El Paso ISD trustees sworn in, board elects officers as public urges focus on HVAC, equity and language access

Trustees for the El Paso Independent School District were sworn into office and elected board officers at a special meeting where community members used public comment to press the board on HVAC upgrades, opposition to recent school-closure decisions and priorities for bilingual programming and parent services.

The swearing-in ceremony, administered by Judge Annabelle Perez, covered trustees elected to represent Districts 1, 3, 4 and 5. "I, Mindy Sutton, do solemnly swear ... that I will faithfully execute the office of El Paso Independent School District — Trustee for district 4," Trustee Mindy Sutton repeated during the oath. Similar oaths were administered to Leah Hanani (District 1), Dr. Jack Loveridge (District 3) and Robert Osterland (District 5).

The meeting also included formal board business. The board unanimously approved a motion to reschedule the May 2025 regular meeting and unanimously approved the canvass of returns and declaration of the May 3, 2025, board election results. In officer elections that followed, the board selected Trustee Leah Hanani as president (with one recorded abstention by Trustee Beals), Dr. Jack Loveridge as vice president in a unanimous vote, and Trustee Alex Cuellar as secretary by majority vote.

Superintendent Diana Sara Avedra, introducing the evening, called the occasion "a moment of transition for our school district" and thanked outgoing trustees Israel Idebali and Isabelle Hernandez for their service. "We are grateful for your courageous leadership," Avedra told the board and audience.

Community speakers used the public-comment period to outline priorities they want the new board to take up. Anna Fuentes, director of Manasee Peoples Project, said the lack of adequate AC in district schools is "a symptom of the history of neglect by previous boards" and called for action. Destiny Garcia, a member of Amaneser Peoples Project, recounted hearing "stories about children suffering from heat exhaustion in the classrooms" and urged the board to follow through on promises with concrete actions and regular public accountability.

Norma De La Rosa, president of the El Paso Teachers Association, congratulated the new trustees and urged the board to include teachers, employees and community members as "stakeholders and equal partners" in future decisions. "Community involvement is a must," De La Rosa said. Other public commenters applauded trustees for opposing mass school closures during the recent campaign and urged the board to pursue policies that expand bilingual education access, improve transportation reliability and maintain low student‑to‑teacher ratios; one speaker asked that class sizes for schools taking displaced students be limited to a projected 18-to-1 ratio.

Board President Leah Hanani and her colleagues did not take policy votes at the meeting beyond the officer elections and the procedural items; the session ended after seating the new officers and brief remarks welcoming the trustees. The board indicated that future regular meetings will address the district's strategic investments and financial challenges.

The new board will now oversee next steps on community demands voiced at the meeting, including facilities upgrades, community oversight and expanded language access at public meetings; speakers repeatedly urged provision of high-quality interpretation so parents can participate in district processes.

The board adjourned following the officer elections and brief closing remarks.