Saturday, May 4, 2024, is local election day in Texas–including here in Georgetown. where Registered voters and SU students will go to the polls to vote for school board trustee place six and seven and Georgetown Independent School District (GISD) propositions. While local elections may seem small in scale, these positions often have a more direct impact on the communities they serve–emphasizing the importance of voting in these elections.

GISD School Board Trustee Races

According to the Texas Education Agency, school board trustees are “guardians of the public trust; they put the interests of their community’s youth first. Through the policies they make, school board members are ultimately responsible for the success or failure of local public education.”

GISD encompasses Carver, Cooper, Ford, Frost, McCoy, Mitchell, Purl, San Gabriel, Village, Williams, and Wolf Ranch elementary schools, Benold, Forbes, Tippit, and Wagner middle schools, and East View, Georgetown, and Richarte high schools.

GISD Place Six

Candidates incumbent trustee Jen Mauldin and SU alumni Aaron Smith are in trustee place six. The Megaphone interviewed both Mauldin and Smith.

Jen Mauldin’s website campaigns on increased academic student performance, increased staff compensation and retention in 2023-2024, hiring a superintendent who “matches the community’s priorities,” and a new elementary and middle school. Her background includes being a principal, administrator, and coach. Furthermore, she asserts her community involvement on the Board of Directors of The Caring Place, and participation with Ride On Center for Kids, Georgetown Project, Seeds of Strength, Courageous Conservation, Wellspring Methodist, Georgetown Kiwanis, and as an Education Connection Reading Volunteer. Her platform consists of providing academic achievement and extracurricular programs, increasing staff compensation and retention, creating community partnerships for student internships, addressing student population growth, and advocating for additional public school funding.

Aaron Smith’s Facebook details his “abilities in business finance and program evaluation,” which he believes are currently lacking on the board and will help with the GISD budget management, addressing budget deficits, student attrition, and new facilities. Central to his campaign is rhetoric against GISD running a deficit, “Did you know? GISD had an almost $10 million deficit last year. Another deficit is expected this year. Next year’s budget will likely have a deficit. Three years. Three deficits. This trend has got to stop.” Corroborating part of his claim, according to the GISD budget reports, 2022-2023 had a $9,910,009 deficit in the general fund and 2023-2024 had a deficit of $5,822,144 in the general fund. The 2024-2025 budget has not been unveiled yet; however, budget planning began in the Fall of last year.

GISD Place Seven

In place seven, Stacy A. McLaughlin runs unopposed for the seat currently held by Dr. Stephen Benold since he will not seek re-election. The Megaphone interviewed McLaughlin.

GISD Propositions

GISD has four propositions on the ballot, all of which would issue bonds. Governments issue bonds to raise money that they don’t have. This means taking on debt that they will pay back later through taxes. While some campaigns in favor of bonds use rhetoric that there will be no increase in property tax rates, there will be an increase in the amount paid as the appraisal of the value of property increases. Subsequently, taxpayers pay more in taxes even if the tax rate remains the same.

Proposition Text

Proposition A: The issuance of $597,470,000 in bonds for school facilities, the purchase of school security technology, the purchase of the necessary sites for school facilities, and the purchase of school buses and the levy of taxes sufficient to pay the principal of and interest on the bonds. This is a property tax increase.

Options: For or Against

Proposition B: The issuance of $20,330,000 in bonds for district-wide school technology and the levy of taxes sufficient to pay the principal of and interest on the bonds. This is a property tax increase.

Options: For or Against

Proposition C: The issuance of $27,850,000 in bonds for district performing arts facilities and the levy of taxes sufficient to pay the principal of and interest on the bonds. This is a property tax increase.

Options: For or Against

Proposition D: The issuance of $3,860,000 in bonds for district athletic facilities and the levy of taxes sufficient to pay the principal of and interest on the bonds. This is a property tax increase.

Options: For or Against

No City Council Races

The City Council would have typically held elections for District 1 and District 5; however, the race was canceled following a new state law requiring that if all races are unopposed, the candidates are declared elected. Subsequently, incumbents Amanda Parr of District 1 and Kevin Pitts of District 5 won without contest.

Voting Information

While the Howry Center on SU’s campus has typically hosted a polling station in recent elections, there will not be one this election. Instead, Georgetown polling centers are open on election day from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. and can be found at the following locations:

• First Baptist Church of Georgetown, Worship Center Foyer, 1333 W University Ave, 78628
• Georgetown Annex, HR 108, 100 Wilco Way, HR 108, 78626
• Hammerlun Center for Leadership and Learning, 507 E University Ave, 78626 
• Georgetown ISD Technology Bldg, Conference Room, 603 Lakeway Dr, 78628 
• Heritage Baptist Church, Room 108, 1601 FM 971, 78626
• The Oaks Community Center – Sun City, 301 Del Webb Blvd, 78633 

Early voting goes from Monday, April 22 through Saturday, April 27 from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and Monday, April 29 through Tuesday, April 30 from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the following locations:

• Georgetown ISD Technology Bldg, Conference Room, 603 Lakeway Dr, 78628 
• The Oaks Community Center-Sun City, 301 Del Webb Blvd, 78633
• Hammerlun Center for Leadership and Learning, 507 E University Ave, 78626 
• East View High School, 4490 E University Ave, 78626 

If not able to vote in person, Texans may vote by mail if one is 65 or older, sick or physically disabled, absent from the county during the election day and early voting, expecting to give birth, or confined to jail. For more information, visit the Texas Secretary of State website at https://www.sos.state.tx.us/index.shtml.