Your State Board of Education member — elected by district, not statewide — helps set what every Texas public school is required to teach. The board also approves a list of instructional materials, though districts may choose others.
The Democratic candidate
Allison Bush
DemocratAbout Allison
In fourth grade, Bush couldn't read. A teacher figured out it was dyslexia and refused to give up on her — and that one teacher is the reason she graduated, went to college, and has spent 25 years in Texas classrooms doing the same for other kids.
She's taught theater, speech and career-tech, been a college-readiness counselor, and run two education foundations that raise money for public schools in Pflugerville and Bastrop. She won a six-way primary with 61 percent. The board she's running for decides what every Texas public school has to teach — and it's the board that voted 8 to 7 in 2024 to put Bible-infused reading lessons in front of kindergartners. Bush's stand: curriculum "grounded in facts, not ideology," written with teachers in the room, and no blank check for charter schools that drain money from the public ones.
Also on the ballot
Every candidate who filed for this office appears here. Tap a name to read more.
Mica ArellanoAbout Mica
A 30-year Texas educator running to shape what a million students learn.
Arellano has worked in Texas education for three decades. She ran unopposed in the 2026 Republican primary for SBOE District 5.
Where to vote
Hays County uses vote centers — any registered Hays County voter can vote at any open location in the county. Locations and hours by city: