McAllen school board to talk superintendent directives

Within 30 days, the McAllen school board will discuss directives given to the superintendent, which will be issued — at least in part — in response to a scandal in the district’s communications department, Superintendent J.A. Gonzalez told trustees Monday.

Approved April 10, that resolution included six directives that mandated policy review, a human resources audit and discussion on the district’s open records practices, and came with a 45-day deadline.

Gonzalez said trustees will see action before then.

“I know that we’re gonna meet the deadline, by far, but I will send out an email to the team tomorrow morning,” he said.

Trustee Sam Saldivar, who authored the directives, expressed concern about the board’s legwork involved in some of the items on that resolution, especially the human resources audit.

“That, the board has to get together, and we have to decide what is it that we want to be done as far as human resources,” he said. “And then once that goes out, whenever those come back, we have to have a board meeting to interview or select who we want to interview to do that work.

“So at the very least, we have to meet as a board to decide what is it that we want to include in the request for professional services. And we definitely need to have some feedback and conversations.”

Saldivar said there’s also been some ambiguity over the meaning of fraternization — which one of the policy initiatives centers on — that may require conversation, along with discussion specifically required in the open records directive.

“That one clearly was noted in there that there would be a workshop just to discuss when — at least to have the understanding — as a board and as an administration, under what circumstances should we be asking for an attorney general’s opinion,” he said. “Because I think we’re asking for that too much — but that’s just my opinion.”

Gonzalez said he believed his team could establish tentative dates for the board to iron out by Wednesday.

Which trustees will actually wind up discussing those directives is in flux. Both Danny Vela and Conrado “Ito” Alvarado are not running to defend their seats in the May 6 election, while two other incumbents face challengers.