KATY, Texas (Covering Katy News)—Sean Hesterly, Haider Razvi and Cicely Taylor are seeking the Position 3 seat on the Katy ISD Board of Trustees. The winner will succeed incumbent Amy Thieme, who is not seeking re-election. Term of office is three years.
Hesterly is a teacher. Haider Razvi is an EMS technician who also serves in the military. Taylor is an education administrator. Hesterly and Razvi are making their first bid for public office, while Taylor is making her third run for the school board.
Early voting is from April 20-28. The election is on May 2.
1. What in your professional or personal background has prepared you for the responsibilities of serving on the school board?
HESTERLY: I am a teacher. My life is spent in the classroom, not in a boardroom. I believe the best person to lead teachers is someone who understands the weight of public education and the needs of students and staff firsthand. A public school's first and main responsibility is its duty to educate students, and that I have been actively doing for years.
RAZVI: My background as a first responder and military service has greatly shaped how I approach leadership, decision making and accountability. I have learned to stay calm and work under pressure yet make thoughtful decisions by putting people first. I have developed discipline, teamwork and a strong sense of service to my community. This has taught me to listen, lead, take responsibility, all being skills that directly translate to effective school board governance.
TAYLOR: With more than 25 years of teaching and administrative expertise, plus the perspective of a proud Katy ISD parent, I offer a unique "360-degree" view of our schools. I have spent my entire professional career in the education field, from the classroom to writing curriculum, leading professional learning, and, most recently, guiding executive teams to translate vision into execution amid complex challenges. I am uniquely equipped to ensure fiscal responsibility and sound executive decision-making while protecting the high-quality education my own children used as a springboard to their professional success.
2. What motivated you to run for the school board, and what do you hope to accomplish during your term?
HESTERLY: My daughter. She isn't old enough to attend school yet, but when she is, I want her to attend a school where I know she'll be given the best opportunities to grow and learn, both academically and as an individual, while making a few friends along the way.
RAZVI: I am running because I care deeply about the district that raised me and the future of our students and the strength of our community. Schools are strongly important, not just for education but for opportunity and stability. I want to ensure that every student in Katy ISD for generations to come have access to high quality education, supportive environments and real success. I hope to bring about a fresh younger perspective focused on trust and accountability to the families we serve.
TAYLOR: In recent years, we have seen how self-interest and outside political distractions can erode board cohesion, shifting the focus away from our primary mission: student achievement. I want to restore a "students-first" culture to the board. With my background in both the classroom and administration, I understand that time spent on divisive rhetoric is time lost on improving financial health and student outcomes. My only agenda is to ensure that every Katy ISD graduate—whether headed for a college, a technical career, or the military—receives a world-class education prioritized over outside political distractions.
3. If elected, what are your top three priorities for Katy ISD, and how would you work to achieve them as a board member?
HESTERLY: First, restore dignity to teaching by reducing workloads and ending unpaid after-hours labor. We must stop the expectations of unpaid after-hours labor from our teachers. When we force teachers to sacrifice their personal lives, we take them away from their families who need them too either as husbands, as wives, as mothers, or as fathers. Second, remove politics, focusing solely on academics and facts. Education is the one goal of a school district and education is of truth and facts. We need a board to stay focused on that goal, on the academics and on the skills that will make our children ready for the future, rather than whatever new and flashy social trend that is going viral right now. Third, promote safety through unobtrusive security that protects students without overreaching into families' private lives, ensuring a sense of liberty to explore and grow.
RAZVI: Student achievement and support, by ensuring that every student has the resources to academically and emotionally succeed. Teacher retention and support by advocating for competitive pay, manageable workloads and mutual respect for our educators. Transparency and community trust by driving decisions through data, involving the community, enacting policies that support classrooms and making sure our budget stays within reason.
TAYLOR: My first priority is to address our projected budget shortfall with a strategy that has the least possible impact on our classrooms and the quality of instruction. I would call for a comprehensive, line-by-line operational audit to identify non-essential administrative overhead and redundancies. I would also request a review of our school attendance and enrollment data, along with community growth projections, to identify resource needs and refine campus allocations. By finding efficiencies in the "back office" and course-correcting on allocations, we ensure that every available dollar is protected for the needs of our "front lines," our classrooms and student programs. Next, we must expand career and technical education opportunities. I will advocate for expanding capacity at the Miller Career and Technology Center to eliminate current waitlists by leveraging virtual learning opportunities and identifying appropriate underutilized space on our Katy ISD properties. Furthermore, I propose small college partnerships with local universities, allowing students to earn associate degrees and expand our industry certification options, providing a massive financial and professional head start for our families. Finally, at a time when school districts will be working with less, I want to prioritize competitive benefits for staff. This means we must be extremely aggressive when negotiating benefits. We must identify what matters most for our staff regarding benefits and find savings in those areas. The high cost of health care is being felt everywhere. We must leave no stone unturned in finding innovative options to provide some relief, even if only incremental.
4. Katy ISD faces a $29 million budget shortfall alongside declining enrollment. What specific measures would you support to close that gap, and how would you ensure cuts don't come at the expense of students in the classroom?
Additional Information: Katy ISD facing $29 million budget shortfall after fewer students show up than expected - Covering Katy News
HESTERLY: While I don't yet have a board member's resources, I know we must correct the shortfall without drastic shocks. Some measures that I could support would be a rigorous monitoring of and not spending the full allocated amount in non-essential areas, continue lobbing the Texas Legislature to increase the Basic Allotment, and launch attendance initiatives since our schools are funded based on Average Daily Attendance. Much like personal finance, we must cut incrementally, think long-term to chip away at the debt, and strive to prevent future issues by setting money aside for a rainy day.
RAZVI: To address a massive shortfall requires tough responsible decisions. Cut inefficiencies, review spending, identifying areas to streamline operations without harming faculty, and students. I would love to advocate for long-term planning, exploring partnerships and fair state funding. Every decision should be guided by one question "Does this help or hurt our teachers and students?"
TAYLOR: The reality is that there is no silver bullet to managing this potential budget shortfall; however, I advocate that we must take a deep dive into the "business side" of our district. While Katy ISD's district staff runs lean, our schools cannot carry the entire weight when faced with closing such a large budget gap. Along with an audit of expenses, we must rewrite departmental budgets to reflect what is absolutely needed now, rather than what has always been included. This "zero-based budget" approach will help to protect our classrooms, teacher salaries, and essential campus staff as the last items touched. I also advocate for leveraging AI-driven tools to automate back-office clerical tasks; as support roles become vacant due to normal attrition, we should evaluate if these functions can be managed through technology rather than automatically refilling positions. This approach protects our instructional block and allows us to balance the budget humanely, avoiding layoffs while ensuring our resources remain where they belong: directly supporting student learning and teacher success. Finally, we must be transparent in the process and over-communicate the "why" behind decisions to our staff and community.
5. What do you want Katy ISD voters to know about you that hasn't come up in these questions?
HESTERLY: I taught for Katy ISD, and not only that, I was also a paraprofessional, a substitute teacher, and a student too. I have been in the classroom and behind the desk, and I understand this district because I have been a part of it from nearly every possible angle.
RAZVI: I would want them to know that I am someone who will listen, show up and put people first. I may not be an educator, but I know what it means to serve under pressure. I bring real world experience, a strong work ethic and commitment to others despite the difficulty. This campaign is about our students, our families, and the future of Katy ISD.
TAYLOR: Voters should know that I do not come to this race with an ideological axe to grind; I come with a commitment to the "Gold Standard" of education that my husband and I chose 20 years ago when we moved to Katy. I am involved in our community—from serving as a Katy Key mentor and a Campus Advisory Team member to being part of Leadership Katy ISD—because I believe local leadership requires local engagement. I am a listener who values evidence over noise. I will always put the needs of our families, students, and the stability of our classrooms first. I am ready to do the hard work of governance to ensure Katy ISD remains the premier destination for every family.
Read our other stories on the 2026 Katy School Board Races
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