School Board Meeting Dates
Fredericksburg ISD Beliefs
In Fredericksburg ISD we believe:
Students will be challenged and engaged as creative and collaborative problem solvers with academic confidence.
Teachers build individualized relationships with students and families to strengthen academic confidence, inspire an ongoing desire to learn, and to be a positive, contributing member of society.
Campus Leaders are accountable to the community, staff, and students through active engagement, academic confidence, and team driven results.
Parents and Families are engaged partners who both need and provide appropriate levels of support and good communication so that all partners can be accountable.
The Superintendent and Central Office Staff have a supportative role in the school district, to facilitate, communicate, evaluate, and lead all aspects of the District's goals.
The School Board is the voice of the community by demonstrating accountability, instituting checks and balances, providing governance oversight, and bridging the gap between the community and the school district.
FISD Board of Trustees
Natalie Bowman
School Board Member, President
Elected to the board: 2015-2016 Re-Election Year: May 2023
My passion has always been working with students. After graduating from Southwest Texas State University with a degree in English in 1980, I began my teaching career with two years at Round Rock ISD, followed by four years at Gregory-Portland ISD. In 1986, we moved to Fredericksburg, where I began teaching at the high school in 1987. Both of my children attended and graduated from Fredericksburg High School, and I was blessed to be able to teach both of them. I was named FISD Teacher of the Year in 2014, which was my 27th year at high school.
Although I retired to run my bed and breakfast ranch, my passion for schools did not retire with me. I ran for school board in 2015 and have been serving since then. I love being a voice for our teachers and enjoy mentoring students and volunteering in the community. Fredericksburg ISD is blessed to have a great team of leaders on every campus, at central office, and on the school board. We are also blessed to have a community that supports our schools. I am proud to serve our district and am committed to making sure that our schools have the resources needed to help our students be prepared for our diverse and changing world.
Mark Cornett
School Board Member, Vice-President
Our future relies on the success of students today. I believe we can give students the tools they need to become successful contributing members of society. I have served as a trustee beginning in 2010, completed Leadership TASB training in 2017, and been part of several successful bond programs. I believe the school is responsible for partnering with parents and the community to provide rigorous academic instruction, relevant career and technical programs to suit future student needs, and extracurricular programs to promote competition, teamwork, and hard work. Trustees are responsible for overseeing the administration's roles in balancing student and staff needs along with available financial resources. My wife, Dr. Karen Cornett, and I have four children who are graduates or attending FISD schools – Mary, Otto, Summer and Henry. My family is active with Holy Ghost Lutheran Church and I've led youth construction trips to Mexico with Mision de Candelia; coached youth baseball, soccer, and basketball; and volunteered for primary to high school activities. My education is from Texas public schools: Canadian High School and degrees in Civil and Agricultural Engineering from Texas A&M University in 1996 and 1999. I have a 26-year career in land development, civil construction, project management, and engineering consulting. I serve public and private clients throughout the region through Cornett Engineering and understand the impacts of growth, development, infrastructure, and property values.
Matt Seidenberger
School Board Secretary
Matt Seidenberger and his wife, Lorena, moved to Fredericksburg in 2002 after deciding this type of small town was where they'd like to raise a family. They have two boys currently in school in Gillespie County – FHS Class of 2023 and 2030. Seidenberger earned both a Bachelor of Science and Master of Agribusiness from Texas A&M and has worked at Arrowhead Bank since moving to the hill country in 2000.
Mr. Seidenberger's philosophy of service is that good people with common sense, hearts directed towards the mission, and a willingness to serve must take their turns if communities & their organizations are to be successful. This philosophy is evident in his history of serving across various civic, religious, and youth activities in Gillespie County, and it was a driving reason behind his decision to run for FISD School Board Trustee.
He strongly believes that Fredericksburg ISD should provide children an educational foundation as early as possible, as learning in the earliest grades provides the building blocks for growth as they age & mature. This educational foundation, combined with participation and success in extra-curricular activities throughout their time here, will help provide children with the tools to move into whatever awaits them after graduating from FISD schools.
Seidenberger's hope is to help provide the governance and oversight of what should be a healthy, inclusive, and enriching school district for children, teachers, staff, and the rest of all stakeholders in Gillespie County.
Judge Edwards
School Board Member, Secretary
Raising our family in Gillespie County has been a great experience. It is the community my wife, Kristen, and I were born and raised in and were supported by. Now we enjoy being a part of it as a family. Kristen and I have two young boys. I enjoy helping with 4-H and FFA youth auctions as a buyer and serving on the board of an organization that works to keep kids safe. I believe a great education is a powerful tool for them in that process. Students, parents, teachers, retired teachers, administrators, and taxpayers all need their interests protected by a board that knows how to lead. I take time to listen. I care. I find value in working together with local people and local government.
Kelly C. DiCuffa
Kelly DiCuffa comes to the board with a background in consulting with Accenture in government and financial services with Bank of America and USAA. Her FISD school passion is literacy and college applications for all. She is a mom of three FISD students. Go Billies!
Kerinne M. Herber
After completing my undergraduate degree in Agribusiness and my master's degree in Finance from Texas A&M University, I married a Fredericksburg native, Treff Herber. We are blessed with five children, four of which attend Fredericksburg ISD. As an FISD Trustee, I will encourage the district to provide students with opportunities to gain the best education and improved social skills. I am an advocate for and believe in investing in our public schools because the youth are our future leaders in our community and country. I will continue to strive to serve with the following traits: value for all children and their different learning styles and levels; gratitude to all faculty and their commitment to serving students; integrity; open-minded; respect; patience; innovative; financially minded; inquisitive; supportive; adaptive; and collaborative.
C. Brian Lehne
Brian and his wife, Shawn, reside in Fredericksburg. His oldest two children graduated from FISD in 2008 and 2010, and his youngest will graduate in 2023.
Brian was born in Midland, Texas, and moved to Fredericksburg in 1999 to join his family. He obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Construction Science from Texas A&M University in 1987. He owns Lehne Construction and has been in business for 30+ years focusing on Architectural, Structural, and Civil Construction.
He has a deep civic commitment to the youth in our community and state, best shown in his present and past involvement in the Fredericksburg ISD Education Foundation as a board member, our local 4-H and FFA Chapter as a mentor and a member of the Agricultural Advisory Board, Gillespie County's Livestock Show Board, the Gillespie County Wild Game Dinner, and the Hill District Grandstand Youth Livestock Show Board. In addition, as a 14-year board member for the Lone Star Cattlemen Foundation, he dedicates his time to continually looking for new ways to bring financial support to our youth. To date, LSC has spent over $2M and purchased over 1,000 FFA and 4-H projects, helping countless students as they pursue their dreams of higher education. A record-setting civic commitment has been Rodeo Austin. Lehne has gone from a Committee Chair aiding in setting record Youth Auctions to the Board of Directors and served as President of the organization. Through this involvement, he aided the organization in giving back a record $2.5 million annually to youth from all walks of life. His philanthropy focuses on supporting education and understanding that our community's best resource is our youth.
As a school board member, he focuses on preparing our youth for the real world after completing their high school education. "It is important to promote self-reliant, self-starting, hard-working youth who are employable. We need to ensure our classrooms produce this type of citizen for our community's future. We need to ensure that we focus on quality teacher retention, broad classroom options for our students, career & technical (vocational) opportunities, good facilities, and parental involvement. Our youth, above all, are our greatest achievements. As a school board member, I listen. I feel this is one of the most important things that I can bring to the table. Listening is crucial to building a strong team and maintaining a positive environment."