About Heather
Heather Sheffield for EISD Trustee Place 6
Heather Sheffield for EISD Trustee Place 6
Heather Sheffield for EISD Trustee Place 6
Heather was originally elected to the Eanes ISD School Board in May, 2019 and she was re-elected to her second term in May, 2022. She proudly serves on the executive committee as the Board's secretary. Heather has done a lot for our amazing district but she still has work to do as a Trustee in Eanes ISD. She will continue working for taxp
Heather was originally elected to the Eanes ISD School Board in May, 2019 and she was re-elected to her second term in May, 2022. She proudly serves on the executive committee as the Board's secretary. Heather has done a lot for our amazing district but she still has work to do as a Trustee in Eanes ISD. She will continue working for taxpayers and advocating for students and staff.
Since Heather began serving on the Eanes ISD board, she has helped the district in many ways including with the following initiatives:
- The overall tax rate decreased from $1.20 to $1.0046 (2022) per $100 valuation during her tenure due to both local and state action
- The district opened a new wrestling multipurpose room
- A new Robotics and Engineering building at Westlake High School
- A new Aquatics Facility that will not negatively impact the district's budget
- The Spanish Immersion program was continued
- A balanced budget despite many challenges including the state taking over $100 million (this year alone) of our tax dollars per year
- EISD gained additional golden pennies from the state of Texas, resulting in $7.2 million in non-recapturable funds used to hire 130 full-time teachers
- Votes to fulfill the promises made with $132 million in bonds that were supported by the community, leading to instructional technology and facility updates in the district
- Raises for teachers and substitutes
Heather's experience in business, as an advocate, and as a former 1st grade teacher, along with her volunteer work, lead her to run for the school board originally and helps her make decisions while she continues to serve. She has held almost every possible volunteer role within a school, including PTA President. Heather was awarded a Honorary Lifetime PTA award for her work. Since moving to Eanes ISD with her husband and two children, Heather has been extremely involved at both the campus and district level as well as at the Capitol. Heather attended almost all of the EISD Board Study Sessions and Board Meetings along with the 2018-2019 Bond Advisory Committee meetings for three years before being elected to the Board. Heather has gone to great lengths to learn about and understand the complicated school finance system in Texas.
District Service:
- Founded the group Eanes Advocates in 2017
- District Leadership Team from 2016-2019
- Envision Eanes committee original member
- Calendar committee (2018-2019)
- Eanes ISD Legislative Priority committee member for the 86th & 87th Legislative Sessions
- Special Education Parent Working Group member (2017-2019)
- EEF Teacher Fund Committee member at West Ridge Middle School (formerly at FTE)
- We Are Eanes PAC Member (2017-2019) and helped to pass the “Penny Swap & Drop”/Tax Ratification Election (TRE).
Heather loves the Eanes ISD community and is committed to serving the children and taxpayers. She has two children currently attending Eanes ISD schools with a long way to go until graduation. Heather is passionate about making sure that ALL children get the best education possible. She believes in transparency and engaging students, parents, teachers, staff and other district stakeholders. Heather understands the needs and concerns of our community and she is a good listener. She and her family are grateful that Eanes is already an exemplary and innovative school district and she has proven she will do the work to make it even better.
Heather is honored to continue her service on the Eanes ISD school board to preserve, protect and defend Eanes ISD in Place 6.
Community Involvement
Heather Sheffield for EISD Trustee Place 6
Heather Sheffield for EISD Trustee Place 6
Heather helps our community in many ways.
Community Service:
- 2019 Citizen of the Year "Westie" Award recipient from the Westlake Chamber of Commerce
- Westlake Chamber of Commerce Board member and Westies Award luncheon chair (2021 - present)
- Volunteer Deputy Registrar
- Sustaining member of the Junior League of Austin
- Patroness of the Hills of
Heather helps our community in many ways.
Community Service:
- 2019 Citizen of the Year "Westie" Award recipient from the Westlake Chamber of Commerce
- Westlake Chamber of Commerce Board member and Westies Award luncheon chair (2021 - present)
- Volunteer Deputy Registrar
- Sustaining member of the Junior League of Austin
- Patroness of the Hills of Austin chapter of National Charity League and social media chairwoman
- President of the Board of Directors for the Rotary Club of Austin Westlake.
Vote for a Proven Advocate for Children
Heather Sheffield for EISD Trustee Place 6
Vote for a Proven Advocate for Children
Heather is a strong and proven advocate for children and taxpayers. She has extensive experience at the campus and district level but also with the State Board of Education, the Texas Education Agency and at the Capitol.
Advocacy Experience:
- Elected twice by other Trustees around the state to serve on the Texas Association of School Boards
Heather is a strong and proven advocate for children and taxpayers. She has extensive experience at the campus and district level but also with the State Board of Education, the Texas Education Agency and at the Capitol.
Advocacy Experience:
- Elected twice by other Trustees around the state to serve on the Texas Association of School Boards Legislative Advisory Council (LAC) for Region 13 representing Eanes ISD. The job of the LAC members is to help merge the regional priorities identified by board members around the state into a statewide list of priorities for TASB and to advocate for public education (2019 -present)
- Served as both a Delegate and an Alternate of the TASB Delegate Assembly for Eanes ISD. Delegates play an important role in TASB’s governance and create the Advocacy Agenda for TASB to pursue during the following legislative biennium
- One of 30 Trustees from Texas selected to go to Washington D.C. for the National School Board Association's Advocacy Institute in February, 2020 where she met with lawmakers to discuss federal education policies impacting Eanes ISD. Heather was also selected to go again in 2022 but declined due to the superintendent search.
- Graduate of the Leadership TASB program and became a Master Trustee July, 2022
- Served as a Board liaison on the Eanes ISD Legislative Priority committee for the 87th and will serve for the 88th Legislative Session
- Current Board President of the grassroots group, Texans Advocating for Meaningful Student Assessment (TAMSA)
- Testifies at the State Board of Education meetings and at House and Senate hearings at the Capitol often on behalf of Eanes Advocates, Decoding Dyslexia, TAMSA, and Texans for Public Education.
- Invited to and regularly attends Texas Education Agency stakeholder meetings
- Selected to be a parent participant on the Texas Education Agency’s Special Education Teacher Certification Policy Forum
- Active member and Board Secretary of the Central Texas School Board Association
Professionally, Heather is the Director of Outreach, Advocacy, and Client Relations for a law firm that specializes in working with public schools. She is a Registered Provider of continuing education for school board members and superintendents and has lobbied for the Texas Rural Education Association and Texas Rural Broadband Coalition. Her work allows her to gain knowledge, experience, and to advocate for public education in a way that also helps her be a better Trustee for Eanes ISD.