The Texas Education Agency removed its conservators from Socorro Independent School District on Wednesday, ending a period of state oversight that began in March 2024 after an investigation found significant academic, governance, financial and operational failures.
The agency had appointed conservators Andrew Kim and Dr. Michael Hinojosa to guide the district through corrective measures. During their tenure, Socorro ISD stabilized leadership, selected a permanent superintendent and established clearer governance structures.
The district resolved a $42 million budget deficit and implemented stronger budgeting, operational planning and accountability systems. It also corrected compensation plan processes to ensure expenditures receive proper authorization and established enhanced internal controls on procurement and monitoring.
On academic matters, Socorro ISD strengthened graduation credit review processes, improved attendance monitoring and loss-of-credit procedures, and implemented comprehensive graduation verification procedures to ensure students meet all requirements before certification. It also created systems to address attendance tracking, transcript accuracy and state reporting compliance that had been identified as deficient in prior audits.
The district expanded community engagement through advisory committees, budget processes and public updates. Kim said in a statement that the new systems established in budgeting, procurement and governance will allow Socorro ISD to "restore public confidence and better support its mission of serving students, families and its community."