Incumbent Board President Amber Feller Aims to Attain Equality and Success in the District

Representing Place 3 on the RRISD Board of Trustees since 2018, incumbent President Amber Feller aims for reelection to continue creating a more inclusive and satisfied community within the district. 

With three kids in the district, Ms. Feller got involved with the community around 15 years ago through volunteering at school events and advocating for her children who were represented in various programs, including the Talented and Gifted and Special Education programs. She soon fell in love with supporting all students in the district on a bigger scale.

 “I began to work as an advocate for individuals with disabilities, both mental and physical disabilities, people who were struggling with addiction, and all kinds of issues that people could face,” Ms. Feller said. 

Throughout her time on the board, Ms. Feller represented student backgrounds and fostered a community for students to feel safer. She implemented Lone Star Governance, which disaggregates data regarding performance levels of different student groups.

“[The district] used to just look at overall numbers and general trends of how [the students] were doing,” Ms. Feller said. “It left a lot of people behind, especially the groups who were not doing as well as the others.” 

Ms. Feller has put a heavy emphasis on students’ mental health as part of her journey on the Board of Trustees, as she noticed a direct impact on her children’s mental health during the virtual year. She was heavily involved with the creation of Round Rock ISD’s police department that integrated mental health services. 

“I think COVID brought out a lot of mental health concerns,” Ms. Feller said. “It was a lot for our students, specifically our high school students in the way that they had to deal with it.”  

If re-elected, Ms. Feller strives to continue shedding light on more socioeconomically disadvantaged students, which she believes hasn’t been a primary focus for RRISD. 

“There’s a very high correlation between where you live, how much your family makes, and how well you do in Round Rock ISD,” Ms. Feller said. “I do not want someone’s zip code to determine how far they go in [the district].” 

Apart from the students, Ms. Feller’s priorities revolve around the teachers. She hopes to improve teacher retention and recruitment by fostering a workplace environment where teachers are content. 

“We want to hire and recruit the best teachers, and when they’re satisfied, they want to bring their friends to work here,” Ms. Feller said. 

As a new pool of youth voters are heading to the polls, Ms. Feller highlights the importance of their voice and representation particularly in this election. While local elections have often been overlooked, she thoroughly believes that this is a crucial election due to candidates’ views on religion and other pressing issues. 

“Public education is under attack right now, and it’s very scary what some people want to do with our schools,” Ms. Feller said. “I’m a firm believer in the separation of church and state, but that’s not what some people who are running for the school board right now are in favor of.”

Ms. Feller has witnessed RRISD for the past 20 years as a resident, and her vision is to rebuild the strength of the once tight-knit community as well as set up all students for success. 

“I don’t want someone’s skin color, pocketbook, or learning style to determine how far to go in Round Rock ISD,” Ms. Feller said. “I think that it’s really, really important that every student that graduates from Round Rock ISD has a robust set of skills so that they’re prepared for the future.”