EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — The Texas Education Agency’s Compliance Review Unit has cleared Canutillo Independent School District in its investigation into the allegation of impropriety in the purchase of a horse farm that will be used for construction of a new Canutillo Middle School, the district said in a statement issued on Monday, April 7.
The district said it was informed of the state’s decision last week concerning the purchase of the Bean Horse Farm.
The new $106-million Canutillo Middle will be built on the Bean Farm site at the intersection of Artcraft aqnd Upper Valley roads, the district said. Construction is expected to take about three years.
The district said it paid about $6.2 million for 51 acres.
Richard Segovia, the TEA’s director of the Special Investigations Division, said the state began an investigation after it received a complaint from a community member.
“After a review of the allegations, evidence and documents received, the TEA Compliance Review Unit (CRU) has determined that the school entity has addressed the reported concern(s) that were within the jurisdiction of TEA and no further actions will be taken at this time,” Segovia said in a letter to Canutillo ISD.
The Board of Trustees in December ratified the purchase of the farm. Superintendent Pedro Galaviz signed the contract to buy the land in November, when trustees indicated their support for the acquisition during a board meeting.
Segovia said that as part of the TEA review, which included responses from the district and other documentation, Canutillo ISD showed that it is in compliance with program and/or statutory requirements.
“Canutillo continues to emphasize ethics and community accountability in its efforts to meet the promises we made in the delivery of the bond projects,” Galaviz said. “With this behind us, we can move forward with our plans of using bond funds to build a world-class facility that will serve the Canutillo Middle School community.”
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