Chuy Zárate

Chuy Zárate is a member of the Round Rock Independent School District in Texas, representing Place 1. He assumed office on December 13, 2022. His current term ends in 2028.

Zárate ran for re-election to the Round Rock Independent School District to represent Place 1 in Texas. He won in the general election on November 5, 2024.

Zárate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Chuy Zárate was born in San Antonio, Texas. His career experience includes working as an actor, director, teacher, and corporate trainer. He has been affiliated with the following organizations:^[1]

El Amistad Club of Round Rock
Mexican American School Board Association
Central Texas School Board Association
Local Progress
School Board Partners

Elections

2024

General election

General election for Round Rock Independent School District Place 1

Incumbent Chuy Zárate defeated Joshua Escalante in the general election for Round Rock Independent School District Place 1 on November 5, 2024.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Chuy Zárate (Nonpartisan)	55.3	42,845
	Joshua Escalante (Nonpartisan)	44.7	34,642

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 77,487
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Zárate in this election.

2022

General election

Special general election for Round Rock Independent School District Place 1

Chuy Zárate defeated John Keagy, incumbent Kevin Johnson Sr., and Yuriy Semchyshyn in the special general election for Round Rock Independent School District Place 1 on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Chuy Zárate (Nonpartisan)	47.9	35,646
	Submit photo	John Keagy (Nonpartisan)	27.5	20,460
	Submit photo	Kevin Johnson Sr. (Nonpartisan)	17.9	13,285
		Yuriy Semchyshyn (Nonpartisan)	6.7	4,963

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source 1 Source 2	Total votes: 74,354
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

Chuy Zárate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Zárate's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I am an actor/director/teacher/corporate trainer who has lived in the Austin/Round Rock area since 1993. I am currently a Trustee (Place 1) for Round Rock ISD. I am a father of three children. Two graduated from Round Rock ISD and one is a 7th Grader in the district. I started my student advocacy in PTA where I was the Diversity Committee Chair for my local school as well as the Round Rock ISD Council of PTAs. I was selected to participate in The Emerging Leaders Academy through Texas PTA. I have been a presenter at Texas PTA Launch (statewide conference). I am the Round Rock Board of Trustees representative to the Central Texas School Board Assoc. I am a member of The Mexican American School Board Assoc. I have also presented at The Summer Leadership Institute for The Texas Assoc. of School Boards. In Round Rock ISD, I was selected to participate in Leadership Round Rock, The District Level Committee, CARES Team, and the Redbud Naming Committee. As a volunteer I am the McNeil HS Improv Club Coach, was an RRISD Mentor, have been a member of Watch D.O.G.S. and belong to numerous PTAs.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

STUDENTS: A good trustee has to put students and teachers first. If teachers are not afforded the tools they need, then students can’t succeed. A Board must be ready to make tough choices that lead to success. It is important that students are fully prepared for the world ahead of them. This will have a ripple effect that will affect our community in positive ways. It creates stronger leaders for a better world. Students and teachers are the lifeblood of our future.
EQUITY: A good trustee believes in equity. Every student should be given the same chance at a proper education. The way that public education is funded makes that very difficult. When a kid has to work to support their family, school becomes an afterthought. If they stop attending school, their school is underfunded. It is a trustee’s duty to think of innovative ways to ensure that marginalized students are given the same advantages as others. A trustee has to be ready to make choices that build up Black, brown, LGBTQIA2S+ and SPED students. This will create equity which leads to a better learning environment with equal opportunity for students of every background.
COLLABORATION: A good trustee is a collaborator. You are often working with people that have differing philosophies. Calm discourse can lead to great things. A trustee has to be humble since they serve as a mouthpiece for the great ideas that come from the community. As a collaborator, a trustee has a responsibility to be resolute and pliable at the same time. This is a difficult juggling act that requires a collaborative mind. A board must be ready to present common sense solutions together. This will calm the stormy sea of disagreement that can cause a board to capsize.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Equity should be at the forefront of all of our decisions as a district. I am committed to ensuring that ALL of our students, teachers and community are equally represented. I understand the difference between decisions that promote Equity and those that assure an Equitable learning environment. All people do not fall into the same box. We must be flexible enough to make sure that everyone gets exactly what they need for success.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

Anything by Aaron Sorkin

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

A good elected official is a representative of everyone in their community. You have to be open to differing opinions and make decisions that are contrary to your personal opinions for the greater good. In the case of School Board, a Trustee needs to make decisions that are in the best interests of the district.

A good Trustee also has to be a voice for the unheard in the community. You must be willing to stand up for our more marginalized communities that may not have a strong voice of their own. You have to be a strong voice for all.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

A Trustee has several responsibilities. We provide financial oversight by passing the budget every year. We evaluate the Superintendent in order to make sure that they are giving directives to their staff that leads to better student outcomes. We are a voice for the community, so you have to make sure that you are listening to them and communicating important information that affects them. We set the tax rate and vote on policy that is proposed.

If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?

As an actor, this is an easy answer for me. I would love to be Atticus Finch. He is a character that stands up for what is right even when it is hard. He didn't let society tell him how he should think about the plight of a person that was different than him. He is of strong moral character. I aspire to be that sort of hero.

What is the primary job of a school board member in your view?

Of the responsibilities that I have mentioned before, I feel that a good Trustee has to be involved in the community. You have to have your finger on the pulse of the district that you represent.

Who are your constituents?

Every single person that lives within the bounds of the Round Rock Independent School District.

How would you support the diverse needs of your district’s students, faculty, staff, and community?

I will continue to be vigilant at communicating with all stakeholders in our district. I will continue to advocate for full funding of Texas public schools from the State Legislature. I will continue to view the issues that affect our district through a lens committed to Equity.

How will you build relationships with members of the broader community? Which groups, organizations, stakeholders will you specifically target?

I think the broader community wants to be involved in what is happening at our schools. The Round Rock and Austin Chambers of Commerce are often great resources that support our schools because they know that the future of commerce lies in our students. I also love the relationship that our Partners in Education Foundation has with our schools. The amount of support that they offer is immeasurable. I am also a member of El Amistad Club of Round Rock that works year round to raise money for scholarships for our students. Their work in the community is so inspiring.

What constitutes good teaching? How will you measure this? How will you support advanced teaching approaches?

A good teacher is able to adapt to the individual needs of each student. This is an incredibly daunting task. We use growth measures as a tool to inform us of the progress or regression that our students show throughout the school year. I fully support teachers abilities to use advanced methods in order to help our students succeed.

In what areas would you like to expand curriculum? For example, do you see a need for advanced technical training or apprenticeships? What sort of innovative programming would you advance if given the opportunity?

I am a huge proponent of the Arts. I feel that a student that is exposed to the Arts will be a well-rounded adult. Our district already has a strong CTE program that offers many resources and even job placement for our students that want to enter the workforce with a technical certification rather than a path in higher education. I am excited to see what different programs we can offer our students if we have more facilities that can support their journey of learning.

What strategies or plans would you advance to ensure the schools are properly funded?

The best that we can do is appeal to our State Legislature to increase the Basic Allotment per Child. This is how we are able to afford the best teachers and facilities for our students. The Legislature has refused to raise the Basic Allotment since 2019. Inflation has left school districts struggling for funding all over the state. I will continue to meet with Representatives and Senators to convince them that Public Education shows daily that it deserves to be fully funded.

What principles drive your policies for safety in schools?

I am a staunch gun control advocate. I understand that illegal weapons are in our society, but there are guns that have destroyed lives. We need more regulation. Students deserve to feel safe in their studies, not looking over their shoulder for the next gun-weilding threat.

How might you support the mental health needs of students/faculty/staff?

In Round Rock ISD we have a Mental Health and Counseling Department. I will advocate for more funding that can be directed to this area as we have seen that a sense of well-being leads to a better environment for students, teachers and employees.

What existing district policies would you like to change, or what new policies would you like to implement?

I feel we need to give teachers more time to prepare and decompress during the school day. In my opinion, there is no job that has higher stakes than the tutelage, comfort and care of our students. I would love to see more time built in to the schedule for teachers to regroup. That way they are ready and fresh for the most challenging job on the market.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

Williamson County Democrats

Travis County Democrats
Access Education Round Rock

Round Rock Democrats

Describe your ideal learning environment for students.

There is no one perfect answer for this question. Every student comes from different backgrounds and has different needs. What works for one student may not be the perfect situation for another. So, it is the duty of the district to find a way to deliver an equitable environment. Safety is also very important. We take every threat to our students very seriously in Round Rock ISD. A student can't learn if they do not feel safe, accepted and supported.

How do you feel like your school district handled the coronavirus pandemic? What, if anything, would you do differently in the future?

I think that educators created magic out of thin air during the quarantine. I say quarantine because the pandemic isn't over. We still have high absenteeism due to contraction of Covid. It hasn't stopped affecting us. I feel that the district did as well as they could considering the fact that getting support from the Federal Administration at the time was difficult. We are still feeling the affects, but seeing an upturn in scores and growth in learning. If I use today as my gauge for how the district handled the quarantine, I would say they did a pretty great job in the most challenging circumstances.

What will you do to build a relationship with parents in the district?

I am always ready to meet with, talk to or correspond with the parents and guardians of the district. Most people that know me know that I will bend over backwards to make sure that I hear all of their concerns. I have been a good resource for those that have reached out to me in my two years in this office.

What are your preferred strategies for faculty, staff, and administration recruitment?

While Trustees do not make individual personnel decisions, their role in supporting effective recruitment and retention strategies is crucial. We don't have a teaching shortage. We have a funding shortage. As a Trustee, I am committed to advocating for increased funding for public schools. Specifically, I will work to ensure that the State Legislature raises the Basic Allotment per student. If our schools are fully funded, we would have the ability to appropriately compensate our teachers at a level that shows how much pride and appreciation we have for them.

What are your views on financial transparency and government accountability?

Given that passing the budget is one of the main responsibilities of a Trustee, I feel that financial transparency is vital to strengthening the relationship between the community and the district. People need to know how their hard earned tax dollars are spent.

Every voting cycle we have a responsibility as Americans to hold our government accountable through our vote. If someone's decisions and policies do not mirror your values, then you have the voice to choose a new representative. It is integral to our democracy that every citizen vote.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

2022

Chuy Zárate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Zárate's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I am a proud parent of three students in this district. I bring with me years of volunteer and advocacy experience. My primary advocacy focus has been with the PTA at the local, council and state levels. Locally, I have served on the Pond Springs Elementary PTA as committee chairs for Arts in Education, Reflections, Variety Show and Diversity. I have also been a voting member of the Executive Board for 5 years. I also am a past member of the Deerpark Middle School PTA as well as McNeil High School's PTSA.

On the Council level, I have served as an Executive Board voting member and the Diversity Chair for 3 years. We advocated for the social and emotional needs of students during the pandemic quarantine and achieved a grant of $15,000 from the National PTA for our students. With that money, we donated supplies to the Families In Transition program, donated inspirational signs and a copy of "Courageous Conversations About Race" to every PTA and PTSA in the district. Rather than accepting a role to become the Vice President of Programs, I chose to pursue this position on the school board of trustees.

As part of my state-level PTA advocacy, I was a presenter at the annual statewide PTA Launch convention. I was also selected for the Emerging Leaders Academy, which teaches a select group of PTA leaders more about the inner workings of their child advocacy program. This opportunity was offered to 15 honored recipients statewide and has 100 years of child advocacy experience.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

As trustee, I consider it my mandate to prioritize the needs of the students and teachers that rely upon this board for support.I believe that student outcomes are the battleground where conservatives hope to destroy public education to push for alternative inequitable policies like school vouchers. My focus is to attract and retain talented educators by focusing district funds on offering competitive salaries, job training and career development and access to free/low-cost mental health resources to address burnout.
They should be given every opportunity to succeed, regardless of their circumstances. It is a trustee’s duty to think of innovative ways to ensure that marginalized students are given the same advantages as others. Black, brown, LGBTQIA2S+ and SPED students are no less deserving of opportunity to flourish but may require additional resources to achieve success. I am committed to make the tough choices to build up marginalized students that may be facing poverty, oppression or other barriers to success. When every student is given every chance, our district succeeds.
I am prepared to make the tough decisions to stand up for our students and teachers, however I recognize the necessity and importance of collaboration. A partnering of differing philosophies and calm discourse can lead to great things, which requires humility and grace. This is a difficult juggling act that requires a collaborative mind. I do not hesitate to set aside my pride when I recognize a better idea than my own and believe in teamwork to achieve a common goal. Our board must be ready to present common sense solutions together.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Supporting our special education students needs to be a priority of this district. Our previous track record of serving this population has been subpar, mostly due to the lack of trained educators and resources available to them.

The safety concerns we face within our student body can be better addressed if we devote more resources to identifying potential safety issues before they escalate to campus-wide threats. Instead of more police presence, students should have access to better mental and social health services on campus that can help these kids navigate their emotions before they become a problem.

Every student learns differently and I don’t believe there is a one size fits all solution for measuring student outcome success. Our diverse communities require an innovative approach to compiling and analyzing data to identify trends and opportunities for improvement. We must sometimes disaggregate results into discrete data sets in order to get an objective view of the ecosystem.

As an active member of the PTA, I have witnessed teachers walking out of classrooms because they don't feel the support they need from the administration. I believe in not only enabling but empowering our teachers to succeed. The district should offer personal and career development opportunities that not only speak to how they should teach, but how they as a staff can work together for the betterment of all students.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

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Candidate

Round Rock Independent School District Place 1

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Footnotes

↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on September 16, 2024

Political offices
Preceded by Kevin Johnson Sr.	Round Rock Independent School District Place 1 2022-Present	Succeeded by -

[1] Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on September 16, 2024

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Chuy Zárate

Contents

Biography

Elections

2024

General election

General election for Round Rock Independent School District Place 1

Endorsements

2022

General election

Special general election for Round Rock Independent School District Place 1

Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

2022

See also

External links

Footnotes

Information about voting

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2024 Election analysis

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