Trustee Election May 11, 2013 


Unofficial Results Here

Believes SMSD provides a quality education in a small district environment.  A 34-year Stafford resident, he has served as a SMSD trustee for a total of 16 years.   He believes his experience and ideas will continue to help SMSD reach its goal of excellence.  As a former SMSD parent he knows the issues and opportunities that children face and believes he can make a positive difference in the education they receive.  He wants every student to succeed to the best of their desires and abilities and has enjoyed working towards that goal for 16 years. 

Mr. Holsapple is a Senior Systems Administrator and has worked in the field of Information Technology for the past 25 years.  He believes his knowledge and work experience with changing technology is valuable in the decisions made by the School Board.  He is eager to see completion of the bond construction and full implementation of the strategic goals.   He supports: the development of a long term facility maintenance plan that includes the replacement of aging equipment;  district programs  leading to SMSD being an exemplary school district; all graduates prepared to enter college or the work force;  working with Stafford and Fort Bend County businesses to identify and prepare students with the necessary employee skill sets; and continued development of relationships with Houston Community College and other colleges to help train our students and earn college credit while in high school.  He also supports:  the development of new course offerings; programs that will continue to attract and retain great administrators, teachers, counselors and support staff;  strong staff development; and continued strategic planning that incorporates changes and developments in technology and our society.   He believes the training he has completed as a 16-year Board veteran provides him with valuable experience in policy development, school legal issues, best-practices, personnel and Special Education.  He also believes that adequate school funding is the most pressing issue to SMSD and all Texas public schools.  He encourages Stafford residents to continue contacting state legislators for increased school funding and relief from costly mandates.

Mr. Holsapple is excited about the future of SMSD and its students.  He said that in addition to our growing enrollment and new facilities, SMSD students are recognized for achievements in academics, athletics, fine arts, and other programs.  He said that the district continues to improve in its attendance and graduation rates, and test scores.  He is proud of the scholarships provided to our students by the SMSD Education Foundation, high school booster clubs, and other local organizations.  He appreciates the collaborative results of the City of Stafford and Board to support programs that lead to academic excellence while maintaining a low tax rate which includes the preservation of the 20% local option homestead exemption.

Believes SMSD is a unique school district where our kids are taught in a safe, secure and educationally rich environment. Currently serving as the Board’s vice-president, Mr. Castillo said serving on the Board since 2010, and in the Stafford community, is one of the most intrinsically rewarding volunteer opportunities that he has ever experienced. He said his position provides him the opportunity to make a difference in setting higher education standards in our schools and setting the tone to attract and keep the best and the brightest teachers in our schools.

Mr. Castillo was born and raised in Mexico and came to the United States at a young age. He attended bilingual education programs in the Houston Independent School District and was the first member of his family to graduate from college (University of Houston). He strongly believes education is the pathway to the American dream and is passionate about improving the quality of public education at SMSD. He said that he willingly serves on the Board to continue moving the district towards providing the best education for our students and ensure they are prepared for future exciting and rewarding careers. As a 25-year resident of Stafford, Castillo said that he wants SMSD to be known for providing an exemplary education to its children.

Mr. Castillo is currently employed by Cameron International as an Information Management Consultant and has been an Information Technology Consultant for over 20 years.  He strongly believes our schools need to engage and prepare our students in science and technology. He supports expanding educational opportunities including academies in the areas of medicine, law, information technology, and fine arts. He also supports programs that lead to student academic success, high assessment scores, and college entrance to national prestigious programs. He said over the last three years, the Board has established a strong educational foundation for the district including its participation in the development of a $49.9 million bond which was unanimously approved by Stafford voters. He said the bond passage set in motion many much needed improvements to increase the capacity and curriculum offerings available for our students. Mr. Castillo believes the most pertinent issues facing SMSD students and the school district are the number of required state assessments and engaging students with meaningful, interesting education that motivates them to become life-long learners. He said we also cannot ignore the disadvantages associated with poverty and English deficiencies that are part of the problems we face educating Stafford children. He said he will continue to support Superintendent Hindt’s efforts to advocate for legislation that provides for SMSD keeping its tax revenues to educate our students as opposed to sending Stafford tax dollars to the state.  He said that as a Trustee, he is working very hard to implement, encourage and support the components necessary to create a great educational system at SMSD including a stronger curriculum, great teachers, effective instructional methods, motivated students, and involvement from parents, community leaders, and businesses.

Believes SMSD is a diverse school system focused on excellence teeming with potential. A 16-year resident of Stafford, Jackson said a quality education can change the future of individuals and generations to come and he believes every child deserves the best education possible and that no student should be denied access to this opportunity.

Mr. Jackson said he believes in service: “To whom much is given, much is required.” Happily married to wife, Denise, the Jacksons have two children, Jalen and Auturo, who attend SMSD schools. Jackson unsuccessfully ran for a position on the School Board in 2011 and said he does not believe in giving up. As a Trustee, he said he would work hard and be available to students, teachers, and administrators so that together they could work to improve our schools and communities. He wants to ensure students have safe, secure schools with caring, competent teachers who are using fun, creative methods to teach students. He also wants to make sure we have the right people in the right positions with the right resources.

As a Stafford resident since 1996, Jackson said he loves living here and that there is true sense of community. He is the Senior Director of Customer Care and Customized Services with the Houston Metropolitan Transit Authority (METRO) where he has worked since 1989. His responsibilities include overseeing METRO’s call centers and contracted bus services which involves answering millions of calls and transporting millions of riders each year. Jackson said he would like to see the completion of the new facilities within the next year and believes this is creating excitement among students and teachers. He said in the next five years, SMSD must have a solid curriculum in place that is yielding positive results including college and/or career readiness for students. He said he wants teachers and administrators to seek out SMSD and the district be known as a leading school system. Jackson said that within 10 years, he wants SMSD to be viewed as one of the leading schools in the region attracting the best and brightest students, teachers, and administrators. He also said positive relationships must be maintained with the City of Stafford and the business community, and a strong, vibrant educational system will benefit our city and region. Mr. Jackson served on the Vision and Planning Committee which led to the creation of the new facilities and laid the framework for the direction of the district. He is currently actively involved in serving on a Parents Advisory Group at Stafford Intermediate School. He supports the athletic and music departments at Stafford High School and said that with school age children attending our schools, he will bring a school parent’s perspective to the Board. Mr. Jackson believes there are several issues that are priorities: making sure we have safe, secure schools; teachers and parents working together to achieve goals; having cutting-edge teaching methods in place that match the new facilities; teachers must have the time and resources needed to effectively do their jobs; and maintaining reasonable class sizes. He said that it is exciting to develop and implement a quality curriculum to match the excellent facilities being constructed.

• Must be a United States Citizen;


• 21 years of age or older;


• Have resided continuously in the City of Stafford for a year;


• Mentally competent;


• Resident qualified voter; and


• Not have been convicted of a felony.

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Please contact Terry Loudenburg with questions.
Email to tloudenburg@staffordmsd.org or 281-261-9219.

*All information provided is considered public information.