There were two bombshells from the AISD board of trustees this week, as first Board President Vince Torres, then District 6 Trustee Lori Moya, announced that they will not seek re-election this November.

Torres’ announcement came out of the blue last Thursday morning. Moya, on the other hand, had been coy about any public statement whether she would run again, saying simply that she would wait until after graduation season was over. However, mere days after Torres announced that he will not seek re-election, Moya decided she will not try for a third term.

She has represented District 6 since winning the seat in 2006. However, in the past couple of years she has become extremely unpopular with many residents of AISD for her support for former Superintendent Meria Carstarphen and her education reform agenda of single-sex and charter schools. She was already the first incumbent to attract a challenger, with local consultant Paul Saldaña saying he is contemplating a run.

This now means three of the five incumbents up for re-election this November – Moya, Torres, and Cheryl Bradley in District 1 – are leaving empty seats. Only District 7’s Robert Schneider has confirmed that he will run again, while At-Large Position 9 trustee Tamala Barksdale has yet to make a public decision about her plans.

This article appears in July 4 • 2014.

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The Chronicle's first Culture Desk editor, Richard has reported on Austin's growing film production and appreciation scene for over a decade. A graduate of the universities of York, Stirling, and UT-Austin, a Rotten Tomatoes certified critic, and eight-time Best of Austin winner, he's currently at work on two books and a play.