Ryan Schurdell

The most important thing to know about me is that I am a man of faith who is deeply committed to my family and my community. My wife and I are blessed with five daughters, four of whom currently attend our schools. Like every parent, we want the very best educational opportunities for our children. But we also believe in investing in the schools and community that serve all of our children....

Faith, Family & Daily Presence in Our Schools: As a dad of five daughters—with four currently in our district—my commitment to NCISD is intensely personal. I'm not running for a title; I'm running because our children's future matters above all else. You’ll find me constantly in our schools, working alongside teachers, serving on the PTO, and fighting to ensure every child receives an exceptional education and every teacher feels supported. Grassroots Leadership & Values: True community leadership means rolling up your sleeves before election day. I have spent years actively fighting for our conservative values across Montgomery and Harris counties, such as knocking doors and working the polls for leaders like Representative Steve Toth (who has also offered his endorsement) and Senator Brett Ligon. My wife and I also founded a family-centered, youth-focused grassroots organization, Liberty Rising, dedicated to teaching American exceptionalism, civic duty, and traditional values to the rising generation....

Elevating Student Achievement & Empowering Teachers: Academic success depends directly on supporting our educators and keeping classrooms focused on rigorous core learning. I will work to close achievement gaps, listen directly to teachers regarding classroom burdens, and protect professional planning time. To keep the focus entirely on students, we must ensure instructional materials follow the State Board of Education (SBOE) curriculum, and not the teacher’s or administrator’s personal ideology. This is key to protecting academic integrity, respecting parents' values, and ensuring classrooms remain dedicated to core learning rather than outside agendas. Financial Stewardship & Fiscal Discipline: Balancing rapid growth, facilities, and instruction requires rigorous budget review, long-term forecasting, and zero-based evaluation of major expenditures. Leveraging my background as a Director of Financial Planning & Analysis and former Big Four Ernst & Young consultant, I will hunt for operational efficiencies, eliminate administrative waste, and provide complete taxpayer transparency to ensure every dollar reaches the classroom....

Without question. Full transparency and accountability should be non-negotiable when it comes to taxpayer dollars. I would actively support an annual independent third-party financial audit of New Caney ISD. Given my professional background, I understand not only the importance of an independent audit, but also how to evaluate the quality and independence of an auditing firm, establish appropriate reporting expectations, and ensure that findings and recommendations are actually addressed....

Parents are the primary educators and advocates for their children, and they should play an active role in their child’s education. Schools and teachers have an incredibly important responsibility, but they cannot replace the role of parents. Parents should be engaged with their children’s academic progress, character development, and overall well-being. That means communicating with teachers, supporting learning at home, attending school activities when possible, and making sure their children understand the importance of hard work, responsibility, and respect....

I evaluate every educational program through two lenses: Does it respect the values of our families, and does it support rigorous academic excellence? Common Core: I oppose federal overreaches and centralized mandates like Common Core. Education decisions belong at the local level, driven by parents, local trustees, and the State Board of Education (SBOE)—not distant bureaucrats. Our curriculum should focus on foundational mastery, critical thinking, and traditional academics rather than experimental standards....

Without question. I believe the school board has an absolute responsibility to protect children from sexually explicit and age-inappropriate material in our schools. Children should be allowed to be children. Students have no business being exposed to sexually explicit or radical mature content through school libraries, classrooms, or supplemental materials. Parents—not unelected bureaucrats, activist librarians, or school administrators—have the ultimate right and responsibility to determine when their children are ready for mature subjects....

Yes. I believe sexually explicit material that meets the definition of harmful material under Texas Penal Code §43.24 has no place in our schools, whether in a library, classroom, or any other area accessible to students. But I also believe we should be clear that material does not have to satisfy every element of the legal test under §43.24 before a school district can determine that it is inappropriate for students and remove it from school property. The legal standard establishes one threshold under state law; our responsibility as a school district is broader. We should be able to establish and enforce age-appropriate standards that protect students from material that is sexually explicit, excessively mature, or otherwise inappropriate for their age—even when that material may not meet every element of the statutory definition....

Yes. I will enforce Texas law and do everything within my authority as a school board member to protect students from inappropriate gender ideology and social transitioning in our schools. This is a deeply concerning issue to me, and it is one of the reasons I am running for school board. Parents should be able to trust that their children will not be encouraged or assisted by school personnel in making significant decisions about gender identity without their parents’ knowledge or involvement....

Absolutely, categorically, NO. I do not support allowing students to use bathrooms, showers, or locker rooms based solely on gender identity rather than biological sex. These are private spaces, and students deserve privacy, safety, and appropriate boundaries. Girls should not be expected to share intimate spaces with biological males, and boys should not be expected to share intimate spaces with biological females....

Yes. There are two genders: male and female. I understand biological sex is real, objective, and important, and our schools should not teach children otherwise. We can treat every student with dignity and respect without denying biological reality or requiring children to accept ideological beliefs about sex and gender....

We need to remove materials that promote or teach gender fluidity or encourage children to question or change their biological sex from New Caney ISD libraries, classrooms, or any other district platforms. Schools should not be introducing children to the idea that gender is fluid or that biological sex is something that can be changed based on personal identity. That is not an appropriate role for a public school, particularly when it conflicts with the values and beliefs of parents....

No. I do not believe teachers should be required to use a student’s preferred pronouns when those pronouns conflict with the student’s biological sex. Teachers should treat every student with dignity and respect, but they should not be compelled by the school district to affirm an ideology or belief with which they disagree. Schools should educate students, not require teachers to participate in social or ideological affirmation....

No. I do not believe the State Board of Education should have the sole and final authority over every teaching decision in every Texas classroom. However, I strongly believe the SBOE should establish the statewide standards and approved instructional framework that districts and teachers are expected to follow. Teachers should not have the authority to disregard approved SBOE or district instructional materials in order to introduce their own political, ideological, or personal agenda into the classroom. Teachers have an incredibly important role, and I want them to have the freedom to teach effectively and use their professional expertise—but that freedom does not include using the classroom to promote political ideology....

Parents should have complete access to their children’s curriculum to ensure full transparency and accountability. Parents are the primary educators and advocates for their children, and they should never have to fight the school district to find out what their child is being taught or what is happening in the classroom. Curriculum: Parents should have access to the curriculum, instructional materials, textbooks, supplemental materials, and other resources being used to teach their children. They should be able to understand not only what is being taught, but why it is being taught....

Protecting female students is one of the fundamental responsibilities of a school board. Girls should not have to surrender their privacy, safety, or athletic opportunities because of an ideology that ignores biological differences between males and females. I support enforcing Texas law that protects female students from being forced to compete against biological males in girls’ sports and will always be an advocate for banning boys from participating in girls' sports. When elected, I will ensure that New Caney ISD follows the law and that our policies clearly protect girls’ athletic opportunities....

Absolutely. I would take public, overt steps to have pornography removed from NCISD classrooms, libraries, and campuses. There is no place for pornography in a public school. Period. I believe it is the responsibility of the school board to protect children from sexually explicit material and to ensure that parents can trust what is available to their children on school property....

No. I am not currently doing business with New Caney ISD or any NCISD official, nor have I personally done business with the district or a district official in the past. My wife has occasionally assisted with music programs in the district because of her unique expertise as a harpist. On an occasional and infrequent basis, she has received a nominal fee for those services, but her work is primarily voluntary. Further, her work is independent of my professional activities and would not affect my ability to serve impartially as a school board member....

I believe every student should graduate with a strong foundation in the fundamentals that will allow him or her to succeed regardless of the path he or she chooses. That starts with reading, writing, mathematics, science, and history. Students cannot be prepared for college, a career, or responsible citizenship if they do not have a strong command of these core subjects. I would prioritize all of the following:...

Yes. I strongly support returning the Pledge of Allegiance to the beginning of each school day in New Caney ISD. Our schools should teach students to respect and appreciate the country they live in, the freedoms they enjoy, and the principles that make our nation unique. The Pledge is a simple but meaningful way to reinforce those values and remind students of their responsibilities as American citizens....

Yes, the Bible should be welcomed back into our public school libraries. Our nation and our laws are built upon a rich Christian heritage and Judeo-Christian principles that universally promote virtue, integrity, personal responsibility, and respect for others—the very foundational pillars of a civil and orderly society. Far from being restricted, the Bible holds a unique and vital place in history, literature, and the moral fabric of Western civilization....

No. I have no arrests or criminal convictions, and I have never filed for bankruptcy. I have nothing in my personal, professional, or financial background that I believe would be embarrassing or that should prevent me from serving on the New Caney ISD school board. I believe in being transparent with voters and would welcome any reasonable questions about my background.