5 things you need to know about state conservators in Socorro ISD

Last week, the Texas Education Agency formally announced two conservators who are being assigned to help correct a series of problems in the Socorro Independent School District.

Here’s what you need to know.

Who are the SISD conservators?

Michael Hinojosa, retired superintendent of the Dallas Independent School District, is the lead conservator, and will be assisted by Andrew Kim, retired superintendent of the Manor ISD in Central Texas. Hinojosa is a former superintendent of Fabens ISD in El Paso County, and his wife is a former teacher in Socorro ISD.

What will the TEA-assigned conservators do?

In a letter to Socorro ISD announcing the conservators, Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath outlined several responsibilities for the conservators: Overseeing and directing any action of the district and/or governance team; conducting onsite inspections of the district during the period of the placement; facilitating a needs assessment of the district and governance systems; supporting the creation of a corrective action plan to address concerns outlined in the needs assessment; and reporting to the agency on the progress of the corrective action plan and governance activities of the district.

More: Socorro ISD Superintendent Carman placed on administrative leave after audit presentation

Who pays for the conservators at SISD?

Socorro ISD taxpayers. According to Morath’s letter, Socorro will pay $125 an hour for the work of each conservator, plus travel expenses. The cost is likely to be in the thousands of dollars a month, at least in the first few months.

The additional costs come as Socorro ISD faces a $33 million budget deficit, and as employees are being told they likely will not see pay raises next school year.

When asked what he’d say to employees facing stagnant wages while the district pays the conservators to repair past mistakes, Socorro ISD school board President Michael Najera said the conservators can be seen as an investment in improving the district.

“While it is an investment, it is a cost. Not making that investment is even more expensive in so many other senses,” Najera told El Paso Matters.

Is the Socorro ISD conservatorship a ‘takeover‘ or how is it similar to TEA takeovers of Houston ISD and El Paso ISD?

While the state intervention in Socorro has some similarities to previous actions by TEA in Houston and El Paso, there also are stark differences. The state assumed far more power in Houston ISD and El Paso ISD.

As in other interventions, TEA took actions in Socorro after the agency said investigations found significant failures by district leaders. In Socorro’s case, the failures included systems that allowed students to graduate without proof they had the required credits, paying $283,000 in stipends not authorized by the school board, and governance failures by the school board.

TEA specifically cited Trustee Paul Guerra’s participation in the award of a contract to his employer. The agency also detailed a number of other complaints against board members, but said those investigations would be closed because the board agreed to the appointment of conservators.

The conservators have the power to overrule actions by the board, superintendent or other administrators. That is important authority. But the school board elected by Socorro ISD voters remains in place, and that is a major difference with what happened in Houston ISD and El Paso ISD.

Morath removed the elected Houston ISD board in 2023 and appointed a board of managers to replace them. The appointed managers remain in control of Houston ISD.

A previous Texas education commissioner, Michael Williams, took similar action in EPISD in 2013. In the wake of efforts by then-Superintendent Lorenzo Garcia and other administrators to game the state accountability system, Williams found that the school board failed to provide proper oversight of the district and replaced them with a board of managers.

EPISD was returned to elected board leadership in 2015.

When asked who is in charge of Socorro ISD, Najera said it was a “complicated question.”

“The conservatorship does not replace the board. The conservatorship does not replace the superintendent. Of course, if we are doing things incorrectly, inappropriately, things that would hurt the district instead of help, yes, TEA can step in. However, it is business as usual,” he said.

More: TEA report exposes widespread failings at Socorro ISD

How long will the conservators be at Socorro ISD?

Morath’s letter to Socorro does not list an end date for the conservatorship. State law requires that the conservatorship be reviewed every 90 days. The conservatorship would be ended at the end of the review period, unless the education commissioner recommends that it be continued.

Morath appointed a conservator in San Antonio’s Southside ISD in 2022, and ended the conservatorship earlier this year. He appointed a conservator at DeSoto ISD in North Texas in 2020; that conservator recommended in late 2023 that his appointment be ended.

This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Socorro ISD under state conservatorship. What it means.