Student Scholars, Teachers, RVE Recognized by Board

Teachers, students, and a campus were recognized for their achievements at the Los Fresnos CISD Board of Trustees meeting Monday.

Fifteen teachers who received advanced degrees over the last six months received plaques from the administration for their achievements. Two other staff members who received doctorate degrees were also recognized.

The names included:

• Los Fresnos United: Charmaine Thomae, Communication; Dalia Benavides, Special Education; Rigoberto “Bobby” Torres, Educational Leadership; Belsa Altamirano, Administration.
• Resaca Middle School: Javier Moran Jr., Counseling.
• Las Yescas Elementary: Zully Aguilar, Library Science.
• Los Fresnos Elementary: Elizabeth de la Cruz, Library Science; Janie Paradise, Library Science.
• Olmito Elementary: Eric Juarez, Special Education; Yolanda Noyola, Curriculum and Instruction; Alyssa Perales, Special Education.
• Palmer-Laakso Elementary: Jacklyn de la Garza, Curriculum and Instruction, Sarah Rodriguez, Special Education.
• Dora Romero Elementary: Kimberly Keen, Early Childhood Education.
• Villareal Elementary: Esther Alvarado, Curriculum and Instruction.

Receiving doctorate degrees were Los Fresnos United Dean of Instruction Rosalba Saavedra in Educational Leadership; and Jesse Fidelio Garza from the District Service Center in Educational Leadership and Technology.

Los Fresnos High School principal Justin Stumbaugh introduced 11 National Hispanic Scholars to the Board. The students scored in the top 2.5 percent among Hispanic students taking the junior year administration of the PSAT. The students included:

Seniors named included:

• Isaac de la Llama
• Alejandra Diaz
• Julian Echevarria
• Reagan Garza
• Sebastian Gonzales
• Mariah Gutierrez
• Joriam Martinez (absent in photo)
• Isaac Muñoz
• Jarod Perez
• Edric Salazar
• Jonathan Sandlin

Stumbaugh also introduced the 11 AP scholars who are still enrolled at LFHS. Six students were named AP scholars which means they scored or 3 or higher on there ore more tests. They included:

• Alan Michael Benavidez
• Alejandra Diaz
• Andrea Itzel Gallegos Plaza
• Reagan Dean-Edward Garza
• Isaac Nathaniel Muñoz
• Jonathan Joseph Sandlin

Four students were named AP Scholar with Honors, which means they scored a 3 or higher on four exams.

• Julian Andrew Echevarria
• Andrea Catalina Herbert
• Khrista Noelle Trovela
• Christopher Rivera

One student was named AP Scholar with Distinction, which means he scored a 3 or higher on five exams.

• Joriam Martinez Parra

Also getting recognition at the Board meeting was the administration and staff at Rancho Verde Elementary, which was one of 26 schools recognized for gaining the Blue Ribbon Schools Award by the U.S. Department of Education. Principal Maria Elisa Pineda accepted a plaque on behalf of the school.

On the Consent Agenda, trustees approved the following:

• Approve Minutes for meeting held on September 11, 2017.
• Budget Amendment #2 for Fiscal Year 2018
• a Self-Insurance Resolution for the District’s Self-Funded Group Health Insurance Program for calendar year 2018.
• Agreements/Contracts for Group Health Third Party Administration and Stop Loss Insurance, RFP #14-15-40 and RFP #14-15-43, for the period Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, 2018.
• Benefit Changes, Employee Rates and District Contributions for the Self-Funded Group Health Plan effective January 1, 2018.
• Declaration that certain district vehicles are surplus and authorize Administration to dispose of said vehicles as appropriate.
• Agreements/contracts with independent contractors for professional services – Professional Learning Providers
• Bilingual/ESL guidelines for the 2017-18 school year.
• District Attendance Committees for the 2017-18 School Year.General Education Homebound (GEH) Guidelines for the 2017-18 school year.
• Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Los Fresnos CISD and Mesquite Treatment Center, LLC for the 2017-18 school year.
• Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) Between Los Fresnos CISD Police Department and local law enforcement agencies.

Trustees approved the following items under Action Items:

• Add, revise or delete LOCAL policies as recommended by TASB Policy Service and according to the Instruction Sheet for the TASB Localized Policy Manual Update 108 – First Reading.
• Repeal all previously adopted policies and adopt (LOCAL) policies as prepared by TASB Policy Service.

Trustees also heard district presentations about the 2017-18 High School Allotment from LFHS and LFU and received the 2017-18 Fundraiser Plans under District Reports.

► more photos at www.flickr.com/photos/losfresnos/sets/