The University of Texas Elementary School Governing and Management Boards

The Sponsoring Entity and Charter Holder of the University of Texas Elementary School (UTES) is The University of Texas at Austin. The Board of Regents of the University of Texas System is the Governing Body for UTES. The members of the Board of Regents are listed here.

Responsibility for oversight and supervision of the charter school has been delegated from the President to the Dean of the College of Education.

Members of the Management Board

Bill Lasher, Ph.D.- Chair
Kathy Armenta, – Member
Debra Cantu, Ph.D. – Member
Alexandra Eusebi, Ph.D. – Member
J.E. Johnson – Member
James Kallison, Ph.D. – Member
Jolie Kinyamahanga – Member
Eddie Lopez – Member
Yulanda McCarty-Harris, Ed.D., J.D. – Member
Starla Simmons – Member
Jennifer Smith, Ph.D. – Member
Katie Tackett, Ph.D. – Member
Mark J. Williams – Member
Sarah Woulfin, Ph.D. – Member
vacant position
Jeremy Chen – Member, Non-Voting
Jebin Justin – Member, Non-Voting
Nicole Whetstone, Ph.D. Superintendent – Non-Voting
Melissa M. Chavez, Ph.D., Executive Director – Non-Voting

About the Management Board:

The Management Board of the University of Texas Elementary School is appointed by the President of the University of Texas at Austin to advise and make recommendations to the Dean of the College of Education on matters related to the management, operation, and accountability of UTES that include but are not limited to:

Implementation and evaluation of long and short term policy and programs of UTES to assure its continuous improvement and educational excellence;
The annual operating and capital budgets;
Recruitment and selection of Superintendent candidates; recommendation of finalists to the CEO;
Generation of Management Board nominees; recommendations of new Board appointees to the CEO;
Monthly monitoring of budgets to identify and explore significant variances;
Facility contracts, Student Information Guide, and the Student Code of Conduct;
The annual external audit of UTES financial statements;
Review and make recommendations concerning the annual report submitted to the President of The University of Texas at Austin;
Review parental grievances that the Superintendent is unable to resolve at the school level;
Review and/or make recommendations concerning any other reports or items required by state or federal law.

All members of the Management Board are expected to attend Management Board meetings. All members of the Management Board are required to participate in training as required by Chap. 100, Sec. 100.1102 of the Commissioner’s Rules.

UT Elementary Board Bylaws

UTES Board Bylaws updated 1 2021

Board Meetings

The Management Board shall meet every other month unless the Management Board Chair, in consultation with the Superintendent, determines a meeting is unnecessary. Written notices of all meetings stating the date, place, agenda, and time shall be sent by UTES administrative staff to each member of the Board prior to such meetings. All Management Board meeting occurs at 8:30 am at The University of Texas Elementary School on the following dates: