KKG asked the candidates for our local Humble ISD Board of Trustees a few questions to gauge their support of topics important to our membership.
Early Voting April 19-27. Election Day: Saturday May 1stKKG Questions to Humble ISD Board of Trustees Candidates:
1. Humble ISD has run a Recycling program (paper, aluminum, plastics) for nearly 20 years. That was true until it was cancelled in June, 2020 due to public abuse of recycle bins on school campuses. The school district has not announced a new recycling contract or program.
Q: Do you support the return of a responsible Recycling program for all Humble ISD schools? Why or why not?
2. We believe living sustainably is key to maintaining a positive future in the Lake Houston area. We cannot be wasteful and ignore the impact of our increasingly large and unsustainable footprint on the planet.
Q: Do you believe Humble ISD should teach environmental science and sustainable ecological principles within its school curriculum? Why or why not?
3. Our collective carbon footprint and its resulting damage has brought the planet to the brink of an ecological disaster brought on by man-made CO2 emissions. But we can act badly together to limit the impact of CO2 in our atmosphere and the resulting temperature rise.
Q: Do you support the teaching of Climate Change science in Humble ISD schools? Why or Why not?
4. Many thousands of styrofoam trays are used daily at our schools for breakfast and lunch. All end up in the trash, and are shipped to the landfill. Once in the landfill, it does not decompose quickly. Some estimates put the lifespan of styrofoam in a landfill around 500 years, and some put it way beyond that.
Q: Do you support the phasing out of styrofoam cups and trays at our schools? Why or Why not?
5. Other school districts in Texas recognize Earth Day, actively encouraging recycling and even moving towards Zero Waste at their schools and offices.
Q: Would you be wiling to have Humble ISD undergo a trash audit and hire a project manager who would look into ways to save money by reducing the amount of trash. Why or Why not?
Position 1 - Edgar Clayton
No Response.
Position 1 - William Epperson
No Response.
Position 1 - Robert Sitton
Humble ISD is working with Waste Management to ensure every facility in the district has a bin to collect recyclable materials.
All bins at Humble ISD facilities — trash and recycling – are for the facility’s use. Bins are not for public use.
The cost will be $255 per 8 yard container with a lock, emptied once a week, for a total annual cost of about $126,000 districtwide. The bins will be placed at facilities over the next four weeks.
Position 1 - Rebecca Tribo
Position 3 - Wilbert Baker
No Response.
Position 3 - James Banks
No Response.
Position 3 - Liz Diaz
Q: Do you support the return of a responsible Recycling program for all Humble ISD schools? Why or why not?
A: Yes, I would support the return of a responsible Recycling program for all Humble ISD schools. My family and I would recycle our paper, aluminum, and plastic products in the green and yellow containers supplied by Waste Management. The recycling program would allow Humble ISD to have another great partnership with a recycling company or another type of business involved with recycling. The schools enjoyed getting extra money for the recycling of the schools.
Q: Do you believe Humble ISD should teach environmental science and sustainable ecological principles within its school curriculum? Why or why not?
A: Yes, I support environmental science and sustainable ecological principles. When my daughter attended middle school in Humble ISD, she learned about environmental science and ecological principles. Each campus recognizes Earth Day in its own way, either through an Earth Day celebration or a collection of donated trees to plant at the school. The art teachers also had students create works of art from recycled products.
Q: Do you support the teaching of Climate Change science in Humble ISD schools? Why or Why not?
A: Yes, I support the teaching of Climate Change in Humble ISD schools. It is vital to the education of our children that they learn how we can stop polluting and abusing the planet. We can ride, walk, or skate to school and do all kinds of other mindful practices to reduce our carbon footprint.
Q: Do you support the phasing out of styrofoam cups and trays at our schools? Why or Why not?
A: Yes, I support the phasing out of styrofoam cups and trays at our schools. In the early 2000s, several of my friends’ children would describe how the lunch ladies would wash the trays quickly and how they loved getting a nice warm, heated dry tray after. We should bring back the practices of washing silverware and trays. It might take longer to clean up the cafeteria; however, no styrofoam cups or trays fill the landfills.
Q: Would you be willing to have Humble ISD undergo a trash audit and hire a project manager who would look into ways to save money by reducing the amount of trash. Why or Why not?
A: We should utilize our Environmental, Fire, and Life Safety Department in helping us looking into ways to reduce the amount of trash. Several school organizations such as the Student Council and Ambassador Clubs have successfully recycled plastics, paper, and aluminum products weekly. The students feel they are contributing to helping the planet stay healthy. Several high schools in the district have a Green Club. We as a district could encourage the middle schools to have a Green Club as well. Dr. Fagen has a Student Advisory Committee and these students could also help and assist. Humble ISD has always tried the best methods in going green. The process of going green is an evolving one, and we can all do better in making the planet a better place.
Position 3 - Jesse Givens
No Response.
Position 3 - Clint Horn
No Response.
Position 3 - Chris Parker
No Response.
Position 3 - David Popoola
No Response.
Position 3 - Donte Washington
Q: Do you support the return of a responsible Recycling program for all Humble ISD schools? Why or why not?
A: Yes, I strongly support a responsible Recycling Program at all our campuses. Responsible recycling programs teach our children the importance of caring for our earth. They must know that it is their responsibility to maintain it and should not depend on someone else to do what they are supposed to do. The knowledge and wisdom we endow our children today determine the earth’s future health and sustainability for the generations that will follow them.
Q: Do you believe Humble ISD should teach environmental science and sustainable ecological principles within its school curriculum? Why or why not?
A: Yes, the school curriculum should include environmental and ecological sustainability studies. The consequences of allowing another generation to underestimate the negative impact of our wasteful practices are unacceptable.
Our negligent practices are affecting all ecosystems: human, animal, and all other organisms on the earth, in lakes, and in our oceans. Therefore, it is important—and our responsibility—for us to ensure that our environment is safe for all earthly creations.
Humble ISD has a diverse environmental backyard for our schools’ research and studies. A curriculum may be implemented that touches all its ecological diversity.
Q: Do you support the teaching of Climate Change science in Humble ISD schools? Why or Why not?
A: I agree that we are on the brink of an ecological disaster brought on by man-made CO2 emissions and other poor practices.
Yes, I advocate that a curriculum should be developed that includes climate change science—including apologetics for environmental science: We must ensure our students have a strong foundation and are not swayed by opposing views after graduation.
Global warming is real, and the statement that “it is not real” is absolutely false. Because of man-made CO2 emissions and the increasing amount of forests being destroyed, our earth is nearing a critical tipping point. If we do not teach this in school, mankind and society as we know it, may not survive beyond the next few generations.
But the damage already inflicted can be changed! For example: the deterioration of the ozone layer is an extreme example of climate change; but the earth’s ozone layer is being restored at about 3 percent per decade by the reduction of Chlorofluorocarbons. In the same way, our carbon footprint can also be healed: when COVID-19 occurred, the entire world halted—including excessive man-made CO2 emissions. Because of the shutdown, smog-filled cities became livable again.
Q: Do you support the phasing out of styrofoam cups and trays at our schools? Why or Why not?
A: I strongly support eliminating Styrofoam containers because their continued use adversely affects human and environmental health. Alternatives are available such as compostable containers.
We must understand that everything on this earth was given to man to use and not to abuse: If we cannot stop abusing it, we must stop using it.
However, it is important that we learn to manage the use of chemical innovations, such as Styrofoam, because innovations do have their proper place. The Styrofoam issues we see today exist because we do not have an environmentally sound system to balance the use, maintenance, or disposal of Styrofoam.
I believe that the environmental care of our world must be set as a priority and that the citizens of the world—especially Americans—are properly educated to combat environmental pollution.
Q: Would you be willing to have Humble ISD undergo a trash audit and hire a project manager who would look into ways to save money by reducing the amount of trash. Why or Why not?
A: I would like to see our school system support recycling programs and to purchase alternative, eco-friendly products when available. The goal is to reduce the residual trash to a bare minimum.
We need to find measurable ways to reduce waste. To establish an effective waste reduction program, we need accurate information on the quantity and type of waste produced by our school system. This will require a waste audit.
However, a lot of this information will not be obtained on my behalf until I am seated as a School Board member. I am very interested in discussing all of these topics further when the opportunity is available.
Position 4 - Janie Branham
No Response.
Position 4 - Marques Holmes
Q: Do you support the return of a responsible Recycling program for all Humble ISD schools? Why or why not?
A: I do support the return of a responsible recycling program for Humble ISD. The ultimate reason is that it is the right thing to do in maintaining a healthy environment. It also provides the opportunity for our students to learn and establish good behaviors now.
From an Humble resident standpoint, it also allowed our taxpayers to do our part in helping our environment using the recycling program.
Q: Do you believe Humble ISD should teach environmental science and sustainable ecological principles within its school curriculum? Why or why not?
A: I do think to some degree we should be teaching this and how reducing our carbon footprint is a great way to help our planet. Either weaving it into our curriculum or making it project based, if elected I would absolutely push for some level of integration within our school system.
Q: Do you support the teaching of Climate Change science in Humble ISD schools? Why or Why not?
A: I do support the teaching and analysis of climate change science in an environment where our children can be critical thinkers. This means they aren’t to just accept everything presented to them, but to use the model of the Scientific Method (and other methodologies) to draw their own conclusions.
Q: Do you support the phasing out of styrofoam cups and trays at our schools? Why or Why not?
A: Yes, I 1000% agree in phasing out styrofoam products in our schools. We would need to assess alternatives and how introducing these alternatives would impact our budget. After we conduct a case study, we then may deem it necessary to provide a timeline of phasing out these products over time.
Q: Would you be willing to have Humble ISD undergo a trash audit and hire a project manager who would look into ways to save money by reducing the amount of trash. Why or Why not?
A: I think there is tremendous upside in this type of endeavor, especially if it ends up saving the district money and helps our environment at the same time.
As a side note, these are projects where we should engage our students and put those critical thinking skills to work in creating solutions. Active participants are the most involved participants.
Position 4 - Lonnie Jackson
No Response.
Position 4 - Kenneth Kirchhhofer
No Response.
Position 4 - Chase Stevens
Q: Do you support the return of a responsible Recycling program for all Humble ISD schools? Why or why not?
A: Yes I support the return of responsible Recycling programs for all Humble ISD schools. There could be some opportunities to educate the students on how to properly utilize recycling and how the benefits of recycling will benefit the environment.
Q: Do you believe Humble ISD should teach environmental science and sustainable ecological principles within its school curriculum? Why or why not?
A: I believe that everyone has a responsibility to be stewards of the environment. Understanding the benefits of sustainable ecological principles will help to maintain a sustainable environment in which we live.
Q: Do you support the teaching of Climate Change science in Humble ISD schools? Why or Why not?
A: I support teaching science in our schools as well as creative thinking. I would like to see programs that are geared towards teaching the direct science behind climate change and not theories that may incorporate national political agendas.
Q: Do you support the phasing out of styrofoam cups and trays at our schools? Why or Why not?
A: I can’t speak for the accuracy of the amount of styrofoam trays used on a daily basis in Humble ISD but would certainly like to see styrofoam phased out where possible.
Q: Would you be willing to have Humble ISD undergo a trash audit and hire a project manager who would look into ways to save money by reducing the amount of trash. Why or Why not?
A: If presented with a business case that would benefit the district by decreasing waste and reducing cost I would see no reason to not be in favor of this initiative.
Position 5 - Andrea Glazebrook
No Response.
Position 5 - Martina Lemon Dixon
No Response.