Josue Borrego was officially named the Canutillo Independent School District’s new superintendent Monday, promising to listen to community members, students and families as he leads.
“Your voice is important. We’re eager to meet each and every one of you. We hope that we have an opportunity to continue to listen to what’s important to you, and so we can drive this work together as we help our students grow,” Borrego told reporters during a news conference after a special board meeting.
The Canutillo ISD board voted unanimously to approve Borrego’s contract and hire him as the district’s leader after a closed-door discussion Monday evening.
District officials did not reveal his salary or the terms of the contract, but said they would be made public in the coming days.
Borrego said he plans to start the job overseeing the 5,700-student school district next week.
As superintendent, he will take charge of overseeing a $387 million bond project narrowly approved by voters in 2024 to upgrade infrastructure and build four new schools.
Borrego said he has had experience with bond projects in the past and plans to work with leadership to understand the district’s needs.
“My job is to come here and speak to those who are leading some of this work with the bond and get familiar with things that are happening here. I know we have some safety issues we need to shore up at some campuses, and there are four schools that we’re putting out to the forefront that we’ll be building, and we expect to be up and running here in a few short years. So, I’m excited for all the future gains we’ll see,” Borrego said.
Borrego’s selection comes after some residents and board members raised concerns about selecting a superintendent who is not from El Paso and was pushing for a higher salary than the district’s former leader.
Borrego works as an administrator for the Houston Independent School District.
Former Canutillo ISD Superintendent Pedro Galaviz made over $207,000 a year before announcing his retirement in April.
The El Paso Independent School District hired a new superintendent, Brisk Lusk, in mid-December with a $360,000 salary.
Ysleta Independent School District Superintendent Xavier De La Torre, who is among the highest-paid superintendents in the state, makes over $450,000 a year. James Vasquez, who was hired as Socorro Independent School District superintendent last year, makes $285,000 annually.
The Canutillo ISD board voted in December to select Borrego as superintendent. After waiting the 21 days required by state law to complete the hiring of a superintendent finalist, the vote to hire Borrego was delayed due to the holidays.
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