The League of Women Voters of Richardson hosted a candidate forum Saturday for RISD District 5, which surrounds Lake Highlands High School. Rachel McGowan, the incumbent, participated along with challenger Cristina Neria.
Cristina Neria
Neria attended Skyview Elementary and Forest Meadow Junior High, and she graduated from LHHS in 1998. Of her four children, one is a 2017 LHHS graduate, and three attend or graduated from private Catholic schools. She is a small business owner who has worked in the Dallas County Sheriff’s Department.
Rachel McGowan
McGowan graduated from LHHS in 1996 and has three children either currently enrolled in or recently graduated from Lake Highlands schools. She attended Stults Road Elementary and FMJH, and she was first elected to the RISD board in 2022. Her community service includes the PTA, RISD Student Health Advisory Committee, Stults Road Advisory Council, Northwood Neighborhood Association, City of Dallas Sidewalk Committee and Dallas’ Permit License Appeal Board.
LWV officials collected questions from club members, social media and audience participants. A few key questions and answers are provided below. You may watch the full exchange on a 40-minute YouTube video here.
When asked about the issue most impacting D5 families, Neria keyed in on parental involvement.
“It’s all about the parents being more involved in the community for their children. Teamwork between parents and administration and teachers.”
McGowan focused on retaining top teachers.
“It is key and very, very important that we focus on the main thing, and that’s keeping the best people in place to educate our kids, giving them the best opportunity possible. And I will continue to fight for teacher retention, whether that’s increasing salaries and our benefits packages that we offer our teachers and how we recruit those teachers. And I am committed to that challenge every single day.”
The candidates were asked how to make RISD attractive to young families and whether RISD should allow transfers from other districts.
“I disagree with that,” said Neria. “I would promote more families to live in the district, promoting our schools and our beautiful neighborhoods, but not transferring from other districts. I disagree with that.”
“Our neighboring districts do allow transfers into their districts,” said McGowan. “With the budget deficit that lies ahead of us, we have to be creative in how we bring in funds for our district. As you know, if butts are not in seats, we do not get paid. So, I’m open to creative ways of creating more financial cushion for our district, and I would say yes, I am in support of allowing transfers into our district with very creative requirements that surround that, and policy that we entrust our superintendent and our cabinet to put together.”
Neria and McGowan were asked how best to recruit new teachers.
“Our recruiting department goes to colleges, they go to career events trying to recruit teachers to come to our district and be a part of the family here,” said McGowan. “I think that we as a board have discussed how important it is to have a very diverse group of employees in our district and teachers in our classrooms. It is one of the things that the board cares deeply about is recruiting, and I do think our district is doing a good job at recruiting methods.”
“I think teachers should have more training and more hands-on, one-on-one with our students,” said Neria. “See what their weak spots and their strong spots are. Be more concerned about their students’ education, their achievement. I think teachers should have more training and just be more involved in their classroom setting.”
Candidates were asked if they would commit to responding to questions and concerns posed by constituents.
“Yes, I’ll be very committed to their concerns,” said Neria, “to be there for them, to listen to them. Hear them out. It’s about working with them.”
“As a trustee, I’ve received many emails over the past 3 years,” said McGowan. “I’ve had lots of coffee. I’ve had lots of tea, and I’m not even a coffee drinker. I am committed to meeting every single one of those individuals, every single kid that wants to talk and every one of those emails that I receive. I stress about getting back and responding back to those parents immediately.”
Answers have been edited for brevity and clarity.
Election Day is May 3, and three districts are on the RISD ballot – all single member districts. Early voting begins April 22.
