La Joya ISD superintendent reports mixed progress on district priorities; special-education audit due in spring

Superintendent Darla Sorensen told the La Joya ISD board on Feb. 26 that districtwide priority work is moving but unevenly, and she named specific areas that need immediate attention.

"Customer service does not always mean that it ends with the customer getting their way," Sorensen said, describing the district's approach and how central office and campuses should respond to families and staff. She said training on best practices for staff is "on track," while systems that clearly connect families to the correct central-office divisions are "slightly off track."

Sorensen reviewed five priorities the district is tracking: customer service; trust and transparency; high-quality instruction; excellence in leadership; and integrity and accountability. She said work on high-quality instructional materials is on track and that weekly implementation reports are being shared with campus leaders. However, she told the board that the district's parent engagement plan is "off track," citing low attendance at parent sessions and inconsistent campus-level implementation.

Board member Dr. Carlos Margo asked what the district could do to improve parent participation. Sorensen said the answer is to "implement the plan as it is written" and to meet parents "where they are"—including more outreach in the community and changes at the campus level to carry out the parent engagement actions outlined in the plan.

On accountability, Sorensen said a financial audit led by Business, Finance and Administrative Services is in progress with results expected in April. She also said she has launched an "external audit of special education services," with findings due in late March or early April and a public implementation plan to follow. "Superintendent will share those results publicly," Sorensen said.

Sorensen described a cabinet-level cadence for reviewing these priorities every six weeks and emphasized that the work is intended to change daily practice on campuses as well as central office processes. She noted that some measures—such as a districtwide culture and climate survey—are planned for the end of the school year, while other surveys (calendar start/end feedback and division-specific employee surveys) are already in progress.

The superintendent highlighted leadership pipeline programs launched by the human capital office, and she said the district continues to expand professional learning aimed at improving classroom instruction and instructional coaching.

Sorensen closed the update by reminding the board and community that the district will continue strategic planning and stakeholder engagement through spring town halls and a community design day in May to develop a strategic plan for 2025–26 and beyond.