The Uvalde CISD School Board met for over two hours behind closed doors in executive session before returning to the open session to announce the board has selected Gary Patterson as the District’s Interim Superintendent. Other business considerations in the board’s executive session was to consider and discuss the retirement of Superintendent Hal Harrell and also to consult with the District’s attorneys on Harrell’s retirement. Following the school board’s private meeting, it was announced that the district would provide Harrell insurance with his retirement. The questions that were not answered by the board were the date Superintendent Harrell would step down and the terms of Harrell’s retirement.

 The Special School Board meeting started with the public comments portion of the meeting being cut short. The first speaker at the podium was Jesse Rizo.

 “Hire somebody that is not afraid to make Brave decisions. Get people that don’t…” Rizo said as he was interrupted.

” JJ Suarez needs to be fired. He lied to us,” Rizo also said. 

  The school district’s attorney from the Walsh Gallegos Law Firm intervened shortly after Rizo began talking, informing the speakers they must only discuss issues on the school board’s agenda.

 The school district’s attorney cut off Adam Martinez and other parents citing they did not sign up to speak ahead of time.  The school district’s attorney also said the comments must only be about items on the board’s agenda. Those slated to speak during the public comments portion of the meeting were only given one minute to voice their concerns. 

Martinez said he wanted to address school safety.

“That’s all we are trying to do is invite change.  We aren’t violent. That won’t even tell me who’s on the safety committee. I got a message from a lawyer stating they are withholding that information,” Martinez said. 

  As Martinez began to speak the school board filed out of the Benson Boardroom and into it’s executive session effectively ending all public comments 

   Immediately following the public comments a grandmother of one of the Robb Elementary students slain during the May 24th massacre started yelling from the floor which turned into a chaotic shouting match. 

    Patterson had served as the Lake Dallas Interim Superintendent according to the Lake Dallas Elementary School Website. The website also had to the following information about Patterson,

  “Mr. Patterson is a well-respected former superintendent, having led East Central Independent School District in the San Antonio area for 14 years. He retired in 2014 and has since gone on to serve as interim superintendent at other school districts such as Pflugerville ISD, La Vernia ISD and Falls City ISD.”

 

    Superintendent Hal Harrell was greeted by hundreds of people wearing Coyote Maroon outside of the Benson Boardroom after 5 PM before the Uvalde CISD board held their board meeting at 6 PM. 

   The crowd broke out in song as Harrell moved around the crowd receiving hugs. Signs of support were held by a number of people at the gathering before the board meeting convened. 

   Because of limited seating inside of the board room, many held cell phones and tablets watching the live stream of the meeting lined up on the awning-covered sidewalk. 

  As the public comment portion of the meeting started, Diana Olvedo -Karau, Velma Lisa Duran Irma Garcia’s sister and others could be heard criticizing school board members. Kim Rubio, mother of Lexi Rubio spoke with fury through tears. Her criticism was more toward the community members who came out to support Superintendent Harrell and the school district. “It is a slap in the face,” she said. Rubio  then exited the meeting and walked with her husband Felix Rubio where she was soon met with a hug. 

  It is unclear why the Uvalde CISD chose to hold Monday night’s school board meeting in a facility with inadequate seating to accommodate the large numbers of attendees and reporters wishing to attend the meeting.

 

 

In a Tweet posted by KSAT12 Reporter Leigh Waldman, she posted an internal memo from Uvalde CISD Superintendent Hal Harrell. In the memo, it states that Harrell’s retirement will be among the topics discussed at Monday night’s school board meeting on October 11th to be held at the Benson Board Room at 6PM.

Boardbook Regular Meeting 10.10.2022_Redacted

 

   Several protesters arrived at Uvalde CISD Central Offices this morning standing in front of the main entrance door blocking entrance to school officials and others. Nikki Cross was seen first then followed by Michele Prouty and other Robb 21 family members.  Reporters from ABC News were on hand as well as a reporter from the Tribune to cover the event this morning.  About 7:30 AM a few demonstrators were informed by an unknown subject to proceed to the back of the Uvalde School District’s Central Offices.  

  Several reporters proceeded around the building to follow the unfolding events and an unnamed district employee could be heard ordering shouting, “Leave the property!”

  Hope Sanchez posted a live video on her Facebook page about 7:35 AM of Brett Cross expressing outrage and frustration over the school district’s handling of the investigation of their police department.

This story is developing. 

 

 

Stock photo courtesy of Pixabay.com

Uvalde CISD 1st Day of School

   The Uvalde CISD School board met Monday night to present. review and vote on the 2022-2023 school budget and compensation plan for the district’s employees as well as consider the effective school  tax rate for the 2022-2023 school year.  A Town Hall Meeting was scheduled as the second of the three meetings where speakers were given extended time to speak to the superintendent and school board members and ask them questions.

  While Monday night’s series of meetings had fewer citizens attending, at the Town Hall Meeting, the speakers present including Jesse Rizo, Diana Olvedo-Karau, Rosenberg Risa,  and Laura Garza and Berlinda Arreola and others who delivered stinging criticism against the board for not starting the investigation of the district’s police department officers and for keeping four of the district officers as the new school year begins in one week’s time. Superintendent Harrell received condemnation for promoting Hernandez to Interim Police Chief heading the force until the district hires a new Uvalde CISD Police Chief.

  Kimberly Rubio was joined by Brett Cross, Javier Cazares and others in listing security changes which if they were in effect on May 24th could have saved the lives of many students and teachers who were murdered or injured,  As Rubio spoked the listed recommendations, another speaker followed with the names of the victims who could have been saved.

  Town Hall Speakers also criticized the school board for not securing Uvalde High School, pointing out the campus is very open and students who are 18 years old could legally purchase the same weapon the shooter used in the May 24th massacre.

   “Matters haven’t been settled yet. Mario turned the mic back on and he got lectured. You have to start somewhere, ” Jesse Rizo said. Rizo was referring to last week’s school board meeting on Wednesday, August 24th where the auditorium microphone was turned after the school board convened into closed executive session.

   “Consider suspending the current officers of the school district. All four of them were at Robb Elementary. You have decided to appoint Mr. Hernandez as your interim chief. This is insulting,” Diana Olvedo-Karau said.

   “The current systematic review of the the Uvalde CISD police department; who made the decision to reach to James McLaughlin?” Manuel Rizo asked

  ” I made the decision to reach out to him,” Superintendent Harrell answered

   “The investigation has not started yet,” Manuel Rizo asked.

   “It has not,” Harrell said.

  Deyanira Salazar spoke about a 1st year teacher she knew who had  applied for a teaching job with the district a month and a half to two months ago and had not heard back from the district on the status of her job application. Salazar also brought up the history of the school board and how the district’s budgeted money gets misallocated and even disappears.

 “I cannot stand it seeing cops just talking to each other . I’ve seen it many times: at the Honey Bowl. Back in the day, cops would go in!

Now we have students with jeans hanging off their butt and no one says a thing. If we don’t get things under control? We can’t teach,” Salazar said.

  As part of the increased security, Superintendent Harrell stated that 33 additional DPS Officers would be assisting the district’s police department. In the event of an emergency situation, the DPS officers would be the first responders. He went on to say the additional DPS officers would spend Sunday and Monday familiarizing themselves with the campuses. 

   At the last of Monday night’s scheduled meeting, the school board voted to approve the 2022-2023 district budget as presented and approved the compensation plan for district jobs in which many but not all jobs would see an increase in pay.

  During the discussion of the compensation plan, board member Cal Lambert objected to the low pay rate for teacher’s aides listed in the proposed budget. Citing that teacher’s aids often are called to teach and attend training sessions, he said the proposed pay rate was too low. “

  “Teachers aides can go to Applebee’s and wash dishes and make more money there. They have a valuable job,” Cal Lambert said. 

  Board member JJ Suarez later spoke approvingly of what Lambert said. The board approved the compensation plan allowing for an adjustment in pay for teacher’s aides.