Dr. Josh Acevedo resigns from EPISD board of trustees
EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- The newest member of El Paso city council will be sworn in tomorrow morning. Doctor Josh Acevedo is the new representative for district 2. Acevedo resigned January 29, 2024 from the El Paso Independent School District Board of Trustees in a letter he sent to board president. In an interview with our news partners at El Paso Inc., Acevedo says he's ready to take on a long list of contentious city issues. High on his list of priorities is hiring a new city manager. Acevedo says he would prefer a local applicant for the position, and is hoping that interim city manager Cary Westin will apply.
The resignation letter states as follows:
"Dear President Irrobali, it has been the honor of my life to serve my community as an elected member of the El Paso Independent School District Board of Trustees since 2019. I assumed a pivotal role on the EPISD Board of Trustees during a critical period of challenge. Faced with a leadership vacuum and persistent issues undermining community trust, I helped champion an agenda of transparency and accountability to restore public trust in El Paso’s District.
I am proud of the work accomplished throughout my time on the EPISD Board of Trustees, for our incredible students, faculty, and staff. We have laid a solid foundation for the district to flourish. We hired Diana Sayavedra on January 4, 2022 as the first female and Latina superintendent in our 140-year history. We did this with an intentional, simple contract for our community that includes a salary, retirement, and healthcare. This has cemented Ms. Sayavedra as a community-oriented and ethical leader to usher in the next era of EPISD.
We passed an unprecedented parental leave policy – the first school district in Texas – for our employees. I hope the board will continue to build upon this policy for years to come. Under Ms. Sayavedra’s leadership, we made EPISD a child-focused organization and developed a strategic blueprint around five levers that will guide the district’s growth. We focused our budget in the classroom and gave a seven percent raise to our teachers – the largest raise in district history.
Finally, we maximized fiscal accountability and made thoughtful decisions with our tax dollars to make sure our district meets the educational needs of every child to succeed. I am also glad that we began to tackle the budget deficit and lowered the tax rate every year that I have been on the Board of Trustees. The work to make the district a better place for every child is far from over, but I know that we have committed to doing the important labor of improving systems, processes, and policies in the boardroom to deliver equity in the classroom.
As you know, I have been elected to serve our community in a different capacity – as a member of the El Paso City Council for District 2, beginning on Tuesday, January 30, 2024. I am writing to submit my resignation from the El Paso Independent School District Board of Trustees, effective on Monday, January 29, 2024."
Dr. Acevedo also states "I anticipate working with EPISD in a different capacity – as a community member and on the El Paso City Council. I look forward to building a collaborative relationship between the City of El Paso and EPISD for our community."
