AYAAN MOLEDINA BIOGRAPHY

Ayaan Moledina (he/him) is a 1st-generation American, the son of immigrants, and a Pakistani-American who has been born and raised in Austin, Texas. He is a product of Spicewood Elementary School and Canyon Vista Middle School in Round Rock ISD.

Ayaan Moledina for Round Rock ISD School Board, Place 3

Ayaan has been involved in RRISD for many years, serving on the district’s School Health Advisory Council (SHAC), being a district mentor, and being on the board of the C.D. Fulkes Middle School PTA, helping organize fundraising efforts to support student activities. He is also a member of the Round Rock Opportunity Center and Spicewood Elementary School PTAs.

Ayaan Moledina was born and raised in Austin, Texas. He has served on Round Rock Independent School District’s School Health Advisory Council, as a district mentor, and on the C.D. Fulkes Middle School Parent Teacher Association board.

Ayaan Moledina was born and raised in Austin, Texas. 

Having been involved in policy and legislation for seven years, Ayaan currently serves as the Federal Policy Director for a nonprofit organization that works to get students to share their stories and advocate through the policymaking process. He spearheads local action, grassroots organizing efforts, and state and federal legislation touching issues ranging from mental health, suicide prevention, and youth civic engagement to education, racial justice, and gun violence prevention.

Having been involved in policy and legislation for seven years, Ayaan currently serves as the Federal Policy Director for a nonprofit organization that works to get students to share their stories and advocate through the policymaking process. He spearheads local action, grassroots organizing efforts, and state and federal legislation touching issues ranging from mental health, suicide prevention, and youth civic engagement to education, racial justice, and gun violence prevention. He also helps lead youth-related outreach and organizing for Brady: United Against Gun Violence, the nation's oldest and largest gun violence prevention organization.

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Ayaan Moledina
Students Engaged in Advancing Texas
Good afternoon! My name is Ayaan Moledina and I am the Federal Policy Director for Students Engaged in Advancing Texas or SEAT, a movement dedicated to increasing youth visibility in policymaking.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES - COMPILATION OF PUBLIC COMMENTS (Submitted to the Committee on Public Education; Hearing Date: Monday, May 11, 2026 10:00 AM)

Ayaan currently serves as federal policy director for Students Engaged in Advancing Texas. He also helps lead youth-related outreach and organizing for Brady: United Against Gun Violence.

Ayaan has served on Round Rock Independent School District’s School Health Advisory Council, as a district mentor, and on the C.D. Fulkes Middle School Parent-Teacher Association board.

2026 Texas General Election

2026 Texas General Runoff

Nonpartisan

SAFE, INCLUSIVE, AND WELCOMING SCHOOLS

Protect Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging efforts

Protect and expand identity-based bullying protections

Build a stronger culture of empathy, kindness, and belonging

Ensure school safety approaches are centered on support and de-escalation

PROTECTING PUBLIC EDUCATION

Keep political and religious interference out of public school classrooms

Defend public education from harmful attacks and protect inclusive learning environments

Plans to protect diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging efforts.

Plans to keep political and religious interference out of public-school classrooms.

- Plans to protect diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging efforts.
- Plans to keep political and religious interference out of public-school classrooms.

School Curriculum

STRONGER CAMPUS COMMUNITIES

Review and strengthen SEL implementation so it serves all students well

Improve student support and campus culture at the Round Rock Opportunity Center

Address disparities that leave some school communities with fewer resources and support

In RRISD, it costs the district $7/mile to run a bus route but the state only reimburses $1/mile. We are starving our schools and it’s hurting the most vulnerable students living in poverty and fear. When funding based on attendance rather than enrollment, we are costing schools $30/day/student when they are absent for any reason. Additionally, when the basic allotment was only increased by $55 instead of the recommended $1386 to just keep up with inflation, our districts had little to no extra resources to support them in this difficult economic time.

Plans to improve student support and campus culture at the Round Rock Opportunity Center.

Plans to address disparities in resources and support among school communities.

Said state funding based on attendance is depriving schools of resources, particularly harming vulnerable students.

- Plans to improve student support and campus culture at the Round Rock Opportunity Center.
- Plans to address disparities in resources and support among school communities.
- Said state funding based on attendance is depriving schools of resources, particularly harming vulnerable students.

School Facilities & Resources

STUDENT MENTAL HEALTH & SUPPORT

Expand suicide prevention education for students at all grade levels

Increase teacher and staff training on youth mental health and suicide prevention

Strengthen reintegration support for students returning from major life disruptions

Expand mentoring opportunities for students across the district

Plans to protect and expand identity-based bullying protections.

Plans to center school-safety approaches on support and de-escalation.

Plans to review and strengthen social-emotional learning implementation for all students.

Plans to strengthen support for students returning from major life disruptions.

Plans to expand mentoring opportunities for students across the district.

- Plans to protect and expand identity-based bullying protections.
- Plans to center school-safety approaches on support and de-escalation.
- Plans to review and strengthen social-emotional learning implementation for all students.
- Plans to strengthen support for students returning from major life disruptions.
- Plans to expand mentoring opportunities for students across the district.

Student Wellbeing

In the 23-24 school year, RRISD paid nearly $80 million in recapture payments to the state. Yet, these funds aren’t going to lower income districts as the program was meant to do. Recapture payments are absorbed into the broader state school finance system, which can reduce the amount of direct state funding required for public education. If the district could keep even a portion of these funds, it could instead go to things like what the union members in Education Round Rock are asking for: a 2% increase for all teachers and a minimum wage increase for paraprofessionals and other staff from $18/hr to $20/hr.

Said districts retaining recapture funds could provide a two percent raise for teachers and higher minimum wages for support staff.

Plans to increase teacher and staff training on youth mental health and suicide prevention.

- Said districts retaining recapture funds could provide a two percent raise for teachers and higher minimum wages for support staff.
- Plans to increase teacher and staff training on youth mental health and suicide prevention.

Teachers

In a district of approximately 47,000 students and 59 campuses, with 22% of the student body being Asian, Ayaan’s voice is needed now more than ever. Ayaan works on a daily basis on the frontline against school vouchers, bible-infused curriculum, and attacks on DEI. He knows the impacts of the federal and state actions on our district.

STUDENT VOICE & CIVIC ENGAGEMENT

Ensure students have meaningful opportunities to be heard by district leadership

Expand civic engagement and community service opportunities

Partner with PTAs and campuses to bring more student voice into decision-making

Plans to give students meaningful opportunities to be heard by district leadership.

Plans to expand civic engagement and community-service opportunities for students.

Plans to partner with Parent Teacher Associations and campuses to increase student participation in decision-making.

- Opposes school vouchers.
- Plans to give students meaningful opportunities to be heard by district leadership.
- Plans to expand civic engagement and community-service opportunities for students.
- Plans to partner with Parent Teacher Associations and campuses to increase student participation in decision-making.

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Ayaan Moledina

Calls Texas school-finance recapture an overreach that no longer functions as intended.

- Plans to increase teacher and staff training on youth mental health and suicide prevention.

As a Shack member, I found out that there is no suicide prevention education for students in any grade level at RISD. This was very concerning to me because studies have shown that talking about suicide does not put the idea into anyone's head. Rather, it creates a sense of relief among people considering it because it shows them that someone understands their struggles. If struggling individuals are educated about resources available to them, our Shack recommendation says that the district should adopt A comprehensive curriculum focused on suicide prevention, including risk factors, protective factors and warning signs, it notes.

#rrisd #suicideprevention #ayaanforrrisd | Ayaan for Round Rock ISD Trustee, Place 3

Plans to expand suicide-prevention education for students at every grade level.

- Plans to expand suicide-prevention education for students at every grade level.
- Plans to strengthen support for students returning from major life disruptions.
- Plans to expand mentoring opportunities for students across the district.

Alejandra Gracias

Edward Krutsch

Milan Parker

Buket Urgen

Additionally, when the basic allotment was only increased by $55 instead of the recommended $1386 to just keep up with inflation, our districts had little to no extra resources to support them in this difficult economic time. It is an overstep by the state when they are the ones deciding how much of a district’s property taxes they actually get to keep. I do believe that recapture was created with good intentions and for a while it did actually work as it was supposed to. However, a few decades later, it is not functioning nearly as well as it should.

Amber Feller Landrum

Gregory Andrew

Vera Southwell

- A trustee is an elected member of a local school board who helps govern a public school district.

- Trustees represent community interests and are responsible for setting policies that guide how the school district operates.

- The board of trustees hires and evaluates the superintendent, who manages the day-to-day operations of the district.

- Trustees approve the district’s budget, monitor spending, and may set the local tax rate or call for bond elections to fund schools.

- The board also oversees educational programs, district goals, and overall performance.

- In Texas, trustees are elected to four-year terms, often on a rotating basis, so not all seats are elected at the same time.

- Trustees serve without financial compensation.

An official who sets policy for a local school district. 