Board to discuss super’s contract at special meeting

By JOE BOCANEGRA
Special to the NEWS

SBCISDSan Benito CISD School Board members voted Monday night to postpone the summative evaluation of Superintendent of Schools Antonio G. Limón’s contract… again.

The Board of Trustees instead opted to revisit his evaluation for a special meeting tentatively scheduled for April 25.

The decision came after the board discussed the matter for nearly an hour in closed session.

As reported previously, the board has considered the superintendent’s contract dating back to December but has continuously decided to table the item.

As rumors swear of a buyout of the superintendent’s contract, Limón, however, downplayed the discussions. “Everything is progressing fine,” Limón said after the meeting.

Board President Yliana G. Rodriguez gave no comment apart from repeating the meeting date. Secretary June Aguilera and trustees Fatima and Julian Huerta also gave no comment, whereas trustees Anna Cruz, Hector Leal and Oscar Medrano could not be reached before presstime.

In other news, board members approved proposals received for the employee health benefits-managed care health plan with the additional motion to have a workshop to discuss the plan’s specifics. It was approved in a 4-3 vote, with Leal, Cruz and Medrano voting against; although, the original idea was to table the item pending further research.

SBCISD Risk Manager Janie Gonzales and consultant Glenn Hillyer spoke to the board at length, explaining how the plan works and of the risks involved, which drew inquires from Leal and Cruz.

“Can you show us numbers, as far as savings?” Leal pressed. “Where are they? I just want to see the whole picture in this.”

“I know that during the finance committee you said that you would save the district a million dollars,” Cruz said. “Can we get that in writing? Are they (the employees) our guinea pigs?”

Hillyer, however, assured this – Cruz’ concern was not the case.

Additionally, the board unanimously approved of setting up new high school courses Banking and Financial Services, Cosmetology I and II, and HVAC and Refrigeration Technology. These trade classes are to be offered to high school seniors for the upcoming 2013-2014 school year and will provide board certified education for anyone willing to enroll.

Permanent link to this article: https://www.sbnewspaper.com/2013/04/09/board-to-discuss-supers-contract-at-special-meeting/

20 comments

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    • Alvin on April 16, 2013 at 8:31 pm
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    The Board President who is employed by Los FRESNOS CISD went to the National School Board Meeting in San Diego, California? You have got to be kidding? All on the district dime no less!!!! SBCISD Has no money for the Bouncing Babies Program and cuts the Police dept. hours and she goes to San Diego? Please say it’s not so. Probably with the DISTRICT CREDIT CARD that she asked for from the supt.
    ONLY IN SAN BENITO!!!

    • Fed up on April 16, 2013 at 3:32 pm
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    And our Board President has the audacity to post & flaunt pics of herself in San Diego on her FB Wall. Hope you enjoyed your taxpayers paid trip Ms Gonzalez(?).

    Hope there was a remedial course on meeting etiquette & media communications.

    Sin fin,

    • Think About It on April 16, 2013 at 11:31 am
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    Okay, the facts have been established. Fact 1 – the majority of the board does not approve of Mr. Limon.
    Fact 2 – Mr. Limon would probably be happier elsewhere.
    Fact 3 – The board is hesitant to pay off Mr. Limon’s contract.
    Finding – Pay the man off, it’s not like it hasn’t happened before. Money will be withheld next year? 1. Cut administration travel the equivalent of the money paid out next school year. 2. Board members can forfeit stipend received to attend meetings until the money is made up.

    • TwoCentsWorth on April 16, 2013 at 7:58 am
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    Correct me if I’m wrong, but in the past, three (3) board members comprise the finance committee . . . it’s a “committee” that meets and makes recommendations to the entire board. It makes no sense to have the entire board attend the committee meetings. If they all attend, it, in fact, is not a “finance committee” meeting, but rather a regular or special “board” meeting.???

    • Juan on April 16, 2013 at 7:32 am
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    See guys,read,it’s all about the employees,and their benefits,don’t worry with the students,they can take care of themselves.What a self-centered community.

    • jade robertson on April 15, 2013 at 12:39 am
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    This is sad attacking Board Members, get the FACTS. All you need to do is ask for the minutes of each Board Meeting, if you wish not to attend. And since people have access to post comments they also have access to even view the monthly Board Meeting online. I will even help you by providing the links-

    For Board Meeting 2-19-13 click on the link below and hear it directly from Mr. Limon and Emma McCall
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=172VBsz235U
    fast forward the video to 1:09 (1 hr and 9 min) and hear Mr.Limon confirm the list of employees without insurance and also hear Emma confirm the exact same thing at 1:19
    The Rep. from Trevino Ins. (Cory) was in fact in the audience since she is also mentioned in this video

    For Board Meeting 3-19-13 click the link below
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3FNJ4z–mYs
    fast forward the video to 1:02 and hear Emma comment again about the list then hear the attorney as well
    at 1:09 Janie Gonzales offers to provide Mr. Medrano a list of these employees with Insurance discrepancies
    and hear Mr. Limon again comment on these employees at 1:10 in the video

    For Board Meeting 4-08-13 click the link below
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Klqit208zw
    fast forward the video to 1:06 and hear Emma, Finance Chief Officer confirm and recommend a new $25 plan
    also hear Mr.Limon say only 4 Board Members attended the required Finance Committee Meeting and at
    1:23 into the video hear Ms. Cruz CONFIRM that both Hector and Oscar did NOT attend neither did June
    SO we know what 4 Board Members are fulfilling their duties. To conclude, when you reach 1:18 in the video you will again hear directly from Mr. Limon himself, confirm a most recent list of employees is still pending

    So ask yourself, why did Hector Leal, Oscar Medrano and Ann Cruz vote against the $25.00 plan for the employees. If the employee currently has the $69.00 plan that would mean an automatic monthly savings of $44.00 and if you multiply that by 12 months, would come out to $528.00 of savings a year and how many employees could have these savings. What is wrong with this picture, its about accountability – remember ask for the minutes of each board meeting to get the FACTS after all, this is ALL PUBLIC INFORMATION.

    • That Girl on April 14, 2013 at 9:26 pm
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    When are the teachers going to get their contracts for next year? Mr. Editor, can you find out please?
    Our principals do not know. Thank you for your help.

    • Juan on April 14, 2013 at 8:57 am
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    Here we go again,it’s all about the board,the supt.,the teachers,the staff,and the”para-professionals”,nobody seems to be even remotely focusing on the students.Correct me if I’m wrong,some how I thought that was the main objective,to educate the students,all here have seemed to lost that goal,and to all those employed by the school system,be glad you even have a job,why are you here,if the working conditions are so bad,go to some other school district,and work,oh,they wouldn’t hire you,so that’s why your here.If you can’t stand the heat,get out of the kitchen,teachers that can’t teach,administrators that can’t administrate,sad,real sad.Probably already thinking about next years bonus,and who will get it,matter a fact you’ve probably already got next years bonus spent.Such a fine group to lead our youths,by example.

    • Richard on April 13, 2013 at 11:04 pm
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    Ben I did not know that TEA gave out information on sexual harassment and child abuse. May be king Chuy does to his messengers…

    • G. Flores on April 13, 2013 at 7:33 pm
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    Mr. Ben, if you are SOOOO Concern about the schools, then you need to speak at each school board meeting…not only when you feel the need to criticize the district. Make a difference and do something!
    And unless you have sat in a superintendent chair or principal chair,I strongly suggest you also get a clue!!

    • Reform San Benito on April 13, 2013 at 7:26 pm
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    G. Flores: 1. What, in your opinion, should the community do between now and 2014, that will make a difference?

    2. Who went to the NSB conference in S.D.?

    • Ben on April 13, 2013 at 5:05 pm
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    Richard if you want the truth…go to the TEA webpage and read the facts….kill the messenger…

    • G. Flores on April 13, 2013 at 4:35 pm
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    What part of “this school board is clueless” to finances and academics do you people not get? Wait until next election? For what? For this district to be further in the hole financewise and academicwise! This district is a federal stage 3 district. Educators know what the consequences will be soon enough.
    Get a clue and hold everyone accountable to include the board members themselves. Friends of these board members continue to be hired and just watch… When they buy out Mr. Limon in the next few weeks, the only thing that is going to change is that the new supt. will do EXACTLY WHAT THE FOUR tell him to do. The talk is all over town who the new supt. is….and while we are at it… Guess who went to the NATIONAL SCHOOL BOARD CONFERENCE IN SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA? This district is in the HOLE people!! Spending money on themselves, what else is new.
    Teachers, like me, still haven’t heard if our contracts will be approved. We have bills to pay and college tuition to pay for our children.
    The value of my homes continues to decrease…..

    • Richard on April 12, 2013 at 8:26 pm
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    is this the Ben that gets his information from Chuy? Birds of a feather….misinformation King…long live King Chuy and his loyal page Ben! Never let the truth get in the way…

    • Reform San Benito on April 12, 2013 at 7:24 pm
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    James Dillion, eat my shorts.

    Ben, perhaps you’re right. Perhaps we should sit back, remain silent, and observe ~ if only for our children ~ where the current board takes us over the next year. This time next year, if things haven’t gotten better, make a change. After all, the community voted for these board members, for better or worse, and maybe they deserve the benefit of the doubt to see what they can accomplish. Perhaps the best thing for our children is to remain silent and just observe. The constant hostilty is benefitting no one.

    Maybe, just maybe, it’s time to give peace a chance.

    1. The time to vote will come around again and that will be the time to give peace a chance. I hope there is more than 15 people runing for a postions on the school board seats where individual need to run and try to be re-elected. We just need more citizens to run it just bring out more possablities. I would rather see individuals who have more life experiances run for school board. On the other hand there really should be a law that requires individuals to get a degree or even a certificate on traing and calss room instructions on how to preform as a school board member. It’s never to late.

    • Ben on April 12, 2013 at 10:53 am
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    Two years ago I went before the School Board for my five minute talk….I presented numbers from TEA that indicated that during his five years the rating had been “.acceptable”. I told the board and Mr. Limon that he wasn’t doing his job, to focus on the students progress, yet he kept getting raises because the Board ignored his failures. Everything from sexual harassment to child abuse was not brought up because the Board President called time after only three minutes of the five I was to have….now why are the students leaving the District? The classroom is not conducive to learning. If you think this bickering doesn’t flow to the classroom, then you really have your head in the sand. THE FOCUS SHOULD BE ON THE STUDENTS….as long as this crap continues…we’ve got a problem.

    • Juan on April 12, 2013 at 8:59 am
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    If Chuy,and the gang drag their feet to much longer,old Tony’s going to miss out on the Rio Hondo gig,and not be able to double down on his income,they may have to return all the Mercedes cars.

    • Streets on April 10, 2013 at 6:53 pm
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    So they will place Mr. Limon’s contract at a special school board meeting… is it because they do not want to hear from the public? You bet it is!
    You four board members have NO SHAME!!

    • Oldtimer on April 10, 2013 at 9:38 am
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    I read earlier that the insurance people said that the district has 300 people uninsured…. Numbers can be easily manipulated. For example, two teachers in my hall have no sbcisd insurance BECAUSE THEY ARE ON THEIR SPOUSES’ INSURANCE. But these school board members want us to believe that they are righting a wrong. What they are really doing is manipulating the numbers to get sympathy from the public for these supposed “300” … in order to justify changing insurances for their own purposes.

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