Hello, PSJA ISD: Anybody home?

Good news is, after waiting a couple of months or more, The Advance finally found out how much PSJA ISD had paid an outside contractor to cut the grass at 10 campuses last year during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic (approximately $24,000), and The Advance discovered the amount that the district had paid for shirts for its students (approximately $300,000) — the bulk of which was awarded to a vendor based in Laredo.

What The Advance still can’t gain access to, however, is how much it paid to settle with one of its former administrators, Rene Campos, after he sued the district, alleging age discrimination.

Campos worked for the district for 26 years and was assistant superintendent for support services when Dr. Daniel King retired. After that, a new superintendent from outside the Rio Grande Valley came on board, Dr. Jorge Arredondo, who then brought in other out-of-towners to fill critical administrative positions. Campos claimed that he wasn’t even interviewed for a key position despite his long tenure with the district, claiming age discrimination. As a result, he was seeking

As a result, he was seeking monetary relief “over $200,000 but not more than $1 million.”

How much the final settlement was worth is still an unknown factor. His lawsuit against the district was dropped, so it’s obvious that some money exchanged hands.

How much? The public has yet to know.

The Advance filed a public information request with PSJA ISD last August. The paper got confirmation that the request was received, but since then, the PIR portal has gone dark.

The last email sent to the district by this newspaper was dated Sept. 27, 2021, more than a month after The Advance filed a public information request with the district, asking for the settlement amount (Aug. 18, 2021).

That Sept. 27, 2021 email sent through the proper PSJA ISD channel that usu ally handles public information requests read:

“Can you please get an update on this public info request? You sent confirmation of receipt on Aug. 18, 2021. Thanks.”

Since then, the district has gone dark so to speak. At least as far as the Campos settlement is concerned, as well as a request for the associated legal fees the district paid outside attorneys to settle the matter.

Hello? Is anybody home?