001Good. Good evening everyone. I now call to order the rescheduled regular meeting of the Rio Grande City Guru ISD School Board. The time is now 5:45 p.m. This meeting was properly posted on April 8th, 2026 at 4:30 p.m. Uh we will begin with roll call. Mr. Renee Pñena, >> present. >> Mr. Eduardo Ramirez, >> present. >> Mr. Noi Castillo, absent. Miss Paty Garcia, >> present. >> Mr. Mr. Jesse Solis >> present. >> Mr. Basilo Dariel Jr. absent and Miss Guopa >> present. Thank you. And now we will move on to the invocation led by Mr. Pñena. >> Let's go ahead and rise and bow our heads. >> Dear heavenly father, Lord, we just want to thank you for uh bringing us here today. Uh you gather us as an RGCGISD community uh to move this
002district forward. Father, we ask for patience. We ask for wisdom. Father, we ask that uh we honor you in all we do, Father. that we just uh uh all have that same mindset of moving this district forward and all for the teachers, students, and of course the community. In Jesus name we pray. Amen. >> Amen. >> Thank you. And now the pledge of allegiance led by Mr. Eddie Ramirez. >> I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for it for it stands one nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all. >> Thank you. You all may be seated. Section five recognitions. Miss Garcan. >> Yes, ma'am. We'll go ahead and begin with our recognitions now. Mr. Osuna, thank you. >> Good evening, Madam President, members
003of the board. Miss GarcA, we're going to begin this special night of recognitions and it is a beautiful thing to have our multi-purpose filled with so many amazingly talented students and staff members. We're going to bring up first principal Melinda Gonzalez from Ringold Middle School. And I'd like to bring up Miss Himemena Salenas and Coach Cynthia Garcia as well. Good evening, Dr. Barera, president, board president, members of the board, and Mrs. Gara, superintendent. On behalf of Ringo Middle School, we are honored to recognize the outstanding achievement of Himea Salenas. Representing our campus as a sixth grader, Himemena competed against the top students from across the entire district. Her unwavering dedication and focus were on full display as she rose to the challenge, ultimately securing an impressive second place finish in the real Grandandy City Guya
004ISD spelling bee competition. Himea, your impressive, your perseverance is truly inspiring and serves as a wonderful example to your peers. We would also like to recognize coach Cynthia Garcia for her guidance, encouragement, and support in helping Himemena prepare for this competition. Congratulations on this remarkable success. We look forward to your future accomplishments. Congratulations. Hold on. I'd like a pick. >> Also want to encourage if anybody from the family or anybody wants to come over and take pictures, you're more than welcome to stand right here and get some pictures. Thank you very much, Miss Gonzalez. Now, we're going to move our attention to Real Grandandy City High School Principal Mariel Monte Mayor. I would like to first call my um UIL coaches and also my um UIL coordinator, Miss Ona Sorita. Good Good afternoon. It is
005with immense reer pride that I present the outstanding achievements of our students at the recent district 35A UIO academic meet that we hosted at Rio High. Through hundreds of hours of rigorous practice, research and dedication, these students have distinguished themselves as some of the top academic competitors in our region. Their success is a direct reflection of their hard work and the tireless mentorship provided by our dedicated coaching staff. So with that said, we have the distinguished team achievement. Real Grand City High School has been crowned the first place sweep states journalism team. This prestigious honor recognizes the collective excellence of our students across five critical categories. copy editing, editorial writing, feature writing, headline writing, and newswriting. We also have some regional qualifiers that are individual. The following students have placed in the top tier of
006the respective events and will represent RGC High at the regional meet in San Antonio on April 24th through the 26th. We have Emila Emmelana Veloso, district champion, first place in news writing and second place in editorial writing. Can you come up? Adam Noan, second place in poor interpretation. Dante Noosa, third place in accounting and journalism team members Joseph Garza, Samantha Kar and Lori Choa. So these are individual regional qualifiers that we just mentioned. You all go and then we'll take one. >> Mr. Charlie Garcia can't be here today because they have a gay. We also have regional alternates and team honors. We also recognize our students who earn alternate status placing them among the best in the district. Now this includes Edinburgh Vela, Edinburgh Mission um and all those schools. Accounting team second place Dantino
007Hosa Caros Canu Danielle Vasquez and Pel Gutierrez. Current events Danielle Vasquez fifth place and spelling a Garcia fourth place. Wait, don't go. Hello everybody. Now I also want to commend our coaches. Um this accolades would not be possible without an exceptional uh leadership and the afterchool commitment of our UIO coaches. We extend our deepest uh gratitude to Miss Conway, Miss San Daval Edgar Diaz and Mr. Ali Garcia. Can you come up? and Miss Janet Trevino. Now, they do put a lot of hours and they do work really hard. Uh, and we always place every single time that we go somewhere, we always end up placing. So, I think that's, you know, something that we need to be proud of at RER Nation. And that is it for Rio High. >> Ladies and gentlemen, before uh
008any of you all leave any of our recognitions, we want to let you all know that do we we do have refreshments and beverages before you all uh go ahead and take off. Coming up next, we do have Miss Delma Martinez, principal of Gruya High School. Good evening. Good evening, Madam Board President Dr. Vera, members of the board, Superintendent Missal Lupe Gara. Um, it is my honor to stand before you today to congratulate our outstanding students and coaches from Gria High School for their incredible performance at the district 324A UIL academic competition. Their hard work, dedication, and excellence have paid off. Best of luck as they go uh to regionals in Leveria. Literary criticism coached by Miss Glenda Solis. Mia Martinez first place district champion. Ivan Chappa second place, Esmeralda, fifth place. Hyel Garcia 13th
009place. The team plays first and they are all advancing to regionals. I need my UIL coaches. Congratulations. Current events coached by Miss Dillia Gara. Jason Solis first place, district champion. Lindsey Garcia, seventh place. Herardo Mourin 12th place. Ivan Chapa 22nd. Team plays first and they are advancing to regionals as well. Congrats to you all. Then we have social studies also coached by Miss Dillia Gara. Jason So third and he is also advancing to regionals. Then we have the Lincoln Douglas debate coached by Miss Stacy Lopez, Brandy Roberts, district champion. Uh Mia Martinez plays third. They're also advancing to regionals. >> I am so sorry for that. Lindsay Garcia, >> seventh place, also advancing to regionals. Our UIL coordinator is Mr. Horge Choa. Uh we are incredibly proud of each of you for representing Guya High
010School with excellence at the UIL competitions. Keep shining and make us proud at regionals. I would like to call all my UIL coaches and UIL students so we can take a group picture. They're asking me kind of I do want to thank my UIL coaches for their hard work and dedication. We couldn't have done it without them. Thank you. >> Thank you very much, Miss Martinez. We're going to move on with Miss Brenda Carmona, who's going to be recognizing the Odyssey of the Mind team. Good evening, board president, Dr. Vera, members of the board, and superintendent of schools, Mrs. Garca. This evening, we'd like to recognize our Odyssey of the Mind teams from General Ricardo Sanchez Elementary and ACE Middle School, who have demonstrated exceptional creativity, teamwork, and perseverance. Through their outstanding achievements this season,
011the General Ricardo Sanchez Elementary team earned the title of state champions, showcasing their ingenuity and problem solving skills at the highest level of competition. Meanwhile, the Ace Middle School team secured an impressive second place finish at the state level, earning them a well-deserved advancement to the world finals in Ames, Iowa this May. These accomplishments reflect the remarkable talent and dedication of the students who have spent countless hours refining their ideas, building solutions, and preparing their performances. Their success is also a testament to the unwavering commitment of their coaches whose guidance, time, and expertise have played a vital role in shaping these teams. Equally important is the strong support provided by their principles who continue to champion academic enrichment and creative opportunities for their students. I do also want to thank in advance our board for
012supporting our OM teams in financing their uh world um trip to Ames Iowa next month. So with that going to go ahead and begin. Okay. Yes. Applause for our board and our teams and starting with General Ricardo Sanchez Elementary Principal Jesse de la Cruz. Coach Eliia SCS and our champions students, Ariela Kano, Ryan Santa Maria, Camila Aldap, Victoria Garca, Gel Reyes, Miranda Aila, and Mate Losano. Yeah, open it up. Thank you and good luck boys and girls in Ames, Iowa. Now, Ace Middle School, we have Principal Pedro Omar Pena. Coach Vilma Fleming, Ryder Santa Maria, Jocelyn Ernnandez, Deandra Guerrero, Isabella Gera, Demetrio Basan Jr. Allison Fleming and Sophia Carmona. >> Both teams, our students did write a thank you card to our board and our superintendent of schools as a big thank you for your
013support and believing in our teams and our campuses and administration. Thank you very much. Thank you very much, Miss Carmon. And congratulations once again to our Odyssey the Mind teams. Up next, we're going to bring up Mr. Jesus Martinez where we're recognizing gifted and talented awareness week. >> Good evening, Dr. Barera, Madame President, members of the board, Miss Garca, Superintendent of Schools and audience presence, I would like to take a moment to recognize Texas Gifted and Talented Week celebrated last week, April the 6th through the 10th. This week highlights the importance of meeting the unique academic and social emotional needs of our gifted and talented students, ensuring they are challenged, supported, and inspired to reach their full potential. Our spring uh gifted and talented showcase held last Thursday was a tremendous success. This would not
014have been possible without the outstanding projects created by our GT students as well as the guidance and support of of our dedicated teachers and parents. I would also like to extend our sincere appreciation to our campus GT coordinators. Their leadership, dedication, and commitment are essential in providing highquality services and meaningful opportunities for our students. The continued success of our GT showcases is a direct reflection of their hard work and passion for supporting gifted learners. Thank you for continue for your continued support of our students and programs. At this time, I will present a short video. It's a threeminute video uh celebrating Texas Gifted and Talented Week followed by the recognition of our campus GT um coordinators. If we can play that video, please. Our gifted and talented program is a point of pride on our
015campus because it highlights deep learning, creativity, and innovation. Students engage in the Texas Performance Standard Project, completing rigorous long-term projects that build research and problem solving skills. They also participate in daily after-school clubs focused on steam, coding, art, and drama with plans to present a student musical next year. In the classroom, teachers provide enrichment alongside the district's HQIM curriculum to ensure GT learners are consistently challenged. These experiences develop critical thinking, creativity, communication, independence, leadership, and perseverance. The impact extends beyond GT students by fostering a culture of engagement, student voice, and highle learning across the entire campus. Working with GT students over the years, you realize they're full of aspirations and dreams. And with the right support, those dreams are absolutely within reach. Our goal is to provide learning experiences that push their creativity and strengthen
016their critical thinking so they're prepared to succeed in whatever path they choose. As a GT Magnet School, we have the privilege of seeing our students talents and skills on display every day, and it's inspiring to watch their creativity in action. Celebrating Texas Gifted and Talented Week gives us the chance to recognize that work and encourage them to keep going beyond their own expectations. While celebrating our GT students isn't confined to just one week, most recently we highlighted their work by showcasing literary projects where students explored various literary texts and brought them to life through their own creativity and interpretation. It's a great reminder of just how talented our students are and the level of thinking they're capable of. Gifted and talented programs help our students go beyond the basics by building critical thinking, creativity, and
017problem solving skills. At Ringle Middle School, we want our students not just to learn, but to think, lead, and grow with confidence for their future. Celebrating gifted and talented Texas week is important because it allows us to recognize our students unique talents and highlight the importance of supporting their academic and social emotional needs. This week, our students are engaged in hands-on projects and challenges that promote collaboration and innovation. We're especially proud of our students participating in the GT Expo where they get to showcase their work and represent our campus with pride. It is important to celebrate gifted and talented Texas week because it recognizes our GT students and their unique abilities. It brings awareness to their needs and shows them that they are truly valued. Most importantly, it encourages them to continue growing and reaching
018their full potential. Gifted and talented programs help students think deeply and solve complex problems while building independence, creativity, and confidence. Skills that prepare them for success in college, their future careers, and in life. During this time, students engage in creative projects and problem solving challenges while teachers provide hands-on realorld learning experiences. And we celebrate by showcasing student work and highlighting their talents. Thank you. As I call your name, GT campus coordinators, if you can please come uh forward to this table over here to my left where you will receive your plaque. And principles, if your representative from your campus is not here, I ask that you please come forward. Uh starting with Gurua Elementary, Laadas. Alto Bonito Elementary. Lorena Steel, Laona Elementary, Veronica Martinez, Dr. Mario Ramirez Elementary, Dela Gonzalez, John and Olive inos elementary.
019Claudia Benvidz Alberto and Selia Vera Elementary. Marisella Garcia Rogera Jr. Elementary Varial General Ricardo Sanchez Elementary. Arlene Salana Ringle and AC2 Elementary, Mr. Mario Science, Guruya Middle School. Mariela Gonzalez, Ringo Middle School. Judy Ramirez, Veterans Middle School. Rahul Garcia, AC2EA Middle School. Veronica Garcia, Guya High School. Danielle Alvarez, Rio Grande City High School, Ashley Mills and Mr. Ismael Sanchez. And preparatory for Early College High School, Karolina Garcia. Thank you very much, Mr. Martinez. We're now going to go ahead and move on to Miss Marisa Aguilar recognizing region one student by one of our student presenters. Okay. Good afternoon, Madame President, members of the board, Superintendent Miss Garca, staff and community members. I am here tonight as the role of educational technology coordinator to share a major achievement in our district. This past Friday, April 10th,
020was a huge day for our district. We had 32 students from our high schools that went to represent RGCGISD at the 10th annual student by student leadership conference at region 1. For the second year in a row, our students have represented our district at the region one level, reinforcing at the consistent growth and leadership uh presence we are building. These students didn't just go watch, they went to lead. They were presenters. So, as I call their names, I would like to have them and their um the sponsors and principal please come up. So from Burio Granny City Guya High from Rio Granny City High School, I'd like to repres recognize sponsors Meenthia Alanise, Janet Revinho, and Mariel Monttoayor. Their students took on everything from environmental science to team dynamic. For their work in leadership escape
021room, we have Miss Kimberly Reyes, Luis Miharees, and Pearla Ortiz. teaching the teamwork challenge day. We had Reina Varal, Julieta Lopez, Samantha Estrada, and Vicente Rodriguez. And our STEM experts in water testing, we had Amelana Velos and Adam Wyn. Carolyn Martinez and Carolyn Martinez. While we're taking up that picture, ladies and gentlemen, that uh was not Miss Maris Gilard. That was Miss San Juanita Olivarez. Thank you very much, Miss Olivarez. Next, from preparatory for Early College High School, I'd like to recognize sponsors Briana Basan, Flora Baldwin, and Mal Miss and principal, Miss Melissa Salina. Their students really pushed the envelope and with modern technology and career preparation. Their titles were using AI as a new skill. This was presented by Justin Sanchez and Gabriella Marggo. Creating digital guides, study guides pre presented by Britney Clark
022and Jose Maldonado. The three apps every student should know. Alani Solis, Kayn Rea, and Genesis Gara. Introduction to drones 101. We have Mr. James Margot and Lynette Alanise. Video editing projects, Miss Kaylee Garcia and Haime Garsa. From academic weapons to CEOs Madison Montalvo, Dali Garcia Chapa, Jason Gera, and Rael Rivera Jr. Canvas style, Canvas study with style by Lauren Barera, Julio Ramirez, Wr and Mia Reyes. I need their sponsors and principles. We can take a picture. here. You want to come And finally from Gurua High School, I'd like to recognize sponsor Miss Lisa Gonz. and her principal, Miss Elma Martinez. Her students focus on highlevel design and essential career readiness. Resume writing, we had Mr. Julian Sarate, Alexa Montalvo, and Noah Gara, and Edwin Lopez. creating projects and flyers with Canva. We had Miss Emily
023Camaro, Leslie Deagarsa, Alandra Ortiz, and Miguel Sanchez. Now, these students and their sponsors showed the rest of the region that RGCGISD is a hub for leadership. They didn't just use technology. They mastered it. They taught others to do the same and we're incredibly proud of the excellence. So, thank you very much. So, I go next again. So, this one we are support we are going to be recognizing our uh tech coaches. So, as I mentioned earlier, the success of our students is built on the foundation of mentorship. So tonight I want to formally recognize the driving force behind our district's digital evolution and that is our technology coaches. These individuals are the bridge. They take the highle tools that we and provide them they turn it around and they provide that real life learning in
024the classroom. They wear multiple hats. They lead their peers and they are the reason why RGCGISD stays at the cutting edge. Coaches and principles, as I call your name and your campus, please come forward. We're gonna hold off on the photos. We're going to take all the elementaryaries together and then we'll do secondary if that's okay. We're going to start with Miss Chantel Alanise at Ringle Elementary and Ace Elementary. She is a first grade teacher and a district tech coach, but more than that, she is the perfect model of what technology should look like in the classroom. Her principal, Mr. Mario Science, he tells me that by the time she asks them to share something, she's already a step ahead. So, thank you so much. Yes. Over at Alberto and Selia Barrera, we have Missandra
025Guerrero. She is the ultimate multitasker. She is our coach, our librarian, and the robotics coach as well. Her team actually took first place in the alliance competition. She brought home a trophy for the engineer for their engineering notebook at the VEX IQ regionals back in March. So, let's welcome Miss Guerrero, principal, Mr. Armando Gutierrez, and her championship robotics team. This time we're going to be showing our co tech coaches, their tech teams, whether they're students or uh student or adult tech team uh and their principal. So, it's going to be a large group. Moving on to Alto Bonito, we have Miss Patricita Patricia Montes. Miss Montes is a vital part of our network serving both as the librarian and tech coach. She is tirelessly advocate for uh the STEM at her campus and she doesn't
026just keep that to herself. She does all these trainings for her teachers. Uh so here with us we have her and her principal, Mr. Jose Noosa. Representing Miss Dr. Mario Ramirez Elementary, we have Miss Erica Salenas. On top of being the librarian and tech coach, she is also the driving force behind the DMR studios. They are the ones doing the morning announcements and the YouTube channel. Miss Salas couldn't be here tonight, but we do have the honor to have the principal, Miss Adriana Gonzalez, and the talented students from DMR Studios at Early Childhood Academy. We have assistant principal Mr. Ro Vera. He is pro he's proving that leadership starts at the very top. He is deeply involved in our tech mission from highle tools to streamline streamlining productivity. So please welcome Mr. Roa and Miss
027Lorena Trevinoho. Now we have Miss Judith Rodriguez from General Ricardo Sanchez. She is one of the originals that started in 2020. So she's been in our tech team for quite some time. and she's made such a big impact. Uh she started with a student tech team that spent that spend their time going classroom to classroom fixing computers and keeping hard work updated. Well, this year most of her tech experts, they joined the robotics team and not only did these students win the at regional level, they also served as presenters at our tech uh team meeting in March. They didn't just work as a team. They stood up and presented to the whole group of adults, teaching us a thing or two. So, I want to recognize her principal, Miss Jesse Dea Cruz, for her incredible
028support of this program, as well as the assistance uh coach, Mr. Garcia, and the entire Robo Tech team. >> It's getting bigger. It's getting bigger. Okay, we have Miss Janet Sarate at Gya Elementary. Now, this lady wears so many hats. She's administration, librarian, and coach. And she spends her uh her year she's been spending her years making sure technology is adaptive to every single student. She's with her with her tech team and the and the principal, Mr. Ramro Bera. I also want to recognize Miss Diana Diana Ramirez at John and Olive in Ohosa. She couldn't be here tonight, but she is an amazing resource teacher and a leader for her peers. She we want to thank her and her principal, Miss Marylu Garcia. Yeah. Two more teams from elementary. We have Miss Al Ann Anna
029Alvirre. She is from Lion. She balances her role as the librarian and coach beautifully supports her entire campus. She is here with Miss Joanna Barrera, a principal who has been such a huge supporter of tech integration and her entire tech team. There you go. And the last elementary teacher >> as we were as we were going. They were going to be saying that they were supposed to be. >> Okay. And now we have Miss Belinda Garca at Roger Ger Elementary. She has been leading an amazing tech club for three years now. These fourth and fifth graders and we even have an eager second grader basically running the whole show. They edit Canva. They edit. They create posters and they handle the whole technical side of the morning announcements. Miss Gara, even when she's out, they
030don't even miss miss a beat. The team is ready to continue. So, I want to take us a picture. These are the teachers and the students that are leading technology. They are not the only ones, but they're the a big impact in what we're doing uh with everyone else at the campus level as well. Heat. Heat. Winners, winners ass. Moving on to secondary. Okay. So, moving on to our middle schools, we have our coaches. We see our what? Ladies and gentlemen, once again, please do not leave without taking some of that delicious cake and those tasty beverages. So, moving on to our middle schools, we see our coaches bringing in so many diverse talents to the table, we have Mr. Christian Olivare at Ace Middle School is the perfect example. On top of being a
031seventh grade science teacher, Mr. Olivarez manages our tech teams while also coaching the one act play battle of the books and the battle of the book teams that brought home first place under the leadership of Mr. Olivarez and the campus principal Mr. Omar Pñena, the tech team is cons consistently pushing boundaries, creating, exploring everything from 3D printing through drone technology and beyond. We are extremely proud of the work that they're doing. We also have two leaders who successfully transitioned from elementary to lead now our middle schools. I want to recognize them individually. We have Miss Lorena Adam from Ruya Middle School. She has made a seamless transition serving as a librarian and tech coach. She even leads a student club where the students are getting hands-on experience helping to fix laptops and troubleshoot campus needs.
032She is joined tonight by her principal, Miss Anel Rios, her student tech team, and the tech campus tech, Miss Rose Lopez. Miss Cynthia Garcia also made the jump from elementary le to Ringo Middle School. Miss Garcia wears so many hats. Also, she's actually the librarian at three campuses. She brings so much experience to the team and she is here today with her principal, Miss Melinda Gonzalez along with her campus tech team. Joining them we have Miss Nancy Garcia who serves as the librarian and tech coach at Veterans Middle School. Miss Nancy Garcia is a vital role at her campus, facilitating tech team meetings and focus on practical real world solutions for her fellow educators. She is joined by her principal, Mr. Henry Gansul, whose strong support has been vital to the success of her program.
033And finally, we have our high school leadership. These is we're going to start with Miss Rosario Osuna. She is doing a fantastic job at Thura High School. She leads high tech sessions at her that our teachers truly look forward to. Uh she is joined tonight by her principal, Miss Delma Martinez, and her high school student tech team that is le led by Mr. Ernie Seal, one of the tech members. These dedicated students provide vital technology support by troubleshooting devices, building hardware, and ensuring all campuses laptops remain updated. To our school, we have Miss Floyd Baldwin. She is at early college uh high school. She has brought in her experience to the high school level as a coach and she is also the yearbook sponsor. So that's doing her tech there. She re recently had students
034presenting at the student by student leadership conference at region 1 and she is here with her principal Miss Felisa Stalinas at Rio High School. We have two individuals that started the district tech team back in 2020. First started with this, Miss Bridget Garca and Mr. Ronald Pratt. They are out coaching athletics tonight, but we want to thank them and we want to thank the principal, Miss Maro, for being such a strong tech advocate. Now I cannot close without recognizing one person who keeps our department running smoothly and that is my secretary Mana Pñena. She joined us. She joined us this year and she has been an incredible addition to our team. These teams are truly the reason our teachers feel supported and our students are winning regional awards. Join me in giving the entire network
035a huge round of applause. Thank you very much, Miss Olivarez and to all the tech co tech coaches. Coming up next, we have Mr. Serapio Triay, who is going to be highlighting our child nutrition program. Good evening, board president, Dr. Veronica Barera, members of the board, Miss Garca, superintendent of schools. Ladies and gentlemen, it is my absolute honor to recognize an exceptional team whose leadership and dedication continue to elevate student nutrition in our district. Our child nutrition program has recently recently earned the highest distin distinction from the Texas Department of Agricultures Farm Fresh Challenge Cream of the Crop. This prestigious recognition reflects their unwavering commitment to bringing fresh locally sourced foods into our cafeterias and connecting our students to the roots of healthy eating. In add in addition, this team has been recognized through the
036USDA foods challenge, highlighting their outstanding ability to maximize the impact of USDA foods entitlement through strategic uh menu planning and excellence in meal service. Their work ensures that every dollar, every ingredient, and every meal served contributes meaningfully to student wellness. And their pursuit of excellence does not stop there. They're also recipients of a of a USDA culinary grant, which will send them to the renowned Culinary Institute of America for an immersive week-long workshop. there. They will continue refining their skills in recipe development, bringing back innovative, highquality, student focused meals to our district. This team represents what is possible when passion meets purpose. They are not only feeding students, they are nourishing futures and setting the standard for school nutrition programs across the state. Please join me in congratulating our outstanding child nutrition program leaders, Miss
037Laurel, Adabel, and Miss Candace Garca, and everyone at CMP. Congratulations. >> Thank you, sir. Good evening. I would like to take a moment to express our sincere gratitude to our superintendent, Miss GarcA, school board president, Dr. Bara, members of the board, Dr. Selenas and Mr. Triayas for their continued support and trust in our CMP team. We are thankful for a district leadership that believes in our vision and empowers us to do what we do best. Serve our students with purpose and excellence, continuously raising the bar for school nutrition. These state recognitions are not just ours, though. They are a reflection of our teams at each campus who work tirelessly every single day to ensure that each student has access to a meal. By ensuring access, we are not just feeding children. Our program is supporting
038their health, their focus, and their future because a hungry child simply cannot learn. Now, my colleague, Miss Garza, will share the award presented to us by TDA Commissioner Sid Miller. Good evening, Madame President, members of the board, Superintendent Mrs. Garza, and everyone present this evening. I'd like to echo my colleague sincere gratitude for district leadership. I would also like to extend my appreciation to our entire child nutrition program team across the district for their role in elevating our program to excellence. We are proud to bring home these state level recognitions which read as follows. For maximizing the impact of their US Department of Agriculture Foods entitlement through strategic menu planning and superior meal service. I hereby recognize and commend Rio Grand City Gri ISD as a USDA foods challenge and cream of the crop awardee.
039Now we have a short clip showcasing our program's accompl accomplishments through the Farm Fresh Challenge. Hi, I'm Lena Wilson, the assistant commissioner for food and nutrition here at the Texas Department of Agriculture, and I just want to congratulate RGCG ISD for winning the cream of the crop award for Farm Fresh Texas. In Texas, we don't just educate students, we prepare the next generation of leaders. That's why the Texas Department of Agriculture created the Farm Fresh Challenge. With this statewide initiative, school districts connect students with fresh Texas grown food while supporting our local farmers and ranchers. By participating in the Farm Fresh Challenge, our child nutrition program serves more locally sourced fruits, vegetables, meats, and dairy products. But it's about more than just what's on their plate. It's about education. Students learn where their food comes
040from. They discover how crops are grown. They meet the farmers who feed our communities. Through hands-on activities, taste tests, school gardens, and nutrition education. Our future leaders gain a deeper appreciation for Texas agriculture. Here at Rio Grande ISD, our child nutrition program is cream of the crop. One, two, Thank you very much, Mr. Diaz, Miss Ael, and Miss Gara. Next, we're going to go ahead and bring up Mr. Rick Solis celebrating Librarians Month. Good evening uh madam president, members of the board, superintendent of schools miss GarcA. Uh this evening I have the honor to present and honor uh all district librarians and of course I also want to give thanks to all the principles, school board and also superintendent for giving us the opportunity to be able to have all our librarians be honored today.
041Uh they do so much for our district every single day to our students and staff and the community. All the events that they've been having every single day and all the as you can be able to hear all the things that they do as well for the coaches, for the students and the parents goes far beyond what we've expected and uh I am honored to be able to lead them as well and uh for that I do say thank you. And we're going to be starting with the certificates as well. I want to do call up here Miss Cindy and Miss Jeannie Anderson. We have uh from Altonito Miss Patricia Montes. Miss Bella cannot be here today. So we kindly ask Mr. Salah Shappa to come up here. Ambarina Perez, JNo from Maringo Elementary. Amanda
042Leeman from Lon Elementary. Anna Lara. Can we please ask Miss Jesse de la Cruz to please come up here for Miss Marisa Agira, Miss Sandra Guerrero, Miss Erica Selena could not be here tonight. So, can we please ask Miss Adriana Gonzalez to come up here? her principal, Miss Janet Sarate from Gurua Elementary, Miss Adriana Gera, Miss Lorenna Adame, Gura Middle School, Miss Nancy Garcia, Miss Jeannie Anderson, we have Miss Cynthia Garcia, Miss Rosario Osuna, I want to thank my two leads, Miss Jeannie Anderson and Miss Cynthia Garcia, once again for the amount of work that they do. Thank you so so very much. Three, one, two. One more. One more. Thank you once again. Thank you very much, Mr. Solis. And before we continue with our last category, Mr. Olivarez, I believe we have one
043more group that we need to recognize. I'm sorry about this. They did get recognized, but they didn't take a picture, so they can just come forward. It is the uh yearbook technology tech club. They do meet in the morning during lunch. Uh and they didn't get to come up, so let's just take a picture. and thank you so much for what you do. >> Actually, I think it was on purpose and I want to thank you all because you know we didn't fit too well on the last picture. So, y'all decided to wait to get your own picture. I like it. I like the initiative. Thank you very much. Now, ladies and gentlemen, board members, Miss GarcA, our last uh recognition here, we bring up once again Miss Brenda Carmona for assistant principles week. >>
044Thank you. Good evening once again. So tonight we proudly recognize our assistant principles, deans, facilitators. Regardless of the title, they are the backbone behind every principal. They are leaders who are essential to the success of our campuses and true champions of our district's mission of empowering excellence. They are vital partners to our principles, ensuring that daily operations run smoothly while keeping student success at the center of every decision. From supporting high-quality instruction to managing the countless details behind the scenes, their leadership creates the conditions where both teachers and students can thrive. They lead with purpose, respond with urgency, and serve with heart, making a meaningful impact on every campus they support. Their dedication, resilience, and unwavering commitment to excellence do not go unnoticed. Because of them, our schools are stronger, our systems are more effective,
045and our students are better prepared for success. On behalf of RGCGISD, thank you assistant principles, facilitators, and deans for all you do each day to truly empower excellence in every classroom and across our entire district. Starting with elementary, we have John and Olive Inos assistant principal Lorena Hari, Dr. Mario Ramirez Elementary, Miss Amy Deagarsa, and we do have a small token of appreciation over here. Mr. Rodriguez and Mr. Martinez are helping. Lon Elementary Assistant Principal Cindy Solis Guya Elementary Janet Sarate Alto Bonito Elementary Miss Melissa Martinez Alberto and Selia Bara Elementary Miss Anisa Falcone Roger Junior Elementary Miss Lucia Galavis General Ricardo Sanchez Elementary Miss Alisa Canu Ringold and Ace Elementary Daisy Basan and Early Childhood Academy, Mr. Roa. Middle schools. Ace Middle School, we have Miss Priscilla Garcia. Ringled Middle School, we have Mr.
046LT Guzman, Miss Maria Isabel Sanchez, Miss Carmen Sarate, and Dean, Miss Brianna Valadees. Veterans Middle School, we have Miss Veronica Salenas, Mr. Nan Garca, Mr. Jesus Losano, and Miss Roxan Alanise. Dean and Guru Middle School we have Mr. Saul Salenas, Mr. Jose Ernnandez and Dean Miss Elizabeth Yariel. High schools Rio High School we have Mr. Tomas Rodriguez, Mr. Ismael Sanchez, Mr. Raphael Vasquez, Miss Ala Benavides, Dr. Erica Aggera, Miss Oneda Surita, Mr. Roberto Perez and Dean, Miss Gloria Gonzalez. Preparatory for Early College High School, we have AP and Dean 2 and one, Mr. Edgar Marukin. And from Gurua High School, we have Miss Melinda Ernnandez, Miss Mia Trevinho, and Dean, Miss Gloria Gonzalez. Once again, thank you to all of our assistant principles, deans, facilitators. We hope you had a wonderful week where your staff
047uh treated you to all the goodies that we saw online. Great job, Good job. Thank you very much to everyone that we celebrated here tonight. That is the end of the recognitions. We move on to section six reports and information. a updated report on summer dual credit courses. Good evening, Madame President, members of the board. At our last meeting, there were concerns raised about summer dual credit. I want to start by being very clear. This administration has never said no to opportunities for our students. What we said was that we are going to take an informed approach before moving forward. And while there may be different perspectives on how we got here, our focus is not on revisiting the past. It's on building something better moving forward. I do want to clarify something for our
048community. The current structure of our early college and dual credit opportunities was not created by this administration. Those changes happened prior to us. What I can tell you is this. We are not here to limit opportunities. We are here to expand them, to strengthen them, and to make sure more of our students actually complete their program of study. I also want to speak about my administrative team. Our director of counseling, Mrs. Rodriguez, presented at the last meeting and she presented the information that was available at that time. As a new leader in this role, she was working from prior reports and existing data. That's exactly why I asked our team to pause, to come back together and take a deeper, more thorough look. Mrs. Rodriguez is not working alone. She is supported by our chief
049of student, family, and community engagement, Miss Alenas, and a strong team across the district. These are professionals doing the work the right way, grounded in data, working with students and families, and putting real systems in place. And I will always stand behind my team when they are doing the work the right way. Since that meeting, we did exactly what we said we would do. We came together as a team, principles, counselors, district leadership, and our chief of finance, and we took a focused, intentional look at what is best for our students. We reviewed student readiness. We looked at schedules, cost, and capacity. And most importantly, we focused on commitment because this is not just about enrolling as many students as we can into our dual credit program. It's about ensuring that they are supported. They
050are also held accountable and ultimately successful. Right now, our counselors are working directly with students and campuses are connecting with families to make sure everyone understands the level of commitment required to enroll in these classes. And because of that work, I am proud to tell you all tonight that we have decided as you know my administrative team and myself that we are moving forward. We will be offering summer dual credit courses for approximately 28 students at this time who are already on track to earn their associates degree because this is the difference. We are not just offering classes. We are ensuring that our students follow through and finish what they start. And we have strengthened our systems to support that with clear expectations, ongoing monitoring and accountability every step of the way. That's who we
051are as a district. Student first doesn't just mean saying yes to everything. It means doing it right. And I want our community to hear this clearly. We will continue to open doors and we will continue to build systems that ensure our students don't just have opportunities, but that that they succeed because of them. Thank you. Thank you, Miss Garza. Section seven. We now move on to public comments. Do we have anybody, Miss Gonzalez, signed up? Thank you. Section eight, consent agenda items for consent items listed on the agenda that were previously discussed and presented at the board workshop last week. At this time, can I have a motion to approve consent agenda items A through H? >> Still moved. Second. >> All right. Um can I have let me see my second any other discussion
052questions? All those in favor raise your right hand and motion passes. Section nine item 9A discussion and possible action to approve eager and ingress license of district property to department of homeland security. >> Mr. President. Um, this is just a approving an existing or an extending existing agreement with the Homeland Security. Um, legal has reviewed it and we recommend approval. >> Can I have a motion? >> Mr. Garcia, I just want to make it clear this is just an extension of something that was already occurring. >> Correct. >> It's not something new or politically driven agenda or whatever else anybody out there can can claim. This is just extending the continuation of work that was already pre-authorized. >> That That is correct. Okay. >> All right. Can I have a motion? >> So move >>
053and a second. >> Second. >> All those in favor raise your right hand. And motion passes. Office of Human Services item 9B consider 9B. I >> Madam President, this one if I may uh because it involves I think school personnel I'd move that we move it to executive session. All right, we'll move that one to executive. >> Need a second. >> If you ask for a second. >> I move you need a second in the >> and >> second. >> Okay. All those in favor raise your right hand. >> And and motion passes. >> Well, to executive. We're going to move to executive. Now, curriculum and instruction item 9CI. Consider and take possible action on industry based certification for construction senior seniors. Yes, Madam President, members of the board, the CTE department is respectfully requesting
054funding for fourthyear seniors enrolled in the program of the study for carpentry, ensuring that they are program completers in their program of study. The district will be able to code them as CCMR complete after their training and certification. The fees here include training for both teachers to become NER certified, the testing modules and certification for the students. All right. Can I have an a motion to approve item 9 C as presented? >> So move >> and a second. >> Second. >> All those in favor raise your right hand. >> And motion passes. Item 9 C uh I I consider and take possible action on Lasso 3 grand spending plan. >> Good evening once again. Uh uh central administrator district directors. We are seeking board approval of the lasso 3 spending plan to support continued academic
055recovery, targeted interventions, and strategic planning across uh campuses and our district. The plan that you have before you includes a little of everything. It's summer curriculum writing. It is stipens for our elementary teachers, reading and math for adhering to all the grant requirements throughout the year. Learning walks, observations, uh campus administration, principles, assistant principles, and um continuous PD over the summer. These funds expire August 31st, so this is the last of it uh to expend it. >> Awesome. Thank you. All right. Can I have a motion to approve item 9 CIS presented? >> So move. Second. >> No second. >> Do any questions or discussion? >> If not, all those in favor raise your right hand. And motion passes. >> Thank you. >> We now move on to section 10, executive sessions for items A
056through D um as listed on the posted agenda under Texas Government Code sections 551071-76 and 551082 through84. The time is now 7:07 p.m. And we are moving to executive session. All right, the time is 7:55 p.m. and we're back in open session. First item is item 9BI, consider and take possible action regarding the renewal of term contracts for prof uh professional personnel. Madam President, I move that we approve item 9B I as discussed in executive session. >> All those in favor raise your right hand. Oh, I have a second. Second. >> And all those in favor raise your right hand. All right. Motion passes. Now item 11 A. >> There's no action on that item. >> No action. 11B. >> Madam President, I move that we approve item 11B as discussed in executive session. >>
057Can I have a second? Second. All those in favor is right hand and motion passes. Item 11 C. >> Madam President, we will approve item C as discussed in executive session. >> All right. Can I have a second? >> Second. >> All those in favor raise your right hand. And motion passes. And item 11D. >> Madam President, if I may, I think it says uh 11D through I. >> 11D through I. >> Yeah. I move that we approve items 11D through I as discussed in executive session. >> And can I have a second? >> Second. All those in favor raise your right hand and motion passes. Thank you. Uh being that there are no further items left on the agenda. Oh, so >> public comments? >> No public comments. Any district events, Miss Gara? Just
058very quickly, Madame President, members of the board, I just want to let y'all know that we're on week two of our star EOC testing. We've been visiting campuses. Our kids are, you know, trying their best. Our staff is doing their best as well. So, just want to let you know we have one more week to go. Um, and also just to let you all know as well that this Saturday we have our third ATS Saturday. The numbers keep on growing every Saturday. Our kids are really enjoying it. Our teachers are getting very creative in the lessons that they are teaching through ATS. And on the 24th of April, just a reminder that we also have our special ed uh annual disability walk. And on April the 26th, our Robo Cranes from Gri Elementary will be
059going to St. Louis, Missouri for the world championship. On April the 30th, we have our mariachi going to the tabby competition as well. So, we want to wish everyone the best of luck and thank you for everything. Have a great evening. Thank you, ma'am. >> Thank you. Now, being that there are no further items left on the agenda, I now declare this meeting adjourned at 7:57 p.m. Thank you and have a great evening.