Canutillo ISD trustees unanimously approve contract for Josue Borrego after public criticism of hiring process

The Canutillo ISD Board of Trustees voted unanimously Thursday to approve the contract of Josue Borrego as the district’s next superintendent following an executive session and public comment that urged the board to pause the hire.

At a special meeting that began at 5:41 p.m. Jan. 12, the board cited consultations under Texas Government Code Sections 551.074 and 551.071 before returning to public session to take a formal vote. Trustee Borrego moved to approve the contract and authorize the board president to sign the final draft; Trustee Barnes seconded. The board recorded all votes as yes and the motion passed.

The decision came after a public comment from David Esquivel, who identified himself as a taxpayer and citizen and told the board it was mishandling the superintendent hiring process. "This candidate comes from a district currently under TEA oversight," Esquivel said, and he criticized the finalist’s experience and the timing of any salary increase. He warned, "This could easily lead to continued financial instability or even TEA intervention," and asked the board to "pause this hire" and select someone with "proven experience, strong financial sense and a genuine commitment to our community." The board did not publicly respond to those specific allegations during the meeting.

Board leaders handled the personnel discussion in executive session, as permitted by the cited state statutes. After the vote, trustees invited the superintendent-designate forward and offered congratulations. Josue Borrego thanked the board, saying, "I want to thank the board... I'm ready to get to work," and said he would need a few days before beginning his duties.

The public speaker also referenced the district’s $378,000,000 bond and expressed concern that hiring a superintendent with only two years holding a superintendent license and with no prior experience running a school district could imperil the district’s finances. The board’s formal action authorized the board president to execute the contract; no additional details about the contract’s terms or start date were provided in open session.

The board adjourned the special meeting at 7:13 p.m. and offered several welcoming remarks to the superintendent-designate. The district has not published additional contract documents or an official start date in the meeting record provided.