This is your weekly news roundup, which takes a quick look at some developments in government, politics, education, environment and other topics across El Paso.
Socorro ISD to Investigate Trustee Ryan Woodcraft Over Assault Accusations
The Socorro Independent School District is expected to launch a third-party investigation into school board Trustee Ryan Woodcraft, who was arrested on July 25 on accusations of choking a 16-year-old during a Father’s Day party.
The board voted unanimously Wednesday during a special meeting to hire an investigator to review a parent complaint involving the incident after a closed-door discussion with its legal counsel.
Woodcraft recused himself from the meeting shortly after it convened.
Witnesses at the party said Woodcraft was acting strangely and discussing illegal drugs before he was seen placing the teenager in a chokehold, causing his face to turn red and purple, according to a police affidavit.
Woodcraft’s attorney, Brian Kennedy, denied the allegations in a statement provided to the El Paso Times.
Kennedy declined El Paso Matters’ request for an interview.
Board President Michael Najera said Superintendent James Vasquez will not be involved in the review or comment on the situation.
“Because the review is pending, we will not discuss the allegations, evidence or possible outcomes. We expect the criminal matter will proceed separately through the appropriate law enforcement and judicial processes,” Najera said during a news conference after the meeting.
Najera said he can’t speculate on the scope of the investigation or its cost.
He also noted that the board does not have the authority to remove one of its members but can censure them.
El Paso County Annex to be Named After Ex-State Sen. José R. Rodríguez
The El Paso County Commissioners Court on Monday voted unanimously to name the Downtown County Annex at 320 S. Campbell – which houses the County Attorney’s Office – after José R. Rodríguez, a former county attorney and state senator.
Dozens of speakers described Rodríguez not just as a politician, but as a mentor who helped build the careers of multiple El Paso public servants.
The resolution detailed Rodríguez’s career highlights, including being elected as El Paso county attorney in 1992. He served 17 years in that role, handling juvenile crime, family violence, child abuse and mental health cases. He was elected to Senate District 29 in 2010 and served until he retired in 2021. He grew up a farmworker and later represented farmworkers as a Texas Rural Legal Aid lawyer.
“A very fitting tribute to have the Downtown annex named after Sen.Rodriguez,” County Attorney Christina Sanchez said during the meeting. “ We will try to do and live up to your standards and to your name every day.”
Rodríguez thanked the Commissioners Court for the honor and said he felt a little “sheepish” about it when Commissioner David Stout’s office reached out to him.
“When they called me and I said, ‘Well, wait a minute, I’m not dead yet. Why?’ I’m old school … and I thought that you only did it after somebody died, but it’s quite an honor,” Rodríguez said during the meeting.
He said one of his proudest accomplishments was helping get water and sewer services for colonia residents. He said having a robust intern program was a key priority for him.
“I had upwards of 11 and 12 interns because we believe strongly in helping give opportunities to young people and helping them develop their careers, many of which then went on to become lawyers, doctors, even state legislators, which is always a good feeling,” Rodríguez said.
El Paso ISD Adopts New Attendance Requirements
Students enrolled in the El Paso Independent School District may lose credit if they miss more than 10% of a class during the 2026-27 school year due to a policy change designed to improve attendance and increase funding.
Starting next week, elementary school students who miss more than 17 days could be at risk of losing credit.
Middle school students who miss a class eight times in the fall semester or more than nine times in the spring semester, and high school students who miss a class more than four times a semester will automatically lose credit.
The change is part of EPISD’s latest District of Innovation plan, which the board voted to renew in May.
The state’s District of Innovation program allows districts to create a plan exempting them from certain state requirements, such as requiring students to attend at least 90% of a class to obtain credit.
Under the previous plan, students could get credit as long as they got passing grades for a class, regardless of how many classes they missed.
“I think that it’s important for our students to be here every day so that they can learn. In addition, it has a financial impact,” EPISD Superintendent Brian Lusk said. “Improving attendance by 1% is going to be multiple millions of dollars, and that helps us financially.”
EPISD has also implemented a school bus tracking app that allows parents to monitor their child’s school bus route in real time.
Lowenfield Family Gift to TTHEP to Help Cancer Patients with Unique Cases
Patients with complex cancer cases need a larger team of medical experts to meet simultaneously to share their knowledge and develop the best treatment plan. A gift from the Ronnie and Ashley Lowenfield family will help make that a reality in El Paso.
The family’s $300,000 donation to the Texas Tech Health El Paso Building Hope Campaign will fund the Ronald W. & E. Ashley Lowenfield Tumor Board Room in the Steve and Nancy Fox Cancer Center, which should open in late 2028.
TTHEP President Richard Lange announced the gift during a July 27 assembly of the institution’s administrators, faculty and staff, as well as family and friends of the Lowenfields in the campus’ Medical Science Building II auditorium.
Tumor boards, which have been around since the 1920s, bring together a wide spectrum of specialists in such fields as oncology, radiology and pathology as well as counselors, nutritionists and physical therapists. These boards speed up consensus of a diagnosis and lead to more accurate, comprehensive and personalized treatment plans for the cancer patients.
“This will allow us to be more effective and more efficient,” Lange said.
The Lowenfields, who attended with their six children, said their decision to fund this room was to help the community and to honor family members who died from cancer.
Ronnie Lowenfield, CEO of Casa Auto Group, said that the tumor board room personified their philanthropic efforts of quietly finding ways to benefit as many people as possible on a daily basis.
“This is not going to be a front-facing area, but it’s where the most critical decisions might be made,” Lowenfield said.
In the audience was Steve Fox, CEO of the Fox Auto Team, who, with his wife, Nancy, and their children donated $25 million for the cancer center in August 2023. He said the latest gift was another example of the community taking ownership of the cancer center, and that made him proud.
“We’re building momentum,” said Fox, a survivor of Stage 4 tongue and throat cancer.
The post Socorro ISD launches trustee investigation; El Paso County honors José R. Rodríguez appeared first on El Paso Matters.
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