Austin Independent School District Board President Gina Hinojosa announced Monday that she will relinquish her position as president effective Tuesday. Hinojosa said she has decided to run for the District 49 seat in the Texas House of Representatives and recently submitted her election filings. If elected, her term would begin in 2017. “The law does not require me to resign as trustee, but I believe it is appropriate to withdraw as president,” she said Monday. Vice President Amber Elenz will serve as interim president until the board decides who will replace Hinojosa. Hinojosa was elected to the board in November 2012 and elected president by her fellow trustees in January 2015. Last week, Rep. Elliott Naishtat (D-Austin) announced that he would withdraw his name from the ballot. He has served in the District 49 office since 1991.
Editor’s note: For clarification, AISD At-Large Trustee Gina Hinojosa has resigned not from the board but from her position as president.