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After a contentious debate within the district, the Northside Independent School District's board of trustees has appointed Homer Guevara Jr., a professor at Northwest Vista College, to a vacant seat left by departing trustee Gerald Lopez.
Lopez, who ran unopposed for an Alamo Colleges District board seat, sparked the urgent need for a replacement after resigning on March 18. Despite calls from the Northside American Federation of Teachers for a special election, the board opted for an appointment, arguing against the approximately $200,000 price tag an election would carry. Lopez abstained from the vote because he is moving to the board of the Alamo Colleges District, according to a report by Express News.
With over 30 years in education, Guevara also has administrative experience, including stints on the boards of CPS Energy and the SA Energy Acquisition Public Facility Corporation. This wealth of experience likely weighed in his favor when trustees voted 4-2 to appoint him earlier than the originally anticipated May 14 date, San Antonio Report detailed.
However, the appointment process drew criticism from the Northside AFT, with President Melina Espiritu-Azocar decrying a lack of transparency. “At the April 29th special called board meeting, the NISD Trustees conducted all interviews for the District 2 school board seat in executive session, cloaking the proceedings in secrecy,” she told the San Antonio Report. Though interviews were held behind closed doors, Board President Bobby Blount defended the transparency of the selection process, stating finalist names were announced during an open session.
Guevara is set to serve on the board until May 2025, providing District 2 with a seasoned educational professional's perspective. Meanwhile, the district prepares for a special election during the next regular board elections to decide the final two years of Lopez's term, with Guevara having the option to run for election at that time.
