East Austin, the Epic Showdown: Two Fierce Candidates Tackle AISD's Chaos

Buckle up, East Austin voters! This November, you're in for a wild ride as two candidates duke it out to replace the outgoing Austin school board member Ofelia Zapata. Get ready for some drama because District 2 stretches like a hot mess along Interstate 35, from just north of Lady Bird Lake to beyond East Slaughter Lane.

The Drama

The winner will join a school board grappling with a $119 million budget shortfall and a state-mandated order to fix its chronic lapses in special education services. Plus, they’ll oversee Mendez Middle School, a district embarrassment handed over to charter company Third Future Schools thanks to years of failing test scores.

Meet the Candidates

Sarah Ivory, 37, is a former teacher with a rap sheet that includes teaching in St. Louis, Del Valle, and Austin schools. She’s got three kids and works at Texas Education THRIVE, a UT program that props up school districts.

Ivory thinks the district needs to get its act together and actually listen to parents and the community. She’s all about making District 2 schools the cat’s pajamas and turning Austin ISD into the top district 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 said.

Expect her to push for restorative practices in social-emotional learning and better literacy resources. She also wants Mendez Middle School back under Austin district control and dreams of turning it into an art academy with some help from a local nonprofit.

LaRessa Quintana, 29, is an Austin school district alum who survived the foster care system. She’s a powerhouse who worked at the Capitol and on Austin City Council Member Vanessa Fuentes’ campaign. Recently, she joined the Texas Trial Lawyers Association.

Quintana’s seen firsthand what it’s like to go without resources in District 2 schools and she’s running to fix that.

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

She, too, wants Mendez Middle School back under district control but thinks it’s tough to tell how well Third Future has been doing since the Texas Education Agency hasn’t released campus ratings in two years due to some legal mess.

The No-Drama Zones

Kevin Foster and Lynn Boswell, the incumbents in District 3 and District 5, are coasting to reelection unopposed. Meanwhile, the District 8 at-large seat is a free-for-all with six candidates fighting for Noelita Lugo’s old job.

Mark your calendars: Early voting starts on Oct. 21, and Election Day is Nov. 5.