001Mhm. >> Good afternoon everyone and thank you all for being here for our special board meeting today, May 12th. And we are here at UTRGV McAllen ISD Collegiate Academy. What a beautiful facility that we have here. Once again, so thankful that so many of you can join us today. Um we're going to go ahead and call this meeting to order. It's 5:32 p.m. And we have no public comments. We will move on to item number three, canvas of the May 2nd, 2026 bond election results. Dr. Gutierrez. Yes, thank you all for being here and board of trustees. Uh the district conducted a bond election on Saturday, May 2nd, 2026. The district contracted with Hidalgo County to conduct the bond election on the district's behalf. Hidalgo County has delivered to the district the detailed returns from
002the district's May 2nd, 2026 bond election including a summary of this election results. The summary of the election results as provided by Hidalgo County has been transcribed into the resolution canvassing the results of the May 2nd, 2026 bond election. As reflected in the summary of the election results, a total of 5,859 of the resident qualified voters of the district voted in this May 2nd, 2026 bond election. A total of 3,222 of the resident qualified voters of the district voted for the authorization and issuance of the bonds, which represented 54.99% of the voters that voted. A total of 2,637 of the resident qualified voters of the district voted against the authorization of the issuance of the bonds, which represented 45.01% of the voters that voted. Chapter 67 of the Texas Election Code requires the district to
003canvas the results of the May 2nd, 2026 bond election. Through the adoption of the resolution canvassing the results of the district's May 2nd, 2026 bond election, the board is canvassing the results of this election and declaring that the election was duly and properly ordered and conducted in accordance with state law. Administration is recommending action on this item. Okay. I move to approve the resolution canvassing the results of the bond election. All right. I have a motion by trustee I'll second. Trustee Lopez and a second by trustee Peña. All in favor? Aye. Aye. Any opposed? Motion passes 7-0. >> [applause] [applause] >> All right. Mr. President, um since we do have a lot of the community here that voted um and supported for the bond, um people who worked tirelessly and endlessly and fought and phone
004calls and text messages and so much time out of their lives of the last 40 days, um I just want to say thank you. Our community really really came together um and came out forward for what we believed in. Um we convinced a lot of people and others we didn't and which is okay. Um but I just can't say thank you enough. So, thank you for the hard work. Thank you for all the sleepless nights, phone calls, conversations, meetings at different offices, um because this is what our community really needed and our students [clears throat] deserved and I'm so so happy that with the results of that. So, thank you everybody for being here. Um now we really got a lot of work to do, but thank you again for your support. >> [applause] >>
005I'd like to open up the floor to anybody who would like to say something. I I think it's uh important for us to speak on this. It was a momentous moment for our district and for our community, so please Mr. President. I'm not sure if my mic works. Mr. President, I would like to echo the beautiful words by Trustee De La Garza in thanking our community. They um imparted a huge amount of trust in us um [clears throat] in order to uh maintain tax rate, make these investments in our schools, and we will maintain that trust, but just incredible amount of work by community members who felt this bond was needed to invest in our schools, our community, and our students. So, thank you. Um and I see Mr. Ruiz, uh Mr. Barba, Mr. Aguirre,
006uh Ms. Avila, um Ms. Ortiz, and a bunch of others that are not here today, but there was so much community support, and you all gave up your time uh and effort, and so thank you so much. Mr. President, I think that um I would like to say that everybody every member of this board is grateful, and um we promise, at least I promise, to be good stewards of this opportunity given to McAllen ISD. So, thank you, everybody. I also want to say thank you very much to everyone who's shown up, who's here today, who's watching online, who was just involved from even the beginning. People have been working on this for years and years and years. Thank you to our PAC. Thank you to um Oh my gosh, our staff. You guys had to
007walk a fine line, but you worked day and night on um just the education educating our community um and making this kind of a seamless and successful uh event. So, I want to thank everyone for being here. We're just so grateful, and as uh Trustee Peña said, this board is going to work very hard to ensure that um we oversee this as smoothly and fairly and equitably as as possible and as we communicated from the beginning. So, thank you. Mr. President. I also wanted to echo the sentiments of my fellow trustees. You know, we make decisions that we feel are the best for the community, but we're not able to do things by ourselves and we certainly didn't do this by ourselves. It's beautiful to see what can happen when the community comes together and
008that's what this bond election is a symbol of. I'm looking forward to doing everything that we promised and being good stewards of the money that you've entrusted in us and the faith that you've put in us as a board. So, again, thank you from the bottom of my heart and we look forward to the work that's ahead. I'll gladly close with a appreciation for the staff, the community who showed up in too many ways to enumerate and to count. Strong, vibrant communities depend on strong, vibrant public schools. And the message that this community has sent to our children, to the valley, and to the entire state of Texas is that that is who we are as McAllen. And I could not be more optimistic for the future of this community. Thank you. Thank you all.
009And uh not much left to say after that. I don't think the thank yous are going to stop. I mean, ever since May 2nd, I've been so blessed and thankful to the community for placing your trust in us and that's not going to stop. It's been a long time coming. Um our buildings needed, our students deserve it, our staff deserves it. So, thank you all so much for all the hard work that you put in and I know that this board is going to stay on the right track and do exactly what we said we were and be responsible to you guys. So, thank you all. And thank you, Dr. Gutierrez, for your support and leadership through this. I know it's it was tough and it it wasn't easy and we we took a lot
010of heat for a lot of things, but you know, that comes with stepping forward and putting yourself out there for what you believe in. And when you do that, sometimes you know, people have things to say, but I think that our community knew where we needed to be for our students. Ab- absolutely. I want to take the time also to thank the board and everyone. Uh, you know, there's so many uh uh people out there that helped us uh from elected officials, our county judge and our commissioner Eddie Cantu, commissioner Eddie Torres, and our city mayor Villalobos, and the city council. Just everyone coming together uh for our kids to to have better facilities. And so, we're very happy that the outcome is to that it what it is. And just want to say a
011big thank you to everyone. And now that the election's over, I invite everyone, whether they voted for the bond or they voted against the bond, for all of us to come together as one big community uh so that we can put this bond in implement the bond for the next four or five years and and give our kids what they deserve, uh better facilities. And we promise you that we'll be transparent, informative, and we will deliver what we promised that we were are going to deliver out of this bond. So, thank you all and can't say enough thank yous to everyone for helping us. It's a great day to be in McAllen ISD, to be in McAllen ISD, and to be in the city of McAllen. Thank you all again. Thank you. >> [applause] >>
012We will now [clears throat] move on to the order declaring the results of the bond election, Dr. B. On May 2nd, 2026, the McAllen Independent School District held an election for a bond. Said election being duly called, that notice of election was due duly given, and that said election was held in accordance with law. Administration is recommending action on this item. Move to >> I move to approve the order declaring the results of the bond election. A motion by Trustee Delgado Lopez. I will second. Seconded by Trustee Haddad. All in favor. Aye. Aye. Any opposed? Motion passes 7-0. All right. Um at this time uh there are members of the community here and uh I personally like to talk to you guys briefly before we continue. So, at this time I'm going to move to
013recess for 15 minutes. Second. All right. Uh I have a motion and a second. Do I have All in favor. All in favor. Aye. Aye. Any opposed? Motion passes 7-0. We are going to recess for 15 minutes. Thank you, guys. Thank you. >> Mhm. >> Thank you, guys. It was great to visit with all of you all, and thank you all again for for all the support. Thank you. Thank you, all. All right. Our next item is the recognition of the outgoing board president, Dr. Gutierrez. Yes, this evening we honor President Aaron D. Rivera for his contribution and service to McAllen ISD. We have Ms. Felicia Villarreal, uh our director of marketing and communications who read a short biography on his on Mr. Rivera, trustee Rivera, I'm sorry. Thank you. Thank Thank you, Dr. Gutierrez.
014It gives me great pleasure to acknowledge the contributions of our outgoing going board president, Mr. Aaron Daniel Rivera. He has served on the McAllen ISD Board of Trustees since 2023 and is now wrapping up his third year. A native of South Texas, he has served the Rio Grande Valley community in different ways. He grew up in McAllen and is a graduate of McAllen Memorial High School and the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. After high school, he became licensed as a funeral director and embalmer. His commitment to service allowed him to care and provide services for thousands of families during their time of need. Later on, he attended St. Mary's University School of Law in San Antonio, where he became a licensed attorney. Since opening his practice in McAllen, Mr. Rivera has opened an office
015in San Antonio and continues to serve communities throughout Texas. As our board president, his leadership and support steered McAllen ISD forward. This includes his support of the $335 million bond that voters approved on May 2nd. We sincerely appreciate you, Mr. Rivera, for having led the district as our 2025-2026 McAllen ISD School Board President. Thank you. >> [applause] [applause] >> We'd like to present a a plaque to our Trustee Rivera. And this plaque says, "Presented to Byron D. Rivera in appreciation for outstanding service and leadership as president of the Board of Trustees for McAllen ISD for the 2025-2026 school year. Thank you for everything you've done for McAllen ISD, Trustee Rivera." Thank you. Thank you, sir. >> [applause] [applause] >> Um I know we have a meeting to continue, but I do want to say thank
016you to the community first and foremost. Um and thank you to my board for putting up with me. Um a lot of decisions that have been made, but positive ones, and it all goes back to you guys, the community, and and doing what's right by you also. Thank you all. Um it's an honor to serve. Thanks. Thank you. >> [applause] >> I am now going to move on to the nomination of officers, and I will hand it over to you, Dr. Gutierrez. I'm going to keep this a little longer. No, just All right. Um at this time, I would like to open the floor for nominations for board president of the McAllen ISD Board of Trustees. Do we have any nominations? Dr. Gutierrez, I'd like to nominate Vice President Lucy Regalado for president. Is there
017a second? Second. Do we have any more nominations? Do we have a motion for nominations to cease? So moved. Second. All in favor say I. I. All oppose. Motion carries. At this time, I would like to take the vote for Trustee Regalado. All in favor say I. I. Anyone oppose? Motion carries. Congratulations, Mr. Regalado. >> [applause] >> If you may come now to the center and so I can hand handle the gavel so we can continue with the rest of the nominations of our board officers. And congratulations to Trustee Regalado for new board president. >> [applause] >> Thank you. Still have the gavel. At this time, I will call for nominations for vice president of the school board. Madam President, I would like to nominate Trustee Cadian. Do we have a second for Trustee Cadian?
018Second. Uh I have a fir- nomination by Trustee Haddad and a second by Trustee Kittleman. All in favor? I. >> I. Any opposed? Motion passes 7-0. And then lastly, we will entertain a motion for Secretary of the School Board. Madam President, I would like to nominate Trustee Roberto Haddad. And do we have a second? Second. Second. Okay, I think I heard Trustee Cadian. Um do we So, we have a nomination for Trustee Haddad for Secretary and a second by Trustee Cadian. All in favor? I. >> I. Any opposed? Motion carries 7-0. >> [applause] >> Motion Motion to adjourn. Yes. Yes. Okay, at this time we move Do I have a motion to adjourn the meeting? So move. Trustee Pena. A second? Trustee Haddad. Do I have a second? All in favor, say I. I. Any
019opposed? Motion carries 7-0 and we are adjourned at 6:04 p.m. Woo! >> [applause]