Editor’s note: This story has been updated to clarify Superintendent Diana Sayavedra’s agreement.
The El Paso Independent School District Board of Trustees has voted to accept Superintendent Diana Sayavedra’s separation agreement.
The board voted 4-2-1 to accept the superintendent’s separation agreement after dozens of Sayavedra’s supporters turned out to advocate on her behalf during a meeting Tuesday, June 3.
Board President Leah Hanany, Vice President Jack Loveridge and Secretary Alex Cuellar, who have led the charge to fire the superintendent, voted in favor of accepting the retirement. Trustee Mindy Sutton also voted to accept the separation agreement.
Trustees Daniel Call and Valerie Beals voted against the action. Robert Osterland abstained.
Osterland and Sutton were elected May 3.
Sayavedra will be named superintendent emeritus effective June 15. She’ll remain in that role until Jan. 30, 2026. She earns $320,000 annually.
Shortly thereafter, the board named EPISD Chief Financial Officer Martha Aguirre as the interim superintendent by a 5-2 vote, with Hanany, Osterland, Cuellar, Loveridge, and Call voting in favor, and Sutton and Beals abstaining.
No plan was announced on how or when a permanent superintendent will be selected. It’s unclear if the changes for superintendents will have an impact on the budget, which already faces a $30 million shortfall.
Tuesday’s vote caps off a week of turmoil within EPISD that began during a meeting Tuesday, May 27, when Hanany first attempted to fire Sayavedra. The effort was somehow stifled, as Hanany emerged from a nearly three-hour executive session and announced that no action would be taken.
Between that meeting and the most recent one, Hanany seemed to galvanize support for her position and oust Sayavedra after only three years on the job.
After the vote, Sayavedra briefly addressed the crowd and praised the “remarkable strength and resilience” of the El Paso community.
“This moment is no different,” she said. “With that sense of strength and resilience, I’m confident this community will come together with a students-first focus … so they can discover and achieve their American dream.”
‘The future of EPISD is at a turning point’
Nearly 40 residents turned out to voice their support for Sayavedra, with most criticizing the board for a lack of transparency and integrity, noting that no justification has been given so far for pushing the superintendent out.
Many in the crowd held signs with slogans like “Our school builds the future” and “Un mundo mejor es posible.”
“The future of EPISD is at a turning point and we cannot afford to turn backward,” said Douglass Elementary School Principal Michelle Corral. “We believe in her leadership because she believes in the work and she believes in us.”
“It’s a chain of excellence,” she added, “iron sharpens iron.”
Gina Rodriguez Nuñez, principal at Tippin Elementary School, noted that there have been no allegations presented to justify Sayavedra’s termination while the district has seen “meaningful progress” on academic achievement, overall morale, district initiatives and other key metrics.
“I have worked under several superintendents and this is the first superintendent who truly follows through on her commitments,” she said. “This is the kind of leadership our district has needed for a long time and we are finally starting to see the benefits …”
While most of the public comments came from EPISD parents, principals and administrators, two students also turned out to defend the superintendent.
“She has inspired us to speak up for what we believe and, not only does she listen, but she follows up with us,” said Ariana Nicole Williams, student body president at Austin High School. “Let student voices, our voices, be the change needed for your decision.”
Another student, Jeremiah Velasco, chided the board for being “divisive” and “dysfunctional.”
“Right now, this feels like it’s a struggle for authority rather than a plan to push our district forward,” he said. “When leadership looks like politics, it doesn’t move us forward, it erodes trust … This isn’t about contracts or who has power, it’s about the kind of district you want to leave behind.”
Ross Moore, president of the El Paso chapter of the American Federation of Teachers, had harsh words for the board and its attack on Sayavedra.
“Please end this irresponsible drama before you do serious damage to this district and the students you claim to serve,” Moore said. “What you’re going to do behind closed doors is wrong. What you’re going to do … is sow the wind and then you will reap a whirlwind.”
Adam Powell covers government and politics for the El Paso Times and can be reached via email at apowell@elpasotimes.com.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: EPISD board accepts Diana Sayavedra’s retirement, names interim superintendent
Reporting by Adam Powell, El Paso Times / El Paso Times
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