Courtney Ratliff, currently the Family Outreach Liaison at Midland Independent School District (MISD), is running for the District 1 seat on the MISD Board of Trustees. He will challenge incumbent Michael Booker and candidate Denise Norman. Ratliff, who entered the race on July 22, is focusing his campaign on the educational needs of students in East and South Midland, as well as issues related to overcrowding.
"I'm well-versed in MISD because I've worked for them for so long. I truly believe in our school district and kids," Ratliff said. One platform of Ratliff’s campaign is promoting unity across all districts for the benefit of MISD and the families in those neighborhoods.
According to Ratliff, previous leadership “left many students from the South and East sides of Midland to be bussed across town, causing them to lose neighborhood pride in their schools and homes.”
Ratliff also criticized the MISD Board’s decision to convert Washington Elementary School into the Young Women’s Leadership Academy (YWLA), describing it as a move intended to "mask" issues with school performance.
The decision, which was narrowly approved in a 4-3 vote, led to the displacement of students who were transferred to already crowded schools like Bunche Elementary, DeZavala Elementary, and schools across town. This left staff feeling "let down" after improving their campus from an F to a B rating, according to Ratliff.
Ratliff has broader concerns about school zoning and overcrowding in the district. "Many students from Franks Elementary, from a different district, are also bussed to DeZavala and Bunche because of a lack of elementary options," he said.
"We are hoping the new school being built in the 349 corridor will alleviate the overcrowding, but that depends on having the right representatives in that district who will keep their promises. Our districts are intricately linked together, and we must work together as a unified front."
The Young Women’s Leadership Academy, now located on the former Washington Elementary campus, serves grades 6-9 and has a student-teacher ratio of 17:1. The school has been graded B+ overall, with 65% of students proficient in math and 78% proficient in reading, according to Niche.com.
Ratliff’s campaign says he wants to ensure that decisions are made in the best interest of all communities, particularly in District 1, and including on issues like limited transportation, financial resources, and overcrowded schools.