[{"_1":2,"_123":-5,"_124":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100,111],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6268166,"mediaKeyId","3056241-98b9a875cc94ff01de91b51410dcc55d","parentId",3056241,"title","Votes at a glance: Socorro ISD board approves consent items, contracts, calendar tweaks and policy updates","audioSeconds",3079,"startMs",4100000,"endMs",7179000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3056241-98b9a875cc94ff01de91b51410dcc55d&start=4100&end=7179","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3056241-98b9a875cc94ff01de91b51410dcc55d/thumbnail_4100000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6268166/Texas/Votes-at-a-glance-Socorro-ISD-board-approves-consent-items-contracts-calendar-tweaks-and-policy-updates","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6268166-e408ef2d08f74a93ea45659215cc6d0b/orig.mp4?Expires=1770576543&Signature=MSAV9i2E48JysvTLtTM7b7HESBzPhyHovrfCZAgSJoF25ji8Ezj96bxpDw--EocXkTWeMTike7tAlnkECyf68BvATUHEo2sePYQjyAE8waqUSkBbUj7-49GTF4B7KThWUPrklli2ekACRvuGh17jPheXyNxIsLA-ZCn37W-IdlbwMPORB~ZKJ3RrnqvnOSH5nMhxqGyvZptEjIO2G~mOse-Bkvt~vtO2W-p9UR3tZvmoJjxbJXVduyaJMs68vyIQIuCbM~vIcRbuy5GCBbkwocQA0ur~vEDbnqr~986L57hF5lZKkeN8wp1vHkcLcuILFqdVScfr4pZc0nMRYPA30g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Socorro ISD","date","2025-04-19T00:55:39.297Z","article","The Socorro ISD Board of Trustees took a series of routine and substantive votes at its April 16 meeting. Major outcomes included approval of a modified consent agenda, adoption of employment contracts, calendar updates for 2025–26, device‑program procurement items, and policy updates. The board also approved a nonbinding letter of interest to El Paso Electric’s Texas Business Solar Program.

Votes at a glance (key items approved):

- Consent agenda (with exceptions): Motion to approve consent agenda with specific items pulled for discussion passed (motion by Mrs. Najera; second by Mr. Guerra). The board voted to approve the consent agenda while removing certain line items for separate action.

- Charter bus services (item 7C2): Approved after public comment (mover Mrs. Najera; seconded; voice vote recorded as passed). Trustees discussed efficiency and asked staff to study whether district-owned buses could reduce subcontractor costs.

- Policies GKA (student code adjustments for electronic vaping devices) and FNG (parent complaint/grievance hearing logistics): Board approved amendments allowing the district to post conduct policies and permitting parent grievances to be scheduled at special meetings to avoid late-night hearings; policy approvals were unanimous on voice vote.

- Device-program procurement (DNA redesign; item 7F1): Board approved the technology plan (see separate article). Motion to approve carried by voice vote.

- Administrator and teacher employment contracts for 2025–26: Board approved administrator contracts and teacher contracts as presented; the lists were verified by Human Resources and will be supplemented if additional hires are processed before the next meeting.

- Low-attendance waiver (district waiver for 01/08/2025): Approved. District administration explained the waiver will exclude the low-attendance day from ADA calculations for funding purposes due to weather-related late start.

- 2025–26 calendar tweaks: Board approved adding staff-development/planning days (Oct. 14, 2025 and March 24, 2026) and a district spring break closure during the second week of the spring intercession in March 2026. Administration said the changes align with neighboring districts and reflect employee survey input.

- Initial letter of interest for El Paso Electric Texas Business Solar Program (item 8d): Approved (motion by Mr. Guerra; second by Ms. Gardella). The LOI is nonbinding and places the district in the utility’s queue for account-level analysis.

Procedure notes: motions were typically made from the dais and recorded by the board secretary; most votes were taken by voice and recorded as ‘Aye’ or ‘Opposed.’ Where roll-call tallies were not read into the record, the board president declared items passed following the voice vote.

Ending: Several items pulled from consent were discussed and approved individually. Trustees asked administration for follow-up analyses on charter-bus subcontracting, financial-report presentation improvements, and continued public posting of corrected TAPER data. Additional items requiring board-level action (such as any binding solar-service agreements) will return to a future agenda.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Socorro ISD Board of Trustees Regular Board Meeting – April 16th, 2025 @ 6:00 PM","oneSentenceSummary","At the April 16 meeting trustees approved the majority of the consent agenda (with exceptions), contracts for administrators and teachers, updates to the 2025–26 district calendar, waivers, and several policies and service items; the board also approved an initial letter of interest to El Paso Electric’s business solar program.","taxTitle","SOCORRO ISD, School Districts, Texas","taxId",13543,"location","Texas","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6268171,"Socorro ISD will keep K–8 devices on campus, convert inventory to Chrome OS for grades 3–5 after pilot",406,4920000,5326000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3056241-98b9a875cc94ff01de91b51410dcc55d&start=4920&end=5326","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3056241-98b9a875cc94ff01de91b51410dcc55d/thumbnail_4920000.jpg","/articles/6268171/Texas/Socorro-ISD-will-keep-K8-devices-on-campus-convert-inventory-to-Chrome-OS-for-grades-35-after-pilot","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6268171-237b73ba84171052c819542fcd0de209/orig.mp4?Expires=1770576543&Signature=ThV8pyN~dxU~Pa7YoNqjJWNK0p8Yrnqm3kcwAJte2j59DHzDS~xo638cPf6ArF7Gz8kEs8jN~oCa~ngTu5Dd97lo0nBjjw-aRYoJ~TukOcvyikUoXRYZOVgG2QA7GhdBuCuhjYK244DNf~Yvw1hswUuYCpH9CjEPS99L7jXcTIUXTDPQNBdbKCdlRRCpgs3rEPpg8nguVQtNhkqpcv5ixjucXVqreR04h5cxgZW9w1kuf~5lIY0lD~ELxEYTlThw7iudDk5ShppLd~S~wolRy8ruzPRyhssLDqnLV4z93Npcr5AnBq3f83SWRhuVnTmEO~vOORlcr0HH~PvcWSmfog__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Trustees on April 16 approved a redesign of Socorro ISD’s student device program intended to reduce repair costs and limit take‑home loss or damage at lower grade bands.

Alice Ramos, chief technology officer, summarized a pilot that issued classroom sets instead of take-home devices at one middle school and said that repair rates fell; the district reports a roughly 11% break/fix rate at middle-school grade bands that had taken-home laptops. The approved plan keeps 1:1 take-home devices at the high school level only. For K–8: classrooms will receive shared device sets—eight devices per classroom in pre‑K, kindergarten and first grade; iPads will be provided to second grade (14 devices per classroom, two spares); middle schools will use classroom sets for instruction with devices remaining on campus.

Ramos said the district will convert older inventory to run Chrome OS and purchase 6,000 Chrome OS licenses to support grades 3–5; the conversion uses existing hardware where compatible rather than buying new laptops. The district emphasized training for teachers will be rolled out after the order is placed and once the board authorized the change.

Vote and follow-up: trustees approved the change (motion by Ms. Macias; seconded; voice vote in favor). Staff said they will coordinate with academics and counseling to ensure students complete required pathways and will provide teacher training timelines to campuses.

Why it matters: district leaders said the shift is intended to reduce repair and replacement costs, improve device availability in classrooms, and stabilize the inventory. Trustees asked for lead time for teachers to plan and for continued monitoring of repair and usage metrics.

Ending: The board’s approval authorizes staff to implement the redesigned device program and to proceed with licensing and conversion of compatible inventory; high school take‑home 1:1 remains in place.

","The board approved a redesign of the district’s device program: devices will remain on campus for K–8, Chromebooks will be used for grades 3–5 via converted inventory and 6,000 Chrome OS licenses, iPads for second grade, and take-home 1:1 will continue at the high school level.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6268176,"Parents at Socorro ISD urge formal notice and transition plans for special education changes",395,1376000,1771000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3056241-98b9a875cc94ff01de91b51410dcc55d&start=1376&end=1771","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3056241-98b9a875cc94ff01de91b51410dcc55d/thumbnail_1376000.jpg","/articles/6268176/Texas/Parents-at-Socorro-ISD-urge-formal-notice-and-transition-plans-for-special-education-changes","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6268176-a69a3c67fccdc5e340510ee939b13232/orig.mp4?Expires=1770576543&Signature=iBFEUiv-~goZAV1F6bmZTEZ1fepOhAhRnSq7xk2F7JRCBHGoYLkllLj~FSSYNmWvQPNNYtJyN~pCcWzCG-u8qdk~U75fl~KdhdAmPqCKxud3YFiTlT83I2dVK-5gQ~944NCyoSHODBYMhJz8~UenIqBNz7TggWrfEtEI2NjfZAb-ilVWrSbg3k9~NQDU6aTcX~kuL7NYYW326ZLrfwMqPWRgYbqWN~6rk5AAufdk-oc2SY4Ha5LO6TQ88o536QkSDSnHJQyEMT71-dTzN-unyogArpC8o27CBlAY-Mw0KfxMBEgc-~tTX-4eSXrpnT~G8CsoYZTLNV3HuxeZfE-ljg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Multiple parents and community advocates used the open‑forum portion of the Socorro ISD board meeting on April 16 to ask for clearer communication and transition plans after the district signaled a restructuring or consolidation of special education programs.

Alfredo Aguero, a community organizer and founder of a parent support group, referenced several pending state bills and asked to be included in planning for alternative education and special-education transitions. He read bill numbers and sections that address discipline and parental rights and asked the district to hold workshops so parents know how discipline and re‑entry to regular education will be managed.

A parent who identified herself as Kimberly Diego said many families learned of program changes informally—“at birthday parties and hallways, backroom conversations”—and described the lack of formal notice as “deplorable” and “unconscionable.” Diego said consolidation could force students to move to different campuses in their final elementary year and urged the district to provide individualized ARD (Admission, Review, and Dismissal) transition plans so students’ services are not disrupted.

District response: Interim Superintendent Mr. Vasquez acknowledged ongoing transitions and told the speakers, “We’ll take care of that,” committing to ensure transition plans are communicated. The board’s administrative staff said they are meeting with community groups and that administrators will look into additional outreach and presentations for parents.

Why it matters: parents described an at‑risk population (students with disabilities, including students with ARFID and students on the autism spectrum) who rely on early-intervention services and continuity of programming. Speakers warned that losing PPCD (preschool program for children with disabilities) seats or reducing collaborative supports could push families to seek services in neighboring districts.

Ending: Board members and staff acknowledged the concerns and said they would follow up. No formal board action was taken during the meeting; speakers asked to be included in further planning conversations.

","Public commenters said families learned of proposed consolidations informally and asked the district for transition plans, clearer communication and inclusion in planning for special education programs; district staff committed to follow up.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":46,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6268179,"Socorro ISD approves letter of interest for El Paso Electric’s Texas Business Solar Program",836,6343000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3056241-98b9a875cc94ff01de91b51410dcc55d&start=6343&end=7179","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3056241-98b9a875cc94ff01de91b51410dcc55d/thumbnail_6343000.jpg","/articles/6268179/Texas/Socorro-ISD-approves-letter-of-interest-for-El-Paso-Electrics-Texas-Business-Solar-Program","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6268179-32a8a9a0b331f0c7297f5c3a0bcaf90e/orig.mp4?Expires=1770576543&Signature=lT4Pf3cwsNcCswgBzHW32X0j-eVDcEH7-CqChTewxn5KT-BIKcAclZGK08KYGtaFIjg1ULOgkNBMnbPFCmLxf47DekFuK5fb-o6Pf5-Aw0pMiC4ZKndVcHyiJKqSXaPjWbKa7T4CDNyPglNbeSFKLPlCEO0DK5Ne-MCDenipFugJQarqhjyfGsulgwYaoxNj7tpBIXeY5IQbX5KIUW-EB~OEKrSsh4xX4U4SwIR1qFR75h2fTVHyDk8JUgMfVBrkIBrc2Z-0ClFc7btNAtQg7k~09liKIpZRcIdCcZ-2ToeSQ1UW790mVcE6HqpV6G~VKBdzWlnVcgK8ea5ObA-lJA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Socorro Independent School District trustees approved an initial letter of interest April 16 to explore participation in El Paso Electric’s new Texas Business Solar Program.

Facilities Director Vilena Fierro told the board the program allows businesses and qualifying government customers, including school districts, to subscribe to power from a dedicated utility-scale solar facility—Felina Solar Project—without installing panels on their own property. Cynthia Piña, a program representative for El Paso Electric, and key-account representative Gilbert Rivera joined the meeting by video to answer board questions.

Piña said the Felina site will dedicate 50 megawatts to the business solar program, occupy roughly 1,000 acres in Far East El Paso County, and is scheduled to begin operations in September 2025. Applications open April 22. Customers can choose one‑, five‑ or ten‑year subscriptions. The subscription charge was described as $10.52 per kilowatt (a fixed figure in the approved tariff), and the company provided sample bill-impact analyses showing both potential savings and added monthly charges depending on the facility’s usage pattern.

Why trustees discussed it: board members pressed district staff on contract terms, how accounts are scored by rate class (for example, some district sites are in rate 41), and how renewable-energy credits (RECs) are handled. Piña said RECs can be retained by customers who sign longer-term contracts; the tariff and customer agreement are publicly filed with the Public Utility Commission of Texas and cannot be changed without regulatory process.

Vote and immediate action: a motion to approve the initial, nonbinding letter of interest passed (motion by Mr. Guerra; second by Ms. Gardella). The vote puts the district in El Paso Electric’s queue for analysis; any decision to subscribe to energy for particular accounts would require further review, legal review of service agreements, and a separate board action.

Clarifying details from the presentation: El Paso Electric said the program requires no up-front capital from subscribers, projects about 220 local construction jobs, and that the $10.52-per-kW subscription charge covers lifecycle costs of the project; credits for avoided generation and fuel costs are applied on customers’ bills and are set in the approved tariff. Piña stressed that savings are not guaranteed and that customers will receive bill-impact analyses before any binding agreement is signed.

Ending: The board’s motion authorizes district staff to register interest and pursue analyses with El Paso Electric; any subscription would come back to the board for formal approval after legal review and detailed cost analysis.

","The board approved an initial, nonbinding letter of interest to explore subscribing to solar energy from El Paso Electric’s Felina Solar Project; staff were told the application opens April 22 and the facility is due online in September 2025.",{"_33":112,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":113,"_41":114,"_43":115,"_45":116,"_47":117,"_49":118,"_51":119,"_53":120,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":121,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":122,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6268184,"Socorro ISD says reporting errors inflated staff pay figures; district files corrected data with TEA",831,3294000,4125000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3056241-98b9a875cc94ff01de91b51410dcc55d&start=3294&end=4125","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3056241-98b9a875cc94ff01de91b51410dcc55d/thumbnail_3294000.jpg","/articles/6268184/Texas/Socorro-ISD-says-reporting-errors-inflated-staff-pay-figures-district-files-corrected-data-with-TEA","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6268184-21f05e2681a49d06d66a2f884183bc86/orig.mp4?Expires=1770576543&Signature=TVj5MdRcBxQbhehjw4iY3tvxGXgMSa2HjvGNZ5lcwBbCWj2aHzWt-n2nCkn~gTemRu4HWTM2hBqQmiD2MHPgxEoTn536cv5kQ-4j2N5ZVmPV19oc-9EYmeqy83Y2xQyuyHPaa-wabASjiy-JZ8a~CcS1V00ZZnNE8uCUUSUOS0Et2v8rrozpt0t4CcoJ55hyhmQiTX7Ay1krWSseUHtc4w4jbmJyXDw41WYZl6e0ODMnmNs~yFcZlM3hcI-fuFlX-EXrc0AKjGwAtQkRRqKgRIKQJz6vI81NRgODsFti~wR7sj3W0ZGT4-VRqObFRGZAbCa1OqbGmW3OUyc6EEJtmA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Socorro Independent School District officials told trustees on April 16 that they identified and corrected discrepancies in the district’s TAPER submission and have reported the corrected file to the Texas Education Agency.

District leaders said the errors first showed up in January as an anomaly in full-time-equivalent (FTE) counts and later affected salary figures. The problem stemmed from an upgrade to the Munis ERP near the end of the district’s transition to Skyward; changed data tables caused some FTEs to be reported as less than 1.0 and created duplicate salary records in the reporting extract.

The misreported FTEs led to inflated salary entries in the published TAPER report because some teacher salaries were calculated against an understated FTE. Selena Stiles, chief human resources officer, and Alice Ramos, chief technology officer, told the board the live payroll and student systems were not affected: “Nobody was overpaid. Nobody was underpaid,” Stiles said. Ramos described technical fixes and reporting changes that the district has implemented.

Why it matters: the TAPER report is widely used by researchers and the public to compare district staffing and salary data. Board members pressed staff on how the district will make the corrected information visible to outside users who may still consult the originally published report.

What the district has done: officials said they have (1) corrected the data and submitted the updated file to the Texas Education Agency, (2) prepared a corrective-action plan that includes additional cross‑checks and variance reports, (3) converted some reporting from static PDF to Excel to facilitate reconciliations, and (4) added extra checks during the PEIMS (Public Education Information Management System) confirmation process. Chief Financial Officer Davis Solis and Interim Superintendent Mr. Vasquez said the district will work with public relations to post corrected figures and to clarify which published files are invalid rather than deleting historical reports.

Board discussion and next steps: trustees encouraged clear labeling of the original TAPER file as incorrect and asked staff to provide a public version showing the corrected numbers alongside the originally published figures. Vasquez said the district had already reported the issue to the commissioner’s office and would coordinate with the TEA. Trustees also asked for quarterly financial presentations and continued follow-up from finance, HR and IT until the new checks are fully embedded.

Evidence and provenance: district staff traced the discrepancy to Munis data-table changes applied late in the Munis-to-Skyward transition. The corrective-action plan was finalized in the weeks before the April 16 meeting and summarized to the board during the district reports portion of the agenda.

Ending: Trustees did not take formal action beyond accepting the update and directing staff to post corrected data publicly and continue monitoring. The district said it will continue outreach with TEA and provide board-level updates on progress.

","District officials told the board they found FTE and salary reporting errors tied to an ERP upgrade during a migration to Skyward, have submitted corrected data to the Texas Education Agency and adopted a corrective-action plan to prevent recurrence.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Votes at a glance: Socorro ISD board approves consent items, contracts, calendar tweaks and policy updates

Socorro ISD will keep K–8 devices on campus, convert inventory to Chrome OS for grades 3–5 after pilot

Parents at Socorro ISD urge formal notice and transition plans for special education changes

Socorro ISD approves letter of interest for El Paso Electric’s Texas Business Solar Program

Socorro ISD says reporting errors inflated staff pay figures; district files corrected data with TEA