Six seats are up for grabs between the Bryan and College Station school boards in the May 8 election, but only one race has multiple candidates.
Incumbent Maritza Hoffman, a former business owner, is being challenged by Tommy Bosquez, the director of finances for the Texas A&M Health Sciences Center, for the Bryan school board's Single Member District 3 seat.
Hoffman ran unopposed in 2007. If re-elected, it would be her second and final term, she said.
But Bosquez isn't new to the district campaign trail. He was defeated in 1999 by Tommy Ramirez Jr. and in 2000, when current board member Merrill Green was elected instead.
It's the desire to serve a district that has given him so much that keeps him interested in being a trustee, he said. Bosquez and his oldest daughter graduated from Bryan High School, and his youngest daughter will be a freshman there in the fall.
Hoffman, who has a son and a daughter at Rudder High School, said she's running again because she believes she can help improve the quality of learning in the classrooms.
It's her experience, not only as a board member but also as a teacher in the district and a private business owner, that sets her apart from her opponent, she said.
"I understand and appreciate the rigors of a teacher's job," Hoffman said. "I am also a business person who understands school business, and I have made tough decisions necessary to run a successful business."
As a state employee who has seen how funding works from an inside perspective, Bosquez said he believes he's better suited for the job.
There's no doubt that the person who is elected will have to make tough financial decisions.
District officials have said they're still working to make up for a deficit of
nearly $2.5 million in the 2009-10 budget by considering positions and programs to cut, and they expect to face the same constraints when planning for the 2010-11 budget.
Hoffman said she's not willing to cut back on teachers or programs that would affect learning. The board is waiting on a cost analysis of all the district's programs, she said.
"I want to look at how much the programs are costing us and how many students we are serving," she said.
Bosquez agreed that the district shouldn't cut teachers to save money but said he would consider eliminating teacher stipends on a case-by-case basis.
Some teachers receive additional income for doing work beyond teaching duties, such as being a coach or student council sponsor, he said.
"I've talked to some teachers who said they're willing to forgo their stipend," he said.
In the fall, board members failed to get voters to approve a 5-cent property tax increase that would have generated about $3.5 million in local and state funding for the district.
Bosquez said he is against the idea of asking voters for a tax increase.
Hoffman, who opposed taking the previous election to voters, said it would take a lot to convince her that another tax ratification election was necessary.
"I think that spending is out of control in this country, and I think at some point in time, we're going to have to learn to live within our means," she said. "I think the voters spoke loud and clear to us last fall."
Both candidates acknowledged that there is a negative perception about the quality of the district among some people in the community, and both said they believe better communication would help improve the district's reputation.
"We need to do a better job of communicating our successes," Hoffman said. "We don't toot our own horn very well."
Bosquez said he would encourage more parents to be involved.
"Many parents have said that they feel unwelcomed on campus," he said. "I would love to see the district relook at what they're doing in terms of their marketing campaign."
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