PSJA ISD nothing like its former self
By Gregg Wendorf
Advance News Journal
Hard to believe that approximately 15 months ago, prior to the November 2022 school board election, PSJA ISD was making headlines, but not the sort that were pleasing to fans of the district, albeit still good for newspaper sales.
Indeed, the old newspaper canard still rings true: “If it bleeds, it leads.”
This adage reflects the long-held observation that negative news stories tend to grab more attention and readership than positive ones.
For example, with the PSJA school board split 5-2 at the time, headlines from the summer and fall of 2022 included the fact that then-Superintendent Jorge Arredondo and his Houston-based administrative support staff had moved some long-tenured, well-liked administrators to various campuses; had demoted some without cause; had purchased shirts from a Laredo vendor, as opposed to giving work to local vendors who pay school taxes; had paid seeming exorbitant fees to a vendor to cut grass, even though he had no purchase order to do so; the district was looking at building a huge new multi-million-dollar baseball park despite having a top-notch field already in place; and was looking at buying expensive property on N. Jackson even though school finances at the time were in the red.
The “Old Days”
All good fodder for newspaper stories, to be sure, like this one that broke July 27, 2022, which carried the headline — “Why is PSJA changing principals so close to the (November) election?”
The story included this quote from Trustee Carlos Villegas, part of the two-trustee board minority at the time (with Cynthia Gutierrez): “How can anyone justify moving PSJA’s top-rated principal this close to an election?”
He was speaking of Dr. Alejandro Elias, who now serves, in an ironic fashion, as the district’s superintendent.
“Considering that PSJA ISD has lost more than 2,000 students this past year,” said Villegas (July 2022), “there is no doubt that the district has failed with regard to enrollment and student retention, but you sure don’t try to fix that problem by moving one of PSJA’s top-rated principals away from the very highschool campus that is one of the district’s best-performing jewels, so to speak?”
There were many more stories written and published during that time frame, prior to the November 2022 election, like the millions spent for the construction of what turned out to be basically two or three outdoor parks ($5.4 million), but why dwell on the past?
After the November 2022 board election that brought two professional women to the board — Diana Serna and Yolanda Castillo — the school board coalesced into a new majority and Dr. Elias was chosen as the district’s new supe, and the rest, as they say, is history.
A New Dawn
Don’t dwell on the past, some PSJA ISD fans say, when so many “good things” are going on today under the stewardship of a new board majority, new trustees, and a new superintendent for the past approximate 13 months, Dr. Alejandro Elias.
The Advance caught up with Elias early this week to get a take on what these past months have been like for him leading the district as its top administrator.
As a long-time educator and high school principal, he obviously already knew the ins and outs of the education process but serving as school superintendent (the buck stops here), well, most who have experience in that seat will tell you, it’s a whole new ball game compared to serving as a high school principal.
A soft-spoken man, he turns 54 this year, who came from humble beginnings, born and raised in the PSJA area, Dr. Alejandro Elias is passionate about his job, even though that may sound like an old cliché, even if it is true in his case.
After a year in the hot seat, so to speak, he still sounds excited about the work he’s doing at PSJA. Like his one-time mentor, Dr. Daniel P. King, he’s known to work long hours, even when the district is closed for vacation time.
If you ask him what he’d like to talk about as it relates to PSJA ISD, sit a spell, because he’s got a lot to say, all of it good.
“(Last year) our School Board approved a highly competitive compensation plan for all PSJA ISD employees, making us one of the highest-paying school districts in the region. The PSJA ISD School Board approved raises and stipends, including a $57,300 starting pay for employees on the Teacher Pay Scale, a 3-percent increase for professional full-time employees, a 4-percent increase for non-professional full-time employees, a $2,500 loyalty stipend for full-time professionals, and a $2,000 loyalty stipend for all other full-time employees.”
The pay raise puts PSJA ISD at the top of the pay scale in Region 1, which includes all four counties that comprise the RGV.
“I’m just happy that we were able to give back to our staff because a happy staff proves to be very productive. And family takes care of family here at PSJA.”
Asked to name one of the top challenges that comes to mind since he became superintendent, Elias cuts straight to the point: “I think the hardest part, or I should say the challenging part, was, of course, having seven bosses (to work under), which is, of course, the (school) board, and trying to get them to unite.”
Not only unite, said Elias, but “to work together so that everything that is really needed for PSJA’s students is provided, so that the district is successful. I think that’s been the challenging part. And I think now, I see that a lot of them (the board trustees) are managing to look past (past) indifferences, and at the end, it’s all about the students.”
Enrollment and Finances
Always a big consideration for any public school district — money.
According to Dr. Alejandro Elias, with regard to finances, PSJA ISD has become an A-rated district (TEA financial integrity rating). Prior to the November 2022 board election, at one point, the district was approximately $22 million in the red. At least on paper.
To get back on track, with the approval of the board, and the help of his administrative staff, PSJA cut back on some planned high-dollar projects (new baseball stadium, etc., land purchases), and sharpened the pencil, so to speak, and now the district’s finances are back on track, in the black.
Another factor, said Elias, is the growth in student enrollment seen over the past approximately 12 months.
“Our enrollment is currently up. We’re at 30,144 (students). With the previous administration, we used to run at (approximately) 28,500 students. We’re healthy in all areas, all aspects, and I think PSJA is moving forward, and, of course, with the support of our board, we’re always looking at new and better ways to assure student success.”
With students to deal with, parents, teachers, administrators, unions, these days, you have to ask most superintendents how they manage to make it all work. Call it a huge juggling act.
Each approach seems unique. For Dr. Elias, it all boils down to listening, or finding the time to listen, no matter who is doing the talking.
“My way of doing things is that we always have to lend an ear, be willing to hear everybody’s side, be fair, give everyone an opportunity to be heard, and give due process to everyone who has something to say. I think that’s a fair way to do it.”
Obviously, you can’t please all the people all the time, but you can do your best, said Elias.
“And sometimes, what I or any other administrator, teacher has to say might not seem so favorable based on the decisions that we make, but at least no one can say that we haven’t at least given them an ear and listened to both sides (of any issue). I think that’s the best way to handle things.”
More to Come
A lot more to talk about when it comes to PSJA ISD, but with this story already nearing the 1,400-word mark, better to do a follow-up story two weeks from now, which will include news about the district’s Building Blocks Academy, the re-opening of the Dr. Daniel P. King PSJA College and University Center, as well as the remodeling of the old two-structure PSJA High “Osodome.”