La Joya ISD board reviews governance metrics, advances operating procedures and approves consent agenda; TEA continues conservator appointment

La Joya ISD trustees spent part of the meeting focused on governance practices: a Lone Star Governance (LSG) time-use report, a proposed set of board operating procedures for formal adoption, and routine consent items.

Joseph Ancello presented the LSG time-use tracker from the Oct. 22 meeting and reported that of 115 minutes tracked for that meeting, approximately 47 minutes were dedicated to student outcomes and 45 minutes to adult-behavior topics. He said the accounting is part of an accountability and continuous-improvement framework to keep meetings focused on student outcomes.

Dr. Diana Pereira presented a draft of the board operating procedures the district developed over several months. Pereira said the document codifies roles and responsibilities for the board, officers and the superintendent, references Lone Star Governance principles and local board policy where applicable, and includes an appendix with grievance and campus-visit protocols. She said the document is iterative, will be reviewed annually at the summer workshop, and will be posted on the district website after final approval.

On routine business, a board member moved and another seconded approval of the consent agenda; the board adopted the consent agenda by a voice vote (“aye”) and the president declared the motion carried. The meeting then recessed into closed session under the Texas Open Meetings Act; the public meeting resumed after the closed session.

Near the end of the public meeting the board president read a Texas Education Agency letter notifying the district that the TEA has reviewed conservator and management appointments and decided to continue the appointment of the conservator and the board of managers under the referenced Texas Education Code provision. The letter cites Texas Education Code 39.8.003(b) and gives contact information at TEA for further questions.

What it means: The operating procedures, once adopted, will provide a formal, public playbook for board operations, including the role of the superintendent and how the board handles complaints, campus visits and other governance functions. The TEA letter means state oversight via a conservator and board of managers will continue; the letter notes the review was done under the statutory authority cited in the reading.

Sources: Joseph Ancello (LSG time-use report, introduced at 01:08:13), Dr. Diana Pereira (board operating procedures presentation, introduced at 01:12:14), consent agenda motion and voice vote recorded at 01:23:08, and the TEA letter read at 02:37:03.