Tabled again, district promises May vote

A decision on a new central office for the San Marcos CISD will come in May, trustees decided at their meeting Monday night.

There was an item on the board’s agenda on Monday to rescind action taken at the board’s Feb. 18 meeting “Regards to Action Item: Presentation and Possible Action for the Construction of a Central Office Facility and Location, and Other Matters Related Thereto.” In a Feb. 18 action, the Suttles location was voted down 4-3, which many board members thought was too narrow a margin to base a major decision on. The board then voted — by the same margin — to table the item.

Rescinding the Feb. 18 action would have allowed the board to make a new motion regarding the location of the central office. Monday night’s agenda did include an item for the discussion and possible action to relocate the central office to district property at the intersection of Suttles Drive and Hunter Road, Board President Clem Cantu said. 

However, the motion to rescind and possibility of voting on a new central office location came as a surprise to several of the board members. Cantu and trustees Margie Villalpando and Kathy Hansen had put the item on the agenda, but it was added after the board’s agenda prep meeting. Trustee Anne Halsey said she found it “problematic” that the item was not added in a public meeting. 

“This is very sneaky,” Halsey said.

Hansen said that she thought there was an agreement that if trustee John McGlothlin got answers to his questions in time, the item could be voted on at the board’s April meeting. SMCISD Assistant Superintendent for Business and Support Services Karen Griffith reportedly sent an email that included answers to McGlothlin’s questions, but he said he hadn’t had a chance to look it over because he expected the vote in May.

“Nobody ever asked me if I did [get answers],” McGlothlin said. “Y’all just made a plan.”

McGlothlin also said he did not like that there was no discussion after that in an open meeting.

Cantu asked if the trustees would like to table the item. Hansen said she would not, but Cantu said she wanted to make sure that all trustees were on board with voting on the matter.

“I feel like we need to move forward and make a decision,” Cantu said, “but I am of the mind that every board member has to feel comfortable with voting.”

“I’m concerned about us throwing away $12,000 a month for rent,” Hansen said, calling the current location for the SMCISD offices “inadequate” and noting that getting in and out of the property is difficult. 

If the decision were moved to May, Hansen said, “I want us to make a decision.”

The motion to rescind the Feb. 18 vote was taken off the table.