Board talks five-year plan

By ARABELLA SERRATA
editor@sbnewspaper.com

The San Benito Consolidated Independent School District (SBCISD) School Board of Trustees held a meeting at Town Hall on Sept. 9, 2024. Dr. Ariel Cruz-Vela, board Vice-President, and Orlando Lopez, Board President, were absent. Alejandro Reyna, Board Trustee, arrived late. This meeting marked the beginning of the district’s five-year strategic plan.

There were no public comments at the meeting. A graph from a survey taken by district stakeholders revealed parents and guardians to be the largest source of responses at 72.4%. Teachers made up the second highest at 16.3%. When asked about satisfaction with the district, 34% reported they were “very satisfied”.

2% reported they were “very dissatisfied.” 50% of the stakeholders reported academics as the district’s strengths, and 60% reported extracurricular activities. When asked about the district’s needs, over 50% said academics, about 55% said Career and Technical Education [CTE], and over 30% said community involvement.

Luis Gonzales, Director of Public Relations at the District, split the audience into groups. Afterward, the groups were given instructions according to a series of prompts. They were told to list the greatest benefits the district offers to the staff, students, and stakeholders.

Then list a missing benefit. The pre-kindergarten program was praised, but parental engagement and field trips were reported lacking. Employee benefits included the distinctions and mini-breaks the district offers, behavior training post-Covid, compensation, and community benefits were listed as pitfalls.

More groups said that the flexible school day is a great benefit to the community, as is the after-school program. Parenting and GED classes were requested. Technology was criticized for being dated. Practical applications of career pathways and credit recovery opportunities were discussed.

The groups were then told to write what they would stop doing, start doing, and continue doing if they were in charge of the school district. The papers were given to the superintendent and the rest of the board.

The board thanked the audience for their participation by stating the five-year plan, and the meeting was adjourned.