Three Republicans are vying in the for an open seat on Louisian’s Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, which sets policies for the state’s roughly 660,000 public school students.
Republican voters will choose either Joseph Cao, Mike Hollis or Ellie Schroder to represent District 1, which includes St. Tammany Parish and parts of Orleans, Jefferson and Tangipahoa. Early voting starts Saturday and runs through May 9.
If no candidate gets a majority of the vote, the top two vote-getters will advance to the June 27 second closed primary, under changes to Louisian’s voting system that took effect this year. The winner of that Republican primary will then face off against Angela Hershey, the unopposed Democratic candidate, in the Nov. 3 general election.
The District 1 seat after BESE Member Paul Hollis stepped down in December to lead the U.S. Mint. Gov. Jeff Landry appointed Cao, a former one-term U.S. representative, to fill the seat on an interim basis. The election winner will serve the remainder of Hollis’ term, which ends in 2028.
The 11-member education board plays a key role in determining how much money Louisian’s roughly 1,300 public schools receive by adopting the state’s school-funding formula. It also oversees teacher certification, school ratings, student testing and charter school authorization. Voters elect eight of its seats, and the other three are appointed by Landry. Nine of its members are Republicans, and two members are Democrats.
Joseph Cao
Cao, 59, said he’s long been passionate about education. He has tutored high schoolers and taught college courses in philosophy and ethics. He’s also served on the boards of several New Orleans charter schools.
In 2008, Cao became the first Vietnamese American elected to Congress, but he lost his bid for a second term. When Landry tapped him this year to fill the vacant BESE seat, Cao called it a “dream come true.”
Like the other candidates, Cao said he supports charter schools and expanding Louisian’s LA GATOR program, which gives families public dollars to pay for tuition and other private education expenses. Landry is , but public school advocates oppose it and some lawmakers are wary of its cost.
Cao also said he’d like to expand , which provides on-site mental health services in several New Orleans schools, so that students statewide get similar support.
Cao reported just over $112,000 in campaign funds in the reporting period that ended on April 6, with more than $98,000 coming from loans Cao made to his campaign. He spent about $15,600 in that period.
The personal loans reflect his determination to stay on BESE, he added.
“For me, education is a personal passion,” he said. “I will fight the hardest battle in order to hold onto this seat.”
Mike Hollis
While Hollis, 54, has not previously run for office, politics is a family tradition. His late father, Ken Hollis, was , and his brother Paul was a state lawmaker before his short stint on BESE.
Hollis started his career working in student services at Delgado Community College, then eventually got involved in the family insurance business. He’s also mentored dozens of student leaders as a longtime volunteer with the h Association of Student Councils.
Hollis touted h students’ , saying he’d like to see similar gains in math. He also argued that K-12 schools can do more to help students prepare for possible careers.
“It's a great product that our public schools are putting out,” he said, “but we're leaving a lot of people behind.”
He also is a big proponent of charter schools and voucher programs like LA GATOR, arguing that tax dollars should go to the schools families choose, whether public or private.
“Let the free market decide,” he said.
Hollis reported raising about $12,230 in recent campaign filings, and he spent about $435.
Ellie Schroder
Schroder, 63, spent nearly three decades working in public schools, mostly in St. Tammany Parish.
Now retired, Schroder, wife to former State Treasurer John Schroder, previously taught grades 1-8 and worked as a school administrator, leading staff workshops, mentoring new teachers and helping develop school-improvement plans, she said.
A licensed residential contractor, Schroder also ran a small construction company. And she’s been active in politics, helping manage her husband’s successful campaign for state treasurer and his failed bid for governor. She’s also served on the Republican State Central Committee.
Schroder reported $24,750 in campaign money as of April 6. She had spent $3,866.
Schroder said she’d like to see public schools offer more mental health support to students, while also imposing stricter discipline policies. She also said she is in favor of expanding LA GATOR to the extent the state can afford it.
“The more choices you have for parents the better,” she said, “because all children are different.”