Frisco ISD Trustee Stephanie Elad on Growth, Trades, and Community Voice

In the latest episode of The Building Texas Show, host Justin McKenzie sits down with Stephanie Elad, a corporate HR executive turned two-term Frisco ISD trustee, to discuss the district's shifting landscape. Titled Frisco's Population Boom: What's Really Happening?, the episode delves into how Frisco ISD, once one of the fastest-growing school districts in North Texas, is now landlocked and facing declining enrollment. Elad, who was reelected to a term through 2028, shares insights from her tenure, including the pivotal 2021 board meeting where a comment by the board president—"this is our meeting, not the community's"—sparked her decision to run for office. She describes the moment that galvanized her, stating, "That just did not sit right with me." Elad's HR background shapes her approach to governance, particularly in implementing a confidential employee engagement survey to improve teacher retention and fostering career pathways for students.

The conversation also highlights Elad's efforts to expand vocational training within Frisco schools. She discusses building apprenticeship programs in plumbing, electrical, HVAC, and other trades alongside existing CTE tracks. She points to a neighbor who owns a plumbing business and "clears a couple hundred thousand dollars a year" but cannot find apprentice plumbers, arguing that high schoolers should have access to apprenticeship programs that lead to $60,000-$70,000 salaries within a year or two of graduation, without the need for a four-year degree. The episode also touches on the district's new superintendent and Elad's optimism about Frisco ISD's future. McKenzie connects these themes to his advisory work with the startup Founding Up and PTECH welding programs in San Antonio, where students earn college credit hours through community college partnerships.

Ultimately, the episode underscores the importance of preparing students for careers that AI cannot replace and encouraging families to vote in low-turnout school board elections. Elad's experience as an HR executive and board trustee provides a unique perspective on the challenges and opportunities facing Frisco ISD as it navigates demographic shifts and workforce readiness.