Diane Dye

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Diane Dye

Nonpartisan

Prior offices

El Paso Independent School District, District 4

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Elections and appointments

Last election

May 1, 2021

Diane Dye was a member of the El Paso Independent School District in Texas, representing District 4. Dye assumed office in 2015. Dye left office on May 12, 2021.

Dye ran for re-election to the El Paso Independent School District to represent District 4 in Texas. Dye lost in the general election on May 1, 2021.

Dye initially won election to the District 3 seat in 2013, but she was not sworn into office at that time. Texas Commissioner of Education Michael Williams removed all elected trustees and replaced them with a board of managers due to a cheating scandal that ultimately led to the indictment of the district's former superintendent Lorenzo Garcia. Dye was appointed to replace the board of managers in 2015.

Elections

2021

See also: El Paso Independent School District, Texas, elections (2021)

General election

General election for El Paso Independent School District, District 4

The following candidates ran in the general election for El Paso Independent School District, District 4 on May 1, 2021.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Isabel Hernandez (Nonpartisan)	57.8	417
	Submit photo	Betty Ann Halliburton (Nonpartisan)	17.0	123
		Diane Dye (Nonpartisan)	8.4	61
	Submit photo	Frances De Santos Whitaker (Nonpartisan)	6.6	48
	Submit photo	Fainot Pierre (Nonpartisan)	6.1	44
	Submit photo	Claudia Soto (Nonpartisan)	4.0	29

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 722
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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2017

See also: El Paso Independent School District elections (2017)

Four of the seven seats on the El Paso Independent School District board of trustees in Texas were up for general election on May 6, 2017. In his bid for re-election to District 1, incumbent Robert Geske defeated Mariah Lauritzen. District 3 incumbent Susannah Byrd ran unopposed and won another term on the board by default. District 4 incumbent Diane Dye and former board member Russell Wiggs defeated Timothy Groover, but neither of them received a majority of the votes cast. Because of this, a runoff election was held on June 10, 2017, where Dye defeated Wiggs to retain her seat. The race for the District 5 seat included incumbent Chuck Taylor and challenger Miguel Rueda. Taylor won re-election to the seat.

Results

El Paso Independent School District, District 4 Runoff Election, 4-year term, 2017
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Diane Dye Incumbent	53.57%	886
Russell Wiggs	46.43%	768
Total Votes		1,654
Source: El Paso County Elections, "Election Summary Report," accessed August 22, 2017

El Paso Independent School District, District 4 General Election, 4-year term, 2017
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Russell Wiggs	45.53%	758
Diane Dye Incumbent	34.17%	569
Timothy Groover	20.30%	338
Total Votes		1,665
Source: El Paso County Elections, "May 6, 2017 - Official Final Election Results," accessed June 6, 2017

Funding

See also: Campaign finance in the El Paso Independent School District elections

Dye reported no contributions or expenditures to the El Paso Independent School District as of April 17, 2017.

Endorsements

Dye was endorsed by the El Paso branch of the American Federation of Teachers (El Paso AFT) for both the general and runoff elections.

2013

Diane Dye ran an uncontested race for District 4. She won election to the board by default.

Campaign themes

2021

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Diane Dye did not complete Ballotpedia's 2021 Candidate Connection survey.

2017

Dye participated in the following survey conducted by the Greater El Paso Chamber of Commerce. The questions provided by the chamber appear bolded, and Dye's responses follow below.

What experiences in leadership do you have that qualify you to serve as a school trustee?

“	My greatest leadership experience is 27 years experience leading and motivating students to be successful in the classroom and in the community. Currently I am an Office Manager/Client Services Leader for H&R Block. Other leadership roles include: Core Team Leader at Parkland Middle School, Chairperson Textbook Adoption Committee from the Parkland Feeder Pattern, Coordinator of the first Alcohol Free/Drug Free Graduation Party at Wet N Wild Waterworld in 1989, Class Sponsor of Class of 1989, BS Troop #222 Committee Member and Treasurer, voting Board Director Rio Grande Council of Governments, and service with EPISD Board Policy, Curriculum and Instruction, and Military Committees.	”
—Diane Dye (2017)

What is motivating you to run for a school board trustee seat?

“	There is no greater passion for me than Education For Every Student. In 2013, EPISD, taken over by TEA and a Board of Managers, was a shambles. EPISD was then presented enormous challenges to restore education for all students, transparency and trust, along with fiscal stewardship to all citizens of EPISD. During that time, I stepped up and accepted the challenge when no one else wanted such an enormous job. I interviewed the new innovative Superintendent. I sat in the audience two years watching and learning how to be a Board Member. Once installed, the new EPISD Board met seventy six times in 2015. Together we sought and worked toward transparency, fiscal stewardship and trust for our communities. The EPISD Board tirelessly worked for the Penny Swap to find monies for teachers raises without raising taxes and the 2016 Bond to update/rebuild EPISD facilities. Now with new educational programs implemented, it's time to update system processes, policies, and create better working environments for our children and teachers. I continue to be motivated to accept the challenge.	”
—Diane Dye (2017)

Describe the impact you expect to make on the strategic direction of the school district and how does your specific personal experience support that expectation?

“	EPISD 2020 and Beyond is the Strategic Plan designed in 2015 by the EPISD Administration and voted as our strategic direction by the EPISD Board of Trustees to lead the District forward. The EPISD Board of Trustees set new goals for the District in February 2017 incorporating new District of Innovation initiatives, educational programs, student retention, graduation and scholarship goals, and educator training and retention goals. The Superintendent’s evaluation is connected to the completion of the EPISD District goals. To date, the EPISD is on target with all those timelines and as a current member of the EPISD Board of Trustees I am part of the strategic direction of EPISD.	”
—Diane Dye (2017)

Trustees, as elected by specific district, must act and govern for the entire school district, not just advocate for the schools within their particular geography. Describe a time when you had to balance potentially conflicting priorities with multiple stakeholders, and how did you determine how to allocate resources and investment to meet the needs of all?

“	Approximately five years ago, the three Presbyterian churches of Central and Northeast El Paso were had lost membership through attrition, needed to modernized buildings and were unable to financially support three aging buildings. The church my family attended was the best maintained of the three buildings. It really only needed new HVAC units and minor repairs. We also had three fourths time reverend where the other three had pulpit supply and less than half time reverends. It had room for growth, housed Habitat for Humanity and Highland Food Pantry, had room for several groups to meet at one time, and had showers and secure camping space for college groups to use while volunteering in Mexico. The three congregations realized they needed to merge in order to maintain a Northeast Presbyterian presence, but each congregation had to agree to place their buildings up for sale at the same time or no merger could be reached. The most difficult thing to do was to vote to sell the best of the three buildings to which I also loved and it did sell first, for the greater good of preserving the Northeast Presbyterian community.	”
—Diane Dye (2017)

The role and responsibility of a trustee is governance, oversight, and setting policy. Tell us about your experience in honoring the scope of responsibility in a past role. How did you make sure you did not cross over into the tactical execution of another person’s responsibility in the organization?

“	As a current EPISD Trustee, I: I refer the constituents calls or emails about their unique situation to the Superintendent's office and/or to the EPISD Board President. Propose changes through the Policy, Curriculum & Instruction, and the Military Committees. Help develop the Superintendent's Goals with the rest of the EPISD Board. Help develop the District budget by giving input during EPISD Board Budget Workshops. Wait for invitations from the Principal to visit a school.	”
—Diane Dye (2017)

Attracting and retaining talented educators is critical to the success of a healthy school district. Describe your past experience as a leader supporting the broad strategy of identifying, selecting, and retaining top talent.

“	I have first hand experience in attracting and retaining employees. Every new tax season, I am given a team of experienced, as well as, first and second year tax professionals. It is my responsibility to motivate and lead the experienced team members to give 110% to customer service, sales, marketing and coaching. It is also my responsibility to mentor, train, challenge, and retain first year employees. My job is to make each employee successful by helping them reach their individual, office and company goals. I have two weeks to turn a group of individuals into a well oiled machine where all tax pros can efficiently prepare tax returns, work with each other to share tax expertise, and take responsibility for every aspect of the office operations.	”
—Diane Dye (2017)

Describe your experience in managing large, complex budgets.

“	Prior to serving on the EPISD Board of Trustees I had limited experience with large budgets. During the late eighties and mid-nineties, I was part of a teacher's organization working to propose solutions to budget shortfalls for a large district in the El Paso region. As part of the EPISD Board of Trustees, we have had two years of budget training and workshops. The Board of Managers took a derailed budget and imposed reasonable limits on spending. Superintendent Cabrera has hired an excellent Deputy of Operations, Carmen Arrieta-Candelaria, who oversees the EPISD budget. She, Superintendent Cabrera, and The EPISD Board of Trustees, including myself, have continued to hold the line on spending while continuing to bring meaningful quality educational programs to our students. My questions are always, 'what budget account does this item pertain,' 'how much does it cost,' and 'how many students will benefit from this item.'	”
—Diane Dye (2017)

Have you ever been arrested or charged with a crime? Have you ever had a civil judgment against you? Have you ever been in arrears on local, state or federal taxes? If so, please provide an explanation.

“	No	”
—Diane Dye (2017)

If elected, would you have any potential conflicts of interest that you are aware of that would impair your ability to serve as a school board trustee? Please explain.

“	I have no conflicts of interest.	”
—Diane Dye (2017)

What education innovations would you advocate as a trustee?

“	I have already been part of advocating and introducing two new technology programs with New Tech and Power Up, dual language programs, dual credit programs, Universal Pre-K, International Baccalaureate Programs within EPISD schools. Now, we are beginning to update SPED operation systems, policies, and resources to provide the best services for out Special Education and 504 students. To help teachers with their paperwork burden, the EPISD is currently proposing the purchase of Renaissance Flow 360 and the TEKS Resource System to ease the burden of lesson plans and paperwork for the teachers.	”
—Diane Dye (2017)

Please describe your education. Where did you get your high school diploma? What higher education degrees and certificates have you earned?

“	Parkland High School Texas A&M University: Bachelor of Science Urban Forestry University of Texas El Paso: General Elementary Elementary Mathematics High School Mathematics G/T Certification New Mexico State University: MBA Economics and Regulatory Economics	”
—Diane Dye (2017)

Do you have other remarks you would like to share about your candidacy?

“	It will take several years to expand and extend all of the newly implemented programs across the entire District. At the same time, the EPISD will be implementing an aggressive construction schedule to finish all of the 2016 Bond Projects by 2021. There will be new modernized classrooms with shared spaces wired for 21st century learning styles. We are proposing better working conditions and incentives, as well as, professional training for all our EPISD teachers and staff. Renaissance 360 Flow and the Teks Resource System are being proposed to help teachers reduce paperwork and lesson planning time. I have accepted the challenge to work toward trust and transparency for the constituents of EPISD District #4, and with the voters help on May 6, 2017, I will accept the continued challenge for the next four years.	”
—Diane Dye (2017)

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