EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — El Paso Independent School District Superintendent Diana Sayavedra has agreed to a voluntary retirement agreeement with the district’s Board of Trustees after another lengthy meeting to discuss her status and future on Tuesday, June 3.
It was the second straight week that the board meet to discuss Sayavedra’s employment status and future. Each meeting went about five hours long.
A divided board voted 4-2 to accept Sayavedra’s retirement agreement. Trustees Daniel Call and Valerie Ganelon Beals voted “no” as a sign of support for the superintendent. Trustee Robert Osterland abstained.
Sayavedra will serve as superintenent emeritus from June 15 until her retirement date on Jan. 30, 2026.
Current district Chief Financial Officer Martha Aguirre was approved as interim superintendent. She will begin her new role on June 16.
Sayavedra said that it was a huge honor to serve as superintendent and that they “accomplished a lot.”
“I believe we are well positioned for the future,” she said.
This came after a marathon meeting last week in which the board meet for nearly five hours and took no action on Sayavedra.
She has led the district since January 2022 and received a five-year contract extension last year.
The EPSID board heard more than 2 1/2 hours of testimony this time around — from teachers, staff, principals and the public. Overwhelmingly, speakers defended Sayavedra, saying that she was doing a good job and any effort to remove her would be unjustified.
Others said that they felt the process was rushed and questioned how much the district would be on the hook with a buyout. The district did not address how much Sayavedra would be owed in a retirement package.
At least one speaker said that the past two weeks have showed a district in chaos or disarray and they could be inviting the Texas Education Agency to come in and take over the district if they remove Sayavedra.
Many speakers questioned the 4 p.m. start time, saying that was another sign that the process lacked transparency.
All this comes on the heels of the May 3 school board election in which the make-up of the board was drastically reformed. Incumbents — Israel Irrobali and Isabel Hernandez — were defeated for re-election. In their place, newcomers Mindy Sutton and Robert Osterland were elected.
Hanany and Jack Loveridge, who was appointed to fill a seat on the board after Josh Acevedo was elected to the City Council, were both elected to new terms.
Hanany was then named board president and Loveridge as vice president.
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