Air Alliance Houston and our partner Fort Bend County Environmental, created and sent out a questionnaire on environmental health and safety concerns to the candidates in the following school districts for the 2023 Fort Bend County School Board election:
- Fort Bend Independent School District
- Lamar Consolidated Independent School District
- Needville Independent School District
- Stafford Municipal School District
This questionnaire was sent to candidates in the above districts with reminders via email and phone for those whom contact information was available. We received answers from one candidate. All answers are shown as received with no editing for length, content, or grammar. If a candidate is not shown, this means they did not respond to the questionnaire.
Fort Bend Board of Trustees Position 5 – Rolly U. DeMeza, Challenger
This candidate provided two separate responses
Q1: What is your philosophy about the role that your school district’s campuses play in their broader neighborhood?
Response 1: Teach and show young minds how to become better in their respective lives and future. Be a dedicated partner with guardians and/or parents. After all, they (school teachers) are the second parents.
Response 2: Preparing young minds develop into proper adults and responsible citizens as they grow.
Q2 A: Do you believe public health has an impact on a student’s ability to learn? Why or why not?
Response 1: YES! How can a student concentrate (even a mere resident of the community) on doing daily chores if such (pollution) is a huge obstacle?
Response 2: Yes! How can a resident, let alone a student concentrate on school work or any other endeavor if the surrounding home is impacted by air pollution or toxic air.
Q2 B: Would you support assistance for students taking sick days due to pollution related issues?
Response 1: YES!
Response 2: Yes.
Q2 C: Do you believe environmental quality/air quality has an impact on public health? Why or why not?
Response 1: Yes of course. One reason why we have such agency as EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) to enforce laws protecting the overall health of all well-beings.
Response 2: Definitely. Can you function properly with your daily routine if your surroundings are not conducive for such activity? Would you exercise outside knowing the air particles are contaminated?
Q3: Are you concerned about the campuses’ proximity to the WA Parish coal plant? Why or why not?
Response 1: YES! Overall safety. It’s long term effect to residents. Either, gov’t enforces applicable laws. OR in my case, move out of the community.
Response 2: Yes. School campuses should be as far as possible and within the guidelines set forth by the EPA vis-a-via OSHA. At the same token, industrial plants fuming out toxic elements, despite its concentration level should be situated & regulated appropriately.
Q4: Are there any initiatives you plan to undertake to protect the health and well being of the students?
Response 1:
• Safety: Have an on-campus (in-house) security during school hours, patrolling & monitoring the school. (Similar to air Marshall). First one to act & respond in authority and trained with skills needed.
• In addition to classroom teachers: get volunteers from each class, 1 to 2 students to be trained (despite age)to lead others on what to do in cases of emergencies. Other kids look up to.
– conduct & train lead students by proper authorities.
– conduct regular emergency drills & monitor results.
• Get additional funding for such safety measures. If unable to, divert other budgets from other agencies to school fundings for such.
Response 2: Push government, from local to State and of need be, the Federal for additional funding to curtail and address such Public Health Issues. More so, affecting students (campuses). Divert funds if need be. Example: why does the Federal provided funding for illegal border crossings. In the first place, it’s already illegal. Reason why it’s not stopping is because, these illegals know that they will be supported, more so financially. That is why it’s a never ending scenario. Unless, stern measures and equivalent implementations are in place to curtail such. Funds are being used the wrong way. Period! NOT FAIR AT ALL.
The following candidates did not respond to our questionnaire:
- FBISD – Angela Hanan
- FBISD – Oscar Saenz
- FBISD – Cheryl Buford
- FBISD – Shirley Rose Gilliam
- FBISD – Allison Drew
- FBISD – Angel Hicks
- FBISD – Sonya Jones
- FBISD – Denetta Williams
- LCISD – Jon Welch
- LCISD – Jacci Hotzel
- LCISD – Craig LeTulle
- LCISD – Brian Moore
- LCISD – Suzanne Box
- LCISD – Alex Hunt
- NEEDVILLEISD – Kim Janke
- NEEDVILLEISD – Tyler Bridges
- NEEDVILLEISD – Chris Janicek
- STAFFORDMSD – Edward Rector
- STAFFORDMSD – Adam Sanchez
- STAFFORDMSD – Greg Holsapple
- STAFFORDMSD – Desiree Feliciano Glover
- STAFFORDMSD – Jacqueline Jean Baptiste