JG Consulting will no longer be assisting Dallas Independent School District with searching for a replacement for outgoing superintendent Michael Hinojosa.
Originally, as reported by The Dallas Express, two consulting groups were hired by the DISD Board of Trustees to complete the task of finding the next superintendent.
According to a news report by The Dallas Morning News, JG Consulting will no longer be part of the Dallas Independent School District search process, as the Austin-based firm has rescinded its proposal.
In a statement obtained by The DMN, founder and president of JG Consulting, James Guerra, said the firm backed out of the search due to DISD’s decision to hire an additional firm to join the project.
JG Consulting was the first firm selected to help the district search for a replacement superintendent on February 17. The board of trustees then picked Austin-based Walsh Gallegos to participate in the task.
According to the news outlet, Guerra defined the district’s decision to bring in a different firm as an “unwanted event when the original project scope expands with additional features and functionality without the corresponding adjustments to time, budget, or other project resources.”
Per The DMN, the district’s decision to pick a second firm to participate in the search was made in a 5-4 vote.
Board members Joyce Foreman and Maxie Johnson expressed concern about the selection of JG Consulting due to the personal relationship between Guerra and Michael Hinojosa, the retiring superintendent for whom DISD is seeking a replacement.
The DMN reported that Guerra called Hinojosa a mentor during his presentation to the board. Foreman and Johnson’s concerns were also based on the belief that Hinojosa once indirectly approved JG Consulting for the replacement search to Johnson.
Dallas ISD announced in a statement that Walsh Gallegos is now the lead partner in the search.
The board said that their priority is to “run a smooth and efficient process” as they seek to identify “the absolute best superintendent” for students and families.
Hinojosa left behind what some would say was a legacy of broken schools.
“Sadly, as he runs for the door in pursuit of the fame and fortune of high office, he leaves behind over 150,000 students at Dallas ISD—mostly students of color many of whom will never graduate high school let alone go to college or pursue fruitful careers,” said Ndure Cain, President of Dallas Justice Now.
Cain continued, “According to the Texas Education Agency, Dallas ISD spends $14,981 per student annually while Highland Park ISD spends an average of $15,080 per student annually. This is a difference of $99 per year per student. Does Mr. Hinojosa think communities of color are so stupid to believe that $99 per student per year is the difference between an “A+” school and a “D” school?”