The Las Cruces Public Schools Board of Education could not announce publicly its decision on former Superintendent Sonia Diaz’s appeal of her firing today because the district did not include a public vote in its notice of the meeting.
According to the New Mexico Open Meetings Act, the board can only formally take action in a public meeting if its notice and agenda indicate that will happen. That is designed to give the public advance notice so people can attend.
Because it could not act today, the board will hold a special meeting at 5 p.m. Monday to take formal action and make its decision public, according to district spokeswoman Jo Galvan. That allows three days of public notice for the special meeting, which is what’s required by the open meetings act.
In the meantime, Galvan said, Diaz continues to earn her salary at a daily rate of $652.31.
The announcement comes following two days of closed-door hearings for Diaz’s appeal of her firing. The board terminated her in November after four months on the job, following weeks of paid administrative leave while the board investigated allegations that Diaz was a tyrant who treated employees horribly.
Assuming she doesn’t return to the district, Diaz will be the third superintendent since 2001 to leave amid scandal. The controversy is the focal point of the upcoming Feb. 6 school board election.
The meeting will be held in the board room at the district’s administration building,
A previous version of this posting said the meeting will be on Tuesday. The district later changed it to Monday.