Two women in favor of pay raises for Pilot Point teachers and interested in rebuilding the school district’s financial status are running for the unexpired Place 4 school board seat on the Nov. 4 ballot.

LEZLIE MacELROY

Age: 45

Leslie MacElroy

Occupation: Certified public accountant and co-owner of four D&L Farm and Home locations with her husband, Dean.

Education: Texas A&M University — bachelor’s in accounting, 1983.

Experience: Served one term as a school board trustee for Pilot Point from 1993-96. Works as a CPA for her own business, was owner of a CPA practice for 15 years and does tax returns during tax season.

Personal: Married mother of four children who range in age from 13-22. She grew up in Grapevine.

JACKIE JENKINS

Age: 54

Jackie Jenkins

Occupation: Retired high school principal who works as a consultant with the Texas Education Agency on its Campus Improvement Team, a group that works with low-performing state schools.

Education: Texas Wesleyan University — bachelor’s in English, 1976; Tarleton State University — master’s in education with certification in middle management, 1990; and University of Texas at Austin — doctorate in educational administration, 1994.

Experience: Taught English, social studies and language arts at the middle and high school levels in the Alvarado, Hurst-Euless-Bedford and Mansfield school districts. Served as an assistant principal in the Mansfield district prior to attending graduate school and working as an intern in the superintendent’s office in Harlandale. Worked in the TEA Accountability Department and was a field service agent for the Regional Education Service Center in Waco. She served as a high school principal in Waco and Fort Worth. 

Personal: Mother of one child, 28. She lived in Aubrey for most of her childhood.

Lezlie MacElroy, a former school board member, business owner and accountant, will face Dr. Jackie Jenkins, a newcomer to Pilot Point with education experience at the state, region and local levels.

If elected, one of the two women will fill a seat left vacant by Jerry Brawner, who resigned from office in April after moving out of the district. Place 4 is temporarily being filled by Milton Duesman, who was appointed in June.

Duesman has said he has no desire to run for the seat.

Early voting for the election begins Oct. 20.

MacElroy, a 22-year Pilot Point resident, said her interests in running for the board are rooted in financial issues facing the district. In previous years, the district has faced financial woes resulting in the passage of deficit budgets, she said, adding that she feels her accounting experience can assist the district with analyzing the way money is being spent and allocated. MacElroy said she hopes that, as the district improves its financial status, it can build its fund balance, solidify its financial base and offer teachers competitive salaries.

The mother of four, who stepped down from the board after completing one term more than 12 years ago to dedicate more time to her family and business, said having two children still in the community means she has a vested interest in seeing that all Pilot Point children attend schools in a flourishing district.

Her two older children, MacElroy said, finished school prepared for college and post-graduation life, and she hopes to be part of a group that can offer the same opportunities to future schoolchildren.

“I want to help the schoolchildren by ensuring they receive the quality education that they need, and that the money is there to provide them with the quality education,” she said.

Jenkins, a former educator, principal and Texas Education Agency consultant who moved to Pilot Point almost one year ago, said she hopes to change the negative perception of the district.

In speaking with residents and people in surrounding areas, Jenkins said she heard that some people didn’t want to buy homes in the area because of the financial status of the district. Since hearing that, Jenkins said, she has researched and paid close attention to the district. She has noticed the district has impressive students and a positive academic record, and is on its way to turning around its financial issues.

While she knows some may still view the district as fragile, she said she wants to be part of a group that faces issues at the core and helps in strengthening the district’s status while eliminating negative perceptions. It all starts with asking how and where money is being spent and making the community aware of it, she said. It also involves showing residents that there are positive things going on in the district.

The former administrator with more than 20 years of education experience said that while some may view her being new to the area as a weakness, she views it as a strength because she provides a broad range of educational experience and a fresh outlook on the district’s issues.

“We’ve got to let people know that these are good schools,” Jenkins said. “[Negative] perception is reality, and if people are thinking that and not coming to our community, we need to see that and change that because Pilot Point is a wonderful place for students to attend schools. If we don’t change that, it’s not going to grow.”

BRITNEY TABOR can be reached at 940-566-6876. Her e-mail address is btabor@dentonrc.com .