There’s some controversy over there at the El Paso Independent School District.
From KVIA.com:
EPISD Board President Israel Irrobali is the current Executive Director of the El Paso Association of Contractors (EPAC). Members of the community who have spoken during public comment on EPISD’s board meeting expressed concern with his employment with EPAC, believing this could influence his vote on the potential closure of 10 elementary schools.
No way. Do you think that El Paso contractors have any interest in EPISD’s construction/destruction plans?
Do you think that the EPISD Board President might have any sway over the contractors that might be selected for the district’s construction/destruction plans?
Heaven forbid!
Well, according to the EPISD attorneys, perish the thought.
One of the legal opinions dated to December 2023 in regards to the alleged conflict of interest came from EPISD’s General Counsel, Cezy Collins. Collins stated that Irrobali’s job did not present a conflict of interest, saying in part quote:
“Not at present, unless the district has prospective business with the entity and Trustee Irrobali receives funds from the entity in excess of ten percent of his gross income in the twelve- month period before deliberations on a business relationship begins.”
A second legal opinion from a local firm that works on retainer for the district dated to April of 2024 also agreed that Irrobali’s employment with EPAC did not present a conflict of interest.
Well, there you have it, two legal opinions from two completely disinterested third party attorneys who happen to be on the district’s payroll.
Retired teacher Xavier Miranda also had an opinion on the controversy. Here’s a statement he shared with the Board of Trustees:
Greetings Superintendent Sayavedra and Trustees,
I join the coalition of community members today in calling for the recusal of Board President Israel Irrobali from voting on the announced school closures.
During my service to the children of this community, which spans from 1987 to 2023, I have witnessed and publicly opposed illegal actions taken by dubious superintendents and compromised trustees.
Starting with indicted former superintendents Lorenzo Garcia and Juan Cabrera, these two outsiders exploited their positions and our children in order to seek personal profit. Their commitment to our community was never evident.
Our school district’s history also includes trustees that were indicted on matters related to their positions as well. In 2012, former EPISD Trustee Carlos Cordova was found guilty of accepting money for his favorable votes on the school board so a company could secure a contract with the district.
In 2020, former EPISD Trustee Dori Fenenbock settled a lawsuit in CA for fraud related to charter schools. During her tenure as an EPISD trustee, she also served as President of the Jewish Federation of Greater El Paso (2014-16). As a result of her positions, she was able to be involved in the sale of property on Wallenberg Drive, of which an IDEA Charter School now operates.
These transgressions by compromised EPISD administrators and trustees have certainly eroded our community’s trust in our district’s leadership. It is audacious to perpetuate a notion that our community’s mindset is still colonized, and that we will not oppose even the hint of any impropriety.
Irrobali’s relationship to contractors—— of whom have been directly awarded monies for construction projects that include our administrative buildings, as well as renovations and additions at four of our high schools——-does not bode well.
Should we not model responsibility and integrity when it comes to the education of our children? If so, there is no shame in having Irrobali recuse himself.
Lastly, I would like to address Superintendent DIana’s assertion that I was disingenuous at the DDR community meeting held at Carlos Rivera Elementary. I publicly stated that the recommendations made by AECOM to close ten schools was typical of the company. A basic web search will yield how AECOM has indeed made similar recommendations in the San Francisco Unified School District.
Heed the pleas from students, parents, teachers, and staff in staving off closures that are a result of a state leadership that makes no qualm about dismantling our public education system. Consider emulating strategies and options taken by other districts that haven’t resulted in any closure of community schools.
Regards,
Xavier Miranda
And let’s not forget that the El Paso ISD also sold us $668 million in bonds in 2016 to shore up their declining enrollment. How’s that working out for you?
But that’s not all. Apparently EPISD’s enrollment is still falling, so they need another injection of bond money.
From TexasScorecard.com:
Trustees in El Paso Independent School District unanimously approved spending more than $2 million of taxpayers’ money on a bond “strategist,” even as the district faces declining enrollment, school closures, and an $18.5 million budget deficit.
The district announced last week that school board trustees had allocated up to $2.09 million for “bond strategist services” in anticipation of a future bond proposal.
The announcement stated that the money would be spent on “essential preparatory work such as community engagement, research, and the creation of strategic designs.”
Trustees chose IN2 Architecture, Inc., a Dallas firm that specializes in architectural design services for school buildings as well as bond planning and strategy.
According to the announcement, the $2 million in strategic planning will ensure that a future bond is aligned with El Paso ISD’s vision of becoming a “Destination District” that attracts and retains families—which is part of a “Strategic Blueprint” promoted by Superintendent Diana Sayavedra.
The “Destination District Redesign” involves closing several elementary schools while trying to improve the ones that stay open. Declining birth rates have left about 20 of the district’s 48 elementary schools at or below 60 percent capacity.
“El Paso ISD has so much $$$$ they can give over $2 million to ‘consultants’ to ‘help them decide’ if they need a bond or not. Imagine how many teacher pay raises that could fund,” State Rep. Brian Harrison (R-Midlothian) posted on X. “Remember this next time you hear public schools are ‘underfunded.’”
I’m sure El Paso’s contractors are a lot more interested in any upcoming bond projects than they are in school closures, which probably don’t generate a lot of money for contractors.
Yeah, nothing to see here. Move along.