Board members did not publicly discuss this specific decision, instead voting on a decision \u201cas discussed in closed session.\u201d<\/p>\n
Gosch joined Judson ISD in 2021.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Judson\u2019s board room was packed during the noon meeting, filled with supporters of Fields.<\/p>\n
Fields has been superintendent since 2023, after serving Judson as a deputy superintendent and principal at Wagner High School for several years. He also graduated from the district.\u00a0<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1768144110_554_JudsonISDSpecialMeeting_jn_15.jpg\")
Judson ISD Board President Monica Ryan listens to public comment during a special-called school board meeting held at the Judson ISD Educational Resource Center on Saturday. Credit: Jo E. Norris for the San Antonio Report<\/p>\n
It\u2019s not the first time the board has discussed the superintendent\u2019s employment. On Dec. 9, Judson held a special meeting to \u201cconsider and take possible action regarding the employment, evaluation and duties of the superintendent.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
No action was taken by the board in December but Ryan said Saturday\u2019s meeting was a continuation\u00a0of it.<\/p>\n
Ryan declined to comment after Saturday\u2019s five-hour meeting, but later sent a statement.\u00a0Much of the meeting was held in closed session.<\/p>\n
The board evaluates Fields twice a year and his next evaluation was scheduled for the end of January.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
The exact nature of the issue being raised by some board members remains unclear.<\/p>\n
Support for Fields splits Judson board<\/p>\n
The May 2025 elections brought in three new faces on the seven-member board: Amanda Poteet, Lesley Lee and Stephanie Jones.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Since then, several board votes concerning the budget have often been split among longer-serving trustees and the new guard, including Ryan who was elected in 2023 and stepped into the board president position last year.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The more tenured trustees \u2014 Macias Jr., Laura Stanford and Suzanne Kenoyer \u2014 tend to vote in line with recommendations from district administration, while Ryan and new board members dissent.<\/p>\n
Public comments from parents, district employees and even a former Judson board member often got emotional, blaming newer board members and Ryan for the district\u2019s hesitancy in making concrete budgetary decisions to address the deficit.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cJudson ISD needs studied and experienced leadership. Dr Fields has provided that,\u201d said Arnoldo Salinas<\/a>, a former Judson employee and trustee who lost his seat on the board to trustee Poteet last year.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThe behavior and the vision we have seen at the board level is unacceptable,\u201d Salinas said. \u201cPublic disputes and personal agendas undermine trust and damage the credibility of this district. Most importantly, they hurt students who deserve stability and clear direction.\u201d<\/p>\n Most comments also criticized board members for often acting divisively, micromanaging and often being at odds with the district administration, including Fields and his senior administrators.\u00a0<\/p>\n Vague \u2018reports of concerns\u2019 spark latest action<\/p>\n Questions about whether the board could even legally hold the Saturday meeting arose.\u00a0<\/p>\n Trustee Kenoyer, who\u2019s been on the board since 2017, said there should have been no meeting in the first place since Judson policy says the superintendent should prepare agendas for all board meetings.\u00a0<\/p>\n But it was Lee who put the item concerning Fields\u2019 employment on Saturday\u2019s agenda<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s violating board policy. Not appropriate,\u201d Kenoyer said.<\/p>\n Lee, elected to the board last year, said Fields \u201cis a good man\u201d who she has known since her son was enrolled at Judson.\u00a0<\/p>\n Then, with tears in her eyes and after nearly two hours of public comments, she moved to relieve the superintendent of his duties and place him on administrative leave pending \u201cinvestigation of reported concerns\u201d with pay.\u00a0<\/p>\n Lee later withdrew her motion after the board went into closed session twice to speak with legal counsel over the phone.<\/p>\n It\u2019s unclear which reported concerns Lee was referring to and Macias, a supporter of Fields, said he didn\u2019t know what the concerts were about either.\u00a0<\/p>\n Trustee Stanford also said the board had no idea what the investigation was about.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m clueless what this is about, and I shouldn\u2019t be,\u201d Stanford said.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI have no freaking clue what Ms. Lee is talking about,\u201d Kenoyer added.\u00a0<\/p>\n During the meeting, Ryan publicly accused board members of lying about not knowing what Lee\u2019s concerns were about.\u00a0<\/p>\n Tense budget discussions<\/p>\n Judson ISD is currently facing a $37 million budget deficit \u2014 the topic of several tense discussions in recent months.\u00a0<\/p>\n Last May, the board got very close in approving a budgetary plan that would\u2019ve saved Judson millions through campus consolidations and staff reductions.\u00a0<\/p>\n Getting community pushback and feeling like recommendations to close schools was too close to the end of the school year, the board voted against closures and delayed taking budgetary action.<\/p>\n Later, Judson went after a voter approved tax rate election in November that would\u2019ve unlocked millions of dollars Judson planned to use on the deficit, increase salaries and support teacher programs.\u00a0<\/p>\n Taxpayers overwhelmingly said no<\/a>, with 60% of 14,701 voters opposing the proposition.\u00a0<\/p>\n Budget discussions have grown especially tense in the months after, leading to outright spats and pointed Facebook posts from board members.\u00a0<\/p>\n The latest budget discussions occurred in December, when the district administration planned to present a financial solvency plan with proposals for consolidations and rightsizing of staff.<\/p>\n But Ryan, along with Poteet, Lee and Jones voted to table the item, citing concerns over \u201clast-minute\u201d changes to plans previously shared with the board.\u00a0<\/p>\n Fields said Ryan\u2019s concerns were \u201cdisingenuous,\u201d since Ryan has often asked the administration to write and rewrite financial plans to address the budget deficit.<\/p>\n The board has also rejected Field\u2019s efforts to hire a chief financial officer. Now, Judson has gone without a CFO since October<\/a>, when Tony Kingman quit after working at the district for only two months. Before that, Larry Guerra held the position for just over a year before resigning in July.<\/p>\n Over the past three years, Judson has gone through four CFOs.\u00a0<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1768144111_492_JudsonISDSpecialMeeting_jn_07.jpg\")
Educator Nevlyn Young Williams becomes emotional while speaking in support of Superintendent Milton Fields during a special school board meeting held at the Judson ISD Educational Resource Center on Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026. Credit: Jo E. Norris for the San Antonio Report<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1768144112_107_JudsonISDSpecialMeeting_jn_24.jpg\")
Community members watch the proceeding of a special school board meeting to discuss the contract of Superintendent Milton Fields at the Judson ISD Educational Resource Center on Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026. Credit: Jo E. Norris for the San Antonio Report<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1768144112_828_JudsonISDSpecialMeeting_jn_28.jpg\")
Judson Superintendent Milton Fields speaks with his attorney Karl Hanner during a special school board meeting held at the Judson ISD Educational Resource Center on Jan. 10, 2026. Credit: Jo E. Norris for the San Antonio Report<\/p>\n