{"id":34545,"date":"2025-11-04T10:19:08","date_gmt":"2025-11-04T10:19:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/34545\/"},"modified":"2025-11-04T10:19:08","modified_gmt":"2025-11-04T10:19:08","slug":"lake-worth-isd-voters-to-decide-two-contested-trustee-seats-as-texas-considers-intervention","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/34545\/","title":{"rendered":"Lake Worth ISD voters to decide two contested trustee seats as Texas considers intervention"},"content":{"rendered":"

Three Lake Worth ISD school board seats are on the ballot Tuesday, with voters deciding two contested races as the district faces possible state intervention<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The election comes as Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath weighs whether to appoint a state board of managers to replace elected trustees or close Marilyn Miller Language Academy<\/a>, which has posted five consecutive F grades in the state\u2019s academic accountability system.<\/p>\n

The at-large seats with three-year terms on the ballot are:<\/p>\n

Place 1: Incumbent Tammy Thomas faces challenger Donald Bivens.<\/p>\n

Place 2: Incumbent Bret Tooke faces challenger Mary Wilson Coker.<\/p>\n

Place 3: Incumbent Armando Velazquez, currently the board president, is unopposed. He was first elected in 2008. Velazquez did not respond to a request for comment.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Polls are open 7 a.m.-7 p.m.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Place 1<\/p>\n

Thomas, first elected in 2013, said she initially didn\u2019t plan to seek another term until the district received a June warning letter<\/a> from the Texas Education Agency about potential state intervention.<\/p>\n

\u201cConsidering the position that we are in and that I have served on this board for so long, I felt obligated to serve another term and to try to help us recover from this,\u201d Thomas said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Thomas, a lifelong Lake Worth resident, said she is proud of several district successes over her tenure, including growth in fine arts and career and technical education. She also credited Superintendent Mark Ramirez, who she voted to hire in May, with facing the district\u2019s problems directly.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe has taken full responsibility for a situation that he inherited. He was no part of the failure that we have gone through,\u201d Thomas said. \u201cWhat we were doing here was not working. We hired him to do the job and I\u2019m going to listen to him. \u2026 I\u2019m going to support him 100%.\u201d<\/p>\n

If reelected, Thomas said she would focus on restoring trust and transparency, supporting teachers and strengthening parent engagement.<\/p>\n

Thomas said the district must cooperate closely with TEA officials if they want what\u2019s best for students.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s time for this board to sit back and listen and follow directions,\u201d she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Thomas reported a single $100 contribution from Lake Worth City Council member Sherrie Watkins and spent about $1,300, according to campaign finance reports.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Bivens, a business owner who has lived in Lake Worth for 30 years, did not respond to multiple requests for comment and did not file campaign finance reports.<\/p>\n

Place 2<\/p>\n

Coker, a retired school counselor and substitute teacher, said she\u2019s challenging Tooke because \u201cthere\u2019s nowhere to go but up.\u201d Coker is also the sister-in-law of Thomas.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Tooke, a mechanic and maintenance worker for Lockheed Martin, did not respond to requests for comment. Tooke was first elected in 2018.\u00a0<\/p>\n

While Coker supports maintaining local control, she\u2019s prepared to serve regardless of the state\u2019s decision \u2014 and in any role she can, she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIf a board of managers happens, it happens and we\u2019ll still roll with it,\u201d Coker said.<\/p>\n

She pointed to early signs of improvement since Ramirez arrived, specifically citing recent early test results showing better student performance<\/a> than in previous years.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a process,\u201d Coker said. \u201cI feel like we\u2019re moving in the right direction.\u201d<\/p>\n

Coker did not report any campaign fundraising but spent about $1,300.<\/p>\n

Matthew Sgroi is an education reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at matthew.sgroi@fortworthreport.org or @matthewsgroi1<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\n\tRelated\n<\/p>\n

Fort Worth Report is certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative<\/a> for adhering to standards for ethical journalism.<\/p>\n

Republish This Story<\/p>\n

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