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Residents urge transparency and pause on new administrative appointments at Edgewood ISD meeting
Summary
Two community speakers told the Edgewood ISD School Board on May 20 that district plans and documents were not transparent and urged the board to reconsider or pause proposed administrative appointments given budget and enrollment concerns.
At the Edgewood Independent School District School Board meeting on May 20, 2025, two members of the public used the communication-from-citizens portion of the agenda to press the board for greater transparency and to question proposed administrative appointments.
Melody Herrera addressed multiple agenda items, saying she could not find up-to-date campus improvement plans on the district website and that the district’s administrative-procedures manual and certain resolutions had not been posted. Herrera said, “Please make sure this manual is not just a check-in the box, but that we are truly implementing,” and asked the board to ensure materials were made available to the community. She also referenced a resolution related to SB 1882 and asked for clarity about a P-TECH partnership.
Agapita Jaramillo spoke about proposed appointments and possible position consolidation. Jaramillo said the district has been criticized as “top heavy in administration” and urged the board to consider merging positions or putting promotions on hold amid a reported deficit, declining enrollment, and the arrival of vouchers next school year. Jaramillo noted she did not have access to closed-session discussions but wanted the board to be mindful of budget and staffing impacts before approving new administrative roles.
Both speakers raised concerns about the process and the availability of documentation before board votes. Meeting staff reminded speakers of Board policy BED local and that public comments must relate to agenda items; the presiding officer may rule speakers out of order for deviations. Melody Herrera additionally alleged her microphone was being cut off during remarks.
These public comments occurred before the board moved the consent agenda and later convened in closed session. The transcript shows the board approved the appointments and other items after reconvening; the public comments did not result in recorded changes to motions or votes during the meeting.
The board did not provide an on-the-record response to requests for posting specific documents during the public-comment period; representatives pointed to existing board policies and to the closed-session procedure limits identified in state law.
