The Clint Independent School District Board of Trustees comprises seven at-large members who serve four-year terms and are unpaid. The trustees annually adopt a budget and tax rate, hire and oversee the superintendent and adopt wide-ranging policies for the 10,300-student district in far east El Paso County.
Who’s running for this seat?
Maria Elena Macias, 61, is the incumbent trustee and a homemaker.
Ignacio “Nacho” Martinez, 54, is an irrigation technician.
Candidate Questionnaires
Candidates were asked to limit their responses to 100 words. Responses have been lightly edited for grammar.
What experience do you have with curriculum, overseeing budgets, or setting and analyzing policy? Please explain.
Maria Elena Macias: During my tenure, I have had the opportunity to be a part of multiple training courses on curriculum/instruction, budgets, policy and many others. Through my training and experience, I have learned what the role of the board member is. I work with other board members and the administration to ensure that we meet goals adopted by the board. This allows for the superintendent and staff to execute the vision of the district, follow district policy and remain fiscally responsible to the taxpayers.
Ignacio “Nacho” Martinez: Most of my experiences have been from my life experiences
How would you address the budget deficits facing the district?
Maria Elena Macias: I am very proud, and our community should also be very proud, of our school district. This past year, the administration worked diligently, in consultation with the board to balance the budget. As a result, the school board adopted a balanced budget for the 2024-2025 school year. Clint ISD also received the highest financial rating of 98, the equivalent of A=Superior Achievement which is the highest financial rating among school districts in Region 19. I will continue to advocate for state funding.
Ignacio “Nacho” Martinez: By not voting on unnecessary projects and superintendent raises.
What needs to be done to improve and increase student enrollment in the district and reduce the number of students who transfer out of the district?
Maria Elena Macias: Declining K-12 enrollment in public schools is not unique to our district. In addition, there is little to no growth in housing development in our district. However, our district adopted several initiatives to continue to support our schools, our teachers and attract new students. For example, we have cutting-edge technology in every classroom for teachers and students. This includes smart panels, surround sound, classroom cameras, microphones, an alert system and an air purification system in every classroom. In addition, the school board allocated funds to replace student and teacher furniture for all grade levels at all schools and allocated millions of dollars in school improvements across the district without raising taxes. In the area of academics and extracurricular activities, our graduation rate is one of the highest in our region with 96%. In addition, our College Career and Military Readiness (CCMR) is one of the highest in the region with 98%, and all our high schools offer advanced college credits and students can earn an associates degree free of charge at all four high schools. In the area of safety, we have an armed officer (SRO) in every school. These officers support our district security personnel and administration in keeping our students safe. It is no surprise Clint ISD enrolled over 300 transfer students this year alone.
Ignacio “Nacho” Martinez: The district needs a more friendly environment. The district needs a leader that is a people person that respects and lets his employees do their job instead of getting involved by hearsay. Kids need to be heard and respected!
The district’s improvement plans have pointed to academic challenges with bilingual and special education students. What proposals do you have to improve that?
Maria Elena Macias: We must continue to provide a high-quality education for all our students. I am pleased to see that the hard work of our teachers translated into higher academic performance for our students to include special education and bilingual. I will continue to propose and advocate for the district to continue working with the state in the implementation of high-quality instructional materials, providing staff development for all teachers and maintaining high academic expectations for all students.
Ignacio “Nacho” Martinez: Developers of bilingual special education programs need to weigh three factors for each student: 1) Degree of disability. 2) Level of language proficiency in both English and the primary language. 3) Intellectual capacity.
What are the top three challenges facing the district and how would you address them?
Maria Elena Macias: State funding/Increased cost of services. Funding gaps correlate with student achievement and school districts like mine are affected. I will advocate for additional funding from the state for safety and security of teachers, staff and children. Teacher shortages. The past four years we received a $16 million federal grant that provided retention bonuses of up to $10,000 for each teacher. We became a teacher incentive allotment district which compensates teachers above the current pay structure.
Ignacio “Nacho” Martinez: 1) Lack of leadership. I would ask the superintendent to tone down his ego and listen to the people around him. 2) Favoritism. I’ve noticed the district has favoritism that needs to stop! 3) Overspending. Don’t spend on unnecessary stuff (like the trailer that was purchased and has been sitting at transportation).
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