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SISD District 3 Trustee Candidates in May 3 Uniform Election [1]

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Date: 2025-04-11

Candidate Questionnaires

Candidates were asked to limit their responses to 100 words. Responses have been lightly edited for grammar.

What is your short- and long-term vision for the district, and how would you measure success? Jose Alonzo Jr.: Did not respond. Joshua Carter Guerra: Short term — get to a balanced budget while prioritizing the needs of students and advocating for teachers and staff members. Long term — to get back to an amazing district where students excel and faculty and staff are well taken care of. Charles William Smith: In the short term, my priority is restoring financial stability and trust in SISD. That means balancing the budget, protecting vital programs like fine arts and special education, and ensuring transparency in every decision we make. Long-term, my vision is for SISD to be a district where families want to move, teachers want to stay, and every student has access to the tools they need to succeed and that is how I measure success.

What experience do you have with curriculum, overseeing budgets, or setting and implementing policy? Jose Alonzo Jr.: Did not respond. Joshua Carter Guerra: I have worked for the Texas House of Representatives for over 10 years. I am very familiar with budgets and how they work. We need to prioritize needs of the district and balance our budget. We need to cut unnecessary spending, while keeping kids in mind as our No. 1 priority. Charles William Smith: As a business owner, I’ve managed budgets, made tough financial decisions, and set internal policies — skills that translate directly to responsibilities of a school board trustee. While I haven’t formally overseen curriculum, I bring a classroom-informed perspective. I’m completing my degree in education, my wife is an SISD teacher, and I have kids in the district including one in the special education program. I am proud to be endorsed by the American Federation of Teachers.

What are your budget priorities and how would you balance funding those priorities while keeping property taxes in check? Jose Alonzo Jr.: Did not respond. Joshua Carter Guerra: Cut unnecessary spending. I would like to propose the creation of an SISD Oversight Committee. Each board member would appoint three members and this committee would focus on areas where we can improve on budgetary spending. Charles William Smith: Protecting classroom instruction, supporting special education, and fairly compensating our teachers and staff. I know we’re in a financial crisis, so I would start by cutting waste, freezing non-essential spending and demanding more accountability from central administration. I will also push for more state funding so local homeowners aren’t shouldering the full burden. We can’t keep raising taxes to cover mistakes — balancing the budget starts with responsible planning, not passing the burden.

What strategies do you propose to make your district schools a more attractive option for families who might be thinking about enrolling their children in other school systems? Jose Alonzo Jr.: Did not respond. Joshua Carter Guerra: We need to be the best. I will hold monthly town hall meetings to hear from our constituents. Get their ideas and feedback and see how they feel about how we are doing. We need to put the district back into the hands of the parents and get their feedback and guidance on how we can best serve them. Charles William Smith: My first strategy is to stabilize the budget and restore key programs like fine arts, which draw families in and enrich students’ education. Second, we need to improve communication with parents — listening to what they value, from academic rigor to special education services. Third, we need to celebrate our success stories — highlighting the amazing things our teachers and students are doing every day. We need to make SISD the first choice, not the backup.

How would you promote transparency and accountability in board decisions? Jose Alonzo Jr.: Did not respond. Joshua Carter Guerra: Hold monthly town hall meetings in my district and bring back that feedback and recommendations to the board. I would also like to propose the creation of the SISD Oversight Committee. This will help with transparency and gain back the confidence of our parents and stakeholders. Charles William Smith: The first step to rebuilding trust is transparency. I would push for clear, easy-to-understand summaries of every major board decision to be shared publicly — especially when it comes to how we’re spending taxpayer dollars. For accountability, I believe in asking tough questions during meetings, not rubber-stamping decisions and making sure our votes and positions are fully explained to the public.

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[1] Url: https://elpasomatters.org/2025/04/11/el-paso-uniform-election-may-3-2025-sisd-district-3/

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