In 2022 three conservative ‘mama bears’ with no prior political experience were elected to four year terms on the Conroe ISD Board of Trustees. In 2024, there are two incumbents and nine other candidates competing for four positions on the November ballot.
Four of the 11 candidates issued a joint statement promising to “join forces with the ‘mama bears’ to further improve” the educational experience. They are Nicole May, Lindsay Dawson, Melissa Semmler and Marianne Horton. Both Semmler and Horton have teaching backgrounds. Local mom and activist Michele Nuckolls endorses these four candidates.
Nuckolls has written extensively about school board meetings and documented sexually explicit books. She explained her support and said, ”I began watching the Conroe ISD school board meetings shortly after the three conservative moms were newly elected in 2022. The unprofessional behavior of the progressive incumbents attempting to shut out all discourse, is troubling. I have spoken at length with the four candidates running as the Conservative Slate for Conroe ISD, and I am confident they will work diligently for our community values, while lending an ear to all concerned citizens.”
In stark contrast, Josh Webb and John Robichau, along with incumbents Datren Williams and Stacey Chase, are identified in campaign material as the slate of four progressives. They believe ‘all’ means ‘all’, teachers know best, and promise to fight for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. They refer to the four on the conservative slate as “right-wing radicals” who want to “impose conservative ideologies” in the district.
The Sentinel asked nine candidates to respond to questions focused on three issues: 1) sexually explicit books, 2) bathroom use by the opposite sex and 3) pronouns. Incumbents Williams and Chase, along with Scott Buzbee did not respond to the Sentinel’s survey. Webb and Robichau did not receive a survey because they did not provide a public email address on their applications.
Lengthy answers have been abbreviated. All candidates and the respective positions they seek are listed at the end of this article. Kristin Guardino’s name may be familiar to voters because she unsuccessfully ran for mayor of Conroe earlier this spring.
Question: Is removing sexually explicit books from school libraries a form of book banning or protecting children?
Jamison Gentle: No reason to have any books of a sexual nature available to children, with the exception of a course with specific approved curriculum that parents are aware of and have given consent.
Nichole May: Protecting children.
Lindsay Dawson: Protecting children.
Kristin Guardino: It is not book banning.
Melissa Semmler: Sexually explicit books should not be available in school libraries.
Marianne Horton: No place for sexually explicit books. The term banning is misleading because such books are not banned but should rather be curated for appropriate grade levels.
Question: Do you support or oppose allowing biological boys into girls’ bathrooms, and biological girls into boys’ bathrooms?
Jamison Gentle: CISD employees should hold male and female children accountable to only be in their appropriate designated male and female areas.
Nichole May: Oppose
Lindsay Dawson: Oppose
Kristin Guardino: Oppose
Melissa Semmler: Oppose
Marianne Horton: Oppose
Question: Do you support or oppose policies similar to those of Keller ISD which require teachers to refer to students with pronouns matching those on birth certificates? The policy also requires parents to be alerted if a student requests otherwise and that parents must grant written permission for schools to call students by alternate names or pronouns.
Jamison Gentle: Support.
Nicole May: Support
Lindsay Dawson: Support.
Kristin Guardino: Support in general.
Melissa Semmler: Support.
Marianne Horton: Support.
Position 4 Candidates
Jamison Gentle
Nicole May
Datren Williams (incumbent)
Position 5 Candidates
Lindsay Dawson
Kristin Guardino
Josh Webb
Position 6 Candidates
Scott Buzbee
Stacey Chase (incumbent)
Melissa Semmler
Position 7 Candidates
Marianne Horton
John Robichau
Early voting begins on October 21 and ends November 1, election day is November 5.
