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El Paso ISD trustees vote 6–1 to interview all superintendent-search firms
Summary
El Paso ISD trustees on Aug. 27 approved using the published evaluation matrix and adding interviews worth 40 points, voting 6–1 to interview all four finalists next week; procurement staff set a Friday deadline for trustee questions and said interviews will be public meetings held after 5 p.m.
El Paso Independent School District trustees voted 6–1 on Aug. 27 to use the published 135-point evaluation matrix for RFP 26-001 and to add 40 points for interviews, a step procurement staff said will finalize the ranking of firms vying to run the district’s superintendent search. Trustee Cuellar moved for the matrix-plus-interviews approach, and Trustee Leverage seconded; the motion passed on a roll-call vote.
The board heard a presentation from Haley Pena, executive director for procurement and resources, and Adrian Salazar, purchasing agent, who reviewed the solicitation timeline and the evaluation factors used to score proposals. Pena told trustees that solicitation materials were published July 22 and that proposals were submitted by the Aug. 15 deadline. "Due to confidentiality rules, information on this bid can only be released after evaluations have concluded and the vendor has been awarded," Pena said.
Salazar summarized the scoring: 40 points were assigned to vendor quality (two 20-point subsections for firm track record and team qualifications), 40 points to meeting district needs (including methodology and experience in similar K–12 districts), 15 points for price, 15 for references/reputation, 10 for financial capability, and smaller preferences for historically underutilized businesses and Texas-based principal place of business. He said trustees had each submitted preliminary scores through the IonWave procurement system.
Board discussion focused on process and transparency. A trustee objected that Board President Hanani participated in setting evaluation weights without consulting the full board; the trustee said that, under board operating procedures, the president’s formal duties are limited and should not include unilateral determination of evaluation weights. President Hanani responded that she "did not suggest weights" and that her input to procurement was limited to urging emphasis on academic outcomes and on firms with experience serving districts with similar demographics.
Procurement recommended interviewing all four proposers because of the point spread among finalists. Trustee Claire asked whether all four should be interviewed; Pena recommended inviting all four so trustees could compare presentations before final ranking. The board voted in favor of that recommendation.
On logistics, legal counsel and procurement staff said interviews will be held as publicly noticed board-related meetings under the Texas Open Meetings Act and—because they will occur after Sept. 1—must be scheduled outside typical working hours. Pena said staff planned interviews for next Wednesday after 5 p.m., that vendors will present and answer the same questions, and that trustees should submit suggested questions to purchasing by Friday end of day so staff can compile and eliminate duplicates.
Next steps: interviews will be scored (40 points) and added to preliminary averages to determine the highest-ranked vendor; staff expects to begin contract negotiations and to present a recommended award for posting on the Sept. 16 board agenda. The board adjourned at 8:49 a.m.
