Parents and community members press Edgewood ISD board on D rating, superintendent evaluation and proposed spending authority
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Summary
Multiple speakers at the Sept. 16 meeting urged stricter accountability following Edgewood ISD’s D rating, opposed increasing the superintendent’s purchase authority to $100,000 and demanded transparent evaluation tied to student outcomes; the board responded by creating a parent advisory council and pulling an agenda item for further review.
Dozens of speakers at the Edgewood Independent School District board meeting on Sept. 16 urged trustees to hold leadership accountable for the district’s D rating and objected to proposed changes that would increase the superintendent’s purchasing authority.
Speakers during the public comment period repeatedly asked the board to base the superintendent’s evaluation on measurable student outcomes rather than public relations or self-reported materials. Agabita Jaramillo said the evaluation “is currently based on metrics that are far removed from the actual performance of the district,” referring to the district’s recent Texas Education Agency (TEA) rating. Dorothy Bornhouse and Melody Herrera likewise said extending a superintendent’s contract while the district is rated D would send the wrong message and called for more rigorous, transparent evaluations tied to academic success.
Several speakers objected specifically to an agenda proposal to raise the superintendent’s spending limit from $50,000 to $100,000. Dorothy Bornhouse warned such a change would reduce board oversight; Valerie Martinez and others argued taxpayers should not pay more without visible improvements in student outcomes. Felix Maldonado and other community members also raised facility-maintenance concerns, asking how priorities for capital upkeep are set across athletic and campus fields.
In response to parent concerns about access and transparency, Superintendent Dr. James Hernandez described steps to increase family engagement: weekly morning drop-in meetings at campuses, expanded “Donuts with the Director” converted into a parent advisory council co-chaired with parents, enhanced use of the parent portal and Thrillshare messaging, and an upcoming series of micro-opportunities allowing one-on-one dialogue with parents. He said the district will provide QR-linked materials on the website and continue workshops where board-level details are discussed.
Board members and staff also addressed the spending-authority item. Assistant Superintendent for Finance Alicia Martinez explained the district’s proposed tax rate and finance items (see separate article). Board members agreed to pull the proposed policy change (CH/AF local item in the consent packet relating to administrative thresholds and a TASB link) from the consent agenda for correction and fuller discussion at an October workshop; the board president said the item will be paused and reintroduced with corrected backup materials. Several speakers asked that the board postpone any contract extension or spending-limit change until the evaluation process is reworked to reflect student performance.
Speakers represented parents, community advocates and local residents; several asked for a clear grievance process and bilingual access to district resources. The board’s immediate responses were procedural (pulling the consent item) and programmatic (promising enhanced parent engagement); no formal personnel change was made in public comment.
The public comment period and superintendent’s remarks consumed the meeting’s opening hour and set the tone for later closed-session items.