SAISD District 2 candidate recently filed for bankruptcy Learning Process

SAISD District 2 candidate recently filed for bankruptcy

Written on May 13, 2011 – 4:10 am | by Christopher Tulloch

Joy McGhee a small business owner and Mayor Julian Castros District 2 pick for the board of the San Antonio Independent School District touts her business acumen on campaign literature. But she filed for Chapter 13 bankruptcy just five months ago.

McGhee (or Renee Joy McGhee if you’re trolling for court docs) owns Kings Glory Enterprises, which includes a division that sells gifts and promotional items and an information technology arm. She said last year was a “very tough year” for her business.

“One of our contracts got bought up by a national business,” she said.

Reluctant to lay anyone off around the holidays, McGhee said she fell behind on mortgage and student loan payments and accepted food stamps to make ends meet for her family, which includes two children who are in high school.

To save the house, she filed for bankruptcy in December.

But the political novice who is hoping to knock Board President James Howard off his perch in Saturday’s election said the bankruptcy filing should have little bearing on her ability to oversee the school district. One of the primary roles of a school board member is to set the districts budget.

“I don’t really think that would speak ill of my abilities to manage,” she said. “The bankruptcy doesn’t speak of me being irresponsible. I was never living high on the hog. I was never misspending.”

McGhee said Kings Glory secured a new contract soon afterward the filing and she is again feeling secure about the future of her business.

“I pay everybody what I owe,” she said. “So I’m not trying to shirk any responsibility whatsoever.”

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