As Brownsville school board members prepare to meet regarding Superintendent Hector Gonzales' proposed resignation, a report has surfaced that reveals possible motivation behind efforts to force his ouster.

The report concerns alleged malfeasance dating back years in the Brownsville Independent School District's Special Services Department - and recent successful initiatives to discontinue inappropriate practices.

Its author is Special Services Department Administrator Art Rendon. The department is responsible for educating BISD's nearly 6,000 special education students.

Rendon provided a summary of the report to The Brownsville Herald.

Gonzales had requested the report to be used during his "formative evaluation" scheduled in executive session at the Dec. 16 BISD Board of Trustees meeting, Rendon said.

Trustee Catalina Presas-Garcia previously has told The Herald that Gonzales was not evaluated during that meeting. The board instituted the monthly evaluations for Gonzales at its first meeting after the November election when several new members were elected to the board.

The report details how BISD hired additional licensed school psychologists to ensure that special education students were properly evaluated. Additionally, it details alleged instances of "double dipping" by licensed school psychologists and attorneys contracted by BISD, which the district discovered and eliminated, saving thousands of dollars, Rendon said.

The Cameron County District Attorney's office began investigating the matters last summer.

Rendon said Gonzales has been working to clean up improprieties in the department for some time. However, people who have something to lose in the resulting changes probably want the cleanup stopped and are pushing to cover up the situation, he said.

Garcia said she received a copy of the report in the mail prior to the Dec. 16 meeting, but when she asked board attorney Mike Saldaña about it, he contended the document did not exist.

Saldaña did not return a phone call seeking comment. Gonzales declined comment.

Garcia and Trustee Minerva Peña had indicated Saturday that they intended to file a complaint with the Brownsville Police Department alleging harassment by the board of trustees against Gonzales. Neither Brownsville police nor the BISD Police Department reported receiving such a complaint.

Garcia, Peña and others have contended that monthly evaluations of the superintendent amount to harassment.

The special board meeting on Gonzales' proposed resignation is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. today in the board room of the BISD Administration Building at 1900 Price Rd.

The agenda lists one action item: a closed meeting for "discussion, consideration and possible action on request by the Superintendent regarding change in contractual status."

Were the resignation approved, the board would then take action in open session.

In a letter Friday to board President Rolando Aguilar, Gonzales proposed that he tender his resignation effective Jan. 15. "Simultaneously, BISD will offer me and I will accept a Chapter 21 employment contract as a ‘special consultant' to the interim superintendent and/or the superintendent," the letter states.

Under the proposal, the special consultant contract would expire Dec. 31 and Gonzales' rate of pay would remain the same. Benefits under his superintendent's contract would continue through Dec. 31. He would work from his home and report to the superintendent as requested. In addition, BISD would honor accumulated sick leave, vacation and other paid holidays.

Gonzales makes $225,000 per year and has two years remaining on a three-year contract. He received a $20,000 raise after a positive evaluation in September by the board of trustees that went out of power after the Nov. 4 General Election.