Board president Morales explained the reason to review legal counsel now, instead of September, is because it was an option that was available. SISD self-reported the results of the audit to the TEA and were provided with guidance on how to establish a corrective action plan, district spokesperson Daniel Escobar said in a statement. Each Monday morning we deliver critical El Paso news right to your inbox. Log In. I dont have the authority to direct or remove a trustee, of course, so the board will have to self govern and decide once theyve all had a chance to hear it what, if any, action they would take, Carman said. The table below separates the district's revenue into the three sources identified by the agency: local, state, and federal. Severe Weather The superintendent said hed be returning to Houston, where he worked before coming to Socorro. El Paso Matters is dedicated to providing our community with the information to make educated, informed decisions. Were not nitpicking on me, right, because my husbands a board trustee, right? Castellano retorts, adding: To me, this is nothing serious. | } Led by Superintendent Nate Carman, SISD spans parts of Far East El Paso, all of Socorro and portions of Horizon City. text-align: center; Socorro Independent School District, Texas, elections (2023) Ballotpedia features 411,527 encyclopedic articles written and curated by our professional staff of editors, writers, and researchers. } Former Socorro Independent School District administrator Marivel Macias and incumbent Michael Najera won the two at-large seats on the school board. During the meeting Dr. Carman presented the topic of hiring new legal counsel before the contract with their current firm expires in September. Priscilla Totiyapungprasert is a health reporter at El Paso Matters and Report for America corp member. font-size: 0.9em; Socorro Independent School District does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, sex, national origin, age, disability, military status, genetic information, or any other basis . .mw-body #mw-content-text th.votebox-results-cell--text { Theres one teacher who causes a lot of problems with other teachers. Forgot account? overflow-x: scroll; Trustees serve four-year terms. Socorro Education Association President Angie Soto received the recording as part of a separate records request that she filed in order to support union members who told her they were being bullied and harassed by Gabriela Castellano. Sign up for our free newsletter. } Castellanos wife, Gabriela, is also under investigation for allegations of stalking, according to the report, which the Texas Department of Public Safety released to El Paso Matters via an open records request. Please reload the page and try again. U.S. Congress | I know youre going to go off to better places, Gandara, an Espinoza ally who lost the District 5 seat Saturday after serving since 2013, told the superintendent. The disgruntled teacher subsequently emailed the recording she made to the Socorro Independent School Districts interim human resources director on Aug. 30, 2021, as part of a grievance against the Bill Sybert School principal and assistant principal. font-weight: 200; Their entire Aug. 10, 2021, conversation and nearly the entire day leading up to it and the day after was captured by a recording device or application on Gabriela Castellanos phone. The El Paso Times endorsed Najera in 2019. Its embarrassing for them.. Najera lost his re-election bid for the at-large seat in 2019, which he had held since 2009. His win helped shift the balance of power on the school board to a new majority -- comprising Castellano, Pablo Barrera, David Morales and Eduardo Mena -- and led to the ouster of then-Superintendent Jos Espinoza, who resigned days after the election. Najera spoke out in support ofthe measure. And when the investigations are completed, Id be happy to sit down and talk with you.. Daily Weather Forecast Please consider making a donation today so we can cover the stories that matter most. display: block; padding-bottom: 8px; .mw-body #mw-content-text th.votebox-results-cell--text { Trustees Mena, Morales and Paul Garcia who were elected in May 2019 were the most outspoken about the audit. .mw-body #mw-content-text .votebox .race_header h5.votebox-header-election-type { More by Priscilla Totiyapungprasert. The recording has also been turned over to the Texas Education Agency as part of the agencys open investigation into the district, said Carman. .mw-body #mw-content-text .votebox .race_header h3.votebox-header-office-name { } } Shes a great principal considering all the stuff that she was going through with Mr. Castellano constantly being there (at the campus) with his wife while she was teaching.. } El Paso Matters Book Club: Nobodys Pilgrims in-person discussion, Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License, T Gua de Votacin: Elecciones del 6 de mayo, Proudly powered by Newspack by Automattic. vertical-align: middle; Its unknown what Ricardo Castellano asked of Carmona when he spoke with her on Aug. 11, 2021. background-color: #003388; } Espinozas sudden departure comes days after two of the four members in the majority voting faction lost their re-election bids, giving board control to a group of relative newcomers who have been increasingly critical of Espinozas performance. I got the opportunity to join the board again and I think the results show that I have the support.. EL PASO, Texas (KFOX14) There are accusations out of the Socorro Independent School District suggesting some board members, along with Superintendent Dr. Nate Carman, could have had a. Each Monday morning we deliver critical El Paso news right to your inbox. Elections in 2023 | Mena, the current board president, spoke highly of Elliott in an interview with El Paso Matters. .outer_percentage { Education Code 11.052(g) A person is ineligible to serve as a member of the board of a dis-trict if the person has been convicted of a felony or an offense un-der Penal Code 43.021 (solicitation of prostitution). We ask that you follow some simple guidelines: https://elpasomatters.org/republishing-guidelines/. text-align: center; width: 100% !important; Each trustee represents one of seven single-member districts and is elected by voters of that district. width: 100% Espinoza was appointed superintendent in September 2012. Im just so humbled the community has faith in me and proven to me that theyre ready for a change. Morales left office on May 15, 2023. (Photo courtesy of Socorro ISD). The Sybert campus is in the school board district represented by Ricardo Castellano; Butler is in a different school board district. or. There was an error and we couldn't process your subscription. Trustees frequently receive calls from parents, teachers and employees, Mena said. } Socorro ISD trustee Paul Garcia resigns, is replaced by former SISD background-color: #ccc; SISD candidates in the 2023 election shared a variety of goals they would prioritize, such as expanding mental health services for staff and students, ensuring campus safety and filling in teacher vacancies. complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. Hed be coming from a meeting with the interim superintendent, where he planned to discuss the principal of the school where his wife Gabriela taught third grade. Phone: 915-937-0000. if(document.getElementsByClassName("reference").length==0) if(document.getElementById('Footnotes')!==null) document.getElementById('Footnotes').parentNode.style.display = 'none'; What's on my ballot? In District 1, where three candidates were vying for the seat, retired school counselor Alice Gardea led with 37% of the vote against incumbent Eduardo Mena and former trustee Tony Ayub. For additional information regarding Socorro Independent School Districts policy of nondiscrimination contact: (915) 937-0000, 12440 Rojas Dr., El Paso, TX 79928. Cover photo: Socorro Independent School District Superintendent Jos Espinoza congratulated a student at the opening of the Pebble Hills Early College campus in 2019. Not an offense. In the at-large SISD race, where seven candidates are competing for two seats, Macias won 29% of the vote counted., with incumbents Najera and David Morales winning 23% and 18%, respectively. Get your copy of "Nobody's Pilgrims" at Literarity Book Shop and join us on July 29 to meet El Paso author, Sergio Troncoso. Such low turnout isnt unusual during the pandemic and in the run-up to winter break, James Guerra said. You can follow her on social State legislature | Board of Trustees | Socorro Independent School District display: inline; Najera is a district parent and volunteerwho has been heavily involved with the SISD since 2004, according to an SISD news release Wednesday. A trustees role, Alsbury said, is to monitor the progress on strategic goals, not to monitor or try to control the processes or operational ends of the organization.. letter-spacing: .03em; A spokesman with the Department of Public Safety confirmed to ABC 7 Texas Rangers continue their investigation into SISD. They have been named twice as the Region 19 Board of the Year in 2012 and 2015. Najera has three daughters who have attended SISD high schools. Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Daily News Updates Please reload the page and try again. position: relative; They had hoped the board would adopt a face mask mandate; instead, trustees took no action and Carmona said she would not issue such a policy herself despite a handful of other Texas superintendents having done so. Entertainment font-size: 2em; The investigation remains active and ongoing, the Texas Department of Public Safety confirmed on Dec. 14. Ricardo Castellano, a Socorro Independent School District trustee, is under investigation by the Texas Rangers for allegations of official oppression, according to an investigation report. } Socorro Independent School District - Wikipedia SISD released the report to El Paso Matters in response to a public records request. Socorro Independent School District does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, sex, national origin, age, disability, military status, genetic information, or any other basis prohibited by law in its employment practices or in providing education services, activities, and programs, including career and technical education (vocational programs). background-color: green; Alsbury believes that the law should go further and should prohibit an individual from serving as a trustee if their spouse is a current employee. Its just all negativity to me, Mena said of the portions of the call he has heard. More by Molly Smith. Contests & Promotions, 2023, NPG of Texas, L.P. El Paso, TX USA, Search and rescue team helping person down El Paso trail, Highest-level Chinese delegation to visit North Korea since Covid restrictions, US-born NBA player Kyle Anderson will represent China at the basketball World Cup. Ballotpedia researches issues in school board elections across the United States, but information availability is a challenge for us in many school districts. Get your copy of Nobodys Pilgrims at Literarity Book Shop and join us on July 29 to meet El Paso author, Sergio Troncoso. The recording captures trustees engaging in crude behavior in the privacy of their homes. Support local! We are ready to work together as a team, ready to take our district back and head it into the right direction.. Trustee Cynthia Najera, who has been on the school board since 2010, was most vocal about her desire to have the top finalists go through community interviews before trustees make a final decision. } "We need our students to feel safe, to be focused on learning,to be focused on getting good grades,on being kids.". See what she does, Castellano continues. Before the board announced its decision Wednesday night, Castellano and Barrera criticized them for acting before newly elected trustees took their seats. The Socorro school board race is nonpartisan and decided by plurality voting, which means the candidate with the most votes wins, regardless of whether that person receives more than 50% of the vote. You can review our Community Guidelines by clicking here. } Support local! The magic for us is to recruit successful sitting superintendents who arent looking for a job, Guerra said. Republish our articles for free, online or in print, under a Creative Commons license. Socorro ISD board to buy out Superintendent Espinoza's contract This article first appeared on El Paso Matters and is republished here under a Creative Commons license. PDF Board Members - Eligibility/Qualifications top: 0px; SISD officials made the announcement via a post on their social media page , adding that Carmona will assume the role effective immediately. Socorro Independent School District is considering a mask mandate. I can tell you that I have been contacted by the Texas Rangers and that I cannot comment on anything, Carman said. SISD polices involvement ended after Carman was hired, Castorena said, as the new superintendent issued a directive to the department to stop assisting the Texas Rangers. text-align: center; top: -1px; The Socorro Education Association did not endorse Castellano or Barrera in the May 2021 election. Click on the links below to learn more about the school district's Jos Espinoza is the superintendent of the Socorro Independent School District. Castorena was fired in August 2022, which he alleges was retaliation for his involvement in the Rangers investigation a claim the superintendent denies, citing alleged policy violations by the chief. How to vote | District 3 includes the neighborhoods and schools just north of Montwood Middle School between George Dieter Drive and Loop 375. } Current superintendents would be reluctant to apply if they knew their names would be released, as that could jeopardize their standing with their current school board, he said. KVIA ABC 7 is committed to providing a forum for civil and constructive conversation. } The Socorro Independent School District is located in El Paso County, Texas. State executives | SISD board votes to end ties with Socorro Police - KVIA Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? padding:7px 8px 8px; top: 2px; Support local! External Relations: Moira Delaney Hannah Nelson Caroline Presnell To download a copy of the calendars visit: https://www.sisd.net . Trustee Paul Guerra said that if these conversations happened, then it does not sound good for the district. display: inline-block; Socorro Independent School District elections. El Paso Matters is dedicated to providing our community with the information to make educated, informed decisions. } Ferris said the County Attorneys Office was assigned the matter. Socorro Independent School District - Facebook Her redacted comes in with a lot of authority, reads another quote, which notes that the redacted individual is a police officer and comes in with his gun.. David Morales (Texas school board candidate) - Ballotpedia padding-bottom: 5px; He had five years left on his contract, according to the separation agreement. El Paso, TX 79928 Internal auditor Marta Carmona is serving as interim superintendent. Four seats on the Socorro Independent School District school board in Texas were up for general election on May 1, 2021. It may not reflect actual teacher salaries in the district. Incumbent Paul Guerra defeated Jaime Martinez in the general election for Socorro Independent School District, District 4 on May 1, 2021. .results_row { Youre my hero, Gabriela Castellano cackles. .race_header.libertarian { Create new account. width: 35px !important; In SISD, trustees are tasked with approving all hiring decisions for assistant principal positions and above. Socorro ISD Board of Trustees SISD Board of Trustees By Brianna Perez Published March 25, 2022 6:54 PM Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linkedin EL PASO, Texas- Tuesday was the. There was an error and we couldn't process your subscription. position: relative; Superintendent Nate Carman, who the board hired on March 14, said he could not comment about the investigation. Morales assumed office on May 14, 2019. border: 1px solid #999; Four seats on the Socorro Independent School District school board in Texas were up for general election on May 1, 2021. Liberty Hill ISD: 14: Greg Welch Clyde CISD: 15: Raymond P. Meza San Felipe Del Rio CISD: 16: Cindy Spanel Highland Park ISD-Potter County: 17: Carlos Bentancourt Slaton ISD: 18: Steve Brown Ector County ISD: 19: Cynthia Najera Socorro ISD: 20A: Rolinda Schmidt Kerrville ISD: 20B* Karen Freeman Northside ISD-Bexar County: 20D: Robert Westbrook . And if all goes well, the new superintendent could be in Socorro by March. } .inner_percentage.Republican { The world would not miss her. Get your copy of Nobodys Pilgrims at Literarity Book Shop and join us on July 29 to meet El Paso author, Sergio Troncoso. A candidate for board member representing a single-member dis-trict must be a resident of the district the candidate seeks to repre-sent. padding-bottom: 7px; In her social media post, Castellano does not mention that she was the one who recorded the conversation and sent it to the school district. border-bottom: 1px solid grey; Were school board gods, Barrera replies. } Counties | EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) - The Socorro Independent School District Board of Trustees named Dr. Nate Carman as the finalist for the superintendent position. (Elliott, however, remained principal of Bill Sybert School throughout the entirety of Carmonas tenure.). The board did not name an interim superintendent Wednesday. height: 22px; LIVE NOW: Socorro ISD board members return from executive - Facebook .votebox { South Dakota Virginia Washington Wisconsin Below are the districts holding elections in the top 100 largest cities or one of the top 200 largest school districts in the country. Alaska Arkansas We ask that you follow some simple guidelines: https://elpasomatters.org/republishing-guidelines/. Click here to contact our editorial staff or report an error. Public Safety, and Agricultural Extension Service as well as serving as a Parent Liaison with Socorro ISD. Najera said that will happen once incoming District 3 Trustee Ricardo Castellano and District 5 Trustee Pablo Barrera are sworn in, likely on May 12. .votebox_legend .non_result_row { While the board has the power to hire and fire the superintendent, they do not have the authority to hire and fire lower-level employees. } Elections Click on the tabs below to show more information about those topics. Three seats on the board were up for general election on May 6, 2023. The law firm representing the district made the recording available to all seven trustees on Dec. 9, the same day it released it to El Paso Matters. .partytd.Democratic { His departure leaves El Paso Countys two largest districts without a permanent superintendent heading into the 2021-22 school year, when tens of thousands of students are expected to return to classrooms for the first time since March 2020. .image-candidate-thumbnail-wrapper .image-candidate-thumbnail { As a result, proficiency levels are not comparable between different states and year-over-year proficiency levels within a district may not be comparable because states may change their proficiency measurements. .results_row.winner { } Now, a decade later, the school board is poised to take the more conventional approach among Texas districts of naming a sole finalist. Editors note: This story contains explicit language. More by Molly Smith. Its such a high-performing district but no one is satisfied.. display: block; Socorro ISD board to begin reviewing superintendent candidates in They in turn can ask the superintendent or an auditor to look into the concern; beyond that, trustees have no purview over the subsequent course of action the district takes. Board Member Boundaries Find Us . .non_result_row div {

} display: inline-block; } overflow-y: hidden; } That was an extremely valuable tool to hear how this candidate related to each of our different community members, whether it was parents, or staff or students, she told James Guerra at the Dec. 14 meeting. Mr. I dont have a timeline, but its going to be soon, Ricardo Castellano says. The three incumbents Najera, Mena and Morales reported the most donations in the last campaign finance reports. Each year, state and local education agencies use tests and other standards to assess student proficiency. Cristina Carreon maybe reached at ccarreon@elpasotimes.com and @Cris_carreon90 on Twitter. James Guerra said his firm has never conducted a Texas search in which a district announced multiple finalists, but said he will ultimately do what the board decides. The former chief, who described being appalled by parts of the recording, said his hope is that the law supports the people affected by this situation (so) the district is able to move forward and those affected find closure.. Subscribe Keep up-to-date with meetings, agendas, and minutes! Though the superintendent and the internal auditors are the only employees SISD trustees directly oversee, Castellanos focus was on ousting select administrators, including his wifes campus principal, Gabriela Elliott. Molly Smith has been a reporter for the El Paso Times and The (McAllen) Monitor. Public policy. 418 talking about this. According to trustee Najera, superintendent Carman violated the act by getting 4 of the 7 trustees to agree with him outside of a meeting. Please keep your comments respectful and relevant. margin-bottom:16px; May 1, 2021. Gibson, wish to thank the Socorro Independent School District Board of Trustees; Superintendent Don Schulte; Ben DeBellis, who acted as district liaison to the review team;and the district employees, students, and community members who provided valuable information and assistance during TSPR's work in the district. The Texas Rangers, the investigative arm of the Texas Department of Public Safety, was made aware of Gabriela Castellanos audio recording in October 2021, according to Jose Castorena, the former chief of the SISD Police Department. PDF JOB DESCRIPTION - Socorro Independent School District Carmona left the district for El Paso ISD in August 2022. The three community forums the firm held earlier this month drew only three people, and only two trustees were present: Paul Guerra and Cynthia Najera. School board elections, 2023 - Ballotpedia Espinoza's previous career experience includes working in the Houston Independent School District as a school improvement officer and a middle school principal. (Corrie Boudreaux/El Paso Matters). Republish our articles for free, online or in print, under a Creative Commons license. } width: 90%; U.S. Congress | Ricardo Castellano, a Socorro Independent School District trustee, is under investigation by the Texas Rangers for allegations of official oppression, according to an investigation report. The announcement was made at a Special Board of Trustees meeting on Monday. Asked what has been his response to the release of the recording, the superintendent said it will ultimately be up to the board to decide how to proceed. We understand why you have to leave, and we get it. } by Molly Smith, El Paso Matters May 5, 2021, This article first appeared on El Paso Matters and is republished here under a Creative Commons license..

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