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E-mail This StoryThe three incumbents up for re-election to the Lewisville ISD board of trustees have filed for a spot on the May 12 ballot. Kathy Duke, Fred Placke, and Tommy Kim will seek additional terms to Places 4, 5, and 3, respectively.
If elected, Duke will serve her second three-year term on the school board.
“I love being on the school board. When I decided to run the first time I felt it was an honor to be elected to help our kids,” she said. “When you first start you are in a learning process n getting to know everybody and how the board works. I look forward to watching everything develop more in our district.”
Placke, president of the board, has served nine years as a trustee. The real estate agent and former Marcus High School government teacher wants to see some district projects in the works through to completion.
“I have been a long-time proponent for the ninth grade campus concept for every high school and would like to see the implementation of the outdoor camp program at the Lake Lewisville Educational Learning Area,” Placke said in a press release. “The newly implemented Drug Task Force and the future bond election are also items that are very important to me.”
Placke feels his experience as a teacher has helped him serve as an effective board member, and he hopes to return to his roots someday, he said.
“I brought teaching experience to the board and have always been an advocate for the teaching profession,” he said. “My long-term goal is to eventually return to teaching. I really cherished my time as a teacher and miss the interaction with the kids.”
Like Placke, Duke wants to stick around to see plans for the future of LISD high schools fleshed out.
“Recently, we had a secondary task force look at freshman-only campuses in the future. I am interested in making sure we implement that process with all of our different high schools, and possibly getting some magnet schools developed to make sure n whether they are going to college or not n once they are out of school our students are hireable within the community,” said Duke, who works as vice president of sales and marketing at an insurance agency.
Kim, a former Lewisville High School football player, is also an advocate of creating more schools like Killough LHS-North, the district’s only ninth-grade campus. The school was recently named first among Texas high schools by Texas Monthly magazine, Kim said.
“I couldn’t be more proud of LISD and the accomplishments our district has obtained,” he said in a press release. “Having lived in the district for more than 32 years, I have seen firsthand the impact of the quality education LISD provides.”
Kim, board vice president, said his long-time residency in Lewisville is an asset to the board.
“I think the familiarity I have with this community and my experience on the board has given me the knowledge to continue doing what is best for every child in LISD,” he said in a press release.
Early voting by personal appearance will begin April 30 and end May 8 and will be conducted at the city halls or town halls in Highland Village, Lewisville, Flower Mound, Double Oak, Copper Canyon, and The Colony and at the Sandy Jacobs Government Center in Carrollton.
Ballots are available by mail through residents’ city or town secretaries. Residents in The Colony and Carrollton should send applications for a ballot by mail to Cherry Carter, LISD, P.O. Box 217, Lewisville, 75067. Applications must be received no later than the close of business May 4.
Contact staff writer Stephanie Hutson at shutson@acnpapers.com.
