What We Heard from Celina Families
A summary of what parents and community members shared through my first survey.
When I launched this campaign, I did not want to start by assuming I already knew what every family in Celina needed from the next school board trustee.
I wanted to listen first.
So I invited parents and community members to complete a short survey and tell me what they were seeing in our schools, what was concerning them most, and what they hoped might change.
The responses were thoughtful, direct, and often deeply personal. Some were encouraging. Some were painful to read. Many reflected a strong love for Celina and a deep frustration with the direction of the district.
While every response was unique, several clear themes came through again and again.
Families want stronger leadership & real accountability
Many respondents said their biggest concern was not just one incident, but a broader loss of trust in district leadership and the school board.
Several families described feeling like serious concerns had not been addressed clearly or consistently. Others said they wanted leadership that would be more transparent, more responsive, and more willing to act when something is wrong.
Some of the comments shared included:
“Transparency and honesty.”
“Leadership needs to change.”
“Transparent issues and decision making.”
“Standing up for what is right even when it’s hard.”
What I heard clearly is that many families are not just asking for better messaging. They are asking for better judgment, better follow-through, and a stronger sense of responsibility from the people making decisions.
Student safety & campus culture remain top concerns
Many parents shared concerns about student safety, school culture, discipline, bullying, retaliation, and whether student well-being is being protected consistently across campuses and programs.
Some respondents spoke directly about wanting stronger follow-through when concerns are raised. Others described feeling like families are too often left in the dark or made to feel dismissed.
Some examples shared were:
A desire for “actual changes to keep the kids safe instead of not discussing any concerns parents have addressed at board meetings.”
Concerns about bullying and retaliation by coaches being ignored.
Concerns about discipline, accountability, and whether students and staff are being held to consistent standards.
Even when parents had different experiences across campuses, the shared message was clear: student safety has to come first, and families need to trust that concerns will be taken seriously.
Parents are worried about academics & classroom consistency
Another major theme was academics.
Families shared concerns about teacher quality, classroom focus, inconsistent curriculum, uneven leadership between campuses, and a lack of clarity around what students are actually being taught and how progress is measured.
Some of the comments included:
“Qualified teachers, that care.”
“More challenging curriculum and involved principals.”
“Need librarians in each school and a better GT program.”
“The curriculum is just a repacking of the old cScope curriculum and is not appropriately focused on the TEKS.”
“We have not had a lot of consistency academically.”
Several parents also mentioned concerns about communication from teachers and campuses, especially wanting more regular updates about what students are learning and where they may be struggling.
The message I heard was that families want Celina ISD to be both safe and academically strong. They do not want to be forced to choose between those priorities.
Transparency & trust matter more than ever
One of the strongest recurring themes in the survey was a desire for greater transparency.
Parents used words like honesty, openness, and full transparency repeatedly. Some specifically mentioned concerns about nepotism, favoritism, or a “good old boys’ club” culture. Others said they simply wanted a clearer view of how decisions are made and why.
Comments included:
“Transparency and honesty.”
“Nepotism.”
“Better transparency of the school board and less nepotism.”
“Stop hiring friends only…”
“Over communicate.”
Families also expressed a desire for practical tools that would make information easier to access, including:
Email updates
Text alerts on key issues
Small parent forums or coffee chats
A transparency portal with policies, reports, and key district information in one place
This was one of the clearest takeaways for me: people do not just want to be informed after the fact. They want to be treated like partners.
Families still see strengths worth protecting
Even in a season of frustration, some respondents pointed to things they believe Celina ISD is doing well.
Those included:
Strong band and student engagement
A dyslexia program at Moore that has helped some students
Building-level safety measures like locked doors, visible room identifiers, and school resource officers
A sense of community that many families still want to preserve