Member Selection Process

School Board Selection Process

Fort Sam Houston ISD is one of three districts in Texas whose boundaries are coterminous with a military installation. (The other two are Lackland ISD and Randolph Field ISD.) FSHISD falls under Texas rule, as all other public school districts, and not under the U.S. Department of Defense. It does not have any taxing authority and is represented by a five member board instead of the usual seven.

 

To be considered for a position on the FSHISD Board of Trustees, a person must be a registered voter in Texas and live or be employed on Fort Sam Houston. Enlisted military personnel and military officers may be appointed to the Board; however, a majority of the board members will be civilians, and all may be civilians.

 

When a board vacancy occurs, notices are placed in the community newspaper. A panel of installation representatives from the various commands and school district interviews board applicants and makes recommendations to the garrison commander. Three nominees are selected for each vacancy. The lists are sent to the State Board of Education (SBOE). Appointments are made at the monthly meetings of the SBOE in Austin, Texas.

 

Public school board members are citizen leaders who provide a critical service to education. They have one of the most important volunteer jobs in the country and face the toughest challenges. They spend many hours meeting training requirements, adopting policies, hiring personnel, recognizing programs and staff, attending school events, and all the time focusing on student achievement.