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San Benito Consolidated Independent School District

SAN BENITO CISD EDUCATION CONNECTION

“Education Connection” is a news-centered publication produced by the SBCISD Communications Department for both district personnel and the general community. It highlights district students, staff, schools, departments, and programs. It also serves to disseminate general education news.

THE CONNECTION TEAM

Editors:Celia LongoriaIsabel González

Contributing Writers:Celia LongoriaIsabel C. González

Photographers:Alondra CardozaCelia LongoriaDavid CortezDulce QuirozIsabel C. GonzálezJose Ramos

Layout Design:Alondra CardozaDulce QuirozIsabel C. GonzálezSergio Garcia

SHARE YOUR NEWS

News items for this publication should be submitted to the Communications Department via electronic mail to the following:clongoria@sbcisd.net or icgonzalez@sbcisd.net.

Our MissionThe mission of the San Benito CISD is to provide a premier education for all students, through a positive and safe learning environment, so that its graduates are college, career, and workforce ready.

Our VisionThe vision of San Benito CISD is to be the gold standard in all areas of public education.

The Superintendent’s Advisory Council held their annual public meeting on Tuesday, February 14, to present and discuss the 2015-2016 Texas Academic Performance Report.

Gina Ortiz, Director of Assessment, Research, and Evaluation, presented the annual report, which contains information on student performance at the campus and district level. The report also contains campus performance objectives, student demographics, finances, staffing, and program expenditures.

The areas of celebration highlighted in the report include:

• Graduation Rates are higher than the Region and State;• Met Standard on the 2016 State Accountability;• Higher rate of students participating in the Career & Technology program in comparison to the State;• District dropout rate is lower than that of the State and Region in 9-12;• Higher rate of college and career ready graduates in comparison to the State; and • District showed an increase in the percent of graduates enrolled in Texas higher education.

The areas requiring follow-up include:

• Although the district met standards for the state accountability, the district will focus on improving STAAR performance for grades 3-12;

• College ready graduates in the area of Reading/English Language Arts (ELA); and• Percent of students meeting or exceeding progress in Reading/ELA and Mathematics.

Each year, the Texas Education Agency (TEA) assigns one of four accreditationstatuses to each district in the state:

• Accredited,• Accredited - Warned,• Accredited - Probation, or• Not Accredited - Revoked.

In assigning an accreditation status to a district, TEA considers the following:

• Academic accountability ratings,• Financial accountability ratings,• Data integrity, and• Program-area deficiencies identified through the Performance-Based Monitoring Analysis System (PBMAS).

Ortiz announced that the district’s 2015-16 Accreditation Status is: Accredited.

A complete copy of the TAPR report, may be found here: http://www.sbcisd.net/texas-academic-performance-reports/

Trustees receive 2015-2016 Texas Academic Performance Report (TAPR)

SAC holds annual public meeting

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The San Benito Consolidated Independent School District does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, disability, or age in its employment practices in accordance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended; Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972; Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended; and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act. • Es norma del Distrito Escolar de San Benito no discriminar por motivos de raza, religión, color, origen nacional, sexo, impedimento o edad, en sus procedimientos de empleo, tal como lo requieren el Titulo VI de la Ley de Derechos Civiles de 1964, según enmienda; el Titulo IX de las Enmiendas en la Educación de 1972; la Ley de Discriminación por Edad de 1975, según enmienda; y la Sección 504 de la Ley de Rehabilitación de 1973, según enmienda.

Daylight savings time begins at 2:00 AM on Sunday, March 12. Don’t forget to set your clocks forward one hour!

Dr. Adrian VegaSuperintendent

San Benito NJROTC Liberty Hounds teams qualifyThe San Benito Naval Junior Officer Reserve Training Corps – comprised of

Unarmed, Armed, Color Guard, Physical Fitness, and Academics Teams – qualified for Area 10 State Drill Competition after earning second place at W.B. Ray High School in Corpus Christi recently.

Area 10 covers areas from Dallas to Los Fresnos and Laredo to Beaumont. With the win, the NJROTC will now compete for one of the two spots to participate at the national competition.

NJROTC instructors Chief Timothy Wilson, Chief Petty Officer Jesus Gaytan, and Captain Nels Swanson congratulate the cadets for their efforts and look forward to the next competition.

“This has been 15 years in the making. With the cadets spending more than six hours every week after school since August, they were able to achieve their goal,” Wilson said.

Excitement filled the air when cadets heard the news of their qualification.“Nothing but excitement ran throughout their body. The teams felt

accomplished as they practiced the routine over numerously,” Wilson said. “Not only did the drill team members feel proud, but everyone felt that as a unit, we all gave our part.”

The instructors extend their appreciation to the school district, parents, and especially to all the NJROTC cadets who dedicate their time to practicing for competition.

The qualifying team is counting on their fellow cadets’ encouragement as they continue to practice to earn the top spot at nationals.

A Message from our Superintendent of Schools...As the proud superintendent of over 10,600 students, I want to reiterate San Benito CISD’s commitment to

educate all students regardless of immigration status.As a public school district, our job as educators is to provide a safe, welcoming, and inclusive educational

environment for all students, free of fear and anxiety. As such, I am extremely thankful for the dedicated and hard-working teachers, administrators, and support staff that proudly serve the students and families of San Benito CISD. As a bilingual, bicultural community located in South Texas, San Benito CISD is proud of its history, heritage, and academic achievements.

Accordingly, San Benito CISD remains and will always be committed to providing a premier educational experience to all of its students, as well as serving their parents and families.

Bobby Morrow track updateThe Board of Trustees approved the resurfacing of the Bobby Morrow Stadium track with the upgrades made just in time for San Benito to host a district track meet next year. The district track is fully operational and in solid working condition.

Career and Technology Program NewsTrustees approved an ambulance simulator for students enrolled in the Career Technical Education Program. The simulator cost

is about $67,000 and will be housed in the D-Pod at the San Benito Veterans Memorial Academy Health Science wing. Trustees approved a request for two new Green Houses. One, totaling approximately $20,000, will be located at the Sonny Brazil

Agriculture Complex next to the classrooms. The other Green House will be located at San Benito High School adjacent to the existing Agriculture Science classroom. The Green House is designed to have a cooling wall with exhaust fans measuring 30' x 72'x 8' and cost an estimated $42,000.

These projects will enhance the specific instructions related to their respective Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills, according to Director of Career Technical Education Program Hector Rendon.

District purchases vehiclesThe Board of Trustees determined needs for district vehicles and, with the guidance from administration, approved purchase of

district vehicles as follows:

• one refrigerated box truck for the Child Nutrition Program;• three 2017 Ford Sedans and two 2017 Ford SUV’s for the Police Department;• four 2017 Chevrolet 1500 Silverado trucks for the Building & Grounds Department; • a 2017 Chevrolet 1500 Silverado and two 2017 ½ ton F-150 truck for the Air Conditioning/Energy Management Department; • a 2017 Ford F-350 Crew Cab 4x4 and a 2017 Ford Expedition for the CTE Department;• a 2016 Ford Transit Van and a 2017 Ford Cargo Van for the PRIM Department; and• a total of five 2017 Bluebird Buses for the Transportation Department.

The district is committed to updating the vehicle fleets to safely transport students and staff to and from their destinations. For this reason, trustees approved the purchase of five new buses and other district vehicles, including vehicles for the Child Nutrition Program, Maintenance, Heating Ventilation Air Conditioning staff, the Career Technical Education Program, the district’s Purchasing Departments and Police Department.

A plan is in place to continue updating district vehicles as needed.

NEWS BRIEFS ... great things are happening at SBCISD!

San Benito CISD will observe the 2017 Spring Break holiday Monday, March 13, through Friday, March 17. There will be no classes for students. Classes will resume at their regular time on Monday, March 20.

The school district’s administrative offices will be closed during Spring Break. They will reopen at 7:30 AM on Monday, March 20.