SMCISD trustee steps down from subcommittee after February arrest

Juan Miguel Arredondo, San Marcos Consolidated ISD District 1 Board Trustee, stepped down from a district subcommittee after violating board operating procedures. 

Arredondo’s move to step down from SMCISD’s Central Office Building Committee comes after he was arrested for driving while intoxicated on Feb. 18. 

“After discussions with my colleagues in closed session, I am voluntarily stepping down from my role on the ISDs central office subcommittee per our deliberations in executive session as a sanction due to my violation of board operating procedures,” Arredondo said following a nearly hour-long executive session.

Arredondo thanked his colleagues on the board for their respect as he responded to the events surrounding his February arrest. 

Board president Clem Cantu clarified that the trustees have limited options the board can consider when a trustee violates operating procedures. “That was discussed and that is why we came to this conclusion,” Cantu said. 

In other business, the board approved a tuition rate for Bonham Pre-Kindergarten at $390 a month for the district’s paid program, and that the administration establish a lottery system for any overflow applications received prior to Aug. 1. The item passed on a 5-2 vote with Arredondo and Trustee Mayra Mejia voting no. 

The board also approved the contract for depository services to Frost Bank. 

The trustees approved joint funding for the provision of youth services. The board’s approval of joint funding comes after the unexpected departure of Youth Services Director Dana Washington who was hired in mid 2020. 

The Youth Services Director was established through a partnership between the Core 4 Police Group, which consists of Hays County, the City of San Marcos, SMCISD and Texas State University. Community Action Inc of Central Texas works as the contracting agent for the position. 

With the approval, the City of San Marcos  will continue to fund 50% of the position at $50,000 and the other three entities equally funding the balance for a total not to exceed $110,000, according to information from the board’s meeting book.

Following closed session, the trustees also approved Ryan Hall as the district’s new Director of Transportation. Doug Wozniak, who had been serving roles as both the district’s director of safety and transportation, will now focus on safety moving forward. 

The SMCISD Board of Trustees' next regular meeting is set for April 19 at 6 p.m.