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Canutillo ISD board votes to propose termination of Davenport Elementary principal after public pleas for reinstatement
Summary
After multiple community speakers urged the board to return Principal Guadalupe Montanez to Davenport Elementary, the board voted to propose termination of her term contract; legal counsel said the decision includes notice of rights to request a TEA appeal hearing.
Members of the Davenport Elementary community urged the Canutillo ISD board on May 26 to reinstate Principal Guadalupe Montanez and cited her 23 years of service and campus improvement. Montanez and family members addressed the board during public comment, describing dedication to students and staff and asking the board to ‘‘reflect on my years of service.’’
Guadalupe Montanez told trustees, "My ethics, integrity, and credibility are being questioned, and that is deeply painful," and asked to return to Deanna Davenport Elementary to continue serving the students and families who rely on her.
After the meeting moved into and then returned from closed session under Texas Government Code §§551.071 and 551.074, legal counsel Steve Blanco presented administration’s recommendation to propose termination of Montanez’s term contract for good cause. Blanco explained that the action would include written notice specifying the issues and that Montanez would have the right to request a hearing under TEA’s appeal process.
Trustee Barnes moved to propose termination; Trustee Borrego seconded. The board voted to approve the administration’s proposal: recorded votes were Barnes yes, Borrego yes, Maldonado no, Martinez yes, Ortega yes, Rodriguez abstained. Counsel said the proposal can be appealed through TEA’s process if the employee requests a hearing.
The public record shows several parents and community members—Julie Scott, Nadia Perez, Nayeli Gonzales and Joshua Cuellar—spoke in support of Montanez during the open‑forum period. Administration confirmed the matter had been discussed in closed session and that the board’s recorded action is a proposal to terminate, which triggers procedural notice and appeal rights under state law.
