Gadsden ISD elects new board officers, approves utility easement and sewer contract

Arlene Murillo was elected board president and Christian Lira was elected vice president during a reorganization vote at the Gadsden Independent School District regular meeting on March 6, 2025. The board also selected Miss Rodriguez as secretary and approved several operational items, including a utility easement for El Paso Electric at the new Riverside Pre‑K site and a contract award for sewer improvements at Gadsden Middle School and Gadsden High School.

The reorganization motion to proceed with officer elections was placed on the floor and carried by the board; the membership then nominated and voted by roll call to fill the three officer posts. Board members completed the roll-call vote for president and then for vice president and secretary; chairing duties were transferred to the newly elected president, Arlene Murillo, immediately after the results were announced.

Why it matters: Leadership changes determine which board member will preside over meetings and represent the district in governance matters. The approved utility easement and sewer contract are early construction‑phase approvals tied to ongoing facility projects.

Details of key board actions approved at the meeting follow. All motions listed below were approved by the board during the March 6 meeting unless otherwise noted.

Utility easement for Riverside Pre‑K: The board approved a 12‑foot access easement and a 12 by 18‑foot pad area to allow El Paso Electric to install a pad‑mount transformer at the Riverside on‑track Pre‑K construction site. The easement was presented by district staff and described as a standard requirement for new building construction. The motion passed on a majority voice vote.

Sewer improvements contract award: Following a formal request for proposals, the evaluation committee recommended Morrow Enterprises, Inc., as the top‑ranked contractor for the Gadsden Middle School and Gadsden High School sewer improvements project. The board approved the award based on the committee’s ranking and recommendation.

Board scheduling and finance committee meetings: The board set a finance/budget work session for May 10, 2025 (a Saturday) to review bond cash balances and related budget topics. The board also approved a change to policy BEDB to hold a monthly finance work session from 4:00–4:45 p.m. immediately before a regular board meeting at the district administrative complex; administration proposed a six‑month trial and asked members to attend regularly.

Minutes and consent agenda: The board approved the regular meeting minutes for Feb. 27, 2025, and accepted the consent agenda as presented.

Procedural notes: The board voted to table item 15A (Grievance Process Presentation) to a later meeting at the request of the union representative who could not attend. The board also held a closed‑session discussion of pending litigation as announced on the agenda and returned to open session after roll‑call approval to enter closed session.

What’s next: Administration will proceed with the easement coordination with El Paso Electric and notify the recommended contractor to begin preconstruction and contracting steps for the sewer project. The board requested any desired work‑session topics (procurement/RFPs, SEG distribution, salary schedules, etc.) be submitted to the superintendent ahead of the May 10 workshop.