BOERNE ISD
Statewide honor lauds commitment to education, community
Trustees of the Boerne Independent School District have gone to the head of the class with news a statewide organization has named them the 2026 Outstanding School Board.
It’s the top honor in the Texas Association of School Administrators School Board Awards program and Boerne’s first award. The board was previously named a finalist in 2003.
The Boerne ISD board was chosen from five finalists interviewed by a committee of Texas school administrators, according to a release from the Austin-based nonprofit.
The committee praised the elected representatives for their “one team mentality,” a culture of honor and a commitment to shared leadership because trustees rotate officer positions “creating more opportunities to lead,” the statement added.
The committee also noted Boerne ISD’s Citizen Leadership Academy, which helps develop future board members.
TASA has honored Texas school boards that have demonstrated commitment to their students and to their communities since 1971, officials said.
Boerne’s school board members are President Courtney Darter- Bruce, Vice President Rich Sena, Secretary Sarah Faulkenberry and trustees Carlin Friar, Dallas Pipes, Garrett Wilson and Kristi Schmidt.
Boerne ISD Superintendent Kristin Craft, who nominated the board, also highlighted what she called the members’ strong advocacy for the district and its staff.
The nomination also credited trustees’ commitment to training, collaboration and building a “strong, unified leadership team,” officials said.
“Our trustees are thoughtful, engaged and deeply committed to the future of this district,” Craft said. “They ask the right questions, support our educators and make decisions with both the needs of today’s students and the future of our community in mind.”
A previous winner also offered praise for Boerne’s school board.
“They’re growing their own board members and creating the infrastructure for that continuation so that the expertise doesn’t exit when they get off the board,” said committee Chairman Larry Polk, superintendent of the Colorado Independent School District, which received the Outstanding Board award in 2025.
The committee also commended the board’s advocacy for public education and students across Texas. Polk noted all seven trustees travel to Austin “not just on behalf of their school district, but school districts throughout the state.”
In addition, the committee recognized the board’s commitment to the “Boerne Advantage,” which emphasizes affirming and supporting every student.
“Students are truly seen,” Polk said. “Not just those that are in the programming that we hear about all the time — the athletics, the (career and technical education) — but every student is seen in that organization.”
Darter-Bruce, a 1998 Boerne High School graduate, said credit for the award belongs to the community.
“Our teachers and staff show up every day for school, our families believe in our schools, and our community continues to support the work we do,” Darter-Bruce said. “As a board, our job is to listen, lead with purpose and make decisions that keep students at the center.
Boerne ISD is a public school district serving more than 11,200 students on 14 campuses in Education Service Center Region 20. The school district spans 380 square miles, including most of Kendall County and portions of Bexar and Comal counties.
The other four independent school district finalists are: Alice ISD, Denver City ISD, Lovejoy ISD and Tomball ISD. “As a board, our job is to listen, lead with purpose and make decisions that keep students at the center.”
— Courtney Darter Bruce, Boerne ISD board
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