by Michael Robinson | Uvalde Hesperian

Monday, July 15th, 2024

The Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District will be holding a Special Board Meeting tonight at 5:30PM at the John H. Harrell Auditorium.

The District’s Board of Trustees will be considering the Division of Business and Finance’s Item of Information on Budget Workshop #4A

A livestream of the meeting can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/c/UvaldeCISDBensonBoardRoom

By Michael Robinson| Uvalde Hesperian

After convening into closed executive session at Monday Night’s June 10th special board meeting, the District’s trustees returned to the open board session where Trustee Jacklyn Gonzales shared a glimpse of their deliberations held in private session and then made a motion for the Board to approve Laura Perez for the vacated East Zone seat considering her to be the sole candidate to be considered. The board then voted to approve Perez be hired as the East Zone board position which had been held by Annabell Rocha White prior to her resignation.

Gonzales said, “We have been faced with a difficult situation as a school district. Obviously we lost an East Zone applicant and we opened that up.”

After mentioned an early morning conversation she had with Board President Cal Lambert. She continued saying, “We reconized that there was an issue with that. We recognized the importance of the map and the zones; having an East and West Zone.

“I recognized that we do need to recognized our West Zone has representation.  Unfortunately we have to make decisions today that’s going to affect a lot of people,” Gonzales said.

She then made a motion that the board consider Laura Perez as the sole applicant for the East Zone positon. The board voted to approved the motion.

Trustee Jesse Rizo spoke after the vote saying, ” I’d like to thank the applicants. I saw the names on here and it’s nice obviously to see so many applicants with so much talent come forth and there is a;ways goiuing to be an opportunitt for yall to step up. Eventually some years from now the opportunity will come up and we hope you have the entusiasm where you can apply and run for a seat like this.

Rizo concluded by saying, “Like Jackie said, It’s right thing to do.”

Gonzales spoke again emphasizing the importance of the district map and that the West Zone needs representation She mentioned that MALDEF Decree calling for equal representation.

Trustee Javier Flores stated in his comments there were seven applicants although no names were mntioned.

Gonzales went on to say, the next school board meeting, the board will take steps to fill the West Zone seat.

ou to step up.

By Michael Robinson | Uvalde Hesperian

Uvalde CISD Trustee’s will be meeting each Monday evening though June 17th as part of an overall process to interview and ultimately vote on candidates who have submitted applications for the vacent

East Zone seat on the district’s board.  At last month’s Wednesday May 22nd training meeting, the board of trustees accepted the resignation of Trustee Annabel Rocha White leaving a vacancy on the local district’s governing panel.

The deadline to apply for the position is Monday, June 3ed at 5:00 PM

School Board Meetings:

Meetings are open to the public. Meetings can be viewed online via the Lixestream

Upcoming Special Board Meetings:
Monday, June 3rd, 2024 at 6:00 pmMonday, June 10th at 6:00 pm

Agenda for the June 3rd meeting

Monday, June 17th at 5:30 pm

Regular Board Meeting at 6:00 pm

Monday, June 17, 2024
John H. Harrell Auditorium

Information from the Uvalde CISD website:

School Board Member East Zone Seat Fulfillment Timeline

The Uvalde CISD is announcing an opening for a School Board Member seat in the East Zone. This crucial position aims to fill an unexpired term until May 2026. All interested stakeholders residing in the East Zone of Uvalde are invited to apply for this meaningful role in our school community.

Application Process:

• Obtain the Texas Secretary of State 2-49 application from the Texas Secretary of State website or the UCISD School Board website.
• Paper copies are also available at the UCISD Central Office, 1000 N. Getty Street, during Summer Hours (Monday through Thursday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.).
• Letter of Interest to include the following
  • Why would you like to be a member of the UCISD School Board?
  • What do you feel are the biggest challenges facing the district?
  • How would you work as a member of the Team of 8 to move the district forward?

Complete Application:

• Fill out the Texas Secretary of State 2-49 application thoroughly and the Letter of Interest to be considered for an interview with the UCISD School Board.

Key Dates:

1. Application Window:
   • May 23rd – June 3rd at 5:00 pm
   • Details: Completed applications with letters of interest
2. Special Board Meeting to Review Applications:
   • June 3rd at 5:30 pm
   • Details: The UCISD School Board will convene to review all submitted applications.
3. Special Board Meeting for Candidate Interviews:
   • June 10th
   • Details: Selected candidates interviewed by the School Board.
   • Questions: Use the QR Code to submit questions to be considered for the interviews.
4. Regular School Board Meeting:
   • Action Item: School Board Members will vote to fill the East Zone unexpired position.

For More Details:
Interested applicants can contact Mikka Sanchez at 830-278-6655 for additional information.

We encourage all eligible stakeholders to apply and play a pivotal role in shaping the future of education in Uvalde. This is a unique opportunity to impact our school community meaningfully!

by Michael Robinson | Uvalde Hesperian

Uvalde CISD Superintendent Ashley Chohlis presented the District’s findings on a community wide District Needs Assessment Survey conducted in April 2023 which included students, parents, instructional staff, auxiliary staff and community members. A total of 953 participated in this online survey that covered topics such as the general direction the school district is going and covered topics of instruction, security and other key aspects of the District.

A powerpoint presentation of the findings were presented at Monday night’s meeting.

In one part of the survey, participants were given statements where they were prompted choose one of these responses:  Strongly agree; Agree; Neither agree or disagree; Disagree and Strongly disagree

The statements presented to the participants were as follows:

Compared to a year ago, I believe the District is moving in a positive direction.

I feel valued and appreciated in this organization.

I am effectively communicated with in this organization.

There are equitable opportunities for all in this organization.

My opinions and ideas are valued and taken into consideration in this organization.

There is a safe and supportive learning environment cultivated in this organization.

Overall, Neither agree or disagree was the prevailing response to most questions with the exception of the last statement about a safe and supportive learning environment where 293 (36%) responded with Agree followed by 227 (28%) responded Neither agree or disagree.

Many responses were split between Strongly Agree and Agree vs. Disagree and Strongly Disagree.

According to Chohlis, the responses of Agree categories were slightly ahead of the Disagree categories.

by Michael Robinson | Uvalde Hesperian

Editor’s note: Two paragraphs of Jesse Rizo were attributed to Cal Lambert in a previous version. The error has been corrected.

    Two new Uvalde CISD Trustees and one reelected as a Trustee will be sworn in to serve at Monday night’s May 13th regular school board meeting at 6 Pm immediately following a special 5:30 Board meeting to go over district finances. 

   Jacklyn Gonzales and  Jesus “Jesse” Rizo will be stepping on the stage as newly elected Trustees and Calvin “Cal” Lambert will be returning to the board after winning his re-election bid. 

  “I am honored to be selected to serve on the UCISD board of trustees. I look forward to being a voice for our students, teachers and community,” Jacklyn Gonzales said. 

 Jesus “Jesse” Rizo submitted the following statement to the Uvalde Hesperian:

  ” I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to everyone who has been a part of this journey—from those who inspired me to run for school board trustee, to the friends who proofread my letters and speeches, and to the mentors who educated me on the processes involved. I’m especially thankful for those who provided encouragement during challenging times.

My initial intention was never to run for political office. Before May 24, 2022, I focused on mentoring students during career days across various schools and volunteering in Batesville during special events. The tragic event on that day changed our lives profoundly, creating a ripple effect across our community and beyond.

After many conversations and observations, I saw numerous opportunities for improvement that needed to be addressed across the board. While I respect the work of officials, council members, and board members, I realized that simply being “nice” wouldn’t be enough in the current circumstances, which led me to reconsider my course.”

After thoughtful reflection and discussions with my wonderful wife, we decided to place my name on the ballot. Going door to door and engaging with people from different backgrounds provided me with a deeper understanding of our community’s strengths and weaknesses. This reinforced my decision to run for board trustee.

  The overwhelming support I received from our UCISD communities tells me that people are eager for change, seeking transparency and accountability at all levels. I am humbled and honored by the many votes I received from within our district and from beyond.

  I look forward to serving as your at-large trustee for both Batesville and Uvalde. Together, we can make a meaningful difference. Thank you for this incredible opportunity.”

Calvin “Cal Lambert also shared a statement to the Uvalde Hesperian after his re-election bid:

“First and foremost I’m blessed with a family that always supports me.  This couldn’t have been done without them.  I sincerely thank those that cast a vote, supported, and trusted in

me to help the Board guide our school district into the next four years. 

  A special thank you  to my fellow School Board Trustees for your encouragement.  It’s an honor to continue to serve with an awesome team that always has the best interest of our students and employees at the forefront of every decision made.  There are many initiatives in progress directed at improving the academic success of our

students as well as the professional growth of our employees. I’m optimistic about the future of our district.  Thank you. ‘Loyal and True’

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.