With early voting closed and Election Day set for Saturday, May 2, Boerne ISD Place 7 Trustee Rich Sena is urging voters to reelect him, touting the district's consistent 'A' accountability ratings and Superior financial integrity scores throughout his decade on the board. Sena, currently Board Vice President and a trustee since 2014, faces challenger Michael Ethridge in one of the few contested races on the May 2 ballot.
Under Sena's leadership, Boerne ISD has earned an 'A' rating from the Texas Education Agency for six consecutive years and maintained a Superior rating from the state's Financial Integrity Rating System of Texas (FIRST) every year of his tenure. The district has balanced budgets, preserved the recommended fund balance, and reduced administrative overhead by $1.5 million in the most recent budget cycle. Sena also chaired the Legislative Advocacy Committee, where he testified in Austin in support of a state-funded teacher retention allotment that ultimately passed. Starting teacher pay in Boerne ISD has risen from $43,000 to $60,000 during his time on the board.
As one of the fastest-growing districts in the Texas Hill Country, Boerne ISD relies on professional demographers for annual enrollment projections and uses long-range planning committees and citizen panels to guide decisions on facilities, curriculum, and capital needs. Sena has prioritized expanding Career and Technical Education offerings and investing in leadership training and professional development for staff. 'We can never rest on our laurels,' Sena said. 'Continuous improvement is the standard. The minute a district gets comfortable is the minute it starts falling behind.'
Sena, a first-generation American and local insurance agency owner, has two children who graduated from Boerne ISD. His daughter now teaches fourth grade at Comal ISD's Bill Brown Elementary. 'Every decision I make as a trustee comes back to one question: are we giving the next generation of Boerne kids the same shot mine got?' Sena said.
Election Day polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on May 2 at City Hall (Training Room), 447 N Main Street, Boerne, TX 78006, and the City of Fair Oaks Ranch Police Department, Public Safety Training Room, 7286 Dietz Elkhorn, Fair Oaks Ranch, TX 78015. More information about the campaign is available at www.senaforbisd.com.
