Board to consider health plans

By HEATHER CATHLEEN COX
Staff Writer
reporter@sbnewspaper.com

San Benito Logo_w:sky

The San Benito CISD Board of Trustees will analyze bids and finalize a decision regarding the district’s future health care vendors on Thursday, Aug. 7, at a special board meeting.

Earlier this summer, SBCISD advertised an open request for vendor proposals for the following services: Stop loss insurance; diabetic supplies, pharmacy benefits manager, third party administrative services for employee benefit plans; and cafeteria and voluntary plans.

District officials expressed that they were not necessarily dissatisfied with the current vendors but wanted to allow new proposals in an effort to potentially save the district money. SBCISD Board President Arnold Padilla said, “The Trustees felt we needed to open up an opportunity to third party medical (service providers).”

This open invitation to potential vendors included sending 60-day termination notices to the district’s current providers: Assured Benefits Administrators; Data Rx Management Inc.; RxSense Prescription Management L.L.C.; and Liberty Medical Supply Inc.

An unnamed evaluation committee has been enlisted to audit the bids received. Superintendent of Schools Antonio G. Limón said that common “practice is to keep the (identity) of the evaluation committee hidden until after a decision has been made (by the Board).”

This is the only way the district can insure vendors will not contact members of said committee for solicitous reasons, said Limón.

On Thursday, the evaluation committee will present their findings to the Board. The financial committee will be present at the meeting, and the trustees should make their final decision in open session, Limón said.

“It’s a procedure issue, that’s all it is….There’s still an opportunity for current service (providers) to continue providing services if the current companies submit proposals and happen to be the company of highest rank,” said Padilla. “I’m hoping that a proper evaluation will be made of proposals submitted.”

Other items up for discussion at Thursday’s meeting include possible action on the City of San Benito requesting a 40-foot utility easement at the old high school site, located between Hicks Street and Rose Street, as well as discussion of and possible action to approve the agreement with UT Health Science Center at Houston regarding instructional support service by Children’s Learning Institutes.

The last two items may be discussed in a closed session.

 

Permanent link to this article: https://www.sbnewspaper.com/2014/08/05/board-to-consider-health-plans/

12 comments

Skip to comment form

    • The Negotiator on August 11, 2014 at 1:37 pm
    • Reply

    Why can’t someone vent on this blog? Sometimes this is the only way to say something without retaliation from any administration, since there is no professionalism on the board or administration. That is one of the main problems here in San Benito; someone can’t say what they feel without being retaliated against. I don’t know why people think being a school board member means getting your pockets filled with bribe money, and special favors. What happened to doing the job you were elected to do? If you do run for school board keep in mind it doesn’t pay; your pay will be the reward of one day seeing these children move on to be good citizens. Next election, I say to you citizens of San Benito vote for people that are going to fight for our children and teachers. Stop all this compadrismo, it is really starting to stink. Look at other cities around us, aren’t you tired of being at the bottom of the barrel? I believe these other communities are doing something right, because you can see their progress. If you want to call my statement “envy” that’s okay, but maybe we too need to work together to be a productive school district. Maybe we citizens are tired of all the wrongful spending, imagine if we spent it for our kids benefit? I’m just tired of being last; I think by what everyone’s statements are saying, it is evident that they too are frustrated with all the wrong doing. So I tell the SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS AND ADMINISTRATION, GET YOUR ACT TOGETHER OR GET OUT…. it’s that simple.

    • Board member after Board member on August 10, 2014 at 12:41 pm
    • Reply

    to Ignorance is bliss: Move on on the topic of Mr. Limon. He has the rest of the year to coast into his new job. 5 board members approved it so the district just needs to be at a stand still till the new supt comes. You can blame all those board members for that.
    No Accountability, yep probably right but before you blame these new board members, remember he was the supt for a very long time and had many many board members to answer to.
    It is what it is so let us all pray that the next superintendent has some instruction background, has been a principal, knows how to talk to people and has walked the talk like the teachers and staff.
    We can only hope and pray.

  1. Get over it ! This is a prime example of the issues with politics in our town at its best. I applaud the insurance change simply because it is best for us employees and our family not board members pockets ($$$). You continue to call out Yiliana and it was her and the other 3 that made this great move. So, I thank them for that! Now the ridiculous $800k Anna program. It’s not going to work because the administrators nor staff have bought it to it. It’s not the board members responsibility to shove their personnel agenda down administrators throats for their personnel gain. This was obviously a political power mover and waste of tax payer dollars for our district. We need a new Super and Asst super, you guys are paying unless Super $169k and Asst.Super $75.hr to do nothing. That’s where you start idiots not spending more of our money, gee.. But anyway, we got a taste of what Anna Cruz is about and it smells! I agree with the previous blogs and have to say she will not get our support and she will lose come 2015……

    • Beto on August 9, 2014 at 11:01 pm
    • Reply

    I am trying to figure out what the deal is? YLIANA and her “friends” brought in products to SBCISD. So what is the difference here? I’ll tell you. The UT program has been successful everywhere it has been.
    But noooo, people just want SBCISD children to stay behind all other children. I congratulate the board for approving a researched base program for our kids. It is about time!
    Good job Arnold, Anna, angel, and Oscar,
    Now, if we could just hire a supt with instruction experience then everything will be in order and we can FINALLY MOVE THIS DISTRICT IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.

  2. The special board meeting last night was interesting to say the least. The board voted 6-1 to keep our current insurance provider after the insurance committee voted unanimously SIG number 1 on their ranking. Unfortunately, Mr.Limon and the board members who wanted this item to go out for bid spend $30k tax payer dollars to find out it was the best product for us employees. It took 3 consultants and $30k to confirm what everyone already knew. Just a waste of tax payer dollars to Lorenzo Sanchez and Granado.. Good job board for allowing that to happen.. Secondly, Anna Cruz and puppet Super Arnold passed the useless, unwarranted $800k program that principles were totally against. My understanding of the board is to oversee the districts process not micromanage and shove expensive programs down their throats.. This program is useless and waste of tax payer dollars for Anna Cruz’s gain.. Anna must go!!!!! Super Arnold should just step down!!! Horrible coalition

      • Darlene on August 9, 2014 at 1:07 am
      • Reply

      @Sad, you are sadly mistakened. That program that you are bashing has been used in other districts and is effective. The few principles in attendance at that meeting are against it only because 1.) They’re so used to getting a free paycheck with minimal work 2.) they probably didn’t do their research or didn’t pay attention during the presentation, and 3.) are so used to getting their “consultant” friends to “consult” or as some would say “blow steam up your butt so you think that some work is being done. The bottom line is that San Benito needs structure in their curriculum. There is no support for teachers at this point. It’s every man for himself. Instead of bashing a program that WILL bring scores up, you should be encouraging it. This is about the kids and their foundation for the future. Money should not be an option when it is for them.

        • Ignorance is bliss on August 9, 2014 at 8:39 am
        • Reply

        @ Darlene…ignorance is bliss and sadly, that’s a saying that certainly applies to you.
        1) Prior to the special board meeting a principals meeting was held in an attempt to TRY to convince them about Anna Cruz & Angel Mendez’s intent to pay a favor to UT by hiring these instructional specialists (aka GOPHERS). Greer and our fearless mayor Celeste Sanchez did a sorry job at getting their point across because they’re simply ineffective and empty-minded.
        2) Can you say ‘ACCOUNTABILITY’? Under Mr. Limon’s leadership there has been none. That explains the poor performance this district continues to experience and the decline is evident through his years of service. This ‘good Christain man’ can barely tell his right foot to lead before his left foot! He’s so concerned with hiring his ‘friends’ back into the district that he’s lost sight of the children. Take the Joe Mendez case and pant-dropping custodian for examples.
        3) This brilliant new program that UT has to offer smells nothing more than Reading First and we all know that was a FAIL…but let’s try to reinvent the wheel with the help of UT and spend $800,000 while we’re at it. And further, other districts you reference can afford this program because it’s grant-funded.
        Honestly, the only outcome from agreeing to spend $800,000 from our federal monies is simply a tactic at ‘throwing the monkey’ on someone else’s back should student performance not rise, as has been the case.
        4) And lastly, ELECTION season is right around the corner. And you know what that means…DING, DING, DING!!! Anna Cruz is going to try to get her friends cushion jobs as instructional specialists making certain she secures votes for her benefit. She already begun her campaign.

        This great push for this UT program reeks of POLITICAL SCAM! Shame on you Super Arnold, Puppetmaster Anna Cruz, Sick-minded Oscar and Micromanager Angel. You four ought to concern yourselves with holding Mr Limon accountable for his actions. He’s obviously proven to be a poor leader and continues to do so as the days go by.

        So Darlene, before you attempt to defend poor decision making, you should probably get the facts first unless you rather look like a fool.

          • Darlene on August 9, 2014 at 3:40 pm
          • Reply

          You’re so good at blowing steam up one’s butt and you fail to address the “consultants”, maybe YOU are one of those consultants that will soon be let go. You also fail to address the lazy principles that were in the audience that day. It is what it is. People that don’t care about the children need to move on. Since you know facts, how did those THIRTY districts do with this program?? Whether they were paid with district $ or grants is not the question. Will it work?? Is it effective??? Regardless of your attempt to make it out to be a bad decision, The program has been approved. The results will speak volumes. Quit your whining and join the bandwagon. We want students to succeed. We want this district to succeed. All for the children!! Oh, and remember me next summer!!

            • Ignorance is bliss on August 9, 2014 at 11:35 pm
            • Reply

            @ Darlene…you make an excellent point and I’m glad we both agree on one thing! ‘People that don’t care about the children need to move on.’ How bout we start with our lazy superintendent who’s collecting a pretty penny at doing absolutely nothing but sitting on his throne.
            And i hope you’re right about this program. Hopefully this wasteful spending won’t be in vain. If we’re lucky, maybe SBCISD will attain 29 distinctions instead of 28. Then we would have earned bragging rights! LOL!
            Regardless of the bad decision making, i do agree that our students must succeed. But it needs to start at the top and these board members need to put their personal agendas and differences aside and work towards making things right for our students.

    • Old maintenance worker on August 7, 2014 at 9:13 pm
    • Reply

    Great job school board. You still kept SIG but cut his commission by over 200,000 and what commission he gets now he will earn. The employees still get great insurance and good service !

    • What? on August 5, 2014 at 11:19 pm
    • Reply

    Did I read that the board president said “I’m hoping that a proper evaluation will be made of proposals submitted?”
    Why in the world would he say that? Mr. President, you should choose your words more carefully.
    By the way, how did he become the board president? He was just elected and he gets to be board president?
    Something does not seem right with this picture.

    And did I read that the board is looking at buying a bus? I sure hope that they can provide for the needs of our children and employees before they buy a bus. Isn’t there a plan for those kinds of big purchases?
    They do not come cheap.
    Should be an interesting meeting tomorrow… and why a special board meeting? So that the people of San Benito cannot see it because it will not be taped recorded.
    This board is sure looking like the ones we just elected out of office.
    As someone said on another post, God help us.

    • DO WHAT'S RIGHT! on August 5, 2014 at 9:41 pm
    • Reply

    DO WHAT’S RIGHT! THE EYE’S OF THE FEDERAL COURTROOM ARE UPON YOU.

Leave a Reply to Board member after Board member Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published.