By ARABELLA SERRATA
editor@sbnewspaper.com
The San Benito Consolidated Independent School District [SBCISD] held a regular meeting on Thursday, Jan. 23. Board president Orlando Lopez was tardy, and trustee Alex Reyna was absent. Students Rory de la Cruz and Kimberly Oxley delivered the pledge of allegiance and invocation respectively.
The board recognized staff members Rene Cortez and Marisa Ybarra for their “pristine work” within SBCISD. Cortez was titled a “Gold Standard Employee” for his work as a counselor. Ybarra was given the first Gold Apple of the year for her teaching efforts. They also recognized campuses Dr. C. M. Cash Elementary, Dr. Raul Garza Jr. STEAM academy and La Encantada Elementary for earning U.S. News’ Best Schools Recognition. In the spirit of School Board Recognition Month, the board of trustees also recognized their own efforts within the school district.
Mary Maney, a SBCISD teacher, opened public comments. She spoke about how well the school recognizes its staff and congratulated the board on the strides it has made in recent times. She also brought up the possibility of a make-up day due to problematic weather experienced earlier in the school week.
Eve Perez, Executive Director of Communities in Schools [CIS], reported the program’s caseload was roughly 114 students per campus. According to Perez, the program works to reengage attendance among the students by offering transportation and help with mental health and self-care. Perez reported that the district lost 15 students to other schools that don’t have a representative from CIS.
Perez also reported CIS worked in collaboration with local retailers to provide two shopping sprees to a select group of students. According to Perez, these students were chosen based on CIS coordinators’ beliefs regarding which students would benefit the most from the spree.
The report also stated that 20 families received Thanksgiving baskets and several other clothing and toy donations.
Diana Atkinson, Director of Elementary Instruction, and Amy Rodriguez, Director of Secondary Instruction, presented the Targeted and Local Improvement Plan for various schools in the district. The report named La Paloma Elementary, Greyhounds Online and Miller Jordan Middle School, as “federally identified,” and Fred Booth Elementary and Riverside Middle School as part of a “local intervention plan.” According to Atkinson, actions to improve the schools’ environments will be shared on both campuses.
Five strategies are outlined in the plan. The first step is to monitor the quality of instructional materials and ensure they meet state standards. The next step is constantly monitoring said material, then differentiating material for “special populations.” Then, the plan calls for a “comprehensive professional development program” for high-quality learning material. To cement the program, there will be protocols for the learning material.
On the consent agenda, the board approved course catalogs for San Benito CISD Middle and High School, and Targeted and Local Improvement Plans for various schools in the district. The board approved cash accounts, Comparison of Revenue and Expenditures, Tax Collection Reports, and Quarterly Investment Reports as well as several bid proposals. The board extended the contract between the district and SmartCom for internet access and Broadband Circus. The board approved budget amendments, gifts, purchases over $50,000, Dec. 11 board meeting minutes, and revisions to the San Benito CISD Organizational chart and the 2024-2025 compensation plan.
On the action agenda, the board approved additional repairs to the San Benito Veterans Memorial Academy canopy.
Recent Comments