Endorsements

Trustee Estevan J. “Chuy” Zárate has been a teacher, corporate trainer, and actor in the Austin area for decades and comes from a long line of educators. He is a steady equity advocate with a mindset to do what is best for our schools, namely our students and staff, especially those belonging to historically and presently marginalized populations. Prior to serving on the board he was a dedicated PTA volunteer at various levels for many years and he continues to show up and support PTA efforts. Constantly learning, Trustee Zárate has made time to attend trainings and conferences to become a better trustee and advocate for public schools. After two years on the board he is even more prepared and excited to continue serving Round Rock ISD and looks forward to earning your vote.

Melissa Ross is a dedicated educator and community advocate with deep roots in Round Rock ISD. A fifth-generation educator, she spent a decade as the Visual Arts Team Lead at Westwood High School after attending Round Rock schools and earning a BFA and BA from the University of Texas at Austin. As a mother of two children in the district, she understands the importance of accessible, high-quality education. Melissa served on multiple PTA Executive Boards, chaired the Accessibility Services committee, and volunteered as a special education advocate. She also served as a parent liaison for Travis County’s Community Resource Coordination Group, connecting families with vital resources. Her commitment to public education is driven by her experiences as a non-traditional student, educator, and mother. Melissa is running for Round Rock ISD School Board Place 2 to build a stronger, more inclusive district and ensure all students and teachers have the tools they need to thrive.

Dr. Wei is a father of two. He and his family has been living in Round Rock ISD since 2020. Before that, he and his family lived in Dallas-Fort Worth area for 8 years. He received his doctoral degree in environmental science, followed by a 6 years of research experience in bioengineering field in two U.S. universities. He is currently working as a toxicologist in Austin. He has actively engaged in serving RRISD community and beyond. He served many community volunteer roles, such as a substituted educator, a member of the school PTA, and a member of various district committees. He is the Board of Directors (BoD) of Williamson Central Appraisal District, BoD of Austin Chinese-American Network, and Committee Captain of the Greater Austin Asian Chamber of Commerce. He was the Vice President for the RRISD PTA Council 2023-2024. He completed the RRISD Leadership Training, Class of 2024.

Survey questions were sourced from the community and sent to all candidates after the filing deadline.