EPISD board at odds over TEA accreditation probation

The El Paso Independent School District held a school board meeting Thursday evening.

On the agenda wasa presentation by the Texas Education Agency on how the monitoring process of the districtwould work.

Behind closed doors, a legal consultation with the boardon theTEA accreditation results.

This wasn’t the typicalEPISD meeting people are used to seeing. No shouting matches, No calls for resignations. Besides the media and a handful of other people, the board room was pretty empty.The board came in, sat down and within minutes they decided to move into executive session behind closed doors.

Everyone else at the meeting was forced to wait. Once the board memberscame -out an hour and forty-five minutes later – they weren’t able toshow a presentation as to how the TEA monitor would conduct the job. TheEPISD board said they couldn’t get someone to give the presentationwith such short notice.

As far astalks about theaccreditation probation the TEA gave the district, the board announced thatthey did not agreewith theterms of accreditation probation from theTEA.However, for the sake of moving the district forward, they will accept anyTEAsanctions to acquire professional services to help them,and they welcomed theTEA monitor to the district.

Board member Russell Wiggs said everyone has to remember there are a lot of teachers, students and parents who have worked hard to develop students in the district and they have to do anything they can to move foward.

Whenthe meeting ended,ABC-7 attempted to interview a board member or twobut were refused.

Anthony Safi,EPISD attorney did say they could not remark onTEA findings because of legalities.