MARFA — The Marfa ISD School Board will meet Thursday in closed session to discuss a “Personnel Investigation” and “Board Member Roles and Responsibilities,” according to the meeting agenda. Those items are not open to the public, but the public comment section — which typically occurs at the beginning of every meeting — is still on the agenda, and any actions taken are voted on in public after board members return from closed session. The meeting will take place at 6 p.m. at the board meeting room at 400 W. Lincoln St.
A Marfa ISD educator — Rebecca Ontiveros, 25, of Marfa — was arrested on August 21 and charged with improper relationship between an educator and student, a second-degree felony punishable by 2 to 20 years in prison. Ontiveros was booked into the Presidio County Jail and released on a $75,000 bond the next day. Interim Superintendent Arturo Alferez told The Big Bend Sentinel last week that Ontiveros was on paid administrative leave as of the day of her arrest. He said the district is following standard procedure by placing Ontiveros on paid leave, and the move was not a decision the school board voted on.
The board extended a non-certified teacher contract to Ontiveros on August 18 so that she could teach two pre-kindergarten classes. Before that she served as a special education aide at the elementary school. Her mother is Teresa Nuñez, the Marfa ISD School Board president.
Sources knowledgeable of school board member discussions — who did want to be named because of the controversy surrounding Nuñez’s role on the board — said the “Board Member Roles and Responsibilities” item will likely be a discussion on whether Nuñez should resign or step down from her role as the leader of the school board. Under Texas law, board members can’t remove another member or force them to resign.
It is unclear whether Nuñez will be present for the personnel investigation and board member roles and responsibilities discussions or whether she will recuse herself on any votes related to the discussions. Nuñez and Alferez did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
