Filing ends for GISD election

GALVESTON — Looking to help reverse a Texas Education Agency “unacceptable” rating, two candidates, including incumbent David O’Neal, filed for election in the race for a District 2B trustee seat with the Galveston Independent School District.

Only Sandra Simmons had applied for District 7G when filing closed Tuesday.

Former Ball High School teacher Joanne Griffin is running against O’Neal for the trustee position in District 2B.

O’Neal, a USPS worker, has served the district for five terms.

Neither O’Neal nor Griffin were available for immediate comment Tuesday. Simmons, a retired commercial pilot, is unopposed in the race for District 7G. She has been on the school board since November 2004.

“Looks like I’m going to give three more years of my life to the district,” she said, laughing.

“I said last year that I wasn’t going to go for re-election, but circumstances have changed that it’s not time to jump ship.

“We’re in turbulent times, and the last thing we need to do is change the board. We have a lot of things that need to be resolved.”

District 2B encompasses most of the area between south Broadway between 10th and 38th streets. District 7G contains the East End and most of Bolivar Peninsula.

The election for District 7G will be Nov. 2.