Southeast Bexar County Community Awareness: Southside ISD School Board members do New York on whose dime?

The Southside ISD school board has been in the media almost since the take over by the "team" as Ms. Mendelsohn, campaign supporter and ESD#6 Board President; referred to them. Who made up the team? Former ESD#6 members, Chavez and Brewer, Alma Guzman, Frank Cannon, Tony Luna (he stepped down after a month on the board), John Wood, Daniel Rodriguez.

Amidst coverage of the fact that they had hired an unqualified or non-certified Superintendent, Ricardo Vela; decided to take off on a trip to New York. Why? Which vendor sponsored it?

The question among community members is "on whose dime"?

It was known that Mr. Brewer was not living within the district when he ran for the school board, living in Alice Texas and working for Halliburton. Mr. Brewer is no longer employed at Halliburton and has the freedom, but it is not known if he has the financial resources.

Mr. Chavez is also on the vacation, along with their new Superintendent Ricardo Vela. This leaves many in the community to ask another question; what were they doing there? A rural Texas school board in New York simply raised a red flag of concern.

that during Mr. Vela's previous tenure at Southside ISD in the capacity of Assistant Superintendent of Finance; he was given the opportunity to take a "NY city vacation" sponsored by a firm the district was using. The Superintendent, Dr. Juan Jasso did not allow it to take place because it was not only immoral, but it gave an air of impropriety and would be-smudge the district.

While the firm covered the expenses of this vacation, the district would cover the costs by perdium for personal expenses. Something that the "team" increased.

While board members took an oath to do what was right for the district, it's students and it's community, they continued to show through their tenure on the board; that those words and their signature were just a "formality" and had no merit when it came to the actions that they put forth in the eye of the public.

It was this behavior that cost the majority of the board to lose their bid for re-election in May 2015. Leaving only two members, Mr. Brewer and Mr. Chavez on the board for another two years. The community spoke loudly when they voted them out by as much as a 40% difference in votes against their opponents.