Tarrah Lantz

Questionnaire Responses 

Did you or your children attend PISD ? If so, when?

Yes, my children have attended Plano ISD since 2015. Stella is currently in 3rd grade at Hickey Elementary and is a proud graduate of Panther PreSchool at PESH. Elliot is currently in 8th grade at Bowman Middle School and is also a product of a fully funded universal Pre-K program in Brooklyn where he attended Pre-K through K.

Why are you running for this position, and how has your experience prepared you for a position on the board ? Please include  your current and past civic involvement that are relevant to the PISD board position (e.g. PTA, public offices sought or held etc.)

I’m the proud Plano ISD mom of a 3rd grader and 8th grader. For the last seven years, I’ve been a full-time volunteer leader becoming familiar with the district and the challenges it faces. I bring the relationships, skills, and knowledge to be ready to serve the Plano ISD of today on day one.

My track record of service districtwide and at the campus level demonstrates my commitment to Plano ISD, public education, and the success of all students. I’ve led with an open minded, collaborative, and inclusive approach that puts all students at the heart of the decision-making process. My record of problem solving through active listening, intentional outreach, and building connections is exactly what’s needed in our next trustee.

With the current bills in the House session that would eliminate Plano ISD's ability to hire lobbyists to advocate for our needs in Austin, we need a Trustee who can also be an effective advocate. I've been doing advocacy for the district through PTA since 2018, including most recently organizing over 50 PTA members to travel to Austin for PTA Rally Day.

Leadership Plano

2022 - Current: Class 39

Plano ISD Council of PTAs

2022 - Current: Advocacy Chair

2020 - 2022: President

2018-2020: Secretary

Plano ISD Education Foundation

2020 - Current: Board Member

Plano ISD Future Forward Task Force

2022: Member & Career and Technology Education Subcommittee Chair

Plano ISD Teacher of the Year

2021 and- 2022: Member of Judging Panel

Plano ISD District-Based Improvement Committee

2020 - 2022: Member

Plano ISD Safety & Security Committee

2020 - 2022: Member

Plano ISD Student Health Advisory Committee

2021 - Current: Member

Hickey Elementary PTA

2022 - Current: Treasurer

2019 - 2020: Vice President

2017 - 2019: President

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What is your plan to manage the deficit driven by recapture, to create the best outcome for Plano schools, to ensure that teachers have sufficient resources and capacity to provide the best possible education to children ?

Plano ISD has operated in a budget deficit for years. If we do not tackle this issue soon, our savings in the fund balance could be depleted leaving Plano ISD in the tough position of borrowing money to make payroll. Plano ISD is what is known as a Chapter 49 district according to the Texas Education Code along with other districts across the state who are considered property wealthy. Under this code, our recapture payments are determined by the amount of excess entitlements funds plus the excess in our copper penny enrichment funds. This number is multiplied by our weighted average daily attendance. The state's broken funding school funding system is intentionally confusing. Since 1994, Plano ISD has paid $2.4 billion into this program to make education more equitable across Texas. This last year, Plano ISD's recapture payment will be nearly $250 million.

Managing these funds means constantly watching actions taken in Austin during legislative session and advocating for Plano ISD with our elected officials. It also includes constantly educating our community about the impact of these statewide decisions on the district. For instance, Plano ISD's property tax rate has lowered nearly $.18 in the last five years. When HB3 passed in 2019, our Tier 1 entitlement funds under the M&O (Maintenance & Operations) portion of our budget were compressed. The TEA Commissioner and the Comptroller determine the Maximum Compression Rate, or MCR, each year. This is good for Plano ISD. I support the further compression of this rate at the statewide level because it helps our district get more revenue that is not subject to recapture.

I could go on and on in detail about our budget, the property tax rate, recapture and how Plano ISD spends the dollars it is allowed to keep from property tax collections. I've spent 7 years watching and learning. I believe Plano ISD does a great job of insulating students and families from seeing the huge impact of the loss of dollars sent to Austin in the form of recapture. Teachers received a 4% raise last year. I'd love for it to be more, if possible. As budget reviews occur each year, I'll listen and make decisions based on what is best for students and teachers. With our declining enrollment, this may mean leading difficult conversations in our community about priorities that make the most sense for ALL of Plano ISD. I will be doing intentional outreach in our community with different groups and organizations to foster the culture of caring the district needs to remain excellent.

Voters approved a $1.4 billion bond program last fall. This next board will oversee the proposed updates and renovations which are numerous. As a member of that bond committee, I have the knowledge to help our taxpayers understand these projects as they're discussed.

We should continue to strive for excellence by challenging our students and remaining mission-driven, to help each child reach their full potential. I will ensure every student has access to the resources, opportunities, and materials to succeed. The struggle with attracting and retaining quality teachers and staff is a direct symptom of the state’s broken school financing system and divisive attacks on public education. We have 267 teacher vacancies because our teachers are underpaid, overworked, and under appreciated. All of this needs to be considered and on the table when financial decisions are made.

While not directly under the purview of a Trustee, I will work to expand our community's understanding of the role the Plano ISD Education Foundation serves in providing an additional funding source outside of recapture to make programs like AVID, 5th Grade Camp, and Robotic Clubs possible. I'd rather we fix recapture, but the Education Foundation is a good solution our community can expand on now.

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Would you empower teachers to define and teach the curriculum based on state provided guidelines and specifically issues such as slavery being integral to American history, the historical importance of sexuality,  racial and gender identities, socio-economic status etc.? Please add your thoughts as to your position on empowering teachers.

Yes, Plano ISD's reputation of excellence has helped attract qualified and dedicated teachers, support staff, and administrators who are the envy of school districts throughout Texas. While neighboring districts get pulled into the whirlwind of division and distraction stoked by a nationwide movement intent on tearing down public education, Plano ISD has always kept its focus on improving student success.

We should empower our students with the facts and knowledge about where we’ve been, how far we’ve come, and the optimism that we can continue to improve. We should teach the truth about our history, good and bad. The stain of slavery is an undeniable part of the birth of America. Racial oppression is an undeniable part of our recent past. Learning about these facts doesn’t mean any of our students are guilty of perpetrating them. It is essential to building the confidence that we can overcome the lasting ripple effects that continue today.

Parents have the right under Chapter 26 of the Texas Education Code to know what is being taught so they can talk with their children and provide their perspectives at home. Decisions around curriculum should be made by qualified professionals and not partisan politicians. Decisions about how topics are taught should be made collaboratively at the most local level possible while balancing the need for statewide baseline standards. We should entrust the professionalism of our teachers.

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Do you believe that there is an issue within PISD with respect to book banning, social and emotional learning etc.? Please provide insight into your response to the question above. Is there an issue within PISD with respect to book banning, social and emotional learning etc.?

Maybe. The wording of this question is strange to me, so it's difficult for me to give a direct yes or no answer. If the intent of the question is to ask me about my positions on book banning and social & emotional learning (SEL), I can do that. The only possible link I see between the two is that books dealing with race and LGBTQ+ issues and SEL are coming under attack by the nationwide movement sowing distrust in public education toward the goal of privatizing it. I will continue advocating to protect public education in Plano ISD from these outside forces.

I'm bemused that the same people wanting to ban books also want our kids off technology and reading more books in the classroom. There are not sections of our school libraries marked Sex or Pornography as one of my opponents believes. I trust the professionalism of our librarians and district staff to offer books to our students that are appropriate. As a parent, if I found something objectionable, I wouldn't ask for the book to be banned. I'd use that as a teaching moment to talk with my children. Plano ISD has a process to follow if a book is deemed inappropriate by someone though I believe that to be the exception rather than the rule. However, just because one person objects or finds it inappropriate, another person might not.

Regarding social and emotional learning (SEL), there is plenty of work to be done. Plano ISD has led with emphasizing the importance of SEL for the last ten years to create a healthy and safe learning environment for all students. The pandemic highlighted and exacerbated the mental health and socioeconomic struggles our students face that disrupt their ability to learn. We need to continue teaching the whole child to build lifelong learners and critical thinkers. We want well-rounded and well-grounded students. I wish Plano ISD could afford to hire a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) on every campus and even for the staff.

SEL is not controversial. It is not a gateway to indoctrinating our students. The goal of SEL is to help students learn their emotions and how to regulate them; how to be compassionate, kind and empathetic; how to critically think and effectively problem solve and how to self-manage in a world full of diversity.

PISD has local policies regarding parental involvement and processes to request change or complain about a book, as mandated by State law. I agree with current local policies and processes but am committed to hearing requests for change with an open mind.

I am glad to see that our District remains committed to Social, Emotional Learning (SEL) programs and continues to model the SEL competencies in classrooms. As the Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL) has defined it, “SEL is the process through which all young people and adults acquire and apply…knowledge, skills and attitudes.” The “loss” in “learning loss” is the time schools did not have with their students, the time to build relationships, knowledge, community and skills. This lack of “build” time in addition to the divisive climate and effects of COVID-19 has resulted in deficiencies in learning, anxiety, fear and disruptive behaviors. We all need to learn and practice techniques of self-awareness, emotional stability, collaboration and empathy in order to reduce unproductive actions and move ahead with learning.

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Do you believe  student mental health issues such as anxiety, fear of violence/suicidal thoughts should be addressed at a district wide level? What steps, if any, will you take to alleviate student mental health issues such as anxiety, fear of violence/suicidal thoughts etc.?

Yes. I answered some of this above. Plano ISD currently is on its third iteration of a grant with Texas Health Resources to provide Telehealth therapy to students at schools in the 75074 zip code. This is a step in the right direction. As far as I know, there is not a grant opportunity to pursue these opportunities in the other zip codes of Plano ISD. I'd support that grant if so. If someone were to propose Plano ISD should pay for it, my question would be "How"?

These issues must be led in close collaboration with parents. I have firsthand knowledge of this as the mom of a student with an anxiety disorder and ADHD inattentive presentation. Parents must work with teachers in a constructive way to explore and discover strategies that work to lessen the impact of these issues on a student's school work. A 504 accommodation plan may need to be developed. Openness is integral to collaboration. Parents and teachers alike need to approach a student dealing with mental health issues with the best in mind for that student.

I love the HOPE squad program, a peer-to-peer suicide prevention program. I know it's been implemented in some of our secondary schools and I support the further expansion of that program. There are a lot of organizations that deal with mental health issues. If money is what's preventing the district from offering some of these opportunities, I'd love to see Plano ISD expand its partnership with organizations like the Grant Halliburton Foundation.

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What measures will you advocate to improve the security of students, faculty and staff in the district without adding to the work load or out of pocket expenses of teachers?

I will definitely not advocate for guns in schools! That's certainly the wrong approach.

I'm not quite certain what out-of-pocket expenses teachers pay for regarding safety and security other than what we learned about during the height of the COVID pandemic, things like PPE, more tissues, hand sanitizer, etc. All teachers in Plano ISD have access to the CORE Store funded by the Plano ISD Education Foundation. The CORE Store has tissues and hand sanitizer for teachers to get for free as well as other supplies. I serve on this committee for the Education Foundation, and it's an amazing opportunity open to every teacher in the district.

Plano ISD's bond package that passed last fall included an additional $40 million to be spent on safety and security after the Uvalde massacre in May 2022. This is in addition to the items already included in the bond propositions including improved communication equipment, cameras, and protective film. I'd love to see doors installed in our open concept pod classrooms in the elementary schools.

I like that Plano ISD expanded the SRO program to our 13 middle schools. In collaboration with our municipal police departments, officers routinely check the security of our elementary buildings. Safety and security audits have been done on all campuses. If elected, I'll take the safety and security of our students and staff seriously, especially since our senior highs are enormous. WIth multiple buildings, controlling access to campus is a challenge.

Our district has room for improvement when it comes to the security students feel concerning bullying and cyberbullying. Many of these issues will take a community-wide approach with all stakeholders to ensure students understand the consequences to their actions and that we offer supports to the students affected.

NOTE: I'm sad I don't have the opportunity to answer the last question about bathrooms beyond a Yes or No answer. Trans students in our district are given the opportunity to use specific and safe bathrooms currently. For a district of nearly 50,000 students, we have very few trans students. If I were to be made aware this issue is prohibiting a student from achieving their full potential, I'd utilize every avenue at my disposal to advocate for that student. As a side note, the Collin County GOP and the Collin County Conservative Republicans asked us about this issue. I refused to answer. I don't want to fan the flames of what I think is a distraction to the real issues facing our district.

Do you believe trans students should be able to access the restroom that aligns with their gender identity? 

No answer provided 

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