Midland ISD board approves notice of proposed termination for principal Cynthia Rodriguez

The Midland Independent School District Board of Trustees on Oct. 6 voted to approve the superintendent's recommendation to send notice of a proposed termination of the term contract of principal Cynthia Rodriguez.

Board staff member Miss Garcia told trustees, “the superintendent recommends that the board of trustees approve for the president of the board to send Cynthia Rodriguez notice of the proposed termination of her term contract pursuant to section 21.211 of the Texas Education Code and board policy DFBA (LEGAL).” The motion was made and seconded; trustees were asked to raise their right hands in favor, and the chair declared the motion carried. No roll-call tally or individual votes were read into the record.

The vote came after two members of the public used the meeting's public forum to press the board on accountability and transparency related to a recent incident at South Elementary. One speaker said parents are asking “how does the district decide who is held accountable when students are harmed?” and criticized inconsistent treatment of campus leaders. Ebony Coleman, who identified herself as founder of Jumpstart Midland, said the district had provided conflicting statements about how the incident was reported and called for greater oversight. “Jump start calls on the board to trigger immediate certification audits and establish transparent reporting and parent oversight so that this never happens again,” Coleman said.

The agenda item considered by trustees was listed as action item 8 under agenda item 4. Miss Garcia told the board that documentation supporting the district's cause for the proposed termination was included in the board packet. The board president, Brandon Hodges, presided over the vote and adjourned the meeting at 5:38 p.m.

The board's action on Oct. 6 authorized sending notice of a proposed termination under Texas Education Code §21.211 and board policy DFBA (LEGAL); the transcript and board remarks indicate this is a notice of proposed termination rather than a final termination. The meeting record does not include a named mover or seconder, a recorded roll-call vote, or specified next steps or hearing dates associated with the statutory process in §21.211.

Public commenters at the meeting urged districtwide steps beyond the single personnel action, including regular certification audits, clearer incident reporting to parents, and stronger district-level accountability processes. The board packet was referenced for supporting documentation but the packet contents and any follow-up timeline were not read into the public record during the meeting.

The board meeting opened at 5:30 p.m. and adjourned at 5:38 p.m.