Place 6 board hopefuls differ in visions

The three candidates for Place 6 on the Pflugerville school district board of trustees have each found their own way to serve the community.

Incumbent Larry Bradley served as Pflugerville High School principal for nearly three decades before retiring. Matt Robertson, a stay-at-home dad and substitute teacher, volunteers for the Boy Scouts and St. Elizabeth’s Catholic Church. And Cliff Styles, an Air Force and Army veteran, is one of the main organizers of Black Pflugerville, a community activist group for black residents.

Bradley said he is seeking a second term on the board in hopes of continuing his stewardship over a rapidly growing school district. He noted the opening of the district’s fourth high school and 21st elementary school next school year, and the Pfield stadium across from Pflugerville High School.

“Being able to keep watch from a board’s perspective to meet those timelines we set for ourselves is important to the whole district,” he said, adding that other districts tend to struggle to pass bonds when previous projects have come in over budget.

Robertson, who ran against board President Vernagene Mott in last year’s board elections, said he would offer fresh id e as with a focus on technology in the school district. He recommended board term limits and having trustees represent certain areas within the school district, much like the Austin City Council.

“We need to move away from that smalltown mentality and into a larger district mentality,” he said.

Styles said hechose to run for the board to contribute to the community and try to affect positive change within the school district. He has one child who is attending Hendrickson High School and another who recently graduated from there. “We have great schools in Pflugerville, and the current board is amazing and doing the best they can,” he said. “But there are more issues to be faced, more to be brought up. I can do that.”

Styles called for more communication and outreach in future attendance zone realignments, particularly among families of Spanish-speaking students. “There needs to be more of a leniency toward allowing certain kids to stay (at a school),” he said.

Bradley has passed several fiscal-year district budgets, and voted for teacher pay raises last year. He agreed with a recent report by the Texas Association of School Boards calling for a 2.5-percent increase in teacher pay.

“What our CFO (Kenneth Adix) sees and current trends in what the state has been doing, we see it as sustainable,” he said of pay raises.

Robertson backs teacher pay raises, but only if it does not involve a tax increase. Styles said teacher pay raises need to happen, and would consider a tax rate increase as a final option.

Bradley said in his second term, he would make sure students are able to excel academically and be provided with the appropriate resources to succeed. Styles said his biggest concern is doing more for failing students by offering resources suchas internships with local businesses. And Robertson said a change of mentality is sorely needed on the school board.

“Pflugerville is not a small town anymore,” Robertson said, “and (the district) has to stop operating like it is a small town.”