SISD inducts new trustees
The Sharyland ISD board of trustees made the May 6 election results official and inducted the two winners at the May 16 meeting. Meagan Sullivan took the Place 1 seat on the board, and Julio Cerda took Place 2.
The official vote count is 1,584 for Place 1, with Sullivan defeating her opponent Sergio Saenz with 823 votes. And for Place 2, the total vote count was 1,586, with Cerda defeating incumbent Alejandro Rodriguez with 825 votes.
Judge Keno Vasquez swore in the new trustees as their families stood by their respective sides.
The incoming board members each addressed the public following their induction. Sullivan was quick and to the point.
“I’m just very excited to be here and I’m looking forward to it,” she said.
Cerda, who previously sat in Place 2 for six years, was filled with emotion as he reflected on winning the race. He thanked Rodriguez for his service, the voters for participating in the election and his family and friends. He paid tribute to this recently deceased father who encouraged him to run for office again, praised the voters and said the board would do their best to make the best decisions for Sharyland ISD.
“I’m still sticking to what I believe in,” Cerda said. “And what I believe in is, at the end of the day, to make sure that we teach and get all the 9,600 kids with a great education, with a great career. So I’m excited. I’m really excited to get back in here and kick some butt.”
Courtesy photo – The Sharyland ISD board of trustees following Julio Cerda and Meagan Sullivan’s swearing in.
As the new trustees begin their three years of service, the Sharyland community bid farewell to Rodriguez and outgoing board member Ricky Longoria.
Rodriguez, who unseated Cerda in 2020, thanked the board and Sharyland administration for their professionalism and for treating him respectfully. He spoke about the effort it takes to be a board member and the responsibility that comes with it. He wished the best for the incoming trustees.
Before departing, the outgoing board member left the SISD students with a few words of encouragement.
“To you young people, don’t ever be afraid to say, ‘I will try. I will do this,’ Rodriguez said. “This takes time, certainly a lot of responsibility. But I urge you, in life, to take that shot, take that chance because if you don’t you’ll never know what could be.”
Longoria, a Sharyland ISD trustee of 15 consecutive years, got emotional during his goodbye speech. He said he had difficulty encapsulating what the experience has meant to him.
“It has been nothing but a labor of love and a passion for education for our kids,” he said.
He reminisced on the physical changes the district has undergone during his tenure — building Pioneer High School, remodeling existing structures and adding new ones. But he is more proud of the personal changes the board helps facilitate — building character in kids and “trying to create a willingness to always [want] to be the best.”
“I had the opportunity to see my nephew graduate from A&M, and ran into other [Sharyland alumni] that were there, that were A&M graduates,” Longoria said. “And looking at them, looking at their success was just, if you will, evidence of the good things that we do here. And it wasn’t just because I did something, it was because we all did something.”
Following the induction ceremony, the board of trustees reorganized their officers in unanimous votes. Jose “Pepe” Garcia became president, Maritza Ramirez became vice president, Hector Rivera became secretary and David Keith became assistant secretary.
