EPISD administrators accused of wrongdoing in audit report

Two administrators named in the audit learned in March they would be terminated from the El Paso Independent School District.

Board Trustees voted unanimously last month to begin the firing process for Luis Liano, former El Paso High School Principal and Vanessa Foreman, former Director of Priority Schools Division.

Foreman is accused of directing teachers at Jefferson High School to retest students who had failed classes. If they failed again, teachers were told to pass them anyway.

Foreman overlooked five high schools at EPISD: Jefferson, Irvin, Andress, Austin and Burges.

She allegedly ordered staff to allow students who were missing credits for graduation to take mini-mesters. Students can only take mini-mesters to recover lost credits for failed classes.

The audit report also stated Foreman is accused of reclassifying 10th graders so they wouldn’t have to take the TAKS Test.

After students were reclassified, they were considered “good” candidates for mini-mesters and would go on to get the credits needed to become 11th graders.

Luis Liano, the former principal at El Paso High School is accused of lowering the population of Limited English Proficiency students to raise graduation rates.

During the 2009-2010 school year, the number of LEP students declined from 62 to 36.

Liano also allowed students to take mini-mesters to ensure graduation. The number of mini-mesters increased from 277 to 1,147 the same school year.

The audit stated many of the people interviewed had the perception that employees who were favored by Dr. Lorenzo Garcia were protected from any consequences.

It is unknown if the termination process for Foreman and Liano is complete.