A vote that could come as early as Tuesday, December 11, to extend the length of the terms for Edinburg school board trustees is not authorized by the Texas Legislature, Sen. Juan "Chuy" Hinojosa, D-McAllen, said Wednesday, December 5.
The seven-member local governing board, based on the advice of school board counsel Jacques Treviño, has been considering approving a resolution – as early as its upcoming December 11 meeting – that would increase the length of their terms in office to four years. Currently, ECISD school board members serve three-year terms.
That action is based on legislation approved by state lawmakers last spring, attorney Treviño has contended.
But Hinojosa says that was not the goal of the law.
"We passed the bill," Hinojosa said of Senate Bill 670. "That bill was intended to impact one school district which had a problem, it was not intended to have statewide impact."
Asked what would happen if the local school board members vote to extend their terms in office, Hinojosa said, "I would imagine at some point it would be challenged in court or the Attorney General's Office would issue an opinion specific to this statute."
The veteran lawmaker added that "no one has contacted our office on this issue, but the reality is, it was not the intent of the Legislature."
