The Texas education commissioner has started the process of returning authority over the Edgewood Independent School District to elected school board members.
Commissioner Mike Morath told district officials Monday that he is allowing two elected board members — Martha Castilla and Edward Romero — to join the state-appointed board of managers effective immediately.
The five remaining elected members will be added over time, eventually replacing Edgewood’s board of managers.
Texas Education Agency spokeswoman DeEtta Culbertson said the commissioner decided to begin the transition because the circumstances that led to the state takeover no longer exist.
“The board of managers has improved governance practices, has worked in partnership with these two trustees to select a new superintendent, and the district no longer has any campuses (failing state standards),” Culbertson said.
The state took district control away from the elected board in 2016, after disagreements prevented Edgewood from hiring a superintendent and two building principals for almost a year.
Castilla and Romero were elected in November 2016, after the board of managers took over.
Edgewood enrolls more than 10,000 students in San Antonio’s west side.
Its board of managers hired Eduardo Hernandez as superintendent in June after former Superintendent Emilio Castro was accused of sexual harassment.
Hernandez’s first day with the district was Sunday.
Camille Phillips can be reached at Camille@tpr.org or on Twitter@cmpcamille
