[0:03] Good evening. I'd like to call this meeting to order.
[0:07] The time is now 17:30 for regular board meeting, Wednesday, August 12th, 2026.
[0:13] Roll call. Orlando Lopez.
[0:15] Israel Villarreal. Present.
[0:17] Selena Gonzalez.
[0:18] Present.
[0:19] Dr. Ariel Cruz Bella.
[0:26] Present.
[0:26] Crystal Hernandez.
[0:28] Present.
[0:28] Rudy Corona.
[0:29] Present.
[0:30] Joel Abrego.
[0:32] Present.
[0:33] Alfredo Perez.
[0:35] Present.
[0:35] Tony Torres.
[0:37] Present.
[0:37] Next, we will have the Pledge of Allegiance and the invocation.
[0:42] Okay. Today we have Adrian Leos. And Adrian Leos is a 10-year-old fifth grade
[0:47] student whose favorite subject is mathematics.
[0:49] He enjoys playing soccer and the bass guitar and is actively involved in both
[0:54] academics and extracurricular activities.
[0:58] Adrian has demonstrated exemplary leadership and commitment to his school by
[1:02] serving as secretary of the student council, maintaining membership in National
[1:07] Elementary Honor Society, and performing as a member of the school rock band.
[1:12] He is the son of Debbie Leos and Medardo Leos.
[1:17] Will the parents of Adrian Leos please stand up to be congratulated?
[1:23] Very nice.
[1:25] Thank you for being here.
[1:30] And then next, for the invocation, we have Charlotte Leos.
[1:34] Charlotte Leos is a 10-year-old fifth-grade student at La Encantada Elementary,
[1:38] whose favorite subject is science.
[1:40] She enjoys expressing her creativity through drawing and making bracelets.
[1:43] Charlotte has distinguished herself through her leadership and academic excellence
[1:47] by serving as student council president, earning membership in the National
[1:52] Elementary Honor Society, participating in the Gifted and Talented program, and
[1:57] being selected as a member of the Leonettes Dance Team.
[2:01] She is the proud daughter of Arturo and Cody Leos and exemplifies the qualities of
[2:06] leadership, scholarship, creativity, and dedication.
[2:10] Will the parents of Charlotte Leos please stand up to be recognized?
[2:19] Thank you so much for being here tonight.
[2:34] I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the
[2:40] Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty
[2:46] and justice for all.
[2:48] Texas pledge. Honor the Texas flag.
[2:52] I pledge allegiance to thee, Texas, one state under God, one and
[2:57] indivisible.
[3:04] Good evening, school board members,
[3:10] administrators, families, and guests.
[3:11] As a student representing my peers across our district, I'm honored to open
[3:15] tonight's meeting with a prayer. Please bow your heads.
[3:18] Heavenly Father, as we gather here with a shared purpose to support, strengthen,
[3:23] and uplift our schools, we pray that you continue your influence and effort,
[3:27] touching our teachers and their teachers in the faculty office.
[3:31] We recognize this is a great responsibility based upon the shoulders of our school
[3:37] board members, and we ask that when making decisions this night, you would grant
[3:41] clarity and allow everyone here to have an open mind.
[3:45] With this meeting, we pray for a spirit of collaboration where different ideas are
[3:51] heard with respect and kindness. We also want to express our deep gratitude for our
[3:56] teachers and staff who pour their hearts and souls into us.
[3:59] Thank you, board members, for your time and your dedication to our
[4:04] education.
[4:10] We ask that
[4:13] you
[4:31] would
[5:14] lead us with wisdom and guide
[5:19] our
[5:20] conversations.
[5:27] Amen.
[5:31] Amen.
[5:32] I'd like to thank Ms. Garcia, principal of La Encantada Elementary, for being here
[5:37] and for bringing the students tonight. Thank you so much for all the work you do.
[5:47] Next item is public comment.
[7:21] The presiding officer may request assistance from law enforcement officials to have
[7:24] an individual removed from the meeting.
[7:26] If a speaker is seeking board resolution for a specific complaint, that concern
[7:30] should be addressed through the district's grievance process.
[7:32] District Policy DGBA has been established for addressing employee complaints.
[7:37] Policy F and G is the avenue for filing parent complaints, and Policy GF addresses
[7:41] community member complaints. Grievance forms can be obtained at any campus
[7:45] administration office or at the district central administration offices.
[7:59] Today for public comment, we have Mary Maney.
[8:37] But no, seriously, we do
[8:43] use it to help with the STEM activities at the high school
[8:48] with some various outings to state parks, and Green Power has some use in it,
[8:54] and Archery has some use out of it. So it really does help make our life just a
[8:59] little bit easier.
[9:01] I would like to go into my normal thank yous.
[9:04] The start of this school year has been incredibly good.
[9:08] Security has made life a lot easier.
[9:12] Maintenance and our custodial staff killed themselves this summer making the
[9:17] schools look as good and as helpful as they are.
[9:21] Secretarial staff has been just aces in making the start of the school
[9:27] year so much easier than if we didn't have them.
[9:31] They make it look like it's kind of a push-button
[9:36] organization, which is what we want it to do.
[9:40] Unfortunately, people forget that there are support structures that make that
[9:44] push-button application so easy.
[9:47] PDs that we had during this teacher thing, pretty good.
[9:52] Enjoyed what I was doing. But it did raise a question when I'm looking at the
[9:57] calendar. According to the calendar, at the end of the school year, you have four
[10:01] exchange days listed. However, this summer we only had three exchange
[10:06] days. Does that mean we have another exchange day coming up, or
[10:13] is there something wrong with our calendar?
[10:15] I'm not saying that I disagree with having to come in to work an additional day,
[10:20] but
[10:22] seriously, if we only get three in the summer and those are the only exchange days
[10:26] we have, how did three become four?
[10:29] And if we could use that, I would like to apply that same math to the mid-year
[10:33] stipend.
[10:37] Got to get that mid-year stipend thing going in there.
[10:40] But seriously, thank you very much for what we have done with it.
[10:44] I would like some clarification on that just to make sure that it's not just a
[10:50] misprint, if there is something else going on that we need to know, because it is
[10:54] labeled an exchange day, not a work day and three exchange days.
[10:59] All four of them are labeled as exchange days.
[11:02] And then again,
[11:05] if we get a chance, say thank you to those custodial and maintenance people.
[11:09] Now, if the HVAC people could come in and adjust the temperature of my room, I
[11:13] would be a lot happier, but I'm not going to complain too hard because then it
[11:17] becomes arctic. But no, we really are being very blessed with what we've done.
[11:22] It's just the heat wave outside is not agreeing with all of our poor buildings.
[11:27] But thank you very much. Again, do keep in mind, mid-year stipend, we could use
[11:31] some more money. And thank you very much and have a great day.
[11:36] Thank you, ma'am.
[11:41] Next item is board report. At this time, I'd like to welcome back all the parents
[11:46] and the students and the staff back to San Benito School District.
[11:51] I want to thank all the staff that's in the room who worked over the summer
[11:56] tirelessly looking at data, planning for events,
[12:01] everything that it takes to run this school district.
[12:04] There's so many moving pieces. Every one of you contributes to that.
[12:09] And you guys are the tip of the spear for this school district, and without you
[12:12] guys, we wouldn't be able to get this done, so thank you for your endless hours
[12:16] during the summer. I would also like to say we had an amazing convocation.
[12:23] And while we did have a great guest speaker, the star of the show was the students.
[12:29] If you weren't in attendance,
[12:32] man, all the performances that we have, we have so much talent here in San Benito.
[12:37] It is amazing. And I look forward to the day that we have these
[12:42] performances open to the public so they can come and see them too in the grand
[12:47] scale of what we got to see last week is truly
[12:53] amazing talent here in San Benito.
[12:56] At this time, if any board members have anything to say, I'd definitely like to
[13:00] give them the opportunity.
[13:08] Okay, we'll move on to superintendent's report.
[13:11] Good evening, everybody. Yes, I just want to welcome everybody back.
[13:15] When I see the kids in the hallways and getting dropped off and all that, it just
[13:18] makes me feel like the world is right again, so I'm looking forward to an exciting
[13:22] year. I do want to thank everybody who worked over the summer for what you all do.
[13:27] I know we had some long days, but it was good.
[13:30] There was a lot of good work that was done, so thank you all.
[13:33] Again, I do want to also shout out to Mr.
[13:36] Martinez, actually, for setting up the student performances at the convocation.
[13:41] Fantastic job again. So great job. And I do want to acknowledge Ms. Gonzalez.
[13:47] She was the one to get us Juan Quinones, so I know a lot of people were excited
[13:50] about that, so thank you, ma'am. But I look forward to a great year.
[13:54] I can answer the exchange day already, Ms. Mimi.
[13:56] The campuses will have one exchange day that they will have throughout the year, so
[14:01] one Saturday during the year. The teachers are going to have a specific training.
[14:06] It's going to be campus-specific, and then that will be the fourth exchange day.
[14:10] But other than that, everybody have a great year, and we look forward to another
[14:15] exciting one.
[14:18] Does Ms. Gonzalez have a name for the person she's getting next year?
[14:27] The next items are consent agenda.
[14:30] In order to promote efficient meetings, the board may act upon more than one item
[14:35] by a single vote through the use of consent agenda.
[14:38] Consent items placed on the agenda shall be marked with an asterisk.
[14:42] Consent items are items for which no board discussion is anticipated and for which
[14:48] the superintendent recommends approval.
[14:51] Prior to the time which approval of consent agenda is had, at the request of any
[14:56] member of the board of trustees, any item on the consent agenda shall be removed
[15:00] and given individual consideration. Dr.
[15:04] Ariel Cruz, is there any items in the agenda that you would like to give
[15:07] consideration?
[15:08] Yes, I'm going to pull agenda item 7.1.
[15:16] Mr. Abriel? I'm good, thank you. Gonzalez?
[15:20] No, sir.
[15:21] Senales?
[15:23] No.
[15:23] Corona?
[15:25] Same one as Dr. Cruz. Other than that, no.
[15:34] For academic services, consent agenda item 5.1 through 5.3.
[15:43] What's that?
[15:46] Entertain a motion to approve- Okay.
[15:46] I'd like to entertain a motion to approve all the consent agenda items for academic
[15:50] services, finance and operations-
[15:54] With the exception of 7.1 ... and administration with the exception of 7.1.
[15:59] So moved.
[16:01] Second? Second by Mr. Abriel. All in favor?
[16:09] Motion passes.
[16:12] I'd like to make a motion to move agenda item 7.1 into executive session.
[16:17] Second.
[16:19] All in favor?
[16:23] Item 7.1 will be moved to executive session.
[16:30] Action agenda. Discussion and consideration on board approval of a delegate and
[16:35] alternate to the Texas Association of School Boards Delegate Assembly.
[16:43] Mr. Perez.
[16:46] Do I have a nomination for one of the board members to be our delegate for the TASB
[16:52] Delegate Assembly?
[16:57] Anybody-
[16:59] I'd like to nominate Ruel. And is there a second? Or just one?
[17:05] We'll nominate the delegate and an alternate. You want to nominate the delegate?
[17:11] The delegate
[17:13] Ariel, and then second Ruel.
[17:16] I second that.
[17:21] Second. All in favor?
[17:25] Motion passes.
[17:29] All right.
[17:31] Closed meeting. In accordance with the Texas Government Code, Open Meetings Act,
[17:35] the board may move into a closed session for the following reasons.
[17:37] Section 551.071, for the purpose of a private consultation with the board's
[17:42] attorney on any or all subject or matters authorized by law.
[17:47] Section 551.074, for the purpose of considering the appointment, employment,
[17:51] evaluation, reassignment, duties, discipline, or dismissal of a public officer or
[17:56] employee, or to hear the complaints or charges against a public officer or
[18:01] employee.
[18:05] Time is 5:48. We'll be going into executive session.
[18:11] The time is 7:54, and we will reconvene into open session and
[18:16] possible action on matters considered in closed session if necessary.
[18:22] Consent agenda 7.1,
[18:25] request for approval of revisions to the 2026/2027 compensation plan.
[18:31] I motion to approve the revisions to the 25/26 compensation plan.
[18:34] Second.
[18:35] I have a motion by Dr. Ariel Cruz and a second by Ms. Hernandez.
[18:39] All in favor? Motion passes.
[18:46] Agenda item 10.1, employment, resignations, retirements, and terminations.
[18:51] Yes, I ask the board to approve, as discussed in executive session, the employment,
[18:55] retirement, resignations, and terminations.
[19:00] Do I have a second?
[19:01] Second.
[19:03] I have a motion by Dr. Ariel Cruz and a second by Mr. Abriel. All those in favor?
[19:10] Motion passes. 10.2, discussion and possible approval of employment of secondary
[19:16] instruction director.
[19:18] Yes, I'm going to recommend Dr. Sarah Turon as the director of
[19:22] secondary.
[19:27] Do I have a motion?
[19:29] So moved. Do I have a second?
[19:32] I have a motion by Mr. Corona and a second by Dr. Ariel Cruz. All those in favor?
[19:39] Motion passes.
[19:43] I just want to thank everybody once again for coming out. Appreciate y'all.
[19:46] And at this time, I'd like to ask for a motion to adjourn this meeting.
[19:51] So moved. Motion by Mr. Corona, second by Mr. Hernandez. All those in favor?
[19:56] Thank you all very much.