El Paso Matters – SISD incumbent, former trustee face political newcomers for East, Lower Valley seats amid conservatorship, layoffs, budget deficits

Two races in the May 3 election will decide who will represent the Socorro Independent School District’s southernmost areas at a pivotal point for the district that’s facing financial and management challenges.

In District 4, political newcomers Caryn Gonzalez and Raul Villalobos are taking on long-time trustee Paul Guerra — the only SISD incumbent seeking reelection.

In District 5, Cindy Hernandez, Manuel “Manny” De Jesus Rodriguez and former SISD Trustee Gary Gandara are running to replace Pablo Barrera, who did not file for reelection. Though he is still on the board, Barrera has been absent from meetings since last June, shortly after he and trustee Ricardo Castellano were indicted on charges related to their trustee roles.

Both districts cover parts of the Americas, Eastlake and Socorro high school feeder patterns. Information on school board boundaries and feeder patterns can be found on El Paso Matters voter guide.

The school board election comes as the district has begun laying off an estimated 300 employees to cut its budget by $38 million and address an ongoing budget deficit.

The district was placed under the management of two conservators appointed by the Texas Education Agency a year ago after a state investigation found several issues, including improperly graduating students and paying out unauthorized stipends. The district has been without a permanent superintendent for about a year after its former leader was placed on administrative leave and ultimately resigned.

The winners will join the SISD school board, which will have final say on further budget cuts, selecting a superintendent and deciding if the district will call for a November election to raise a portion of its tax rate above the state-mandated threshold. Known as a voter approval tax rate election, the move would allow the district to raise its maintenance and operation tax rate and generate up to $28 million in revenue, district staff said during a board meeting in March.

Trustees adopt a budget and set the district’s tax rate every year. The board also sets goals for the district and adopts policies. SISD trustees serve four-year terms and are unpaid.

Candidates running for Districts 4 and 5 who spoke to El Paso Matters said fixing the district’s financial problems was among their top priorities, and said they oppose the idea of including religion in the district’s curriculum.

Gandara did not participate in a scheduled interview with El Paso Matters, nor did he respond to a candidate questionnaire

Some candidates, including Guerra, Rodriguez and Hernandez, said they would oppose policies that would allow teachers and school staff to carry a firearm on campus. Gonzales and Villalobos said they would consider it.

Here’s what else the candidates had to say:

SISD District 4

Caryn Gonzalez

Gonzalez, 46, worked for SISD from 1998 to 2021 in various positions, including as a teacher’s aide, an attendance clerk and an administrative specialist. 

She’s now a policy coordinator for the El Paso Independent School District.

Gonzalez said she believes the district she once attended and that her 8-year-old son now attends, needs a change in leadership.

“We need new board members,” Gonzalez told El Paso Matters. “Mr. Paul Guerra, he’s been there for over a decade. I value his service, but I think it’s time for change. We need a new perspective. Somebody that has more children attending public schools.”

Gonzalez blamed the district’s budgetary issues on financial mismanagement and overspending that was approved by the board over the years.

“There was a lot of spending going on,” Gonzalez said. “A lot of things were coming to the board for approval on purchasing and expenses, and I never really heard any questions being asked.”

Gonzalez said the district should take advantage of grants and other funding opportunities, though he did not provide examples on what types of grants or for what they might be used. He said he’d also look at decreasing employees’ pay, starting with directors and administrators, to resolve the district’s financial issues.

“Taxes should not be increased. There’s other things that we need to look at first to see where we can have some cost savings,” she said.

Gonzalez said the district needs to make sure it’s complying with state and federal regulations and training its school resource officers to ensure schools remain safe.

If brought to the board for a vote, Gonzalez said she would consider allowing teachers and staff to carry a firearm on campus, but would want to see more information first.

Gonzalez said immigration enforcement officials need to have a warrant signed by a federal judge if they want to enter a school.

“Without that, they have no business in the school,” Gonzalez said when asked what school staff should do if immigration enforcement officials attempt to enter a school.

Gonzalez was charged with Class C assault, a misdemeanor, related to an incident during an October 2021 high school football game, where she says Barrera falsely accused her of attacking him. El Paso County court records show the case was dismissed in May 2022.

Campaign finance reports submitted to the district April 3 show Gonzalez received $150 in political contributions from Max Mendivil

Paul Guerra

Guerra, 57, was elected to the SISD school board 15 years ago.

Though critics of the longtime board member say they want a fresh face to represent District 4, Guerra said his experience makes him equipped to address the district’s financial issues.

“I want to be part of fixing the district. I’m still as passionate and dedicated as the first time I ran in  2010,” Guerra said. “I think we were a great district. We took several steps back, but we’re going to move forward. And I still believe that somebody with my background, my experience, should continue to be on the board.”

But Guerra played a role in SISD’s financial downfall when he voted in favor of giving teachers raises higher than what was recommended by administrators in 2022, knowing the district would need to tap into its reserves to cover it.

Guerra also pointed to endorsements from two unions representing employees in the district, the Socorro American Federation of Teachers and the Socorro Educators Association, when asked about the criticism toward him.

“If I was doing a bad job, they wouldn’t endorse me,” Guerra said. “For the past 15 years, the people who support me are teachers. They know where I stand when it comes to making decisions.”

His wife, Ann Guerra, is a retired SISD teacher.

Campaign finance reports show Guerra received a $2,000 contribution from the Socorro AFT Committee on Political Education.

Guerra said the district needs to increase enrollment and improve attendance to bring in more revenue, but did not say how he would accomplish this.

“We were the largest growing school district, possibly in the state of Texas, now we are losing students,” Guerra said. “This year, we’re predicted to lose 700 kids; they’re either going to charter schools or going to neighboring districts. So, we’ve got to bring those kids back and make them feel our district is more attractive so we don’t lose funding.”

When asked how the district should keep students safe, Guerra pointed to initiatives that have already been implemented including installing fencing at every campus, conducting safety audits that ensure doors are locked, having an officer at every campus and the district’s 24/7 dispatch center.

Last year, a Texas Education Agency investigation found that Guerra violated the Texas Education Code for failing to disclose a conflict of interest with his position at Insco Distributing Inc. — a heating, ventilation and air-conditioning supplies company — that has done business with SISD since 2015.

Guerra, who works at the company as a territory manager, said he submitted the proper forms at the time but neither he nor the district have records of the documents. 

“My constituents can rest assured that I abide by the law, and if it has to do with the company I work with, I will abstain,” Guerra said.

Raul Villalobos

Villalobos, 42, is a retired U.S. Army veteran, an orthopedic surgeon assistant and a chicken farmer who is hoping to add politician to his list of titles.

Born in Jalisco, Mexico, Villalobos came to the U.S. when he was 5 years old with his parents, who came to El Paso to work under the Bracero program.

As a parent, former employee and former student of SISD, Villalobos said he has seen the district’s trials and tribulations and says it’s time for change.

“Paul Guerra has been in that scene 15 years, and yeah, he’s been through the ups and downs with Socorro. But I think we need a new board with a new set of eyes to move the district forward to allow for growth and expansion,” Villalobos told El Paso Matters.

Villalobos worked at the district’s health clinic from July 2021 to May 2023 and has a son who is a senior at Eastlake High School.

He said the root of SISD’s problems is overspending and financial mismanagement.

To address the district’s financial issues, Villalobos said the district should look at furloughing employees, cutting pay and reducing work hours instead of cutting programs or laying off more employees.

“How do we keep everybody? We need to look at whose calendars we need to make shorter, while still being able to meet the mission of Socorro and accomplishing the tasks that the state of Texas mandates that we do,” Villalobos said.

Villalobos said he has not collected donations for his campaign.

To help keep schools safe, Villalobos said the district should have a zero tolerance policy for students who break the law or make a false threat.

If brought to the board for approval, Villalobos said he would consider approving policies that would allow some teachers and staff to carry firearms on campus.

“What is the least costly, most effective way that we could ensure that the school is secure? That would be my approach. Not a blanket, ‘Let’s just allow every teacher who’s eligible to conceal carry can do it,’” he said.

SISD District 5

Cindy Hernandez

Hernandez, 39, blamed the district’s financial problems on years of overspending that led to ongoing budget deficits.

“If you’re operating at a deficit one year, the next year, you have to go into crisis management so that you’re not continuing to operate like that,” Hernandez told El Paso Matters.

She said much of this overspending started in 2017 when Gandara was on the board. 

Hernandez said she decided to join the race after finding out the former trustee was running for a seat on the board again.

“Knowing that Gandara was going to run again, I’m, like, ‘This is enough.’ I know I have the skills and the experience to be able to serve in a much better capacity,” Hernandez said.

Hernandez is a director of strategy and analytics for Emergence Health Network — the largest mental health care provider in El Paso.

Before turning to laying off employees, Hernandez said the district should have cut salaries to reduce its budget.

“I think they should have taken that angle first and see how much they would have gotten,” Hernandez said. “Maybe you cut among different levels. At the very senior level, like at the superintendent’s office, maybe you take a 5% or 6% and then maybe lower it down so that you can try to minimize the effects that land on the students.”

Hernandez said the district will likely have to raise taxes in the future, but doesn’t believe the answer is raising them above the current voter-approved rate – the highest tax increase allowed without triggering an election.

“It’s a waste of time to look at the (voter-approval tax rate election) tax, because I don’t think voters are gonna approve it, considering everything that’s going on,” Hernandez said.

Hernandez said the district needs to ensure it is allocating enough funding to school resource officers and wants the district to form an agreement with the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office to ensure there is an officer on every campus and keep schools safe. She didn’t provide details or indicate whether that would cost the district – or how he proposed to pay if it did.

When dealing with immigration enforcement, Hernandez said the district needs to look for guidance from the El Paso state delegation to see “what we can do to make sure that we don’t have to comply, or identify circumstances where if we did need to, it would be at the most minimum levels.”

Her April 3 campaign finance reports show she raised over $1,300 in contributions, all donations of $500 or less, as well as a $1,000 in-kind donation  from Sergio Hernandez for political campaign signs.

Manuel “Manny” De Jesus Rodriguez

Rodriguez, 25, grew up in a mixed-status family in Sparks, a colonia located just outside the city limits, wedged between Horizon and Interstate 10.

His mom was deported when he was 13 years old, steering him to get involved with politics at a young age.

He joined his first campaign at 17 as a canvasser for U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar and has continued to work in politics over the years. He now works as a government affairs manager for the El Paso Chamber.

Though Rodriguez said he was initially concerned his age would dissuade voters from considering him, he has noticed many are enthusiastic about the way he talks about issues and the energy he brings to the race.

“I think after we speak to them, after we outline to them what we’ve done and the resume that we bring to this race, those concerns are quickly put to rest,” Rodriguez told El Paso Matters.

Rodriguez said he is against holding a VATRE election and feels the district will need to practice financial discipline, bring in more students and improve attendance to address its budgetary woes.

“We must do everything within our power to increase enrollment. We need to engage in campaigns to promote district successes and to make sure that we communicate to families that SISD is a choice for them to send their kids,” he said.

To keep schools safe, Rodriguez said the district needs to regularly evaluate and update the district’s safety procedures, advocate for “common-sense gun reform legislation,” and ensure the district has strong connections with outside law enforcement agencies.

If immigration enforcement attempts to enter a campus, Rodriguez said they should be treated like any other visitor, and required to provide identification, give a reason for being there and require a warrant to enter.

He said the district’s school resource officers should be the main ones to deal with immigration enforcement and the ones responsible for ensuring they have a valid warrant.

Rodriguez has received endorsements from the Socorro Education Association. He has collected $2,600 in small monetary donations worth $250 or less and an over $1,500 donation worth of signs and banners from Benito Torres.

Gary Gandara

Gandara, 47, took a seat on the SISD school board after running unopposed in 2013 and 2017. He faced his first opponent, Barrera, in 2021 and lost by three votes.

Records from the El Paso Tax Assessor’s Office show Gandara hasn’t paid property taxes since 2023 and owes nearly $5,400. School board trustees are not prevented from taking office if they have not paid their property taxes.

Gandara did not respond to El Paso Matters’ request for comment on his property taxes.

The former trustee has been endorsed by Socorro AFT members. He received a $2,000 donation from the Socorro AFT Committee on Political Education, according to campaign finance reports submitted to the district April 3.

Socorro AFT president Veronica Hernandez said the organization doesn’t take candidates’ tax records into consideration when choosing endorsements.

“I know a lot of people are behind with the economy,” Hernandez told El Paso Matters. “As it is, the school board is volunteering their time. He’s got a proven record when he was there on being 100% for employees. So, he really cares about our employees. Those are those things that we look at.”

The post SISD incumbent, former trustee face political newcomers for East, Lower Valley seats amid conservatorship, layoffs, budget deficits appeared first on El Paso Matters.

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