Ryan Renaud will keep his seat on the Huntsville City Schools Board of Education, after the Huntsville City Council officially declared him the winner of the District 4 race Thursday — a race in which no one else chose to run against him.
Registration for the city’s municipal elections closed June 23, and Renaud was the only candidate who qualified for the District 4 seat. Under Alabama law, city councils can declare an unopposed municipal candidate the winner of their race once results are properly certified, meaning Renaud’s seat was secured without the seat ever appearing on the August ballot.
Renaud, a Huntsville native and Huntsville High School graduate, was first appointed to the board by the city council in June 2021 before winning the seat outright in 2022. He currently serves as the board’s vice president.
Renaud announced his bid for another term in May, running on the theme “Finishing the Job.” His campaign pointed to ongoing work on the district’s pursuit of full unitary status — the legal designation showing a school system has eliminated the vestiges of past segregation — along with a long-range capital plan, financial reserves and leadership continuity.
“We’ve done the hard work to stabilize this district — now we need to finish it,” Renaud said in his announcement. “Unitary status, the capital plan and leadership continuity aren’t boxes to check; they’re promises we made to students and families across District 4.”
His campaign highlighted several accomplishments from his current term, including the district’s rolling financial reserves growing from under three months in 2020 to more than eight months today, four consecutive salary increases for teachers and support staff, and the board’s unanimous approval of a more than $600 million, 10-year capital plan covering renovations and new facilities districtwide.
Renaud’s re-election bid also picked up an early endorsement from BizPac, the political action committee of the Huntsville Committee of 100, which cited his leadership on fiscal responsibility, workforce readiness and student achievement.
While District 4’s board seat is settled, other races remain contested heading into Huntsville’s Aug. 25 municipal election. District 2 board member Holly McCarty will face challenger Matt Woolsey, and District 3 — an open seat after incumbent Andrea Alvarez chose not to seek reelection — will be decided between Robert “Coach P” Person and Payten Redfearn. Several city council races are also contested this cycle.
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