{"id":459365,"date":"2026-10-07T19:22:43","date_gmt":"2026-10-07T19:22:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/459365\/"},"modified":"2026-10-07T19:22:43","modified_gmt":"2026-10-07T19:22:43","slug":"former-superintendent-ex-trustee-fired-principal-among-canutillo-isd-trustee-candidates","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/459365\/","title":{"rendered":"Former superintendent, ex-trustee, fired principal among Canutillo ISD trustee candidates"},"content":{"rendered":"

Nine candidates, including a write-in, are facing off in the Nov. 3 election for four of the seven at-large seats on the Canutillo Independent School District Board of Trustees. Three seats are full terms and one is an unexpired term.<\/p>\n

The three candidates running for the full terms, and one for the unexpired term, who garner the most votes will join the board. They will be tasked with overseeing the ongoing construction projects approved by voters in 2024<\/a> under a $387 million bond and improving the district\u2019s academic performance after garnering a C from the state A-F Accountability Rating system for two consecutive years.<\/p>\n

Canutillo ISD trustees are elected at-large and represent all of the district\u2019s roughly 5,600 students.<\/p>\n

Early voting will be Oct. 19-30.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The candidates running for the three full-term seats include incumbents Cindy Andrade and Breanne Barnes, former Canutillo ISD Superintendent Pedro Galaviz, current board President Sergio Martinez, former Trustee Blanca Trout, technical analyst Ryan Escamilla and Guadalupe Monta\u00f1ez, a principal who\u2019s on administrative leave while she appeals her termination from the district.<\/p>\n

Retired Canutillo ISD employee Patsy Mendoza and write-in candidate Brandi Stevenson, whose name will not appear on the ballot, are running for the unexpired term that has two years remaining.<\/p>\n

Trustee Lucy Borrego did not file to run for reelection.<\/p>\n

The unexpired term was left open after Martinez, who was appointed to his seat in 2024, opted to file for a four-year term instead of finishing his current one.<\/p>\n

Martinez, the runner-up in the 2024 school board election, took Trout\u2019s place on the board after she was elected despite withdrawing her name from the race. She missed the deadline to remove her name from the ballot that year.<\/p>\n

School board trustees adopt an annual budget, set tax rates, and establish policies, goals and directives for the district to follow. Trustees can also hire and fire the superintendent and are responsible for conducting the district leader\u2019s annual evaluation.<\/p>\n

The Canutillo ISD board voted in December 2025 to hire<\/a> Josue Borrego as the permanent superintendent after Galaviz retired earlier that year.<\/p>\n

ELECTION 2026 VOTER GUIDE: Everything you need to know about the Nov. 3 general elections in El Paso<\/a><\/p>\n

Five of the candidates \u2013 Carrillo, Galaviz, Martinez, Mendoza and Stevenson \u2013 reported not raising any campaign funds. Martinez reported spending $650 from his personal funds; while the others reported no spending, according to their campaign finance reports. Barnes reported raising $1,394 \u2013 including about $400 in in-kind contributions \u2013 and spending about $955. The others didn\u2019t file any campaign finance reports.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s a look at the candidates running for the Canutillo ISD board:<\/p>\n

Blanca Trout<\/p>\n

\"\"Blanca Trout<\/p>\n

Trout, 64, was first elected to the Canutillo ISD board in 2016. She has an associate degree in business administration from El Paso Community College and considers herself a public servant.<\/p>\n

After a two-year hiatus from the board, Trout said she decided to throw her hat back in the ring after hearing from parents she said were concerned about the district\u2019s academic performance.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was always thinking about getting involved again in the community I belong to. I think I did a good job before, and I receive a lot of phone calls from parents that they would like me to run again. So of course, I would like to answer those phone calls,\u201d Trout said.<\/p>\n

To improve Canutillo ISD\u2019s academic rating, Trout said she plans to support the superintendent while holding him accountable for the district\u2019s performance.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s very important first to have a talk with the superintendent and ask him, \u2018What\u2019s going on? Why are we not performing at the level that we should?\u2019 Maybe the superintendent has some needs. But we have to remind the superintendents that they are the leaders of this. They are the ones who are steering the boat,\u201d Trout said.<\/p>\n

Though Trout was on the board when trustees voted to call for the 2024 bond election, she was absent from the meeting. She did not say whether she was in favor of the bond election at the time, but said she supports \u201cwhat\u2019s best for the students.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t vote that time. But now I see the campuses, and I see that it\u2019s for students. I think it\u2019s a good thing,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n

In 2022, Trout was censured by the board after she was accused of violating Texas election law prohibiting the use of school resources to promote political campaigns when she drove a truck with a banner bearing her name in a high school homecoming parade.<\/p>\n

She was running as the Republican candidate for Precinct 4 on the El Paso County Commissioners Court. She lost to Sergio Coronado, who was also on the Canutillo ISD board at the time.<\/p>\n

Breanne Barnes<\/p>\n

\"\"Breanne Barnes<\/p>\n

Barnes, 39, was elected to the Canutillo ISD Board of Trustees in 2022. She holds a bachelor\u2019s in early childhood education from the University of Texas at El Paso, according to the district\u2019s website.<\/p>\n

She did not respond to El Paso Matters\u2019 request for an interview.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Barnes was the only trustee who voted against calling for the 2024 bond election after raising concerns about whether the district would be able to manage the debt.<\/p>\n

Her campaign website<\/a> says she plans to fight for \u201cquality education and opportunities for all students, parental rights, transparency and accountability, wise spending of taxpayer money and to complete bond projects as promised.\u201d<\/p>\n

Barnes worked as an elementary school teacher for 11 years. During her previous school board campaign, she told El Paso Matters she resigned from her position teaching at a Canutillo Elementary School in 2021 over her dissatisfaction with COVID-19 quarantine policies for unvaccinated employees. Barnes said she pulled her child out of the district and enrolled her in private school.<\/p>\n

A year prior, Barnes unsuccessfully attempted<\/a> to remove the graphic novel \u201cGender Queer: A Memoir\u201d from the Canutillo High School library. The novel, which illustrates the author\u2019s journey of identifying as nonbinary and asexual, has been targeted by conservative groups for its depiction of LGBTQ identities and what they say is sexually explicit material.<\/p>\n

Barnes told El Paso Matters in 2022 that her book challenge was not politically motivated and was ensuring the district complies with state laws and does not expose children to \u201cpornographic\u201d content.<\/p>\n

Cindy Andrade Carrillo<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Andrade Carrillo, formerly Cindy Zuniga, was elected to the Canutillo ISD school board in 2022. At the time, she told El Paso Matters she manages Tamales Lupita on Doniphan Drive, which is owned by her parents. The business is registered under Lidia Carrillo, according to El Paso County records.<\/p>\n

She did not respond to El Paso Matters\u2019 request for an interview.<\/p>\n

Andrade Carrillo is being sued by the city of El Paso on behalf of other taxing entities over unpaid 2025 taxes, according to court records filed in late September. Records show she currently owes $7,800 in unpaid property taxes and fees for her home in Canutillo.\u00a0<\/p>\n

It is not the first time she\u2019s faced this type of tax trouble.<\/p>\n

In 2022, the city sued her for over $4,500 in unpaid taxes for the same property, court records show.<\/p>\n

She was also sued by the state in 2018 over an undisclosed amount of unpaid sales tax over a six-month period in 2017. The suit was later dismissed after she complied with the tax assessor\u2019s office.<\/p>\n

Delinquent property taxes do not disqualify a school board candidate from becoming a trustee, according to Texas Secretary of State guidelines.<\/p>\n

Guadalupe Monta\u00f1ez<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Monta\u00f1ez, the former principal of Davenport Elementary School, said she was motivated to run after the Canutillo ISD board voted in May to terminate her contract following a child abuse investigation that led to the arrest of three employees<\/a> assigned to a special education classroom.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m running because I was put in a situation that I never thought that I\u2019d be in,\u201d Monta\u00f1ez, 52, told El Paso Matters.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re stating that I knew something that I didn\u2019t. They\u2019re saying that I should have done something differently years ago. They\u2019re trying to get rid of me for that. But in doing my investigative work, I found out that central office should have handled it before it was even brought to my campus, and I\u2019m just being used as a scapegoat,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n

Canutillo ISD officials confirmed Monta\u00f1ez is technically on administrative leave. That\u2019s because under Texas law, school district employees whose contracts are terminated before their term ends are allowed to appeal the decision. They\u2019re still considered employees until the process is complete.<\/p>\n

School employees are barred from serving on the board for the district that employs them. Monta\u00f1ez said she will resign if she wins the election.<\/p>\n

Monta\u00f1ez said she wants to replace Borrego, whose administration recommended terminating her contract, with a new superintendent to improve the district\u2019s academic performance.<\/p>\n

She said she does not blame Borrego for the district\u2019s academic performance, but was critical of the way he restructured central office and wanted someone who would offer more support to campuses.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn terms of the feedback that I received from the districts, from the teachers, from everybody, I think it would be good to get somebody who is more in tune with the community and with the district,\u201d Monta\u00f1ez said.<\/p>\n

Pedro Galaviz<\/p>\n

\"\"Pedro Galaviz<\/p>\n

Galaviz, 59, last year retired from Canutillo ISD after serving as the superintendent for about 13 years, citing issues with the political climate around education and the management of the school board.<\/p>\n

He said his passion for education, instilled by his immigrant background, and his desire to be a voice for the students of Canutillo motivated him to run for a spot on that same board.<\/p>\n

\u201cI got into the public school system because I wanted to be that voice for those silent voices,\u201d Galaviz said. \u201cI want to ensure that every Canutillo student has access to opportunities that can change the course of their life.\u201d<\/p>\n

If elected, Galaviz would help oversee and have a say on the salary and employment of the person who took his job after retiring.<\/p>\n

Galaviz said his decisions involving the superintendent will depend on his performance.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s all on him because the board holds the superintendent accountable, and then you take action and you take what is learned to inform the next cycle of direction. So, if the superintendent is getting results and is honest, then (he\u2019s) good,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Canutillo ISD\u2019s 2024 bond proposal was designed and approved while Galaviz was superintendent.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Galaviz was questioned and criticized for signing a contract to purchase a 51-acre horse farm<\/a> to build a new middle school without board approval in 2024 \u2013 about six months after voters approved the bond. Galaviz maintained he mistakenly signed the contract under direction of his Realtor. The purchase contract was later ratified by the board. Construction of the school is expected to be completed in late 2027.<\/p>\n

If elected, he said he would want to ensure \u201cthe district delivers what voters were promised within the financial and legal boundaries established.\u201d<\/p>\n

Galaviz said he knew the district did not have the capabilities of overseeing the bond construction on its own, so that is why he recommended contracting the Fort Worth-based company Procedeo.<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cWhen this bond came out, the first thing I wanted was to hire a professional bond manager\u201d, Galaviz said. \u201cYou trust the professionals. We govern the bond the way we govern the district. We don\u2019t manage the construction.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ryan Escamilla<\/p>\n

Escamilla, 40, grew up in El Paso\u2019s Westside. He left his hometown for 15 years to serve in the Air Force and work in Austin. He returned to the region eight years ago to be closer to family.<\/p>\n

Now as a resident of Canutillo, Escamilla said he wants to serve the community.<\/p>\n

\u201cKnowing how school districts affect property taxes and the stuff that goes into it, I kind of want to do something valuable in the community,\u201d Escamilla said. \u201cI want to step up and make a difference, and I feel that I have a good head on my shoulders. I feel I have the ability to make good, informed decisions.\u201d<\/p>\n

Escamilla said his main goals are to ensure the district\u2019s spending is vetted and its budget is maintained to \u201cavoid extra taxes going to the homeowners,\u201d while ensuring students and teachers\u2019 needs are being met.<\/p>\n

\u201cI would want to make sure that those two are the main priorities since everything revolves around money. We have to make sure that everything is properly funded, properly staffed, so they can take care of everyone in the district,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

Escamilla said he would use the same approach he uses to manage his budget at home with the district, and make cuts in places where there may be overspending. He also noted he would support a tax increase if it was something the district needed.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have to see where all the bills are coming from, see if any of them are necessary, see if we are overspending on some, and then making a determination from that on how to balance your own personal budget,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Escamilla said he would want to get more information on what led to the district\u2019s downgraded accountability rating before making any major decisions on how to address it.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d have to gather, like a lot of information, and then make a determination from that on what needs to change, whether it has something to do with funding, teachers, materials, whatever it is,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Escamilla said he\u2019s recently attended the Canutillo ISD\u2019s meetings on the 2024 bond project. He noted the district seems to have a good grasp on the project, but would want to ensure projects are completed on time based on their contracts.<\/p>\n

\u201cI would be looking to make sure that timelines are still being met,\u201d Escamilla said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Sergio Martinez<\/p>\n

\"\"Sergio Martinez<\/p>\n

Martinez has served as the Canutillo ISD board president for the last two years.<\/p>\n

Because he was appointed to his seat, Martinez would have to run during the November election to keep his seat.<\/p>\n

Instead of continuing his term, he said he chose to run for a new seat to avoid running against Mendoza.<\/p>\n

\u201cI realized that I would be running against a very competitive individual who has been elected several times, and that is Patsy Mendoza,\u201d Martinez said. \u201cI felt that if I was to run against her, more than likely I would come in second. So, I felt that my best interest would be to run for a four-year term.\u201d<\/p>\n

Martinez has a background in architecture and has taken part in several design projects throughout the county, including Canutillo High School.<\/p>\n

Overseeing the 2024 bond, which was approved by a margin of just 13 votes, is the primary reason Martinez said he wants to be on the board.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe finally passed it by a very few votes, which led me to believe that our community was not really satisfied with the way that district was moving forward,\u201d Martinez said.<\/p>\n

Martinez said he had hoped to help bring harmony among the trustees, who often have tense public disagreements on how the district should be run.<\/p>\n

\u201cI saw a lot of arguing within the board and with my naive eyes, I decided to join and see if I could bring them together somehow,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s been extremely difficult because we have very set ideas on both ends, so to speak. But I felt that I could make a difference.\u201d<\/p>\n

During his time on the board, Martinez said he has kept an eye on the bond project\u2019s progress and visited construction sites with the superintendent.<\/p>\n

\u201cI tell the superintendent, \u2018Based on this \u2026 it should be around 50% complete, 60% complete.\u2019 I think the superintendent is listening and he\u2019s been pushing everyone. I can almost bet my position that I think by the end of next year we will be completed 100% with our bond,\u201d Martinez said.<\/p>\n

In 2016, Martinez was convicted of assault causing bodily injury stemming from a 2013 arrest. He previously told El Paso Matters the arrest happened after a driver followed him and his family in his car to his work, leading to an altercation.<\/p>\n

Court records show he served 10 days in jail and paid over $800 in fines.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a learning experience more than anything,\u201d Martinez said. \u201cDid I go do it again? Well, no, that\u2019s not my nature. People that know me know that I\u2019m respectable.\u201d<\/p>\n

He recently retired from working at Tigua Inc., a consulting firm founded by the Ysleta del Sur Pueblo that specializes in national security and government projects.<\/p>\n

Patsy Mendoza<\/p>\n

\"\"Patricia Mendoza<\/p>\n

Mendoza, 70, worked for Canutillo ISD for over 30 years before retiring in 2010. She served two four-year terms on the board from 2010 to 2014 and from 2020 to 2024.<\/p>\n

She\u2019s now looking to return to Canutillo ISD and serve the remaining two years of the unfinished term as a way to thank the district for providing her a livelihood, Mendoza said<\/p>\n

\u201cCanutillo helped me raise my children, and it helped me put them through school. So I am very grateful to Canutillo ISD. I look at running for the school board as a way of paying back,\u201d Mendoza said.<\/p>\n

Mendoza said she plans to rely on the expertise of Canutillo ISD\u2019s Curriculum and Instruction Division, which is in charge of developing the district\u2019s academic programs, to ensure it improves its accountability rating.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think that the district has a very resourceful curriculum department, and I think they are the experts in bringing to the board their plan of action in remedying the situation,\u201d Mendoza said.<\/p>\n

\u201cTEA has all the wherewithal with the measuring and the ratings. But I really think the administration is doing a very good job. I think they\u2019re on the right track,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n

If elected, Mendoza said she would push for Canutillo ISD to offer more career technical education programs, such as cosmetology, to attract students from nearby districts.<\/p>\n

Mendoza said it was a smart decision for the district to hire Procedeo to oversee the bond construction and plans to hold the company accountable for any delays or unforeseen expenses.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know that they have a whole process in which they approve expenditures. Like all buildings, there\u2019s always a change that requires maybe more money that they didn\u2019t anticipate when the budget was set. But I would want a full accounting from Procedeo on the rationale for the change in the construction and the amount of money that is needed,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Brandi Stevenson<\/p>\n

An Army veteran, Stevenson, 44, was born in Maryland and came to El Paso roughly 10 years ago when she was stationed at Fort Bliss. She works at Canutillo ISD as an aide and said she would resign from the district if she\u2019s elected.<\/p>\n

Stevenson, a write-in candidate, said she is running for a position on the board to help ensure parents have a say in the district.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m so sick of hearing parents complain about who\u2019s on the board right now, and that they don\u2019t get heard,\u201d Stevenson said. \u201cSo, I was like, \u2018I\u2019ll go be your voice.\u2019 I want to know why things are happening. I\u2019ll play devil\u2019s advocate all day long.\u201d<\/p>\n

Stevenson said she wants to learn more about the district\u2019s budget and policies before making any major decisions on its tax rate or academic performance.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know what the right answer is to make it more positive,\u201d Stevenson said about the accountability rating. \u201cI would love to read our policies and what the board already has in process to see what they think should be better before I even say, \u2018Yes.\u2019 This is what needs to happen because I\u2019m seeing it from two different perspectives.\u201d<\/p>\n

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