East Austin Showdown: School Board Battle Royale!

Hold onto your ten-gallon hats, folks! East Austin voters are gearing up to pick a new school board rep for District 2 this November. Imagine a political cage match stretching from just north of Lady Bird Lake to south of East Slaughter Lane, all along Interstate 35. Buckle up, because this ain't your grandma's school board election! See the district map here.

The Contenders

Sarah Ivory, 37, is a former teacher and mom of three who's tackled classrooms in St. Louis, Del Valle, and Austin. She's all about getting parents and the community involved before the district makes any big decisions. Her mission? Make District 2 schools the cream of the crop in Texas.

"I wanted to be part of a change to make District 2 schools the premier schools, to make Austin ISD the premier district in Texas," Ivory proclaimed.

She's got her sights set on bringing in some fancy "restorative practices" for social-emotional learning and beefing up literacy resources. Plus, she thinks Mendez Middle School should ditch the charter company and go back to Austin district control, maybe even become an art academy. Talk about a makeover!

LaRessa Quintana, 29, is an Austin school district alum and former foster kid who knows firsthand what it's like to lack resources. She's worked at the Capitol and on the campaign for Austin City Council Member Vanessa Fuentes. Now, she's ready to bring the thunder to District 2.

"Our board and our system is capable of doing more," Quintana declared. "We’re capable of passing good policies, of engaging in different and creative ways, of showing up more."

Quintana's also on board with kicking the charter company to the curb and bringing Mendez Middle School back under Austin district control.

The Big Picture

Meanwhile, two incumbents, District 3's Kevin Foster and District 5's Lynn Boswell, are coasting to reelection unopposed. But the real wildcard is the District 8 at-large seat, with six candidates scrambling to replace outgoing board member Noelita Lugo.

Mark your calendars, folks! Early voting kicks off on Oct. 21, and Election Day is Nov. 5. This is one school board race you won't want to miss!