The Cartwright Elementary District (4282) Governing Board on Jan. 17, 2025 voted to instruct the district's attorney to negotiate with possible candidates to serve as acting superintendent while the interim superintendent is on administrative leave with pay, Board President Lydia Hernandez said after the meeting's executive session.

Hernandez moved the instruction after the board met in executive session; Board Member Rosa Cantu seconded the motion. Hernandez summarized the motion on the public record: "to instruct the district's attorney to proceed with negotiations with the possible candidates to serve as acting superintendent while the interim superintendent is on administrative leave with pay, consistent with the direction and instruction provided in executive session."

The motion passed with two members voting in favor and two abstentions. The roll-call vote recorded yes votes from Hernandez (board president) and Cantu (board member) and abstentions from Jennifer Romero (board member) and Denise Garcia (board member). Hernandez announced on the record, "I vote aye. So motion carries." The board did not disclose details of the executive session or the candidates discussed.

Earlier in the meeting the board adopted the published agenda and voted to go into executive session. Both measures were approved by roll call with two abstentions and carried. The record shows those procedural votes occurred before the board resumed the public session to act on the attorney instruction.

During the public portion of the meeting and while explaining her votes, Board Member Jennifer Romero said the board president had refused a request to add a call to the public to the agenda and raised concerns about law-enforcement presence at a prior meeting. Romero said on the record that "there was a heavy police presence here in the boardroom" and that the community "deserves to be heard." Board Member Denise Garcia, before recording an abstention, said, "I would, again, like to extend my apologies to the entire school district for the illegal ... behavior." Those remarks were offered as explanations for votes and public comment; the board did not make further public findings about those assertions during the meeting.

The board announced that its next regular meeting will be held Thursday, Feb. 6, at 5 p.m. in the Cartwright School District Governing Boardroom.