Richardson ISD Place 5 Trustee Rachel McGowan was recently selected by her fellow trustees to serve as the school board’s vice president.
Photography by Amani Sodiq.
After each school board election, the board of trustees reorganizes and selects new officers for the coming school year. McGowan, who has previously served as board secretary, was chosen to serve as vice president and sworn into her second term on the board at a June 5 meeting. McGowan won reelection in May with over 85% of the vote.
On the northern side of Lake Highlands, Place 4 Trustee Regina Harris was also reelected to a third term after running unopposed for a second consecutive election. Harris had served as the board’s Texas Association of School Boards Delegate after stepping down as board president, but will be succeeded in the role for 2025-26 by Place 2 Trustee Vanessa Pacheco.
At Large Place 7 Trustee Chris Poteet, a Lake Highlands neighbor, will continue as board president.
The newly elected board — composed entirely of returning multi-term incumbents — will face significant challenges. Earlier this month, the board approved a budget that required $28 million in one-time funds to balance (the budget does not reflect changes made during the legislative session, however). The district’s worsening financial situation has been fueled by declining enrollment, rising costs and the need to competitively raise staff salaries.
