By Juan Montoya
A word to the wise in the San Benito Consolidated Independent School District: Don't cross former Brownsville Independent School District superintendent Esperanza Zendejas.
In her reign at the BISD, many administrators who ran afoul of her – and her board majority – soon regretted getting in her way.
![Image result for esperanza zendejas brownsville]()
Take, for example, the time that Purchasing Director Rosario (Rosie) Peña alerted BISD staff that an appearance by a vendor for artificial turf company Paragon was scheduled before the Facilities Committee without being vetted by the Purchasing Dept. Further Peña copied her email to many BISD staff and board members.
All evidence points to a decision made by Zendejas on her own and pushed by her at the BISD Facilities Committee meeting, and that she did so at the recommendation of fellow superintendents with who she "drank coffee," according to notes and emails generated by the participants.
Electronic correspondence acquired by El Rrun-Rrun, indicate that when BISD Maintenance Administrator Cesar Guerra on October 19, 2015 first asked the administration who would be presenting the report on the district's soccer fields the next day before the Facilities Committee chaired by trustee/chair Cesar Lopez, Zendejas had directed him to Coach Jason Starkey because she could not remember his name. Starkey was listed on the BISD directory as the Lopez Early College High School Athletic Coordinator.
Guerra then emailed Rosario Peña, BISD's Administrator for Purchasing at 2:36 p.m. October 20, less than an hour and a half before the meeting, that Starkey had informed him that the presenter's name was William Chaffe, representing Paragon Sports which installs artificial turf on football and soccer fields and running tracks.
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When Peña learned the presenter's name, she asked whether Paragon Sports was listed on the Texas Association of School Boards' vendor list.
A word to the wise in the San Benito Consolidated Independent School District: Don't cross former Brownsville Independent School District superintendent Esperanza Zendejas.
In her reign at the BISD, many administrators who ran afoul of her – and her board majority – soon regretted getting in her way.
Take, for example, the time that Purchasing Director Rosario (Rosie) Peña alerted BISD staff that an appearance by a vendor for artificial turf company Paragon was scheduled before the Facilities Committee without being vetted by the Purchasing Dept. Further Peña copied her email to many BISD staff and board members.
All evidence points to a decision made by Zendejas on her own and pushed by her at the BISD Facilities Committee meeting, and that she did so at the recommendation of fellow superintendents with who she "drank coffee," according to notes and emails generated by the participants.
Electronic correspondence acquired by El Rrun-Rrun, indicate that when BISD Maintenance Administrator Cesar Guerra on October 19, 2015 first asked the administration who would be presenting the report on the district's soccer fields the next day before the Facilities Committee chaired by trustee/chair Cesar Lopez, Zendejas had directed him to Coach Jason Starkey because she could not remember his name. Starkey was listed on the BISD directory as the Lopez Early College High School Athletic Coordinator.
Guerra then emailed Rosario Peña, BISD's Administrator for Purchasing at 2:36 p.m. October 20, less than an hour and a half before the meeting, that Starkey had informed him that the presenter's name was William Chaffe, representing Paragon Sports which installs artificial turf on football and soccer fields and running tracks.
When Peña learned the presenter's name, she asked whether Paragon Sports was listed on the Texas Association of School Boards' vendor list.
She then altered CFO Lucio Mendoza, Garza, Acting Area Administrator for Maintenance and Facilities Kent Whittemore, and Senior Buyer Corpus Zoroal, and BISD board secretary Pat Perez that trustee Cesar Lopez, Facilites Committee Chair, was a Buy Board representative for the South, Southeast Texas and El Paso Regions (Regions 1-6, 19) and that he should abstain from discussions on the item.
In fact, Peña's concerns that Purchasing had not been involved in vetting Paragon Sports, a vendor listed on the TASB Buy Board, were contained in an email she sent to the Superintendent and numerous district staff members involved in the construction of new facilities.
In that memo, she also cautioned Facilities Committee Chairman Lopez that since he was a regional director of the TASB Buy Board, he should refrain from participating in the discussion on in the eventual vote when the item came before the board.
The agenda item read: "Presentation on High School Soccer Fields." and did not mention the presenter or who had chosen the company install the artificial turf.
"The Purchasing Department was not involved in the selection process for this vendor," she wrote.
An information request to the BISD revealed that the installation of artificial turf has cost the district a pretty penny. To date, close to $7 million in BISD dollars went to Paragon without the benefit of competitive bidding.
That act alone cost Peña her job in purchasing and earned her a private meeting between her, Mendoza, and Zendejas where Zendejas questioned her motives for sending the offending email.
In due time, Peña was sent to the Food and Nutrition Services Dept., the Siberia of the BISD where offending administrators were shunted and joined the "hairnet" set. Zendejas took umbrage that Peña had questioned her motives for allowing only one vendor to make a presentation before the committee.
It has been eight months ago that Zendejas resigned as Brownsville ISD’s superintendent, Esperanza Zendejas is taking over as the San Benito school district’s human resources director. Hired at $98,493, she will replace Henry Sanchez, now principal at Gateway to Graduation Academy.
Her annual salary at BISD when she resigned was $305,000.
“I am appreciative of the opportunity to join the San Benito CISD team!” reported the Valley Morning Star. “As the director of human resources, I look forward to working with a fine team of employees.”
Superintendent Nate Carman called Zendejas “a tremendous asset” to the district.
Zendejas first served as Brownsville’s superintendent from 1992-1995, returned to the district’s top administrative position in June 2015. In January, board members voted 7-0 to place her on paid administrative leave amid an inquiry into what she said involved projects during a drive to upgrade facilities across the district.
Then in February, Zendejas resigned following a school board meeting that stretched into the early morning hours before the two parties stated they had reached an agreement allowing Zendejas to pursue other interests while permitting the board to hire a new superintendent.
Zendejas holds a doctorate in administration and policy analysis from Stanford University.
She began her educational career as a middle school classroom teacher in 1975, going on to serve as a teacher, school principal, program administrator, and school superintendent.
In fact, Peña's concerns that Purchasing had not been involved in vetting Paragon Sports, a vendor listed on the TASB Buy Board, were contained in an email she sent to the Superintendent and numerous district staff members involved in the construction of new facilities.
In that memo, she also cautioned Facilities Committee Chairman Lopez that since he was a regional director of the TASB Buy Board, he should refrain from participating in the discussion on in the eventual vote when the item came before the board.
The agenda item read: "Presentation on High School Soccer Fields." and did not mention the presenter or who had chosen the company install the artificial turf.
"The Purchasing Department was not involved in the selection process for this vendor," she wrote.
An information request to the BISD revealed that the installation of artificial turf has cost the district a pretty penny. To date, close to $7 million in BISD dollars went to Paragon without the benefit of competitive bidding.
That act alone cost Peña her job in purchasing and earned her a private meeting between her, Mendoza, and Zendejas where Zendejas questioned her motives for sending the offending email.
In due time, Peña was sent to the Food and Nutrition Services Dept., the Siberia of the BISD where offending administrators were shunted and joined the "hairnet" set. Zendejas took umbrage that Peña had questioned her motives for allowing only one vendor to make a presentation before the committee.
It has been eight months ago that Zendejas resigned as Brownsville ISD’s superintendent, Esperanza Zendejas is taking over as the San Benito school district’s human resources director. Hired at $98,493, she will replace Henry Sanchez, now principal at Gateway to Graduation Academy.
Her annual salary at BISD when she resigned was $305,000.
“I am appreciative of the opportunity to join the San Benito CISD team!” reported the Valley Morning Star. “As the director of human resources, I look forward to working with a fine team of employees.”
Superintendent Nate Carman called Zendejas “a tremendous asset” to the district.
Zendejas first served as Brownsville’s superintendent from 1992-1995, returned to the district’s top administrative position in June 2015. In January, board members voted 7-0 to place her on paid administrative leave amid an inquiry into what she said involved projects during a drive to upgrade facilities across the district.
Then in February, Zendejas resigned following a school board meeting that stretched into the early morning hours before the two parties stated they had reached an agreement allowing Zendejas to pursue other interests while permitting the board to hire a new superintendent.
Zendejas holds a doctorate in administration and policy analysis from Stanford University.
She began her educational career as a middle school classroom teacher in 1975, going on to serve as a teacher, school principal, program administrator, and school superintendent.