RISD’s new district map
Seven candidates have filed to run in three races for Richardson ISD school board, but you’ll only cast your ballot for one name this November. That’s because all three places up for grabs are in RISD’s newly-created single member districts.
The Nov. 5 election will be the first since former trustee David Tyson settled his lawsuit alleging Voting Rights Act violations and the parties agreed to a new 5-2 system, with 5 single member districts and 2 trustees elected at-large.
In District 5, located mostly in Lake Highlands (and shown here in green), incumbent Karen Clardy will run unopposed. Clardy’s two grown children are graduates of LHHS, and she’s a retired executive assistant after serving 25 years at LHHS.
In District 2, located around Berkner High School (and shown here in orange), incumbent Eron Linn will face challenger Vanessa Pacheco in the race. Linn, a federal relations manager for DART, was elected in 2015. He has three young children who attend Yale Elementary. Pacheco, VP of a private investment company, has two children enrolled at Berkner.
District 4 is the new “opportunity zone” (shown here in yellow), created to encourage minority participation on the board. Four residents of Hamilton Park have filed in the race.
Taler Jefferson grew up in Hamilton Park and now teaches at Dallas ISD’s Hillcrest High School. She is founder and executive director of the Salome Foundation. Regina Harris is a webcast production manager active in RISD’s Council of PTAs. Her son attends Richardson High. Patricia Price Hicks led the 2017 effort to have Hamilton Park officially declared a historic community with a marker installed by the Texas Historical Commission. She’s retired from teaching at Cedar Hill and DISD. Sakennia Reed teaches at DISD’s Barack Obama Male Leadership Academy.
Early voting begins Oct. 21 and continues until Nov. 1. Election Day is Nov. 5.
