What is your motivation to become a school board member?
I believe children, parents and taxpayers in district 2 deserve to have an advocate on the School Board. I also believe in the value of education, not only for the purposes of academic achievement, but so our young people can grow to become productive citizens. The students in district 2 are mostly Latino, and there exists an achievement gap between schools in this district and others in Hays CISD. There must be a targeted, equitable approach to address this issue. As a school board member, I intend to provide those in my district with the resources they need to achieve success.
What qualities will enable you to be an effective school board member?
I have been an educator at the university, high School and middle school level, and believe that those experiences and teaching post COVID, allow me to better understand the complexities and challenges of being an educator and administrator today. In addition, I am an advocate who believes in civility, but I believe while in the arena, I will be willing to effectively argue for my constituents, and never sacrifice forthrightness for convenience.
What will you do to fight the epidemic of fentanyl in HCISD?
Regarding Fentanyl, we must take a proactive approach to battling this epidemic. Not only must we enable law enforcement to adequately police schools, we must address the underlying issues related to fentanyl use. This approach includes providing more mental health support for kids who are experiencing depression, and the creation of a resource center in the district where kids can receive in person help from trained professionals, even beyond school hours. And lastly, we must maintain a year long effort to educate students, parents and the community about the dangers of fentanyl use. These efforts would include community events, partnership with law enforcement and non profits, and public outreach. Only through an investment from our entire community can we create a collective resistance to this horrible epidemic.
What is your plan for reducing the threat of gun violence in our schools?
The number one job of an educator, administrator or school board member is to make sure children are provided with a safe learning environment. There must be a sustained effort to target threats before any incident occurs. Threat assessment teams should be utilized to bring in students that may be deemed a threat. Additionally, we must educate parents and students about the existence of useful technologies, such as the crime stoppers app, iwatchtexas app, and any hotline that they can use to alert law enforcement about a possible threat. There is strength in numbers, and the more people that have eyes on possible threats the better. Lastly, we must secure every door, entry way, and soft spot in our schools. There must be forethought in the designing or improvements to campuses, so that it is as difficult as possible for individuals to carry out an attack on our schools. As a school board trustee, I will argue that every existing safety standard must be open for assessment, and the most cost effective way of protecting our schools must be put forward.
Please explain your stance on book bans happening in public schools across Texas.
I am against any book banning by school districts, especially literature written to promote inclusion, diversity of thought, and a better understanding of various cultures and histories. I believe in the expansion of available literature, not the suppression of ideas. Book banning promotes ignorance and xenophobia, and hinders a students ability to absorb diverse viewpoints on significant subjects.
Describe how you will make sure diverse voices from the LGBTQIA+, economically disadvantaged, and culturally diverse communities will be heard and supported in the district?
All students, no matter who they are, where they come from, or who they love, deserve to be heard, valued, and celebrated. Students in these unique communities deserve to be afforded a safe space to learn, and should never be ignored, alienated, nor bullied by fellow students or staff. It is important to have high academic expectations for all of our children, and equally important to lead with love, grace, and an understanding of what children may be going through outside of school. As a school board trustee, I will make sure that as a district, we meet students where they are, and provide a learning experience that is conducive to their unique backgrounds.
As a school board member, how will you counteract the efforts to sow fear and division surrounding the teaching of history and social/emotional learning in our schools?
As a history teacher myself, I believe in teaching about America's triumphs, while evaluating our past transgressions. I believe a school board trustee has a responsibility to ensure that the true history of our nation is being taught to our children, and to resist any efforts to omit factual, historical accounts based on political or religious objections. in addition, there must be a whole child approach to teaching any subject. A quality education is more than just a means towards academic achievement. The building of character, social skills, and self awareness are essential for children to achieve success in today's world. As a school board trustee, I will work to ensure that the children in Hays CISD are provided with such an education, and are allowed to gain these necessary skills through social/emotional learning.
If elected, how will you work to address the disproportionately high concentration of economically disadvantaged and minority students in some areas that the district serves?
If elected, I will work to provide a targeted, equitable and efficient approach to the students in these areas. The act of spending will not alone solve the problems that exist in these communities. We must highlight the deficiencies in our approach, and ensure that the district has the capacity to provide these students with the academic support they need. Our schools are stronger when there is a diverse student body. Diversity promotes a better understanding among students, and helps to break down any barriers that exist between those of different cultures. Therefore, in any future zoning of schools in the district, I will oppose any attempted partition, whether voluntary or involuntary, of school children based on race or socioeconomic backgrounds.
Are there other issues or ideas you have to improve the future of Hays CISD and help our students?
In today's schools, I believe bullying is a major issue of concern among many students and parents. As a school board trustee, I would work to ensure that all students are adequately protected from both physical and online bullying. I would support a practice of holding students to a high level of accountability, and maintaining contact with parents to ensure that they are aware of any bullying that their student may be a victim or instigator of. I will work hard to create anti-bullying initiatives in our district to make sure that there is never complicity among students when bullying occurs.
Name
Johnny Flores
How can voters contact you?
Educational background
I have both a Bachelor's and a Master's degree in Political Science from Texas State University.
What is your experience participating with the Hays school district or at a particular campus?
I have taken part in volunteer work with Simon Middle School and Chapa Middle School.
The election will take place in Hays CISD. Specific polling locations and times depend on the county in which the voter resides. These dates and times are listed in the election order and notice (below), and linked from this webpage and the Hays CISD election district map.
Hays County Early Voting & Election Day Locations
Caldwell County Early Voting and election Day Locations
Travis County Early Voting Locations
Travis County Election Day Locations
Hays and Travis Counties use vote centers, meaning Hays and Travis County voters may cast ballots for any election in which they are eligible at any vote center in the respective counties during the times the vote centers are operating. Caldwell County will have a specific polling location for early and election day voting.
Hays County Voting Dates and Times
These are Hays County's May 2022 Election Day Voting locations. Registered Hays County voters can vote at any of these locations.
Early Voting: April 24 — May 2, 2022
Monday, April 24- 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Tuesday April 25 through Friday April 28 — 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Saturday, April 29 — 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Monday, May 1 - 7 a.m. - 7 p.m.
Tuesday, May 2 — 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Election Day: Saturday, May 6 — 7 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Click on the image below to see an interactive map of the Early Voting locations in Hays County. Registered voters can vote at any location.
Click on the image below to see an interactive map of the Election Day voting locations in Hays County. Hays County registered voters can vote at any vote location on Election Day.
May 2022 Bond Election Information
For more information, visit the district's bond election webpage.
