Frisco ISD Trustee Stephanie Elad Tackles Enrollment Decline, Teacher Retention, and Trade Pathways on The Building Texas Show

In a recent episode of The Building Texas Show, host Justin McKenzie sat down with Frisco ISD trustee Stephanie Elad to explore the district's evolving landscape as it faces a new reality: after years of explosive growth, Frisco ISD is now landlocked, built out, and experiencing declining enrollment. Elad, a corporate HR executive turned two-term trustee, shared insights on teacher retention, workforce development, and the moment that propelled her into public office.

Elad recounted the April 2021 board meeting that changed her trajectory. When the board president said, “this is our meeting, meaning theirs and not the community's,” Elad felt compelled to speak up. “That just did not sit right with me,” she told McKenzie. The comment triggered a standing ovation, statewide press coverage, and ultimately her 2022 campaign for the school board. Her HR background, she noted, prepared her for tough conversations with staff and parents, which she said “have never really been foreign to me.”

Addressing teacher retention, Elad brought a confidential, third-party employee engagement survey into the district to better understand and address turnover. The survey aims to provide actionable data to improve working conditions and keep quality educators in Frisco classrooms.

A significant portion of the conversation focused on workforce readiness and the trades. Elad pointed to a neighbor who owns a plumbing business, clearing “a couple hundred thousand dollars a year,” yet cannot find apprentice plumbers. She argued that Frisco high schoolers should have access to apprenticeship programs in plumbing, electrical, and HVAC, where they could earn $60,000 to $70,000 within a year or two of graduation—without debt or a four-year degree. These pathways would complement existing CTE tracks in medical terminology, legal assistant work, and e-gaming. McKenzie linked this to his advisory work with Founding Up and PTECH welding programs in San Antonio, where students graduate with up to 60 college credit hours through community college partnerships.

Elad also discussed the district's new superintendent, hired roughly a month before the taping, expressing renewed optimism about Frisco ISD's next chapter. She emphasized the importance of preparing students for careers that artificial intelligence cannot replace and urged families to vote in low-turnout school board elections to shape the district's direction.

The episode, titled “Frisco's Population Boom: What's Really Happening?”, is part of The Building Texas Show, which profiles the founders, operators, educators, and civic leaders shaping Texas's growth. New episodes release weekly across YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.