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PSJA ISD board votes to nominate Superintendent Alejandro Elias amid abstentions over fiscal and governance concerns
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Summary
The PSJA ISD Board of Trustees voted 6–0 with two abstentions to submit Superintendent Alejandro Elias’s nomination for the Texas Association of School Boards’ Superintendent of the Year award after trustees cited district progress and also aired concerns about budget draws, personnel practices and transparency.
The PSJA ISD Board of Trustees voted to submit Superintendent Alejandro Elias’s nomination for the Texas Association of School Boards (TASB) Superintendent of the Year program after a contentious discussion that ended with two trustees abstaining.
The board approved the resolution to forward the nomination by a voice vote that recorded six members in favor and two abstentions. The motion was moved and seconded, and the resolution highlights what the board described as measurable progress under Elias’s leadership, including early college expansion, high graduation rates and new safety and instructional initiatives.
Supporters said Elias has driven district improvements since his appointment in June 2023. Trustee (speaker 3) said she had worked with several superintendents and called the changes under Elias “miraculous,” citing maintenance of staff and the district’s retention and pay programs. Trustee (speaker 10) described Elias as a forward‑thinking leader who had improved academic indicators, graduation rates and college readiness and who had invested in teacher professional development.
Two trustees announced they would abstain. Trustee (speaker 6) said that, because of prior professional differences and ongoing legal matters related to the district, they did not feel able to evaluate the nomination objectively and would not vote. Another trustee (speaker 9) also abstained, citing unresolved community concerns about fiscal responsibility, including the board’s recent need to draw down about $26 million from fund balance and alleged gaps in accountability, and raised questions about hiring and nepotism in some district roles.
Board members who objected to the abstentions urged the trustees to balance criticisms with the district’s publicly reported gains. The board read the resolution on the record and recorded the motion as passed.
The nomination will be submitted to TASB under the Superintendent of the Year program’s procedures. The board did not vote on the award itself, which is decided by TASB. The motion and vote were taken as part of the regular meeting on March 30, 2026.
What happens next: The district will forward the nomination to TASB; the association will select the program’s finalists and honorees. The board did not set any additional conditions or follow‑up actions during the meeting.
