Updates on Elections, Budgets, and DISD Collegiate Academies

DCCCD BOARD OF TRUSTEES ELECTIONS

Voters in eastern Dallas County elected new representatives on the DCCCD Board of Trustees in runoff elections on June 18.

In District 3, which covers the northeastern quadrant of Dallas County, including Sachse, Garland, Rowlett, Lake Highlands and other parts of Northeast Dallas, Dorothy Zimmermann was elected over Tommy Reed to succeed Trustee Jerry Prater.

In District 4, which covers the southeastern wedge of Dallas County stretching from Lakewood and parts of East Dallas and Pleasant Grove to Mesquite, Sunnyvale, Seagoville and Balch Springs, Monica Lira Bravo was elected over Martha Jo Talbot to succeed Trustee Bill Metzger.

Lira Bravo and Zimmermann will be sworn into office on June 29.

In May, voters in District 2 elected Phil Ritter over three other candidates to succeed Trustee Bob Ferguson. Ritter was sworn in to office on June 7.

DCCCD BUDGET OUTLOOK

With these three new trustees joining incumbents Charletta Rogers Compton, Diana Flores, Wesley Jameson, and Sonny Williams, according to this Schedule for Tax Rate and Budget Adoption, the Board is expected to set the property tax rates and adopt a budget for the 2016-2017 fiscal year on Tuesday, September 6.

As of June, DCCCD Chief Financial Officer John Robertson predicts Dallas County will see a 9-10 percent increase in the Taxable Assessed Value (TAV) of all real property in Dallas. As a result, Robertson plans to recommend Chancellor May ask the Board of Trustees to reduce our tax rate slightly and keep tuition rates the same, while still keeping revenues at a level that supports maintaining instructional and student services. When asked by the DCCFA president why the District would not keep the rate the same and use the resultant budget increase to fund longstanding areas of need, Robertson said that keeping the rate the same as 2015-2016 would put the DCCCD Board of Trustees perilously close to triggering a state law that would allow a rollback election to take place, which could result in a significantly lower tax rate and drastically reduced tax revenues. (More information on rollback rates and elections can be explored in more detail at this link and this link.)

In a meeting with the faculty council on June 3, and again at the Chancellor’s Staff meeting on June 13, Chancellor May said that the projected increased tax revenues - even with a slightly lower tax rate - would allow for employee compensation increases. However, the amount and shape of such compensation increases will depend on the final certified TAV, and the tax rate the Board of Trustees ultimately approves at the September 6 meeting.

TILT, TEXTBOOKS, DISD COLLEGIATE ACADEMIES

The Faculty Council meets monthly with the seven college academic vice presidents and the dean of distance education from the LeCroy Center. The group refers to itself as “The Instructional Leadership Team” (TILT).

The TILT group met Monday, June 20, to discuss an agenda that included the 2016-2017 faculty search timeline and updates on the chancellors faculty fellows, mentors, and pay for performance programs. In addition, numerous faculty have raised concerns about faculty input in curriculum development and faculty primacy in textbook selections related to the DISD Collegiate Academies initiative that is launching numerous Early College High Schools with six of the seven DCCCD colleges. Consequently, TILT also invited Anna Mays, associate vice chancellor, and Patti Burks, faculty representative, to update the group on the Collegiate Academies. Previous updates from Patti Burks were posted on the DCCFA Advance Blog in June and May and April. The TILT group learned that only a small number of courses – to be offered to ninth graders – will be offered in 2016-2017. District officials remain committed to faculty selecting textbooks and other classroom materials throughout the Collegiate Academies partnership. Moreover, faculty in the specific career and technical education programs selected for the partnership increasingly are being involved in determining curriculum and scheduling decisions. The group also identified an area of opportunity for increased communication with, and input from, District discipline committees, particularly those which oversee general education courses within the CTE certificate and degree plans.

The issue of textbook selections has been raised on numerous occasions over the past year. Chancellor May repeatedly has affirmed that he respects the right and responsibility of faculty to select their own textbooks. Additional information about the textbooks issue can be found in this June 2016 post, this June 2016 post, and this October 2015 post on the DCCFA Advance Blog.

Early voting underway in runoff elections in Districts 3 and 4 for DCCCD Board of Trustees

All DCCCD employees and students are encouraged to participate in the runoff elections to fill the two remaining open seats on the DCCCD Board of Trustees. While only voters who live in precincts with runoff contests can vote, those who live elsewhere are encouraged to inform their friends and family who can vote. Early voting runs June 6-14, and Election Day is Saturday, June 18.

In District 3, which covers the northeastern quadrant of Dallas County, including Sachse, Garland, Rowlett, Lake Highlands and other parts of Northeast Dallas, Dorothy Zimmermann and Tommy Reed will compete in a runoff to succeed Trustee Jerry Prater.

In District 4, which covers the southeastern wedge of Dallas County stretching from Lakewood and parts of East Dallas and Pleasant Grove to Mesquite, Sunnyvale, Seagoville and Balch Springs, Monica Lira Bravo and Martha Jo Talbot will compete in a runoff to succeed Trustee Bill Metzger.

For those who wish to vote early, the Dallas County Elections Department has published a PDF document with all of the early voting polling places. You also can see a Google Map of the early voting locations at this link. For early voting polling places, hours vary by day. Those who choose to vote early can do so at any of the early voting polling places.

Those who wish to vote on the June 18 Joint Runoff Election Day should find their precinct at this link, and then use this link to find their June 18 Election Day polling place. Election Day polling places are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on June 18 only.

Voters who live in District 3 or District 4 who have chosen to vote absentee by mail must return their absentee ballot to the Dallas County Elections Department before Saturday, June 18.

Runoff elections set for June 18; early voting runs June 6-14

Voters will select representatives to fill the two remaining open seats on the DCCCD Board of Trustees in a runoff election scheduled for Saturday, June 18, 2016.

"The most important election in the last 40 years of the DCCCD is only half-finished," said Fred Newbury, president of the Dallas Community College Faculty Association (DCCFA). "All DCCCD retirees; current faculty, staff and administrators; and current and former students, need to remain involved and engaged through June 18."

Trustees represent the community in the oversight and governance of the DCCCD and are elected to six year terms to represent single-member districts, as depicted on this map. Terms for Districts 1 (currently represented by Sonny Williams) and 7 (Charletta Rogers Compton) expire in 2018. Terms for Districts 5 (Wesley Jameson) and 6 (Diana Flores) expire in 2020. Phil Ritter was elected May 7 to represent District 2 to succeed Trustee Bob Ferguson.

"Past runoff elections often generate no more than a few hundred votes. Working together, we have an unprecedented opportunity to shape the future of the DCCCD," Newbury said.

In District 3, which covers the northeastern quadrant of Dallas County, including Sachse, Garland, Rowlett, Lake Highlands and other parts of Northeast Dallas, Dorothy Zimmermann and Tommy Reed will compete in a runoff to succeed Trustee Jerry Prater.

In District 4, which covers the southeastern wedge of Dallas County stretching from Lakewood and parts of East Dallas and Pleasant Grove to Mesquite, Sunnyvale, Seagoville and Balch Springs, Monica Lira Bravo and Martha Jo Talbot will compete in a runoff to succeed Trustee Bill Metzger.

Early voting will be available from June 6 to June 14. The Dallas County Elections Department has published a PDF document with all of the early voting polling places. You also can see a Google Map of the early voting locations at this link. For early voting polling places, hours vary by day. Those who choose to vote early can do so at any of the early voting polling places.

For the June 18 Joint Runoff Election Day, polling places can be found at this link. If you choose to vote on June 18, you must vote at the polling place assigned to your precinct. Election Day polling places are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on June 18 only. You can find your precinct at this link.

Voters who live in District 3 or District 4 who wish to vote absentee by mail may complete an Application for Ballot By Mail form, and return that completed form to the address indicated on the form. Application forms must be received by the Dallas County Elections Department, by Friday, June 3, in order for a voter to receive an absentee ballot before election day, June 18.

"Even if you are not registered to vote or do not live in District 3 or District 4, you can get involved by sharing information with your friends and family who do, and explaining the importance of the vital role the DCCCD plays in improving lives and growing the economy," Newbury said.

More information is available from The Dallas Morning News.

Phil Ritter wins District 2; Districts 3 and 4 headed for June 18 runoffs

Dallas County voters on May 7 cast ballots in races to fill three open seats on the DCCCD Board of Trustees.

In District 2, Phil Ritter won the race to succeed the retiring Trustee Bob Ferguson.

No candidate secured a majority of votes in District 3 or District 4.

In District 3, Dorothy Zimmermann and Tommy Reed will compete in a runoff election on June 18, to succeed the retiring Trustee Jerry Prater.

In District 4, Monica Lira Bravo and Martha Jo Talbot will compete in a runoff election on June 18, to succeed the retiring Trustee Bill Metzger.

Early voting will be available from June 6 to June 14. Polling places for early voting and the June 18 election day have not yet been made available.

Voters who live in District 3 or District 4 who wish to vote absentee by mail may complete an Application for Ballot By Mail form, and return that completed form to the address indicated on the form. Applications to vote absentee by mail must be received by the Dallas County Elections Department, by Friday, June 3, to receive an absentee ballot before the June 18 election day.

More information is available from The Dallas Morning News.

Dallas Morning News publishes voters guide for DCCCD Board of Trustees races; League of Women Voters publishes candidate information

VOTERS GUIDES: The Dallas Morning News has published a comprehensive voters' guide for the May 7 Joint Election, in which three new members of the DCCCD Board of Trustees will be elected. With these links, you can compare candidates side by side for District 2, District 3, and District 4.

The League of Women Voters of Dallas has published their May 7 Joint Election Voters Guide. DCCCD Board of Trustees candidate profiles begin on Page 9 of the PDF document.

The DCCFA has sent a questionnaire to all ten candidates and eight have responded. Their responses are located at these links: Monica Lira Bravo, Frank Millsap, J.C. Osborne, Tommy Reed, Phil Ritter, Gene Robinson, Martha Jo Talbot, and Dorothy Zimmermann. Candidates Richard Morgan (District 2) and Brad T. Underwood (District 4) have not returned a questionnaire.

HOW TO FIND YOUR PRECINCT, POLLING PLACE, AND SAMPLE BALLOT:
If you are a resident of Dallas County, you can click on this Voter Lookup Link to find your elected officials, including your DCCCD Board of Trustees district. You will need to enter your first name, last name, and date of birth. The sample ballot will also indicate your official May 7 polling place.

DCCCD BOARD ELECTIONS IN THE NEWS:
Campaign mailers sent by two candidates were covered in The Dallas Morning News Education Blog and on WFAA.com.

EARLY VOTING THROUGH TUESDAY, MAY 3:
Early voting begins Monday, April 25. You can find the early voting location closest to your home or campus at the Joint Elections Early Voting Locations PDF Link.

Video of April 27 Candidates Forum at North Lake College

Video of the April 27 Board of Trustees Candidates Forum at North Lake College is now available for viewing.

Video of April 14 Board of Trustees Candidates Forum at Brookhaven College

Video of the March 30 Board of Trustees Candidates Forum at Brookhaven College is now available for viewing.

Video of the March 30 DCCCD Board of Trustees Candidates Forum at Eastfield College

Video of the March 30 DCCCD Board of Trustees Candidates Forum at Eastfield College is available on YouTube at this link.

Nine candidates participated. From District 2, Richard Morgan, J.C. Osborne, Phil Ritter, and Gene Robinson participated. From District 3, Frank Millsap and Dorothy Zimmermann participated. From District 4, Monica Lira Bravo, Martha Jo Talbot, and Brad Underwood participated. Only Tommy Reed (District 3) was unable to participate.

Ten candidates vie for three DCCCD Board of Trustees seats

Ten candidates have filed for three open seats on the DCCCD Board of Trustees. The election will take place Saturday, May 7, 2016.

3/31/16 EDIT: Linked names have submitted replies to the DCCFA questionnaire; clicking the linked name will open their replies in a new window. We hope to receive replies from all ten candidates. 

4/7/16 EDIT: Eight of the ten declared candidates have submitted replies to the DCCFA questionnaire. Candidates Richard Morgan (District 2) and Brad T. Underwood (District 4) have not yet submitted their responses electronically or via USPS mail.

Four candidates - Richard Morgan, Phil Ritter, J.C. Osborne, and Gene Robinson - seek to succeed the retiring Bob Ferguson in District 2, which includes portions of downtown and North Dallas, and the northwest corner of Dallas County.

Three candidates - Dorothy Zimmerman, Frank Millsap, and Tommy Reed - seek to succeed the retiring Jerry Prater in District 3, which includes much of northeast Dallas County.

Three candidates - Martha Jo Talbot, Monica Lira Bravo, and Brad T. Underwood - seek to succeed the retiring Bill Metzger in District 4, which includes much of east and southeast Dallas County.

This map shows all seven DCCCD trustee districts. Trustees are elected to six year terms. Terms for Districts 1 and 7 expire in 2018. Terms for Districts 5 and 6 expire in 2020. Trustees represent the community in the oversight and governance of the DCCCD.

Questionnaires will be sent to all candidates in order to gauge their opinions of a variety of issues. Their answers will be published on the DCCFA Advance Blog for all faculty to peruse. In addition, candidates will be invited to a series of candidate forums at several DCCCD colleges.

Eastfield College will host a candidates forum at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, March 30, in the Performance Hall.

Brookhaven College will host a candidates forum at 12 noon Thursday, April 14, in the Performance Hall.

Richland College will host a candidates forum at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, April 19, in the Performance Hall.

North Lake College will host a candidates forum at 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 27, in Room G401.

Faculty, staff, students, and community members are invited and encouraged to attend the candidate forums. Please feel free to invite students to attend the candidate forum at, or nearest, your college. Also, if you reside in a voting district other than where you work, please feel free to attend the candidate forum at the college nearest your residence.

Phil Ritter - District 2 Candidate

1. Please provide a brief biography that explains your educational and professional background.

I am an attorney and I have held executive management roles with Texas Instruments Incorporated (20 years), Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (5 years) and the Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute (2 years). I have a BA with Honors in Urban Studies from the University of Maryland – College Park; a Juris Doctorate from the University of Maryland School of Law, and a Masters of Public Affairs from the LBJ School of Public Affairs – University of Texas at Austin. More information is available at https://www.linkedin.com/in/pjritter.

During my time with Texas Instruments, which included service on the TI Foundation, I became deeply involved in education policy, with particular emphasis on early childhood education, STEM, and university advancement. This led to my service as chairman of the Alliance for Higher Education (which ran DFW’s first distance education network beginning in the 1960s), the Texas Education Reform Caucus, and my current role as Chairman of the Development Board of the University of Texas at Dallas. I was active for many years in the DCCCD Foundation, focusing on efforts to raise funds for Rising Star Scholarships. In 2004 I chaired the successful $450 million bond campaign for DCCCD.

2. What is the role of the elected Board of Trustees from your perspective? How does that role relate to your individual input as an elected trustee?  How would you describe the efforts that will be necessary to be effective in your role – and what has prepared you to be successful in that role?

The Board’s role is to set policy and provide fiduciary oversight, review and approve annual budgets, and hire the Chancellor and hold him/her accountable for defined results.

Trustees come from a variety of backgrounds, and it is important that trustees listen to each other as well as bringing their own perspectives to the board table. No Trustee can act unilaterally on behalf of the district, so the collective ability of the board to forge consensus is vital to the success of the DCCCD.

I have been fortunate to participate on the board of directors and in executive staff roles with two successful public entities: Dallas Area Rapid Transit, and DFW International Airport respectively. These experiences prepare me to serve as a Trustee of DCCCD. I believe my strengths lie in the areas of articulating and advancing strategic goals, creating appropriate metrics and accountability, and being an effective advocate in the community and with state and federal government.

3. What is the role of the DCCCD in the educational marketplace in Dallas County? What is your agenda to continue to improve the quality and availability of educational programs to the citizens of Dallas County?

There are four primary roles for DCCCD in the educational marketplace: to serve as a high quality and cost effective option for lower division four-year degree candidates; to deliver training leading to two year degrees and certifications for technical, vocational and allied health professions; and to provide a reentry point for adults who seek to return to higher education for re-training or to seek a degree; and to serve as a contract training resource for employers.

As Trustee I will strive to improve the quality and availability of educational programs by allocating resources to student success initiatives, reducing administrative expenses, and facilitating constructive collaboration and resource development activities with businesses and individuals in the private sector.

4. If elected, how will you advocate for DCCCD students, employees, and colleges, in your dealings with business, the community, other public servants, and voters?

I will be a visible presence in the community on behalf of DCCCD, and I will advocate for the district with the substantial network of elected officials, opinion leaders, educators and business executives that I have established through my 30-year professional career in Dallas, the State of Texas, and nationally. I will participate and seek leadership roles in business, policy, and educational organizations that advance the mission of DCCCD. I will make myself accessible to my constituents and the stakeholders of the district, including students, professors, and staff members.

5. What do you see as the biggest assets, challenges, and opportunities, in the DCCCD? How will you strengthen those assets to meet the challenges and opportunities we face? What particular skills and connections do you bring that can benefit the Board as a whole, and by extension the DCCCD?

The biggest asset of the district is the quality of its vision and mission, and the scale by which it delivers high quality, affordable higher education to the community. The biggest challenge facing the district is balancing revenues and expenditures; and particularly assuring that tuition remains affordable while not overburdening taxpayers in an era of declining state revenue. The biggest opportunity for the district is to innovate new and creative models for designing and delivering education and training to meet the demands of the growing DFW economy. I intend to bring my business experience to the table in the budgeting process, and maximize return on the substantial revenues entrusted to DCCCD by taxpayers, students and their families. I will hone my advocacy skills on behalf of DCCCD, developed through my service on the DCCCD Foundation and as chair of the 2004 Bond Campaign, to drive results that advance the mission of the DCCCD. I will support the Chancellor and assure appropriate accountability by DCCCD administration. I have spent most of my adult life engaged in advocacy for business and education, and I know the audiences and control points that influence the success of DCCCD. I embrace the opportunity to serve as Trustee, and I respectfully ask for your vote.