Rick Garcia (Texas)

This page was current at the end of the official's last term in office covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.

Rick Garcia

Nonpartisan

Prior offices

Fort Bend Independent School District, Position 3

Successor: Afshi Charania

Predecessor: Jim Rice

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Report an officeholder change

Elections and appointments

Last election

May 3, 2025

Education

Bachelor's

Stephen F. Austin State University, 1998

Personal

Birthplace

Texas

Profession

Project manager

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Campaign Twitter

Rick Garcia was a member of the Fort Bend Independent School District in Texas, representing Position 3. He assumed office on May 16, 2022. He left office on May 19, 2025.

Garcia ran for re-election to the Fort Bend Independent School District to represent Position 3 in Texas. He lost in the general election on May 3, 2025.

Garcia completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Rick Garcia was born in Texas. He earned a bachelor's degree from Stephen F. Austin State University in 1998. Garcia's career experience includes working as a project manager.

Elections

2025

See also: Fort Bend Independent School District, Texas, elections (2025)

General election

General election for Fort Bend Independent School District, Position 3

Afshi Charania defeated incumbent Rick Garcia and Angela Collins in the general election for Fort Bend Independent School District, Position 3 on May 3, 2025.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Afshi Charania (Nonpartisan)	45.1	10,425
		Rick Garcia (Nonpartisan)	32.7	7,574
		Angela Collins (Nonpartisan)	22.2	5,131

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 23,130
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Joanne Gonzales (Nonpartisan)

Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Garcia in this election.

2022

See also: Fort Bend Independent School District, Texas, elections (2022)

General election

General election for Fort Bend Independent School District, Position 3

Rick Garcia defeated incumbent Jim Rice in the general election for Fort Bend Independent School District, Position 3 on May 7, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Rick Garcia (Nonpartisan)	51.7	9,131
		Jim Rice (Nonpartisan)	48.3	8,534

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 17,665
= 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.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Campaign themes

2025

Video for Ballotpedia

Video submitted to Ballotpedia Released February 10, 2025

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Rick Garcia completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Garcia'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.

Rick Garcia is a native Texan and Richmond resident. He has lived in Fort Bend County for over 27 years and has been involved with Fort Bend ISD for over 13 years, ever since his oldest son first went to kindergarten at Oakland Elementary.

His community involvement started almost as soon as he moved to Fort Bend. He has been involved in the PTO and a former PTO Vice President at Oakland Elementary. He was also a member of the Dad's Club and is still an honorary member.

He has served Fort Bend ISD for over 13 years at various levels including serving on the PTO, campus and district level committees such as the Boundary Oversight Committee. He also is an graduate of the 2019 Fort Bend ISD Board Leadership Academy.

He is currently enrolled in Leadership TASB and is studying to become a Master Trustee, which teaches you how to be a more effective leader and school board member.

His various accomplishments and involvement includes: Current Board Vice President for Fort Bend ISD 2023 Fort Bend ISD Audit Committee Chairman Current President of the Fieldstone Community Homeowner’s Association 2019 FBISD Board Leadership Academy Graduate Former FBISD School Boundary Oversight Committee Chairman Former FBISD DPAC Committee Member Former District Director for Fort Bend MUD 165 Former Oakland PTO Vice President Former Dad’s Club President President of HOU365 (IT Volunteer User Group Association)

FBISD Mentor

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?

• Keep Fort Bend ISD Strong
• Become an A-Rated School District
• Invest More in Our Teachers!

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

College, Career and Military Readiness (CCMR). I want to continue the good work we are doing to help our students become productive members of society. I want our students trained and ready for life beyond high school, whether they attend college, join the workforce or join the military.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

I look up to God first and foremost. Being on the school board has not been easy and it comes with many challenges and stress. So I look to Him for wisdom and guidance as I make decisions that affect the lives of our wonderful students and our amazing teachers and staff.

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

I serve in the best interest of our students and our teachers and staff. I am elected to serve all constituents, regardless if they voted for me or not. I listen to everyone and I always work towards consensus with my fellow board members. I work for the betterment of our students as we strive to continue improving academic success.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

I have a passion for public service. I lead with a servant leader's heart and I am quite frankly the MOST experienced in this race as the incumbent. I have been involved with Fort Bend ISD for over 13 years, and I have been active and involved in community leadership for over 20 years.

I am the current Board Vice President, and I was voted Board Vice President 7-0 by my peers. So I have the trust of my colleagues and I have the trust of my community.
I am always trying to get better at what I do. I am currently training the become a Master Trustee in the State of Texas. I am the current Chairman of the College Career and Military Readiness Committee and I am on the Audit Committee. I am also the former Chairman of the Audit Committee where I called for a cost savings audit to help the district find efficiencies and areas we can cut costs for our taxpayers.

I am the voice of reason on the dais and I always vote in what is the best interests of our students and our staff.

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

The core responsibility of a school board trustee is governance and oversight. School board members hire and fire the superintendent, set the tax rate, pass and approve the budget for the school district and pass policy that provides direction for the school district.

A very important and critical function of the school board is oversight. So it is very important to have a robust audit program so that we can hold the administration accountable and also so we can determine what areas of improvement need to be made.

We work with our constituents and listen to concerns and we partner with our community leaders and local representatives to advocate for our school district.

What legacy would you like to leave?

I want people to think of me as someone who loves Fort Bend ISD. I want to be known as the voice of reason. A kind and gentle person who is always willing to listen to constituents and do what is best for the school district.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

The Challenger explosion. I was in elementary school.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

My first job, I was a 7th grade Texas History Teacher for Fort Bend ISD back in 1999.

What is your favorite book? Why?

I am currently reading The Outsiders with my 8th grader. I remember this book, and the movie growing up. It is a great story about "growing up on the other side of the tracks", and the struggles, challenges and the good times associated with that. It has been nice reading alongside him and reminiscing from when I was younger.

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

Batman

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

The hardest part of this job is not being able to please everyone, even though I want to. With over 80,000 students and over 80 campuses, that is an impossible task. I try to compromise and find balance in every decision and that is also not an easy task.
But I vote with empathy for both sides and I try to work with my community to make sure they are heard.

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

The primary job of a school board trustee is governance and oversight. School board members hire and fire the superintendent, set the tax rate, pass and approve the budget for the school district and pass policy that provides direction for the school district.
A very important and critical function of the school board is oversight. So, it is very important to have a robust audit program so that we can hold the administration accountable and also so we can determine what areas of improvement need to be made.

Who are your constituents?

Anyone who lives in Fort Bend ISD, including homeowners, renters, teachers, parents, and students.

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

Fort Bend ISD is one of the most diverse school districts in the nation. Fort Bend ISD works very hard with staff to make sure we are adequately providing students and staff with the resources they need.

FBISD has a department called Collaborative Communities, and they are tasked with partnering with various organizations, such as faith-based organizations, learning organizations, after-school programs, etc. to provide our students with a wide array of diverse programs that can assist them with the student's unique needs.

FBISD celebrates its rich diversity by promoting student's culture through art, performances, local festivals and multicultural events at the schools.

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

I meet with members of the community on a regular basis. I do regular school visits and visits with various PTO's and student organizations. I hold local meet and greets and allow the community to get to know me.

the Board of Trustees has various committees that the community can get involved in.

We also have listening tours and give parents and constituents the opportunity to come and engage with the district leaders and school board members directly.

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

Admin does regular classroom walks and get annual reviews. They get evaluated and those scores are then used to help teachers know the areas they need to improve.

All new teachers have a mentor teacher, so they have regular access to veteran teachers to guide them through any struggles they may have.
Fort Bend ISD provides access to ongoing training and professional development outside of what is required by the state.

Fort Bend ISD also does an apprenticeship program which has been very successful. It helps the district to more easily find local talent and train them internally and help people become teachers.

Fort Bend ISD is also enrolling in the TIA Program, which is the Teacher Incentive Allotment. This program allows teacher to go through the state approved program to become a Recognized or Master teacher and have the opportunity to earn up to a 6-figure salary through classroom performance metrics.

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 would love to see wood shop and civics classes restored to our current curriculum. Since being on the school board, Fort Bend ISD has added several new courses to our CTE program offerings. Some of these includes, drone courses, cybersecurity courses, new computer science and coding courses. Next year the district will be offering drone courses, AI courses and aviation as well in the near future.

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

The state dictates how schools are funded. So advocacy at the state-level and partnering with our local elected representatives is very important. We must advocate for fair and appropriate funding of our public schools because our students are our future.

The Commissioner of the TEA has stated that Special Education is currently being underfunded by several billion dollars, which for Fort Bend ISD, that equates to $35 million dollars. So while some school districts are underfunded, they still are required to educate students and provide them with the resources they need.

So advocacy at the state level is critical as well as that partnership with the community stakeholders and local elected leaders.

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

Fort Bend ISD has a committee called the School Health Advisory Council (SHAC). and they are a group of parents, staff and local industry professionals that help create initiatives and programs for health and mental health initiatives. It is a very important committee as they hear and listen to the needs of our students and staff and partner with all of our schools to understand these needs.

Fort Bend ISD has the Whole Child Health Initiative. This is a program that focuses on the overall well-being of the child and provides ways to combat mental health issues as well as overall health of the child. It promotes nutrition, mindfulness, and mental health.
We also partner with various mental health providers to give parents and students options to seek outside help if they so choose.

FBISD also offers several options for staff as a part of their health insurance benefits. The district also updated the school calendar to give teachers more breaks with the new 3-day weekend each month. In addition, teachers have been given more teacher planning time to help them get prepared for the upcoming semester. This helps to alleviate a lot of stress with our teachers and also gives them much needed breaks throughout the year.

Tell us your favorite joke.

My wife once yelled at me and told me, "You haven't listened to a word I've said!"
I replied, "What a weird way to start a conversation."

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

I want to more policies that strengthen our CTE programs and I want to district to put more focus on CCMR and getting students ready for life beyond high school.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

Current FBISD Board President Kristin Tassin

Former FBISD Board Member, Dave Rosenthal
Former FBISD Board Member, Jason Burdine
Former FBISD Board Member, Grayle James
FBISD Board Member, David Hamilton
FBISD Board Member, Sonya Jones
Sugar Land Mayor Joe Zimmerman
Missouri City Mayor Robin Eleckatt
Former Missouri City Mayor Allen Owen
Sugar Land City Councilwoman Susan Whatley
Sugar Land City Councilwoman Jennifer Lane
Sugar Land City Councilman Stewart Jacobson
Missouri City City Councilman Floyd Emery
Missouri City City Councilwoman Monica Riley
Former Fort Bend County Commissioner James Patterson
Congressman Troy Nehls
Former Congressman Pete Olson
State Representative Gary Gates

State Representative Ron Reynolds

Describe your ideal learning environment for students.

My ideal environment for students is a safe and welcoming environment. I want all students to have equal access to the same resources and technology.

I want our teachers to have the best training and the access to the best tools so they can be the most effective at doing their job.

It is important that our students have access to a wide-array of tools and resources because all students learn differently and it is the school district's job to accommodate all students.

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

I meet with members of the community on a regular basis. I do regular school visits and visits with various PTO's and student organizations. I hold local meet and greets and allow the community to get to know me.

I partner with parents when they have issues and address their concerns individually with the Superintendent and Board President.

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

We recently gave teachers and staff a raise. We gave teachers a longevity bonus, where they get a bonus added to their regular pay based on years of service. This adds incentives for teachers to stay at FBISD.

We recently made changes to the school calendar where we have one 3-day weekend per month. We also added a fall break in October, so teachers can get a week to reset and refresh before coming back and finishing the year off strong.

These 2 things have helped lower the teacher turnover rate from 14% turnover down to 6%. This is an incredible turnaround especially with nationwide teacher shortage.

Next thing the district is doing is looking at the health insurance benefits and finding ways to lower those costs.

What are your views on financial transparency and government accountability?

Financial transparency and government accountability are very important. It is our job as trustees to be stewards of the taxpayer dollar. We are audited every year and we hold public hearings annually regarding our budget before a new one gets passed, so to be transparent with the community.
Fort Bend ISD has the highest rating from the state for fiscal transparency and everything is public on the Fort Bend ISD website.

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

Rick Garcia did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.

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Fort Bend Independent School District, Position 3

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