Candidates at odds over parent appreciation event

La Joya — The La Joya school district is investigating allegations that district employees misused school funds for political purposes and campaigned for school board candidates during an appreciation lunch for parent volunteers last week.

The investigation comes after a parent volunteer sent a letter Tuesday to Superintendent Alda T. Benavides alleging the annual end-of-year lunch turned into a virtual political rally for school board candidates Arturo Gonzalez and Esperanza “Espie” Ochoa. The school board president, Joel Garcia, has also publicly expressed concerns about the event.

La Joya school district Police Chief Raul Gonzalez, who is investigating allegations and acting as the district’s spokesman on the matter, said the district is taking the charges seriously and conducting a full investigation.

“The superintendent wants some answers,” Gonzalez said.

“We have an obligation to the public to let them know what happened,” he added.

The parent who wrote the complaint letter, Cristina Alaniz, is supporting Gonzalez and Ochoa’s opponents in the election. She is the outgoing president of the state’s parent advisory council on migrant education, as well as a long-time parent volunteer in the district. Alaniz did not attend the lunch but says she is relaying concerns of parents who did attend.

Fliers and supporters

Gonzalez noted that if he finds the allegations are politically motivated, the district would “pursue litigation” against the people involved.

The parent appreciation lunch was Friday at the city of Palmview’s recreation center and featured speeches from Palmview city officials and state Rep. Ismael “Kino” Flores, all strong political supporters of Gonzalez and Ochoa.

Political fliers attacking Gonzalez and Ochoa’s opponents — current board member Elma Garza and former board member Mingo Villarreal — papered the cars parked outside the event.

Ochoa said Tuesday evening she knew nothing about the event or any fliers distributed there and is “just focusing on winning.” The other three candidates could not be reached for comment Tuesday, but Garza said Friday she had serious questions about what went on and was seeking more information.

School board President Joel Garcia joined Alaniz in expressing concerns about the lunch at a news conference Tuesday morning.

Garcia, who is also supporting Garza and Villarreal in the election, said it looks as though the lunch was orchestrated to feature only Gonzalez and Ochoa’s supporters. It disturbs him that he was not invited, he says, because he has always been invited to the event in past years.

Garcia said he is reviewing a videotape of the event to see if the speakers made political statements. He said he is also seriously concerned about district funds or employees being involved in making and distributing the fliers.

Gonzalez said he has confirmed district copiers were not used to make the fliers but that it is still unclear whether district funds were involved. If employees made or passed out the fliers but used independent funds, they would be reprimanded, he said.

‘We’re doing great things’

Rep. Flores’ sister, district parent involvement strategist Esmer Flores Anany, organized the lunch. Anany said the event was fully focused on encouraging parents to be active partners in their children’s educations and had no political emphasis.

“It’s not true,” she said of Alaniz’s letter. “We’re doing great things.”

She called neglecting to invite board members an oversight. One school board member, Palmview City Manager Johnn Valente Alaniz, was asked to speak in his capacity as city manager. It was not clear whether he is related to Cristina Alaniz.

Everyone who spoke was a city, state or educational official and was a logical choice as a speaker, Anany said. She fired back at Cristina Alaniz, saying she was just “1 percent of 30,000 parents in the district” and has “been known to turn situations around, to lie.”

Anany also said Cristina Alaniz was being paid by Garza and Villarreal. The district has not yet released the latest campaign finance filings, but documents filed April 12 do not list Cristina Alaniz as a contributor or paid volunteer. And she says she is not working for Garza or Villarreal.

Anany released a statement that she composed with Antonio Uresti, assistant superintendent of human resources, saying in part: “There are 300 families who will testify that everything was done accordingly.” Anany added that Cristina Alaniz’s allegations are an unfortunate distraction from the district’s good work with parents.

Uresti, the husband of a current board member allied with Gonzalez and Ochoa and a speaker at the event, said he had no further comment.

____

Kaitlin Bell covers Mission, western Hidalgo County and general assignments for The Monitor. You can reach her at (956) 683-4446.