Pharr-San Juan-Alamo ISD Superintendent Jorge Arredondo appears to be facing a possible ouster Monday, just a week after the district’s board took a preliminary step toward launching a forensic audit into district operations and less than a month after voters backed a new majority of trustees at the polls.
Monday evening, the district’s board will discuss Arredondo’s contract before potentially taking action on a severance agreement with him and appointing his replacement.
The board discussed Arredondo’s contract last week — when it voted to solicit proposals for a firm to conduct a forensic audit — but took no action on it.
Earlier this month two incumbents on the board lost their seats in the November election to board newcomers Yolanda Castillo and Diana Serna.
Castillo and Serna ran on a slate with incumbent Carlos Villegas, who also won.
For over a year, Villegas has been half of a vocal two-trustee minority on the board, the other trustee being Cynthia Gutierrez. Those trustees have generally advocated for improved conditions for employees and questioned district spending on the board in discussions that often grew heated.
With an apparent four-trustee majority in place after this month’s elections, the board voted to make Gutierrez its president on November 17. She promised change.
In recent years, forensic audits at Rio Grande Valley districts frequently coincided with or preceded significant administrative upheaval — usually including the departure of superintendents.
Read the latest update here:
PSJA ISD board approves settlement agreement with superintendent, names Elias interim
