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Q&A with board president Justin Chapa

January is , and we want to spotlight our Board of Trustees and all the great work they do. This year the theme for the month is “Leadership for Tomorrow’s Texas.”

We’re starting the month with our board president Justin Chapa, who is an 91��Ƭ�� grad and district parent. He’s also our longest serving board member, as he was elected in 2017.

How different is the role of being the board president vs. being a board member?

The substance is generally the same, but it’s quite a bit different. As busy as I was before, I’m even busier as president. I no longer sit on committees, but I have to keep up to speed with what all board and citizen committees are doing. The president is the primary point of communication with outside and community stakeholders about board business. Lots of folks want to go directly to the president when they have questions or want to talk about the district. So, I have quite a bit more informal coffees, breakfasts and lunches than I used to. There are a number of other things that come with being president like serving on the board of directors for the Greater Arlington Chamber of Commerce or testifying about education matters in Austin. So, there are even more formal meetings than before, and there’s preparation for all of those. I also work much more closely with the superintendent about day-to-day business, often for information-sharing and feedback purposes. But as trustees, our work generally is at a high level in our governance role. That has been a transition, too, especially with a new superintendent who came from outside of 91��Ƭ��. Dr. [Matt] Smith is doing a great job, and one of the most rewarding parts of being president has been learning and growing with him as we both take on our respective new roles. One of my goals as president has been to change the role of the office itself. The president historically has worked directly with the superintendent one-on-one to set meeting agendas and on a number of other things. I’ve opened up those processes to include the vice-president and secretary, so that all board officers are included. Last August, I also started a “gavel sharing” approach to board meetings, so that all of my colleagues have the opportunity to chair at least one meeting per school year. These are just two examples, but in my view, part of my job as president is making the role more inclusive and helping build up my colleagues and get them greater experience. Trustees typically move from secretary to vice-president to president. My hope is that, by the time they become president, they will have years of experience with running meetings and many other aspects of the position.

What are you most excited about for the district in 2025?

It’s hard to pick just one thing. We’re already seeing big returns on our universal pre-K4 program that allows all families to send their 4-year-olds to preschool for free. I’m excited to see how that continues to play out. I’m excited about several flagship projects in the 2019 Bond program either opening or getting underway, like the new Rodriguez Junior High, a major expansion of Arlington High, a new wing of the CTC, and the opening of Glaspie Field. We’ll start a new strategic planning process this year, along with a major facilities assessment. Those two things will guide discussions about what big initiatives the district will undertake in the next five to ten years.

What do you think of the upcoming legislative session?

The outcomes will have a major impact on Texas public schools. The legislature has not increased the basic allotment since 2019, and as we all know, there has been a significant amount of inflation – over 20% – since then. That’s the main reason we’ve seen districts across the state start to take drastic steps like close campuses and lay off staff. Even districts with a strong tradition of fiscal responsibility and history of budget surpluses – like 91��Ƭ�� – face a real risk of realizing a deficit for the first time in decades. 91��Ƭ�� is fortunate to have reserves that are more than ten times the current projected deficit, so we have “runway” that allows us to work on reducing the deficit without having to take those more drastic steps. But, that’s not sustainable in the long run. We’re hearing positive things from our local legislators about school finance, but I am worried about the impact of voucher legislation. Experience in other states has shown that vouchers don’t deliver on their promises and mainly end up transferring public funds to private schools. Even so, the governor has made passing a voucher program one of his biggest priorities for the next session.

What do you think sets the 91��Ƭ�� apart from other school districts?

The people and the opportunities. They really are world class. Just this week, I joined a group of education systems leaders from all across the country in a tour of the Dan Diper Career + Technical Center. They came to DFW for a training and conference, but picked 91��Ƭ�� as one of the places they wanted to come learn about because of the great things that are happening here. It was interesting to hear them talk among themselves about opportunities at the CTC that they generally do not have in many areas in their home states. These are folks from places like New York, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Colorado – among dozens of other states. I think we sometimes take for granted the truly amazing things we’ve come together as a community to make available for our students.

The theme for the month is “Leadership for Tomorrow’s Texas.” How vital a role does a board play in that theme?

School board trustees help set the strategic direction of school districts. So, the type and quality of educational opportunities available to communities very much depends on the type and quality of individuals who serve on school boards. To have strong public schools tomorrow, communities need strong school board trustees today.