Publisher’s Note — The entire event can be viewed here:
By Karen Gleason
The 830 Times
All seven candidates running for four places on the San Felipe Del Rio Consolidated Independent School District Board of Trustees participated in a forum hosted by Southwest Texas College and The 830 Times on Wednesday.
The candidates who attended the forum included Jesus Emilio Galindo, the incumbent, and Priscilla Cassandra Aguilar, who are seeking the board’s Place I seat; Linda Guanajuato-Webb, the incumbent, and Edward Guerrero, who are seeking the board’s Place III seat; and Rebekah “Becky” Luna-Chavez, the incumbent, and Leonel “Leo” Cavazos, who are seeking the Place V seat.
Bryan Weston, who is running unopposed, also attended the forum.
Josh Overfelt, SWTXC associate professor of government and one of the event’s sponsors, welcomed the candidates and audience members to the forum, held in the SWTXC Auditorium.
Overfelt reminded those present and those watching the livestream that early voting in the school board election begins Monday and encouraged them to cast their ballots.
Overfelt reviewed the rules of engagement, explaining each candidate would have three minutes to introduce themselves, answer a series of questions and then provide a two-minute closing statement.
Because Overfelt currently sits on the SFDR-CISD Board of Trustees, he turned moderator duties over to this reporter, who asked the questions.
Each candidate used the introductory period to explain why they chose to run or seek re-election and to outline their qualifications for the position.
The first question asked was, “What are your budget priorities coming into the 2026-2027 budget year?”
All candidates emphasized the importance of maintaining a balanced budget. Most also highlighted the need to hire and retain qualified teachers, provide resources for students and address facility improvements.
Cavazos spoke about the importance of finding ways to grow the budget, while Guerrero said he wanted to ensure teachers are not “doing more with less.”
The second question posed to the candidates was, “How will you address the needs of all the students in the district?”
Nearly all candidates said it is important for board members to listen to teachers. Aguilar added teachers must be allowed to teach in ways that fit students, while Guanajuato-Webb noted campuses have committees that help determine student needs at each grade level.
The third question asked was, “Can you explain where the money to fund our schools comes from and why that is important?”
Candidates discussed funding sources including local property taxes, state funding tied to student enrollment, grants, voter-approved bonds and private organizations such as the Del Rio Education Foundation.
Luna-Chavez spoke about how district funds are allocated across different budgets, while Galindo addressed the role of federal and state funding.
All candidates delivered closing statements and then interacted with audience members following the event.
The writer can be reached at delriomagnoliafan@gmail.com
