EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) – The Socorro Independent School District (SISD) Board of Trustees accepted the appointment of a Texas Education Agency (TEA) conservator to work with the district, SISD announced in a press release sent Wednesday, March 6.
SISD says the TEA conservator will work to support district leadership and the Board of Trustees in overseeing the district’s operations.
You can learn more about TEA conservator appointments here.
“We are taking this measure to verify and ensure that we are working with fidelity to provide the best service and operations to students, employees and families,” said SISD Board President Michael Najera. “This is in no way a reflection of the outstanding success of SISD students, faculty and staff, who work hard on a daily basis and have always excelled in academics, athletics, extracurriculars, and all of our amazing programs.”
Najera said there have been numerous reports to the TEA and subsequent investigations which have brought “scrutiny” to the district, according to SISD.
He also added that accusations and assumptions have clouded perceptions of the management of the district.
“It is no secret that the district has been facing challenges and we want to do everything we can to remove any skepticism in the leadership of our district administrators and our governance as board trustees of the school district,” Najera said. “Our aim is to eradicate any doubts in our school district so that we can bring closure to the tribulations that have been impacting the district and continue to move our district forward, because the fact is despite these challenges our students, teachers and district are achieving great levels of success.”
SISD said that over the last two years, the district improved overall STAAR passing rates, outpacing the state average and maintaining a three-percentage point lead over the regional average.
“In addition, the district launched six first-of-their-kind elementary academies providing opportunities for young students across the region to harness their talents and capture their interests with specialized instruction in science and the arts,” read the press release. “The Escontrias STEAM Academy and Paso Del Norte Fine Arts Academy opened for the 2022-2023 school year and the Ernesto Serna Fine Arts Academy, Sierra Vista STEAM Academy, Vista Del Sol Environmental Science Academy, and O’Shea Keleher Whole Child Academy opened for the 2023-2024 school year. All academies have led to increased enrollment, improved student achievement, increased attendance and decreased disciplinary issues.”
SISD said that over the same time period, the district introduced holiday tutoring which has contributed to increased student performance on state assessments, amplified recruitment efforts which has filled positions with highly qualified staff and decreased job vacancies and contributed to a future cleaner environment with a $9.875 million EPA Clean School Bus grant that is enabling SISD to build charging infrastructure and replace 25 buses with new electric models.
“I am confident that working together with the TEA appointed conservator, our faculty and staff, and community as a whole, we will right the path of our great district and ensure Socorro ISD continues to lead, inspire and innovate as we offer our students endless opportunities for lifelong success,” Najera concluded.
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