Conservatives on the Conroe Independent School District’s board of trustees declined to seek a seat on the Texas Association of School Boards’ governing body, citing disagreements with the organization’s left-leaning policy positions.
The Texas Association of School Boards (TASB) is a tax-funded association that provides a variety of services to Texas school districts—including policy and legal advice, insurance, and trustee training.
TASB also promotes a legislative advocacy agenda, operating as a taxpayer-funded lobbying group.
The group is governed by member-selected officers and directors. The 40 TASB directors are school board trustees chosen to represent each of the state’s Educational Service Center regions.
Conroe ISD trustees considered selecting a nominee to represent Region 6 during a June 16 school board meeting.
Trustee Melissa Semmler asked the board to nominate her for the position.
Semmler argued that filling the seat would give the district “an important voice to ensure our community’s values are represented in conversations that influence public education across the state.”
The motion failed 5-2, with only Trustees Semmler and Marianne Horton voting in favor.
Trustee Nicole May said Conroe ISD citizens elected local board members to govern the district and argued that joining the TASB board would not advance local control, accountability, or fiscal responsibility.
May noted that TASB has “accumulated tremendous influence over district policy, governance, training, risk management, and day-to-day operations,” and that trustees too often adopt TASB recommendations uncritically.
“I do not believe the solution is to become more integrated into that system,” said May.
I was elected on a promise of transparency, accountability, and local control. Conroe ISD is fully capable of evaluating policies on their merits, seeking competitive services in the marketplace, and making decisions that reflect the priorities of our community.
“And for anyone concerned about having a voice in the legislature, the solution is simple: get in your car, go to Austin, and participate in the process,” she added. “That’s a right we should not give to a statewide organization.”
Board President Misty Odenweller asserted that an official nomination to the TASB board would be an endorsement by the board to support TASB and their initiatives.
“This board has been consistent and public about concerns with TASB, their training model, their policy positions, and the fundamental question of whether taxpayer dollars should continue to fund an organization that doesn’t align with the majority values of our constituents,” she said.
Odenweller posted to social media following the vote.
“TASB’s own documents describe the Director role as being expected to ‘actively promote TASB’s mission and purposes.’ What happens when those purposes don’t align with ours, as they often don’t? That’s not a position I was willing to put this board in,” she wrote.
Odenweller added that Conroe ISD is not a member of TASB by choice, citing TASB’s market dominance as a risk management provider to school districts.
“Membership out of necessity is not the same as endorsing their agenda,” she wrote. “This board has been consistent. TASB’s training, their policy positions, and their political leanings do not represent Conroe ISD FAMILIES.”
“When you elect conservatives to this board, you expect us to govern accordingly. Last night, we did exactly that.”
Conservative “Mama Bear” Odenweller was elected to the Conroe ISD school board in 2022 along with Trustee Melissa Dungan. Trustees May, Horton, Semmler, and Lindsay Dawson were elected in 2024.
