ABA) describes Critical Race Theory (CRT) as follows: "CRT is not a diversity and inclusion 'training' but a practice of integrating race and racism in society that emerged in the legal academy and spread to other fields of scholarship. Crenshaw—who coined the term 'CRT'—notes that CRT is not a noun, but a verb. It cannot be confined to a static and narrow definition but is considered to be an evolving and malleable practice. It critiques how the social construction of race and institutionalized racism perpetuate a racial caste system that relegates people of color to the bottom tiers. CRT also recognizes that race intersects with other identities, including sexuality, gender identity, and others. CRT recognizes that racism is not a bygone relic of the past. Instead, it acknowledges that the legacy of slavery, segregation, and the imposition of second-class citizenship on Black Americans and other people of color continue to permeate the social fabric of this nation."

    So since CRT is acknowledged by the ABA to be an "evolving and malleable" "practice" of implementing situational ethics and perspectives that reject colorblindness and embrace the "practice of integrating race and racism in society", while also asserting that that non-BIPOC Americans are responsible for current and continued "institutionalized racism" that "perpetuate[s] a racial caste system that relegates people of color to the bottom tiers" and that "permeate[s] the social fabric of this nation", should CRT or similar diversity/inclusion curriculum only be taught to DSISD students after their parents have had the opportunity to review the curriculum, all materials, and opt their child(ren) out of participating, like with Sex Ed?

    YES

    • Kay Kizziar
    • Stephanie Holtzendorf
    • Tricia Quintero
    • Stefani Reinold
    • Jeffrey Aylstock

    NO

    Don't Know/Refused

    • Lynn Henson

    Did Not Respond

    • Shannon O'Connor
    • Mary Jane Hetrick
    • Thaddeus Fortenberry