
Joni Shaw Smith
Non-Partisan | Texas
Candidate Profile*
Conservative
BIOGRAPHY
Name
Joni Shaw Smith
Party
Non-Partisan
Election Year
2025
Election
May Uniform
Race
Keller ISD Board of Trustees, Place 2
Incumbent
Yes
EDUCATION
Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, Masters of Arts, 2002
Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, Bachelors of Science, 1999
WORK & MILITARY
Live Events Producer and Creative Director of Thirsty Cat Creative, LLC, Owner
Lone Star Health & Fitness, LLC, CEO
AFFILIATIONS
PTA, Board Member, Keller ISD Board of Trustees
Secretary, Keller ISD CTE Board, Trustee Ad Hoc
POLITICAL OFFICES HELD
Keller ISD Board of Trustees, Place 2, 2022-2025
POLITICAL OFFICES SOUGHT
Keller ISD Board of Trustees, Place 2, 2022
ENDORSEMENTS*
CONSERVATIVE (1)
*DFW Conservative Voters
SELECTED FINANCIAL SOURCE DOCUMENTS
Campaign Finance Report - 30th day before election (01/19/2022 - 03/28/2022) from Keller ISD
Selected contributions/expenditures:
- $1,000.00 contribution from James Smith
- $2,000.00 contribution from Donna Cobb
- $3,863.75 contribution from Lori Claybrook
Campaign Finance Report - Final Report (01/19/2022 - 05/31/2022) from Keller ISD
Selected contributions/expenditures:
- $5,000.00 contribution from KISD Family Alliance
Campaign Finance Report - 8th day before election (01/19/2022 - 04/29/2022) from Keller ISD
Selected contributions/expenditures:
- $3,000.00 in contributions from Keith Pearson
- $1,000.00 contribution from Betty Pierce
- $2,000.00 contribution from Donna Cobb
- $1,000.00 contribution from Erik Leisa
Campaign Finance Report - 30th day before election (01/01/2025 - 04/02/2025) from Keller ISD
Please note: This information was received by iVoterGuide after panel evaluations occurred and is for educational purposes only.
Campaign Finance Report - 8th day before election (01/01/2025 - 04/24/2025) from Keller ISD
This information was received by iVoterGuide after panel evaluations occurred and is for educational purposes only.
OTHER INFORMATION
During the November 14, 2022 Keller ISD Board Meeting, candidate voted in favor of the Adoption of EFB (Exhibit) Revisions.
Party Primary Election Voting History for Joni Shaw Smith (as of 3/1/2022) during time of residence in district and/or at current address:
- 2020 Party Primary: Republican
- 2018 Party Primary: Republican
- Voted in one Democratic Primary 2004 - 2016
QUESTIONNAIRE
RIGHT TO LIFE
Human life begins at conception and deserves legal protection at every stage until natural death.
Strongly Agree
What role should the school serve in helping a student with an unwanted or crisis pregnancy?
The school should not be a part in any decision making of an unwanted or crisis pregnancy. However, there should be programs available to allow pregnant girls to continue getting their education and resources to help them and their families during this time.
RELIGIOUS LIBERTY
Teachers should be required to refer to students by pronouns which are misaligned with their gender at birth even if it would violate the teacher's moral and/or religious beliefs.
Strongly Disagree
ECONOMY
Free enterprise and the right to private property are essential elements of a productive economic system.
Strongly Agree
What is your position on government funding of public education from Pre-K through college?
A well-funded pub ed, handled efficiently and responsibly, from early childhood through HS helps to ensure pathways to higher education and career readiness which is critical to the long-term success of our community. I do not support unnecessary governmental overreach that restricts local control and puts mandates on funding that promotes certain agendas. I also believe that education beyond high school is a choice to be made, and funded by, the individual, not by the taxpayer.
EDUCATION
Abortion and gender-affirming providers, including Planned Parenthood, should be a resource for instruction or services in the school.
Strongly Disagree
Consistent discipline creates a safe and orderly environment, which is essential for student learning.
Strongly Agree
Do you believe print and digital material available or presented to students should be easily accessible for public review, including those without children enrolled in school?
Yes
Educators should give students a thorough education in America's founding documents and cultivate American patriotism.
Strongly Agree
I support Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI).
Strongly Disagree
I support eliminating the U.S. Department of Education and giving control back to states and communities.
Strongly Agree
Please list in order the following priorities in relation to the role of a K-12 public school (omitting any that do not apply): American History, Art & Music, Civics, Critical Race Theory, Foreign Language, Gender Identity, Information Technology, Language Arts, Mathematics, Personal Finances, Physical Fitness, Political Activism, Science, Sexuality, Social Emotional Learning, Vocational Learning
Language Arts, Science, Math, American History, Civics, Personal Finances, Vocational Learning, Physical Fitness, Information Technology, Foreign Language
The state should fund education by allowing dollars to follow the child instead of the bureaucracy, through a program which allows parents the freedom to choose their child's school – public, private, or homeschool.
Disagree
I oppose school vouchers because they divert funds from public schools,which serve the majority of students,into private institutions that are not held to the same standards of accountability and transparency.However,I also believe in responsible funding w/out excessive government overreach.Our focus should be on strengthening pub ed,not weaken it through policies that benefit a select few.Local school boards should be empowered w/local control to make decisions that best serve their community.
Which should students have: equity of outcomes or equality of opportunities?
equality of opportunities
Which type of written parental consent should be obtained before students are taught courses such as Comprehensive Sex Education (CSE)? (A) Opt-In. (B) Opt-Out. (C) None.
Opt-In.
2ND AMENDMENT
Faculty who are licensed to carry and have had ongoing training should be allowed to carry guns at school in order to respond to an active shooter situation.
Strongly Agree
OTHER IMPORTANT ISSUES
In the event of a pandemic, school districts can mandate whatever health precautions they deem necessary (including masks and vaccines) to protect students and staff.
Strongly Disagree
ABOUT YOU
Have you ever been convicted of a felony? If so, please explain.
No
Have you ever been penalized for sexual misconduct in either civil or criminal court? If so, please explain.
No
I voted in these primaries and general elections:
2014 General Election 2016 Republican Primary 2016 General Election 2018 Republican Primary 2018 General Election 2020 Republican Primary 2020 General Election 2022 Republican Primary 2022 General Election
When you consider your views on a wide range of issues from economic and social matters to foreign policy and religious liberty, which of the following best describes you overall?
Very Conservative
VALUES
Briefly describe your spiritual beliefs and values.
Christian
Who is responsible for teaching sexual education to children, and what is the appropriate age when it should be taught?
While I firmly believe that it is a parent’s right and responsibility to educate their children about sex, I also recognize that many parents may struggle with these conversations due to discomfort or a lack of accurate knowledge. As someone with a background in pre-med and public health, I have seen firsthand the widespread misconceptions about how the body works—hormones, reproductive health, STDs, pregnancy prevention, and more. Without proper education, young people are at a significantly higher risk for unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections. Sex education should be age-appropriate and science-based. For young children (ages 5-7), discussions should focus on understanding personal boundaries and recognizing inappropriate touching to help prevent grooming. By 5th or 6th grade, students should have a basic understanding of their bodies and how they function. By 6th grade, they should be introduced to essential knowledge about pregnancy and STD transmission. As students mature (8th-10th grade), education should expand to include topics like consent, healthy relationships, and dating safety. While this education ideally begins at home, we cannot assume that all children receive accurate or adequate information—especially those in abusive or neglectful environments. The consequences of misinformation can be devastating. I once encountered a pregnant patient with a severe case of herpes who believed that using Saran Wrap could prevent STDs and pregnancy because that’s what her mother had told her. Comprehensive, medically accurate sex education does not replace parental guidance; it supports and supplements it. Providing students with factual, age-appropriate information empowers them to make safe, informed choices about their health and well-being.
If you support the teaching of Sex Ed, please answer the following question: Sexual education should include these topics (list all that apply and add your own, if needed) -- abortion methods and side effects; abstinence; consent; contraceptive methods; human anatomy/the reproductive system; physical and emotional health outcomes; sex acts and pleasures of sex; sexual orientation and gender identity; stages of pregnancy and fetal development
Human anatomy/reproductive system, abstinence, consent, contraceptive methods, stages of pregnancy and fetal development, physical and emotional health outcomes, signs of grooming, sex trafficking, and dangers of sexting/sharing of images
Children have a right to reach maturity without chemical or surgical castration, which would damage their healthy bodies through surgeries and may cause infertility and a life-long dependence on cross-sex hormones.
Strongly Agree
Children have the right to be protected from hypersexualization (including drag shows and explicit materials) in schools and libraries.
Strongly Agree
Marriage is a God-ordained, sacred and legal union of one man and one woman essential to the formation and sustaining of a civil and prosperous society.
Strongly Agree
Parents have the fundamental right to raise their child in accordance with their beliefs and values, including the right to make decisions about the child's education and healthcare.
Strongly Agree
Parents should have full and timely access to any and all records, including school and medical records, associated with their minor children.
Strongly Agree
ELECTIONS AND VOTING
People should be able to vote without photo identification.
Strongly Disagree
EQUALITY
Biological males should not be allowed to participate in women's sports.
Strongly Agree
Biological males should not be allowed to occupy women's spaces whether it be bathrooms, locker rooms, women's shelters, prisons, or sororities.
Strongly Agree
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