Why are you applying for the District 9 position?
Salyer, 61, said he used to be on the Judson Independent School District board of trustees so he understands the relationship between Alamo Colleges and the other school districts.
He said Judson ISD is one of the districts where students can go to four years of high school and can receive two years of college, graduating only needing two more years of college for a bachelor’s degree.
He said he wants to expand this.
Salyer said “kids” should have a skill or degree by age 21 they can use to pursue a higher degree or use to work.
What qualifications do you have that make you a valuable candidate?
Salyer said he spent seven years on the Judson ISD board of trustees and two years as president of that board, saying he has experience with school budgets, which are different from other budgets.
Salyer said school boards have fiduciary responsibility to ensure students get the “best bang for their buck” and taxpayer money is spent well.
He said there is only “so much pie,” and a board needs to spend the money wisely. He said the fiduciary responsibilities of a school board are in direct competition because if you spend “part of the pie” in one place, it can’t go to another.
What makes you a good representative of the constituents of District 9?
Salyer said the service area of his time served on the Judson ISD board overlays with the service area for the District 9 trustee position.
He said he wasn’t on the Judson ISD board when the Judson Early College Academy at Northeast Lakeview College was planned, but he was on the Judson board when it opened.
He said his experience with the early college high school allowed him to understand the strategy of school districts and Alamo Colleges.
Salyer said looking at the spring graduation rates for Northeast Lakeview College will show the majority of graduates are from Judson ISD.
How closely have you followed the board of trustees, and how well do you feel they function?
Salyer said being in Judson means he didn’t really follow the Alamo Colleges board of trustees.
He said his knowledge of the board comes from working with them as a Judson ISD board member.
Have you enrolled in any classes in the Alamo Colleges?
Salyer said he has never taken classes in the district, but he said his daughter is a success story because she graduated from Judson ISD, attended Northeast Lakeview College for two years and then got her bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from the University of Texas at San Antonio.
What are issues you are concerned about that you would like to see addressed by the board? Any special interest in the two colleges in your district?
Salyer said the priority of a school board is the big picture, including fiscal responsibility and ensuring money is well spent.
He said he would like to see the vocational programs expanded to high schools in Judson ISD.
He said everything is driven toward college, but a lot of students in Judson don’t go to college.
He said there are two tracks: Those who get their credits and transfer and those that aren’t going to attend college but need a certification to get employed.
“If there’s something I would soapbox, it would be expanding vocational programs,” Salyer said.
How did you find out about the District 9 vacancy and application? Were you approached by a current board member? How do you know them?
Salyer said news of late District 9 trustee Jim Rindfuss’s death “spread like wildfire.”
He said he knew Rindfuss from his work as a Judson ISD board member, as he knew several of the Alamo Colleges board members.
He was not asked specifically by any trustee to apply for the position.
