After months with an empty chair on the dais, the Ysleta Independent School District Board of Trustees has tapped a familiar face to fill it. Trustees voted Wednesday night to appoint Henry Rivera to the District 7 seat, closing a vacancy that has lingered since the fall and returning a well-known, and at times controversial, El Paso political figure to public office.
How The Vote Went Down
Trustee Carlos Bustillos made the motion to appoint Rivera, with Trustee Cruz Ochoa backing him up with a second. When it came time to vote, Bustillos, Mike Dwyer, Ochoa and Connie Woodruff all supported the appointment. Trustee Chris Hernandez voted against it, and Trustee Shane Haggerty was absent. The board’s move and the final tally were first reported by El Paso Herald Post.
What Seat Rivera Is Taking And For How Long
On Ysleta ISD’s official public roster, District 7 is listed as an open single-member seat with an unexpired term that runs through May 2029. That listing shows Rivera is being brought in to finish out the Del Valle area seat for the remainder of the term, carrying District 7 through the next scheduled trustee election. The board relies on that roster when it fills vacancies, according to Ysleta ISD.
Rivera’s Baggage Follows Him To YISD
Rivera’s return to public life does not come in a vacuum. In February 2024, the El Paso City Council issued him a letter of reprimand for allowing a non-city employee to supervise and direct a city staffer, as detailed by El Paso News. Coverage of the reprimand and follow-up reporting alleged that Rivera’s wife, Dora Oaxaca, accessed confidential city files and described workplace complaints from a former staffer. Those issues helped fuel local scrutiny but have not led to any publicly filed criminal charges. Trustees discussed the controversy behind closed doors, and it remains part of the backdrop to Rivera’s appointment.
What Happens Next
According to El Paso Herald Post, Rivera is slated to take his place as the District 7 trustee on February 18, 2026, and serve through the scheduled end of the term in May 2029. The outlet also reported that it contacted Trustee Chris Hernandez for comment before publishing but had not received a response at that time. Ysleta ISD plans to announce the formal swearing-in details on its board calendar and notify the community once everything is set.
Both supporters and skeptics say they plan to keep a close eye on how Rivera approaches district business once he is officially seated. With this appointment, the board has effectively charted District 7’s leadership through the next election cycle, giving voters a clear set of decisions and debates to track at upcoming meetings and eventually at the ballot box.
