Despite being in financial straits, the school board for Judson Independent School District voted not to hire a candidate for chief financial officer. The role has been vacant for more than a month.<\/p>\n
District staff had recommended the board approve a candidate for the CFO position, but Judson trustees voted 4-3 against the hire after spending nearly four hours in closed session during a board meeting on Nov. 6.<\/p>\n
Board President Monica Ryan, who voted against filling the position, said the world of school district CFOs is very small, but she wants to wait on a new hire because the job is \u201cvery challenging even under normal circumstances.\u201d<\/p>\n
Early in October, then-CFO Tony Kingman resigned after only two months on the job. <\/p>\n
Before that, Larry Guerra held the position for just over a year before resigning in July.<\/p>\n
Serving roughly 23,000 students on the far North East Side, Judson ISD currently faces a budget deficit of $37 million. Two days before the board voted on the CFO position, voters in the district rejected a school tax increase that would\u2019ve helped the district address the deficit, increase staff pay and maintain student programs.<\/p>\n
Judson is now looking for ways to consolidate and cut spending without those funds. Officials say that could include reducing the workforce and closing campuses.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re a school district with a lot of financial things going on that have to be done that are just very complicated,\u201d Ryan told the Report. \u201cHaving a very skilled person who can do all the financial things correctly that have to be done in the next year, or, really, probably two years is just so important.\u201d <\/p>\n
Ryan wants the district to extend the CFO search and hire an interim in the meantime, but the board is split between supporting administrative recommendations and using its power to change hiring plans.<\/p>\n
Longtime Board Member Jose Macias Jr. wants the board to be \u201cvery cautious\u201d about stepping over the district\u2019s administrative authority.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere was a recommendation provided that met all the criteria from the administration\u2019s point of view. If we choose to reject the proposal, we are in micro management territory,\u201d Macias said before the board voted. \u201c[The board] does not hire the CFO, the administration does, and I\u2019m accepting the recommendation.\u201d <\/p>\n
School boards do have the authority to approve or reject recommendations by the district administration when it comes to personnel and other issues, but it\u2019s unusual for boards to outright reject administrative proposals. <\/p>\n
Macias, along with Trustees Suzanne Kenoyer and Laura Stanford, voted in favor of the hire.<\/p>\n
The board\u2019s newest members, Stephanie Jones, Lesley Lee and Amanda Poteet \u2014 elected in May \u2014 voted against the hire along with Ryan, who was elected in 2023. <\/p>\n
While Macias was concerned that not having a CFO could place more pressure on Superintendent Robert Milton Fields for financial reports and updates, Ryan contends the district still has \u201ccontinuity in day-to-day accounting,\u201d saying she doesn\u2019t want to rush to fill such a crucial position.<\/p>\n
The problem with not having a CFO in a district as large as Judson, Ryan admitted, is there won\u2019t be a \u201cstrategic thinker\u201d who can coordinate between the administration and the board on high-stakes financial decisions. <\/p>\n
CFOs also work on a contract basis, meaning they are not at-will employees and generally can\u2019t be fired.<\/p>\n