Arlington’s school board races are suddenly a lot more than sleepy spring elections. Voters are heading to the polls to fill two trustee seats while the district stares down steady enrollment losses and a roughly $13 million budget gap. Early voting begins Monday, with Election Day set for May 2.
The contests for Places 6 and 7 match incumbents Brooklyn Richardson and Leanne Haynes against challengers Jan Tyler and Linton Davis, according to the Fort Worth Report. Arlington ISD’s election page confirms that early voting runs from Monday, April 20, through Tuesday, April 28, and that Election Day is May 2; the same page also lists the Place 6 and Place 7 candidates on the ballot, per Arlington ISD.
Budget squeeze and enrollment slide
District financial filings show the 2025–26 general fund was adopted with an estimated $13 million deficit and that administrators budgeted for roughly 52,200 students next year. Arlington ISD's financial report ties that shortfall to lower state entitlements and local revenue pressures driven by falling attendance.
The Legislature’s recent change bumps the state basic allotment by about $55 per student, to roughly $6,215. That is a welcome bump, but district leaders say it is not nearly enough to catch up with years of rising costs, according to IDRA.
Candidates pitch competing fixes
With money tight and enrollment sliding, the four candidates are pitching very different priorities for what trustees should tackle first. Jan Tyler, a longtime Arlington teacher, says student outcomes and chronic absenteeism are her top worries. Linton Davis leans on his auditing background and budget focus, arguing voters should trust him to scrutinize spending, according to the Fort Worth Report.
Incumbents Brooklyn Richardson and Leanne Haynes are betting that voters will stick with experience. They stress stability and fiscal oversight. Haynes has pushed for a zero-based review of district spending, insisting every line item earn its place. Richardson chairs finance committees and points to that role as proof she understands the district’s money problems. Both outline their backgrounds and priorities on their campaign sites at Brooklyn Richardson and Leanne Haynes.
School closures and hard choices
The budget pressures are not theoretical. Earlier this year, trustees voted to permanently close Blanton Elementary, citing low enrollment and campus performance problems. The closure, reported by The Dallas Morning News, has become a touchpoint in the races, with candidates pointing to it as proof the board sometimes has to make decisions that are both difficult and unpopular.
District financial documents show the current shortfall is a mix of declining attendance-driven state revenue and local financial pressures. Trustees are trying to plug the gap without gutting core classroom services, according to an Arlington ISD financial report.
How and where to vote
Early voting sites and hours are set by Tarrant County and listed on the county elections calendar at Tarrant County Elections. Arlington ISD also posts election information and candidate lists on its board page at Arlington ISD.
Polls open for early voting beginning Monday and continue through Tuesday of next week, with Election Day on May 2, according to Tarrant County Elections.
Whoever wins these races steps straight into the hot seat. The next board will decide whether to dig deeper into the budget with more intensive reviews, consolidate additional campuses, or lean on targeted programs meant to keep families from leaving the district. For Arlington voters, the choice comes down to which trustees they believe can steer the district through a cash crunch while stabilizing enrollment and protecting what happens inside the classroom.
