Navarro ISD board terminates probationary teacher’s contract, will request SBEC sanctions

The Navarro ISD Board of Trustees voted unanimously on Jan. 21 to terminate the probationary contract of teacher Jesus Esquivel and to direct the superintendent to file a complaint with the State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC) requesting sanctions.

Trustee Clint Scheib made the motion to terminate, citing the board’s December 15 notice and Esquivel’s failure to request a hearing as required by law; the minutes record the stated basis as "failure to report to work without leave and other good causes reasons as determined by the Board of Trustees." The motion authorized the superintendent to deliver written notice of the board’s action. The board subsequently approved the superintendent’s recommendation to find that "no good cause exists" for the mid-contract abandoning of the contract and directed filing with SBEC; both motions carried 7–0.

Why it matters: The termination removes the teacher from district employment immediately and initiates a regulatory complaint that could affect Esquivel’s certification. The district cited procedural history — a prior notice and the employee’s failure to request a hearing — as part of its reasoning in open session. The minutes do not include oral testimony from Esquivel or details beyond the board motions and votes.

Next steps: As recorded, the superintendent is to deliver written notice of termination to Jesus Esquivel and to file the complaint with SBEC as directed by the board.