LIVE OAK, Texas – The Judson Independent School District Board of Trustees have been tasked with making several difficult decisions to do what they believe will better secure the district’s future.
Judson ISD, which is facing a $37 million budget shortfall, made one of those decisions Monday night when the board voted 6-0 in favor of closing Judson Middle School by the end of the 2025-26 academic year. The lone trustee absentee for the vote was Jose Macias, Jr.
Earlier this month, the board voted to shutter four schools in all — one middle school and three elementary schools — to close the financial gap.
Before Judson ISD Board President Monica Ryan was set to institute a closed-door session, board member Suzanne Kenoyer said she had reservations about two items on Monday’s special meeting agenda. Those agenda items are related to a discussion with district attorneys about “interviewing and hiring an interim Superintendent.”
“Whose agenda items are these?” Kenoyer asked Ryan.
“Those are from our last closed session discussion, ma’am,” Ryan answered.
“No, ma’am,” Kenoyer told Ryan. “No, ma’am. We did not discuss changing interim superintendents during our last closed session.”
“OK. Maybe you forgot,” Ryan said.
“No, ma’am,” Kenoyer said.
During a Feb. 4 meeting, a majority of the school board elected to terminate now-former Judson ISD Superintendent Milton “Rob” Fields III. During the same meeting, the board selected Mary Duhart-Toppen as the district’s interim superintendent.
“Two weeks ago, we voted in Dr. Duhart-Toppen in a clear supermajority. What’s changed since then?” Kenoyer asked Ryan. “This is a very destabilizing attempt to make.”
Kenoyer began asking fellow trustees Stephanie Jones and Board Vice President Amanda Poteet if they previously spoke with Ryan about the agenda items.
“Ms. Kenoyer, you’re not going to interrogate people,” Ryan said, who sat next to Duhart-Toppen at the meeting. “Your point of information is taken, and we are going to move on.”
“My concern is that we have another violation of the Open Meetings Act via walking quorum,” Kenoyer responded, in part.
“Madame, you’re out of order,” Ryan told Kenoyer. “You have made your point of information.”
Kenoyer and Ryan continued to talk over each other. Kenoyer made a second attempt to ask Jones about previously discussing the agenda items with Ryan.
“Ma’am,” Ryan told Kenoyer. “This is your final warning, ma’am, and then you can leave this meeting.” Ryan then issued another warning to Kenoyer about being removed from the meeting.
“No, ma’am. You cannot do that to me,” Kenoyer responded.
Ryan asked for an on-duty police officer to remove Kenoyer from the meeting. Kenoyer proceeded to ask Duhart-Toppen whether she was aware of the agenda items.
“Ms. Kenoyer, you are out of order,” Ryan said. “Mr. Resendiz (the on-duty police officer), please escort her from the room.”
“No, sir,” Kenoyer said.
“No. That’s not right,” board trustee Laura Stanford said.
Ryan declared that the board was “now in recess” and banged a gavel.
“I’m not leaving,” Kenoyer told Ryan. “I had a point of order. I had a question. I want my questions answered.”
After Kenoyer left the group of trustees, she briefly met with reporters.
“I am leaving because I refuse to participate in an illegal meeting,” Kenoyer said, in part, before leaving the Judson ISD Administrative Offices.
Both Ryan’s and Kenoyer’s current terms on the board will end in May 2027, according to a district website.
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