Lisa McClure held her election watch party at Coyote Sam's for the Tyler ISD Trustee District 6 seat on Saturday May 4, 2019. (Sarah A. Miller/Tyler Morning Telegraph)

The Rev. Fritz Hager Jr. has secured a second full term on the Tyler ISD board of trustees serving District 6.

Hager received 555 votes, or 61.46 percent, to his opponent Lisa McClure’s 348 votes, or 38.54 percent, according to complete, unofficial returns.

Hager, 51, the executive pastor of Bethel Bible Church, has served on the board since 2015 and is the current board president.

Hager said he is excited to get to work and grateful for the opportunity to help move Tyler ISD forward.

“It was a campaign that I never took for granted and worked very hard,” he said. “We had a team of very dedicated folks who helped get out the word and tell the story of how Tyler ISD is doing.”

Hager said he’s looking forward to continuing the district’s work with Superintendent Marty Crawford and the rest of the board.

As a parent and later a trustee, he has seen the district through major events, including as spokesman for the 2013 Bond Oversight Committee that saw funding secured for a Career and Technology Center and two middle schools; and as a trustee when a judge lifted the district’s federal desegregation order in 2016 and voters approved a 2017 bond package to rebuild the aging high schools. 

As a trustee, Hager also oversaw the district as it redesigned its curriculum to turn around low-performing schools. Tyler ISD has gone from 11 campuses on the state’s “Improvement Required” list in 2014 to zero in 2018.

During his second term, Hager has said he wants to continue to improve the district’s academic performance and win back parents who are concerned about their children’s ability to practice their faith. 

McClure was not available for comment at time of publication Saturday night.

In the District 3 race Freeman Sterling defeated Marc Loredo to secure a first term on the board.

Sterling, a retired educator and Tyler ISD principal, received 325 votes, or 69.44 percent, to Loredo’s 143 votes, or 30.56 percent.

Sterling was not available for comment at time of publication.

Loredo said that while he was disappointed by the results, the voters have spoken and he will continue to serve the district.

“I’m really, really proud of the race we put together,” Loredo said. “We did everything that we possibly could to show the strengths and the characteristics that I am able to offer, and we put it to the voters.”

Loredo said he plans to call Sterling to congratulate him.

Sterling will be taking over the District 3 seat from retiring board member Jean Washington.

Sterling, 63, retired as Peete Elementary School principal in 2012. He is still active in education, working with the University of Texas at Tyler as educational field supervisor and with Tyler ISD as a teacher mentor at John Tyler High School.

Sterling previously said he ran for the office out of a desire to give back to the community that raised him.

He believes it is important for the board to have educators at the table, because they bring a different perspective and understand the day-to-day challenges.

The district will canvass results during the board’s May 14 workshop, and Hager and Sterling will be sworn in at the board’s May 20 meeting.

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