LA FERIA — The battle for four school board seats is over.
School Board President Juan Briones, Vice President Katie Johnson and Lisa Montalvo have all been re-elected to keep leading the school district.
The single incumbent not re-elected was Javier Loredo, who was seeking his second term on the board.
Loredo was unseated by former longtime school board member Gloria Casas.
“The voters chose otherwise,” Loredo said.
He said he was happy to have worked for the kids and for the community’s best interest while on the board.
Casas comes back to the school board after losing her re-election campaign in 2016.
When Casas was previously on the board, she held a high ranking position on the Texas Association of School Boards.
“With her on the board, she brings back that kind of experience that none of us have,” Briones said.
Briones has been on the school board for 10 years.
“We will continue to move forward,” Briones said. “Our superintendent has a drive to keep making the district better.”
And the voters didn’t seem to mind the long line to vote on Election Day.
“I was glad to see that,” Briones said. “I want to thank all the community that came out. It was probably one of the biggest turnouts we have had.”
Briones was challenged by longtime city commissioner and former Mayor Victor Gonzalez.
It was Gonzalez’s first run for school board and Briones’ first opposition for the seat in seven years.
“We were out there campaigning the last few months and trying to educate the community with all that we were doing,” Briones said. “We worked all the way to the very end.”
Montalvo was challenged by Anna Aleman.
Katie Johnson was challenged by Alfonso Rodriguez.
And the only three-way race was for Place 5 as Casas unseated the incumbent and defeated Maria Rincon.
