SCUCISD board to address trustee who allegedly abandoned students
The Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City Independent School District board will meet Thursday to discuss Matthew Short, a trustee who was sworn in just hours after he allegedly abandoned at least six elementary students outside a Judson ISD school.
Short, elected to the SCUCISD Place 4 seat in November 2025, was teaching third grade at Salinas Elementary in Judson ISD when the incident occurred Nov. 17.
According to KSAT and the San Antonio Express-News, students reported that Short walked them to the front of the school after tutoring, got in his car, and drove away. He did not return.
The timeline
Short told Salinas staff he needed to leave early. His SCUCISD swearing-in ceremony was scheduled that evening about 30 minutes away.
The students were left outside at approximately 3-4 p.m. Short was sworn in as a SCUCISD trustee at 6 p.m.
Security video contradicted Short's claim that he circled back to check on the children, KSAT reported.
Investigation and termination proceedings
Judson ISD police investigated the incident as potential "abandoning or endangering a child," a felony under Texas law. No criminal charges were filed.
A report was filed with the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services on Jan. 23, 2026.
Short was placed on paid administrative leave Nov. 19 and barred from all Judson ISD campuses.
The vote: unanimous at 1 a.m.
On Jan. 22, the Judson ISD board convened at 6 p.m. for a regular meeting that would stretch past midnight. The board entered closed session at 9:23 p.m. to consult with attorneys about the proposed termination. They did not return to open session until 1 a.m.
Trustee Amanda Poteet moved to "propose termination of the probationary contract of Matthew Short during the contract period for good cause," and further moved to authorize the superintendent to deliver written notice. Trustee Knoier seconded. The vote was 6-0.
The meeting adjourned at 1:02 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 23 — more than seven hours after it began.
A district in turmoil
The Short termination wasn't the only business that night. The marathon session exposed deep dysfunction within Judson ISD.
Gilbert Flores, who served on the Judson board from 2006 to 2018, told current members they were "an embarrassment to the district employees and to the constituents."
"When I left the board, the district was ranked 562 out of 956 districts," Flores said. "As of 2025, Judson ranks 768 out of 961 districts." He said the district had fallen to a D rating — the same tier as struggling urban districts like South San Antonio ISD and Edgewood ISD.
"I've been in contact with Mike Morath and have asked that the TEA does not let us fall to the level of South San before they come in and take over the district," Flores said.
Matthew Fields, a Judson ISD employee who oversees safety and security, accused the board of posting "blatant lies," releasing FERPA-protected student information, and allowing rhetoric that left "people feeling angry and unsafe."
"I've seen board members attacked for allegedly abusing their spouses. I've seen board members' children threatened," Fields said. "You are making many of us physically ill with the stress of your rhetoric. Stop."
Short told KSAT the abandonment allegation was closed with no finding of misconduct and that the termination relates to a "separate matter." He declined to explain what that matter was.
SCUCISD board to discuss Thursday
The Feb. 19 SCUCISD board agenda includes "discussion and possible action pertaining to trustee."
SCUCISD officials have called Short's employment at Judson ISD a "private employment matter" and declined to comment beyond scheduled board business.
Short previously worked for SCUCISD from August 2023 to May 2025 before joining Judson ISD for the 2025-26 school year. His SCUCISD trustee term runs through 2029.
What happens next
Thursday's meeting could result in action ranging from a public statement to a request for Short's resignation. State law allows school boards to remove trustees only through specific legal processes, including recall elections or addressing violations of the board's code of conduct.
The SCUCISD board meets at 6 p.m. Thursday at the Administration Building, 1060 Elbel Road, Schertz.
Sources: KSAT, San Antonio Express-News, Judson ISD board meeting transcript (Jan. 22, 2026)
