Limon’s hiring, firing authority limited

By HEATHER CATHLEEN COX
Staff Writer
reporter@sbnewspaper.com 

SBCISDSan Benito CISD School Board members, advised by the district’s attorney Juan Cabrera, met last week to amend a policy which had previously allowed Superintendent of Schools Antonio G. Limón the ability to hire and fire contractual employees at his discretion.

Trustee Oscar Medrano said of the amendment, which was approved unanimously by the board, “We felt that we needed to have a better checks-and-balance system. The process is simple: Mr. Limón will still recommend (employees to hire) and do the interviews, but at the end of the process, the board will vote to approve any contractual employee.”

The amendment made to this policy will not impede Limón’s ability to hire and fire at-will employees.

Medrano said on Thursday, “This is very compatible with what other school boards are doing. I really appreciated the work that the school board attorney did in providing all the options to us.”

School Board Vice President Anna Cruz said, “I’ve always believed that the superintendent is doing his job well. The board establishes policy and so forth, and I would never vote in favor of any policy that would lead to micromanagement of the superintendent or that would lead to us (board members) hiring and firing any employees.”

Cruz said this change does not strip the superintendent of power to make choices but said it is part of a movement toward keeping the school board informed as to the hiring and firing of contractual employees.

Furthermore, Cruz said the policy was amended to reflect “what most school districts have in the state of Texas. It is nothing unusual for the policy being changed to read in that manner…I think it’s very positive because it brings the whole board together in a checks-and-balance system.”

Limón said, “What we’re doing now is what’s done at 90 percent of the districts in State of Texas. The superintendent makes recommendations to the board when it comes to contracted staff, and the board does the hiring. When it comes to at-will staff, or those who don’t have contracts, the superintendent still has the hiring and firing authority.”

The board held a special evaluation of the superintendent this month, which had previously been scheduled for February of next year, just one day after Limón elected to reinstate SBCISD Risk Manager Janie Gonzalez. Gonzalez was fired in September for allegedly lying about having proof of contact between herself and Robert Champion Jr. of Salazar Insurance Group.

This stemmed from a now controversial matter in which Gonzalez, under the instruction of School Board President Yliana G. Rodriguez, drafted a letter in May which would have terminated a contract with the school’s current agent, Bob Treviño Insurance, and called for the immediate instatement of Champion and SIG. This broke policy, which explains neither Rodriguez nor Gonzalez have such authority.

The position of insurance agent with any school district is generally coveted among competitors, as the agent stands to earn up to hundreds of thousands of dollars on the contract.

Despite Medrano’s almost instantaneous request for an investigation into this incident, and an outcry from the citizens of San Benito questioning why the matter was not being investigated, Gonzalez’s reasoning is still a mystery, though her job has been returned.

Board members, as well as Limón, remain mum as to Gonzalez’s sudden reinstatement, though Medrano has said he does not agree with the decision.

Gonzalez’s attorney Cindy Garcia threatened to sue both Limón and SBCISD after her client’s Level 4 grievance was dismissed. No word regarding the lawsuit has been mentioned since Gonzalez’s reinstatement.

Limón said this recent amendment to his duties was not influenced by the aforementioned situation with Gonzalez, which he said had nothing to do with his decision to reinstate her. “Janie Gonzalez is an at-will employee. I still have that authority,” said the superintendent, referring to the authority to hire and fire.

Attempts to reach Rodriguez for comment were unsuccessful.

Read this story in the Nov. 18 edition of the San Benito News, or subscribe to our E-Edition by clicking here.

Permanent link to this article: https://www.sbnewspaper.com/2012/11/16/limons-hiring-firing-authority-limited/

1 comment

    • Get a Phone on November 16, 2012 at 9:59 pm
    • Reply

    Does the BOARD PRESIDENT ever comment? Come on people. You all elected her and now she does not speak!! Only in San Benito. Hold HER ACCOUNTABLE!!

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