by Michael Robinson | Uvalde Hesperian
Top Photo: Uvalde CISD Trustee Jacklyn Gonzales speaks to the Uvalde Rotary Club
Uvalde ISD’s two newly elected board members Jacklyn Gonzales and Jesse Rizo spoke at this week’s Thursday noon Rotary Club of Uvalde meeting at the Uvalde Country Club where they talked about their experiences as new trustees and also spoke about their respective visions for the district and the challenges the district and the community faces. Superintendent Ashley Chohlis also attended the Rotary Club of Uvalde meeting.
Gonzales said that before the election, she was out at the Ssgt. Willie de Leon Civic Center parking lot near where early voting was occuring where she met and spoke with many people including parents, teachers and other citizens and she was moved by the many stories and comments she heard. She also said as a new board member she has a lot to learn and from the start, she has been asking a lot of questions.
Rizo spoke and said before being elected, he spoke to the school board members as a citizen many times. Now that he is on the board he sits with several members on the board who were school classmates. Both Gonzales and Rizo spoke about the desire to foster more transparency within the district. Rizo stated that two years after the May 24th tragedy, it is an opportunity for rebuilding.
After the two took turns speaking, Superintendent Chohlis spoke stating attendance is a big challenge the district is going to have to address. She stated that if students are not in their classroom seats, the school does not get the money it needs. Chohlis went on to say that of all the meetings she has had with people upset with the district, all ended on a positive note.
In responding to a question about parents sending their children to attend school at other districts, Cholis said the challenge is not only to learn why these students are not going to Uvalde CISD school but also to .provide opportunities for existing Uvalde CISD students to excel and to get the word out on the great things that are happening with the district.
One attendee at the meeting said that she strongly considered taking her kids out of Uvalde CISD schools and enrolling them with Knippa ISD, but once she sat down face to face with Chohlis to express her concerns, she decided to keep her kids at Uvalde CISD.
Chohlis continued by saying she and the district officials want to create more opportunities for parents and the community to communicate directly with them. It seemed like they all agreed that listening to parents and the community is important.
