Four women will be vying for two seats up for re-election on the Johnson City Independent School District Board of Trustees. Two places, six and seven, are the trustee positions up for election on May 2.

Cristol Carbary Corpus, the incumbent at Place 7, Sarah Allen, Carlette R. Lewis and Amy Spellmann are the candidates running during the at-large election.

The school board consists of seven members who serve staggered three-year terms, according to the JCISD website. Randy Rutherford, who currently holds Place 6, is not running for re-election.

In other election news, Johnson City’s city council had three seats up for grabs, but no election will be held.

“All of the candidates—Shelton Coleman, Gayla Guthrie and Teresa Babb--are running unopposed,” said Chief Administrative Officer Anthony Holland.

Get to know your school board candidates

The four school board candidates offer a lot of variety in terms of age and profession.

Allen, 39, is an adult ministries coordinator at Johnson City First United Methodist Church. Corpus, 41, manages the 4.0 Cellars wine club. Lewis, 54, is a local Realtor. Spellmann, 61, is an information technology consultant.

The candidates submitted written answers to three questions from the Record Courier. Here are the responses from the candidates, presented in alphabetical order. 

 Question: Introduce yourself to folks.

Allen: My husband, Ross, and I along with our three children first moved to Johnson City in 2009. For two years we moved away for career reasons, but we were thrilled when Ross was offered the Chief of Police position for Johnson City. When we moved away, we quickly realized that this city is our family and our home and we couldn’t wait to return. In addition to my work at the church, I also serve as the committee chair for Johnson City Young Life, board member on the Blanco County Childhood Advocacy Board and I’ve been president for the LBJ Middle School PTO for 2 years. My husband and I are members of the Athletic Booster Club. We enjoy getting to see the Eagles play, especially when our kids are playing! Our oldest plays tennis at the high school, our middle child excels in volleyball both at the middle school and through a club team and our youngest plays basketball at the elementary school. 

Corpus: As a Johnson City native and JCISD graduate, I believe I’m the perfect candidate to serve for another term in Place 7. I have a vested interest in the future and growth of our district because I have children enrolled here. I have a Bachelor’s degree in business administration from Abilene Christian University. My career primarily has revolved around event planning, customer service and the hospitality industry. My husband, Andrew, works for Comfort ISD. Being the wife of an educator and coach for the past twenty years gives me a different perspective on the educational system. It allows me to remain current on many aspects of the public school system.

Giving back to my community is an ongoing passion. I believe that you must be the change you wish to see. There’s no better way to be a servant leader than by example.

I’m the treasurer of Athletic Booster Club, which supports Eagle athletes through promoting participation in athletic functions in the community. This drives my love of all things “Eagle Spirit!” I assist my daughter’s cheer squad prepare for pep rallies, attend sporting events, and volunteer my time and talents to better our team spirit. I also am involved in other committees, including the Community Education Foundation and the Women’s Civic Club. Our church home is Good Shepherd Catholic Church in Johnson City. 

Lewis: I’m honored to run for JCISD School Board. I’m a native of Blanco County and came to Johnson City when I worked at my parents’ Exxon gas station during high school. I went into the Army shortly after graduating, where I was a missile specialist in Germany. My military experience taught me the value of planning, clear communication, teamwork and leadership. After my tour, I attended Texas A&M University in Commerce, where I earned a Bachelor of Science degree in agricultural business and a Master’s degree in elementary education. I taught special education in Red Oak and Marble Falls prior to moving back to Johnson City. I sell real estate in Johnson City and the Hill Country. My husband, Jerry, and I moved back to Johnson City in 2015 because this is where we wanted to raise our son. We attend Community Church of the Hills. I’m the treasurer for both the Community Education Foundation and the LBJ Elementary PTO. 

Spellmann: I’m a 6th generation Texan and I’ve been a part of this community for 20 years. I come from a family of teachers and have a thorough understanding of progressive techniques and the continuous requirements for educating the educators as well as the students. I work as an information technology consultant, assisting my clients with finding ways to use technology to their greatest benefit. I’d love to have the opportunity to apply my experience in the district. 

Question: Why do you want to be on the school board? What do you have to offer to the district and to the citizens who will be casting their ballots?

Allen: I’ve always had a passion for everything related to education. I’ve been a volunteer and substitute teacher for JCISD for a several years. While I think we’re doing many things right, there’s always room for improvement, especially by offering our kids something new. I would love to see us expand our extracurricular activities to include more clubs, specific academic subjects, hobbies or community service groups.

My child opened my eyes to the needs of those with special abilities. Because of his diagnoses, I have first-hand knowledge and can offer guidance for families who struggle with this complex issue.

One thing that would be beneficial to this position is that I have a child enrolled at each of our JC schools. My children started their schooling here in Johnson City and will finish here as well, though we have many years left until that day comes. My family is rooted in this community and has a vested interest in seeing it thrive. A major key to that success is ensuring the achievement of our schools. 

Corpus: It’s simple: to have an impact on the decisions that will affect our youth today and for years to come. Our goals and vision for the district should be continually evolving; we shouldn’t settle for an average educational experience. We need to strive for excellence among our staff and encourage an environment where our young people can be challenged. Gone are the days when school boards could be content with a linear mindset. Technology is exponentially advancing. Our future graduates will be challenged with an ever-changing environment. They must be equipped with educational knowledge and also trained in critical soft skills such as initiative, empathy, adaptability, persistence, critical thinking and decision-making so they find success and enjoyment in the workplace.

Serving on the board puts me on the front line to advocate for our students and to challenge our administration with these high expectations. I’m confident that with the experience gained in my first term, along with my forward-thinking mindset, I can help propel JCISD into the next chapter and to the next level. 

Lewis: Being on the school board is a great responsibility. I want to be a positive force on the board, providing students, staff and the community with a reasonable, transparent and experienced voice. JCISD is a great district and I want to be part of guiding it in a positive direction. One of my main focuses is on preparing all our students for the world they’ll face when they graduate from high school, whether they’re going into another academic setting, technical training, or straight into the workforce. I can offer a perspective to the board as a previous educator.

I’m also concerned about the district’s financial state. I realize that most funding decisions are made on the state level, but I want to ensure that tax dollars collected from the community are spent wisely, and that all programs, students and teachers have the tools they need to be successful. I’m vested in JCISD: not only do I have a child in the district, but my husband is an educator here. My family is educationally focused and student success—for all students—is my number one goal. 

Spellmann: I’m fortunate to bring a breadth of experience to the table. I’m raising a special-needs child who attends LBJ Elementary, so I have lived the challenges and joys that go with having a special-needs child in a public school.

School funding is in a challenging state right now as we manage the bond money approved in November along with the recently passed House Bill 3 for increased operations funding. We must continue to work together for the benefit of our children and educators.

I look forward to leveraging my experience and knowledge for all children to help them achieve higher education, including a university, community college or trade school, and to become productive and engaged members of society. 

Question: What is special about Johnson City ISD?

Allen: Johnson City is such a close-knit community and the schools are no exception, which is a huge reason we wanted to come back and raise our family here. I have three children in the district, in fourth, seventh and ninth grades. I love the small-town atmosphere where everyone—kids, parents, and most of the time, grandparents--knows one another. The majority of our kids started school together in kindergarten and will graduate together, making life-long friends. 

Corpus: I have two children enrolled in JCISD: Caylee is an 8th grader and Collin is in 5th grade. Caylee and Collin are involved in the district and extracurricular activities. Caylee is a cheerleader and plays volleyball, basketball, softball, and track. She also competes in the Visual Arts Scholastic Event Competition and UIL academics. Outside of Johnson City, she is very active with the Fredericksburg Theater Academy. Collin is active in an area football and basketball league, and UIL academics.

Andrew and I treasure our upbringing and want the same for our children, which is why we moved back to Johnson City. It’s ideal for them to grow up in a small school with a close-knit and supportive community. Within JCISD, students can participate in multiple extracurricular activities without being forced to specialize, benefit from personal relationships established with classmates and teachers, and still receive a quality education from a district with state-recognized accountability. The current board and administration work diligently to advance the district and to make sure our graduates are college or career ready, life-long learners, and contributing citizens. 

Lewis: I have two adult daughters and a 7-year-old son, Rex, who attends LBJ Elementary. We specifically chose to move back to Johnson City so that he could attend school here. A couple of years ago, we had the opportunity to have our three grandchildren live with us for a year. They came from a large school district and they were falling behind academically. They weren’t excited about school and didn’t have the confidence to move forward in their education. They came here and thrived! The teachers at the elementary school embraced, nurtured and encouraged them to be the best they could be. After ten months in JCISD, they were excelling and loving school, which is a testament to the values, education and success that JCISD can offer students. My husband and I both grew up in small towns and attended small school districts. Our son has thrived here because he’s received the nurturing, education and discipline needed to be successful. I want to be part of the growth of all of students in JCISD. I’m thankful and want all students and teachers to experience that tradition. 

Spellmann: I’m running for the JCISD School Board because I care deeply for children and our community. I want to work with the trustees, school administrators, teachers, and parents to ensure the best education possible for all children.