Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Superintendent Search topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
EL PASO ISD meeting moved into closed session amid public demands for transparency
Summary
At a Nov. 17 special meeting, a public commenter urged EL PASO ISD trustees to release a five-candidate list, asked Board President Hanani to recuse herself and questioned catering expenses. The board said the superintendent search is confidential and closed the meeting under Texas Government Code provisions.
A special meeting of the EL PASO ISD Board of Trustees on Nov. 17 moved into a private session after a public commenter urged the board to make candidate information public and questioned the cost of catered breakfasts.
An unidentified commenter speaking during the public-comment period told the board: "The first r is release the list of 5 you come up with today. Second, board president Anany, until that list is public, you should reassure the people of El Paso and the taxpayers of EPISD and recuse yourself. Third, I ask you to remove the curtain of secrecy. Do what you're about to do in open session in full daylight of everybody. And lastly, the cost of the catering ... How much was that? My members don't have supplies for their classrooms, but we got catered breakfasts." The speaker is recorded in the transcript as the single public speaker for the meeting, though the record inconsistently names that person (see below).
The presiding officer responded on the record that "this search is confidential" and said board members had signed nondisclosure agreements, adding the board must adhere to the confidentiality agreement. A separate participant reiterated that the meeting was closed to protect the privacy of candidates and said the process "has been professional." No further public discussion followed.
The presiding officer then announced the board would close the meeting "under sections 5 5 1.071551 0.074, and 5 5 1.129 of the Texas government code" as read into the record, sought to close the meeting, and stated the time as 08:59 before adjourning. The transcript does not record a formal motion maker, seconder, or a roll-call vote; it records only the invocation of statutory authority and the board's immediate closure and adjournment.
Why it matters: The exchange captured public frustration with the confidentiality of the superintendent search and raised questions about transparency and district spending on refreshments. The board framed its decision as driven by confidentiality obligations tied to the search process.
What’s next: The record closes the session under the cited Texas Government Code passages and adjourns; the transcript does not record any subsequent public vote, schedule for further action, or release timeline for candidate information.
