Education Commissioner Replaces La Joya ISD’s Superintendent and School Board

Education Commissioner Mike Morath appointed a seven-member board of managers and a new superintendent to oversee the operations of the 24,804-student La Joya ISD in Hidalgo County, the TEA announced this morning.
Substantiated Allegations
The appointment of the board of managers and superintendent is the result of a comprehensive TEA investigation that substantiated (in this report) allegations of fraud and conflicts of interest executed by members of the elected LJISD board of trustees, the announcement said.
Appointed superintendent is Dr. Marcey Sorenson, who most recently served as deputy superintendent of the Virginia Department of Education.
Previously (in 2019) she joined Fort Worth ISD as assistant superintendent of teaching and learning before being promoted to the district’s chief academic officer.
“I Thank Him For His Service”
“It should be noted that outgoing superintendent Dr. Heriberto “Beto” Gonzales has done yeoman’s work in trying to keep the district’s focus on students amid challenging circumstances,” Morath said, adding: “I thank him for his service.”
The TEA started investigating LJISD in 2022, when two school board trustees and three administrators pleaded guilty to public corruption charges.
Read more about the troubled history leading up to the TEA’s takeover of the district here.