by Michael Robinson | Uvalde Hesperian

  Jesse Rizo spoke during the public comments portion of the Uvalde CISD Regular School Board meeting asking why his request for the Texas Police Association’s report on the Robb School tragedy be put on the School board agenda was not fulfilled?

  According to Riza, an article appeared recently in the Uvalde Leader-News about the newspaper’s public information request for the Texas Police Associations report was not released by the District. Uvalde CISD Board President Rizo a synopsis of the report was given by the Superintendent Gary Patterson to the District’s trustees  held in November 2022.

 “I was disturbed by the fact that he  (Superintendent Patterson) refused to release it. We’ve been asking for this for a very long time,”Rizo said. 

 Rizo said he contacted Trustee Javier Florez asking that the report be placed on the April school board agenda and to email his request to all the individual board members. Rizo said he was told by Florez to contact Mikka Sanchez to ask her to send his request to all the school board trustees, Rizo said he emailed his request to Sanchez on April 7th, 2024. 

 “On 4/12, on Friday I looked at the agenda, there wasn’t anything related to what I wanted added to the agenda,” Rizo said.  He went on to say the day of the school board meeting, the report  was not on the agenda. He said called Sanchez and was told that his email was only sent to President Fernandez and Superintendent Chohlis. According to Rizo, when he asked Sanhez why his  request was only sent to Fernandez and Chohlis, he stated he was told that those were the ones that make the decisions.

 Rizo stated he did find out that the report would be part of the superintendent’s report.

“But it concerns me too because it could have been anything, it could have been a sexual harassment case, it could have been anything and for it was basically to be told you don’t matter. The only people that make the decision are gonna be Ferandez and Superintendent is mind boggling to be honest with you. I can’t understand that at all,” Riso said.

Riso did mention that Superintendent Chohlis just recently released the report. 

 Uvalde CISD Board President Fernandez responded saying, ” That report was sent October 2022 and Mr. Patterson did give  a synopsis in November of 2022 of what that report said. so that why we decided 

to put it in the superintendent’s report just so she could touch on it but we didn’t feel it necessary to be put on an agenda item again being we had in on an agenda item in  2022 so that’s why we did it that way.”

 Superintendent Ashley Chohlis  brought the matter of the report up in her report:

  “I’d like to address the Texas School District Police Chiefs Association Report which the local paper reported on in the last month. To be clear, the report which was commissioned by the district came out in October of  2022 which waa a year and a half ago. At that time, there were sweeping changes in the district regarding the police force and district leadership. Additionally UCISD PD has since implemented a policy and procedure manual.

  As a note, UCISD released a redacted version of the report in an effort  to protect students and staff from bad actors. As a board and as a district leadership,we’re committed to utilizing each and every report that has come out in the past two years, to better protect our students and staff. We continue to seek the support and cooperation of all stakeholders to ensure the safety of our school community.

  The board was given a synopsis of the report back in November, that’s my understanding: in November of 2022 is when Mr, Patterson gave the board a synopsis of the report. So the report was not released at that point in time, That was Mr. Patterson’s call.

  Based on the fact that so many other reports have come out since then to include the DOJ report, I did not feel like it was in our best interest not to release the report,” Cholis said, She went on to say, “We did release it.”

  On Wednesday, April 17th, the Uvalde Hesperian sent an email to district officials asking how a digital copy of the report could be obtained. The district responded to the Uvalde Hesperian’s email stating a public information request would need to be submitted to the District. 

by Michael Robinson | Uvalde Hesperian; Photo credit: Robinson

Rotary Club of Uvalde President Debra McDonald stands with Superintendent Gary Patterson following the club’s weekly meeting where Patterson spoke last week.

   Uvalde CISD Superintendent Gary Patterson spoke at last week’s Rotary Club of Uvalde weekly noon meeting, Thursday, August 31st at the Uvalde Country Club and provided an update on school security, online threats, the new school facility and other topics related to the district. Near the end of his informal presentation to attending Rotarians, he praised returning Uvalde CISD teachers who have stuck with the district through the past year school year and continued to teach this school year as having a lot of grit and determination. He also praised the district’s police officers.

  During his opening remarks he stated he is hopeful that the district’s school safety and projects will be almost complete by the first part of next year.

 “From fencing, to cameras, to a new police force, to the DPS officers that are assisting us, to enhanced fiber networks and  a security operations center, we have done a lot in that area.” Patterson said  He continued by saying that the district has spent about $7 million dollars. He explained nearly 99% of that money has been from special appropriations, grants and gifts citing the $1 million dollars from the Los Vegas Raiders as one of the very first gifts.

  He went on to say the Commissioner’s office has approved his request for $3 1/2 million dollars to finish the projects that we have started.

  Patterson said there is still additional fencing and gates that still need to be installed at Batesville, Dalton and Flores Elementary. 

 A new security project that is a priority for the district is constructing secure vestibules at all campuses which will cost approximately $2 million dollars. He said that in this day and age, new levels of security are needed. 

Other topics Patterson has touched upon included: 

•  Five to six armed officers at every campus
•  All exterior doors on the district’s buildings will be outfitted with a sensor.

   Patterson said, If for some reason if that door does not come back in a locked position, the sensor will send a message to the principal’s office and the security operations center. “When the sensors are in place that will be a valuable asset to us,” he said.

• Social media monitoring systems

  As far as online security threats, Patterson said the District is dealing with two or more a week. He explained that the online threats which are posted online can come from anywhere in the world and all are taken seriously. Also he said the district works with the FBI on these threats to determine if they are credible.

                                                                                                                                                   The New School Facility 

  Patteron said the district is  zeroing in on a groundbreaking date. We are looking at sometime in mid-October for a groundbreaking date.  Security and technology for the school will be cutting-edge.

  He explained the taxpayers in Uvalde will not be out one cent for this 50- 60 million dollar structure that will be funded solely by donations from the State of Texas, the HEB Foundation and many other donations large and small.  HEB and its foundations have donated 12-13 million dollars. 

                                                                                                                                             New Superintendent Search Process

  Patterson stated that the school board has approved going forward with the search process for a new Superintendent. He explained that the search process is a 90 to 120 day process. A decision by the board on a finalist would occur in October or November. He said, due to the process and a waiting period required by law, a new superintendent would not likely be on board until after the holidays at the end of this year. 

“My time is winding down.” Patterson said. 

 

 

 

 

 

By Michael Robinson | Uvalde Hesperian : Picture by Robinson

Monday morning, August 14th, students of Uvalde Elementary received a special spirit filled welcome from Uvalde High School Cheerleaders and UHS Marching Band Drummers.

Uvalde CISD Superintendent Gary Patterson delivered a welcome message to students and faculty. There was a surprise in store for Uvalde Elementary 3rd Grade Teacher Elina Ybarra at the pep rally. A representative from ESC-20  was on hand with Patterson to recognize Ybarra as the 2024 ESC-20 Elementary Teacher of the Year.

Uvalde CISD issued the following statement on the award:  “We are thrilled to announce that Elina Ybarra, Uvalde Elementary’s 3rd Grade Teacher, has been named the 2024 ESC-20 Elementary Teacher of the Year! Mrs. Ybarra is no stranger to accolades, having been named the 2022-2023 UCISD Garcia & Mireles Elementary District Teacher of the Year. As a proud alumnus of UCISD, Mrs. Ybarra returned to the district as an educator to give back to Uvalde’s youth. Her love for her community and dedication to her students is inspiring.

Mrs. Ybarra’s teaching philosophy focuses on creating a loving classroom culture where students feel valued and heard. She understands the unique challenges that her students and families face and works tirelessly to meet both the social and academic needs of her students by building meaningful relationships. As a Uvalde native, she has a deep appreciation for her community and is committed to ensuring that all students have access to a high-quality education.

Mrs. Ybarra will now represent ESC-20 at the state-level competition, and we couldn’t be prouder of her accomplishments. Please join us in congratulating Mrs. Ybarra on this well-deserved honor! #UCISD #UvaldePride #TeacherOfTheYear”

  Uvalde Superintendent Gary Patterson delivered his report Monday night, May 15 during the Uvalde CISD board meeting. 

Patterson said that graduation will go on as scheduled on May 26th and Monday, May 22nd will be the last day for students.

“Graduation will take all the necessary precautions. With the rise in the threats and the internet chatter, I’m afraid we’re going to need to take all the necessary precautions,” Patterson said.

He continued by saying, “We’ll have metal detectors there and will have enough officers there. We can funnel our crowd into four different locations and get them in pretty quickly and we’ll have extra officers there.”

  In Patterson’s report, he discussed social media threats, one of which promoted 90% of parents to pick up their children from schools by the end of the day on Friday, May 12th. School Districts in Del Rio and Eagle Pass also received threats that day. He said that the district received the report at 6:30 AM. ” I want to thank the parents and staff for the way they handled that situation,” he said.

  Patterson went on to say teachers covered for other teachers worked through conference periods and lunch periods to help get the kids in and out.

 “Today we wanted to keep a close eye on attendance all day.  Patterson also stated that Monday’s May 15th attendance was down at the district’s campuses with attendance at 60% at the Junior High and 58 to 60% at Dalton, 49 % at Batesville, 62% at Uvalde Elementary and UDLA and the High School were around 76%,” he said. 

  “These internet threats are designed to spread fear and anxiety and stress and disruption and they succeeded on Friday for sure,” Patterson said.  

 “We believe these students are safe in school,” Patterson said. In regards to decisions to release students early from school, his concern is if the students will be going home without anyone being home. 

  As far as parents who may choose to not send their children to school the superintendent asked that those parents communicate with the school. He stated those students will not be punished, but there are tests and end of year school work that needs to be done. “No-one is going to get punished except if they don’t do their work,” he said.  He continued by saying if they, the students, are missing assignments to please contact us as we will find a way to get that work in.

 

 On Friday, May 12th at 5:38 PM the public relations firm, the Eisenberg Group released a statement signed by City and County elected officials as well as Uvalde CISD Superintendent Gary Patterson asking for privacy ten days before the May 24th one year anniversary of the Robb School Tragedy. 

 The statement reads, “As the one-year mark following the Robb Elementary School shooting approaches, our
entire community of Uvalde, especially the families of the victims and survivors, continue to grieve, process the trauma, and search for paths forward. We ask for peace and privacy during what will be a very difficult time for many, especially our children.
  The Uvalde community continues to face the impact of that tragic day. Despite the overwhelming support and efforts to assist with the healing process, the past eleven months have been challenging. The licensed professionals at the Uvalde Together Resiliency Center and other local agencies will continue to provide free emotional support and counseling for anyone seeking it. We welcome and appreciate your thoughts and
prayers and ask that if you feel compelled to support the residents of Uvalde, please host something in your hometown in our honor.
  As a community, we respectfully request to be given the time, space, and privacy to remember those we lost, along with those who survived the mass shooting on May 24th. It is essential to the healing process for our community, and most importantly for our children to be given this time to grieve together privately. “

 Please pdf. statement below.

 The statement was sent on a blank page rather than on any official letterhead.  

  The message does not specify to whom the statement is directed, although a portion of the message seems to address those living outside of the Uvalde area who may be planning on visiting the town on May 24th, 2023.

Signed Media Message

Headline Picture Credit: Jennifer Gilliland

 

Report By Jennifer Gilliland- At approximately noon today several UCISD students participated in a walk out. The event was organized by a group of high school students determined to make changes regarding gun laws as well as more safety measures in our school. The students ‘walked from the high school, junior high, and Uvalde Elementary down Getty to the Plaza where they peacefully protested till 5 PM then walked to Robb. 

 Report by Michael Robinson: The Uvalde CISD School District sent out a statement to parents early Wednesday morning setting the rules and parameters for allowing students to participate in the larger National Student Walkout Protesting Gun Violence.  

  According to the statement, the district would allow for its students to demonstrate outside within the confines of the school grounds from Noon to 1 PM. At noon,however,  the students started walking off the Morales Jr. High and Uvalde High School campuses and eventually climbed over fences and through the Uvalde High School Tennis court area to take their signs and actually walk beyond school grounds. About 75 to 100 students marched from the campuses towards the Uvalde Downtown area where they assembled on the Uvalde Downtown Plaza at 1 PM. 

  School District Police Chief Josh Gutierrez and another Uvalde CID Resource officer followed the students. According to Diana Olvedo-Karau who spoke with Gutierrez. She was told by Gutierrez that he followed the students to ensure their safety off campus.

 

At a special school board meeting held Monday, March 27th at 5:3o PM, the Uvalde CISD Board Members addressed a Level 3 Grievance by Adam Martinez about him being effectively trespassed from attending School Board Meetings. Martinez received a letter from Superintendent Gary Patterson following the February 2023 School Board meeting effectively notifying him of the decision. Martinez received the letter following the Monday, February 13th school board meeting where Martinez approached  Josh Gutierrez, the district’s Interim Safety and Executive Director and Police Chief and presented information about new hire officer Pedro Huizar for the district. 

  “This evening I am here to speak in support of Adam Martinez. I know the grievance you will be listening to tonight is one that is very discouraging to myself to members of this community who have been passionately advocating for accountability and justice for the tragedy of May 24th.” Diana Olvedo-Karau said

 “I think that the actions that were taken by your interim Superintendent Mr. Patterson are harsh, unwarranted, unfair and it’s incumbent on this board as you say you want to rebuild trust in this community that you rescind this decision,” she said.

 The second person who spoke during the open forum was David Binkey.  He said, “Simply put, where is the equity? The board meetings… May through August: People were upset for hours, and the fact that one individual, Mr. Martinez, who is probably engaged in a protected activity, did you ban all of those folks that made noise or disrupted the meeting or because he came up and tried to say, ‘ Hey, there is maybe some information y’all need to have?’ Is that really the equitable solution that y’all have?”

 Kim Hammond was the last to speak before the special meeting. She stated to the board she was at the meeting where Martinez stood up and asked a question. “It didn’t disrupt me, I didn’t even know it happened,” she said. She went on to say other allegations that were made against Mr. Martinez about him using the F-word numerous times and the accusation he was seen urinating on a fence  (It) didn’t happen. She referred to these allegations as bully tactics.

After the board reconvened at 6:39 PM from closed executive session, Board President Luis Fernandez moved to deny Mr. Martinez’s Level 3 Parent Complaint against the interim Superintendent.

“Additionally, I move to deny all his remedies sought by the parent. Due to Mr. Martinez  having been granted the opportunity to attend his children’s functions, pick up and drop off from school and  attend practices that take place on Uvalde CISD property. This is not mean that we view Mr. Martinez as a criminal or  threat, However he has continuously,  repeatedly interrupted UCISD board meetings and therefore our decision to deny,” Fernandez said.  The motion was seconded by Board Member Javier Flores. The motion passed unanimously. 

During the time the board convened in its closed door executive session, Juanita Martinez, the Chairwoman of  Maverick County Democrats, spoke to the audience stating they have had success getting rid of school board members. In an interview with the Uvalde Hesperian, she said she came to the school board meeting in support of Adam Martinez. “I have experience dealing with difficult school boards,” she said.

  She went on to say that they plan on focusing on the upcoming school board elections and try to get rid of this board.