Dollie Mae Buser of Natalia went to be with her Lord and Savior on January 6, 2023 at the age of 70. On July 6, 1952 Dollie was born in small town Poteet, Texas. Dollie was as a South Texas native all her life; she took great pride in her beautiful state and country. Dollie settled down in Natalia, Texas where she went on to raise 3 beautiful daughters. Dollie served as a bus driver for the local school district for over 25 years. Dollie’s children had children and their children would also later have children bestowing unto her the title she took the most pride in, “Mammie”. She is often remembered as being a Mammie not only to her grandkids, but to many. Those who knew Dollie appreciated that you could not come by her house without leaving with something in your hands and food in your stomach. Dollie was a bright soul, she would always bring love and laughter to every gathering she attended. Sadly, after a week in the hospital, Dollie’s pain was eased and she gained her wings. She will be loved and missed by all who knew and loved her. Dollie is preceded in death by her parents, Rolyn “Bill” Stevens, and Annie Mae Stevens; grandparents, William Nelson and Edna Lee, John Stevens and Viola Akers; brothers, William Stevens, and Rolyn Stevens; aunts and uncles, Lonie and Georgia Lou, Ernest and Lily, Ben and Paula, Velma and Edwin Poe, Billie Jo and James, Patsy and James; and cousin, Charlotte Stevens. Dollie is survived by her children, Viola and Lee, Poo and Derek, Vonda and Mark; aunts and uncles, Nancy and Ray, Jack and Elaine; nieces and nephews, Wendy Lee, Wendy Leigh, Franklin, Roy, Robert, Tommy, TG, Brandon, Wesley, Rolana, and Tynia; grandchildren, Richard, Kassandrah, Savannah, Alisyn, Justin, Trey, Alicia, Emily, and Nickolus; great grandchildren, Colton, Jacob, Eli, Aceton, Cameron, Brady, Jocelyn, Raelynn, Keaghan, Oaklynn, Gracelynn, Madelyn, and Waylon Services are under the direction and guidance of Camero Funeral Home.
PRESS RELEASE A Medina County Jury sentenced a Hondo man to life in prison for the murder of his neighbor at the Cheers n Beers Bar in downtown Hondo. Luis Deleon, Jr., 51, was found guilty of the July 18th, 2021 murder of Roger Palacios, Jr. Evidence showed Palacios was stabbed multiple times in his chest and neck with a large hunting knife Deleon brought into the bar. Witnesses described Palacios as a popular, kind person who was having a good time dancing a Cumbia in a packed bar before the attack. Deleon, who has a long history of methamphetamine abuse, accused Palacios of an affair with his then-girlfriend, though witnesses testified there was no such affair. Numerous eye witnesses described the assault in that bar in vivid detail; one which prosecutors argued resembled a “prison-style shanking,” done quickly, quietly, and without any warning. After being found guilty, prosecutors demonstrated an escalating pattern of violence in Deleon’s life, with previous convictions for assault and domestic violence. Conceding that even a minimal sentence would likely mean Deleon spent the rest of his life behind bars due to his poor health, prosecutors argued that a strong sentence would send the right message to the Palacios family and citizens of Medina County. “I commend my colleagues, Christian Neumann, Julie Solis, Debra Lankford, and Gilbert Valdez, for their diligent work in achieving justice and closure for the victim’s family,” said Medina County Criminal District Attorney Mark Haby. Assistant District Attorney Christian Neumann and First Assistant District Attorney Julie Solis prosecuted this case in the 454th District Court. The Hondo Police Department investigated the crime.
By Anton Riecher The Devine ISD school board met this Monday, January 16. Devine Intermediate Principal Michael Gomez reported that preliminary results from reading and math testing at the Intermediate campus, showing improvement. “I’m excited to share what a great school year we’ve had so far,” Gomez told the Devine ISD school board Monday. To date, out of 435 students 246 have been assessed as to reading skills and 255 assessed as to math skills. In the reading category, 57 students were assessed as functioning at mid or above grade level, up from 29 students in previous diagnostic testing. Ninety students were assessed to be operating at one grade level below what was expected, up from 77 students previously. Thirty-four students were rated at two grade levels below where they should be, down from 54 students previously. Thirteen students were judged to be three or more grade levels below expectations, down from 24 in previous testing. In math, 34 students were ranked at mid or above grade level, up from 11 in previous testing. Sixty-five students were assessed to be operating at one grade level below what was expected, up from 42 students previously. One hundred and twenty-three students were assessed to be operating at one grade level below what was expected, down from 147 previously. Nineteen students were rated at two grade levels below where they should be, down from 40 previously. Fourteen students were judged to be three or more grade levels below expectations, down from 16 in previous testing. “We haven’t finished our testing,” Gomez said. “We still have another two weeks.” For the eighth year in a row Devine Intermediate were named “Elementary Literacy Champs” at the University Interscholastic League’s District 30-AAAA competition, Gomez said. “We hosted UIL last year,” he said. “It was a huge event.” To recognize outstanding school staff members Devine Intermediate now awards its weekly Bronco Buckle award, Gomez said. The winner gets to pick their successor the following week. “It is a symbol of their leadership and pride for our school and celebrates their work,” Gomez said. Devine ISD Superintendent Todd Grandjean reported that the district has received its Texas Academic Performance Ratings for the 2021-22 school year. The rating is determined by the Texas Education Agency based on the STARR (State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness) tests. STARR is a standardized test that helps teachers and students identify strengths and weaknesses in an academic year. STARR tests are compulsory for students in grade three through 12. An extensive report on the results is planned for the board’s February meeting, Grandjean said. Following a closed executive session the board, on a motion by Chris Davis seconded by Henry Moreno, voted to approve a new contract for Grandjean for a term beginning July 1 through June 2026. The motion passed on a 6-0 vote. Trustee Renee Frieda was absent from the meeting. Also, the board voted to hire Renee Dougherty as an ELAR (English language arts and reading) teacher at Devine Middle School, Kate Finch as a third grade teacher and Isabel Arevalo as a kindergarten teacher. In other action, the board voted to approve payment of $82,375 to AB Construction for holiday break repair work at Devine Middle School. In late August staff discovered a leak in science classroom 101 and 103 coming from the “casework,” i.e., cabinets, drawers or bookcases, a report to the school board states. After shutting down the supply valves it was determined there was a leak on the low pressure drain side, a school report states. A temporary reroute of HVAC condensate lines was performed and the custodial staff has to empty the condensate water from a trash can twice daily. Due to a $9,500 change order, the final cost for the project rose to $82,375 taken from the fund balance. Because the cost exceeded $25,000 official board action is required. On a motion by Chris Davis, seconded by Keri James, the payment was approved.
Sky View subdivision representative Dan Mullins, left, confronts neighboring property owners Joe Finger, center, and Frederick Gierisch, during a public hearing at the Jan. 12 Medina County Commissioners Court meeting. Finger and Gierisch expressed their concerns about the impact the new development would have on water resources and traffic.
By Anton Riecher Water, traffic and security were the principal concerns cited by property owners during public hearings before the Medina County Commissioners Court regarding pending action on several new subdivisions. Precinct 3 landowner Frederick Gierisch said that he has seen rapid depletion of his water resources in recent years. Now developers of the Sky View Ranch subdivision off FM 1796 are petitioning the court for preliminary approval of the project. “My water well, in five years, has gone down 50 feet and I’m right across the fence from their development,” Gierisch said. Beside the hearing on the Sky View Ranch development, commissioners also heard from landowners on creation of the Megan’s Landing Public Improvement District and revisions to Private Road 1505 in the Holiday Villages of Medina subdivision. Precinct 3 Commissioner David Lynch presided over the Jan. 12 meeting in Lutz’s absence. New County Judge Keith Lutz and Precinct 4 Commissioner Daniel Lawler were not present as they were attending the Texas Association of Counties conference in Austin. Beside the impact on water resources, Gierisch told commissioners that Sky View Ranch is a 2,800-acre development involving 220 lots. Figuring three members to each new household the new development represent added pressure on local roadways. “It might add as many as 600 more people to an FM road that can’t handle the traffic that it has now,” he said. Landowner Joe Finger of D’Hanis mirrored Gierisch’s complaints in his comments. “I can’t drill another well,” he said. “My well is at the bottom of the table. If my well dries, and it has dropped an average of about 10 feet every year, everybody in my area will be as out of luck as I am.” Like Gierisch, Finger said increased traffic on FM 1796 represents a growing menace. “You’re going to get somebody killed by putting that many people on that road when it is not meant to handle the traffic,” Finger said. Dan Mullins, representing the developer, said steps have already been taken to address the concerns raised by Gierisch and Finger. Regarding water, landscaping is being restricted to only 5,000-square-feet of irrigation. “So on a 10-acre tract nobody is going to come out and sod the whole thing,” Mullins said. Regardless of Mullins’s reassurance, commissioners voted to approve a motion by Lynch giving preliminary approval for the subdivision only if it receives the okay of county consultant Alan Stanton of Westwood Engineering on the water use impact. Precinct 2 Commissioner Larry Sittre asked Mullins to consider reconfiguring the arrangement of lots to reduce the number of homes bordering FM 1796. “This is, to me, a safety hazard to have 24 lots come out on that state highway,” Sittre said. “That is not good.” The public hearing for the Megan’s Landing Improvement District received a ringing endorsement from Sittre who praised the inclusion of what he described as one of the largest systems to recycle irrigation water in Texas. “We’re in the worst water crisis and this will save probably 60 percent of the water,” Sittre said. “Sixty percent of the water that goes to homes goes on the yard. This is going to be 100 percent recycled water on the majority of yards.” During the public hearing on the Holiday Villages of Medina development a representative for Texas Holiday Villages asked that commissioners schedule final plat approval for their next meeting. “We expect today you are going to hear some complaints about the private roads, their construction,” the representative said. “I just want to make sure that the court notes that those roads have been inspected both by independent third parties and the county and passed that inspection.” Texas Holiday Villages has entered into an agreement with the local homeowners association to guarantee the road for the next 10 years, he said. But property owner Paul Wade said the developer’s decision to reduce the minimum lot size from one acre to a quarter acre is bound to impact the Edwards Aquifer recharge zone. Also, the security of the gated community has been compromised by unrestricted access from Castroville Road. “They paint a pretty picture of what they will do for you as long as it doesn’t cost them,” Wade said. The Texas Holiday Villages representative said access from Castroville Road was only temporary to allow in construction equipment and has since been closed. Tom Crawford of the homeowners association said plans are in the works for a more substantial fence to block that entrance. In other business, a report from County Auditor Eduardo Lopez put the available county funds at $20 million compared to $18.1 million at the same time last year. The commissioners approved $2.1 million in accounts payable with $19,599 in funds disbursed since the last court session. Commissioners approved a request by Darcy Hasty, director of Medina County Pre-Trial Services, to permit her office to adopt the use of a smaller, more sophisticated breathalyzer testing device used to check the status of offenders while on the job. Chief Deputy Gilbert Rodriguez sought approval for the sheriff’s office to comply with a request by the state attorney general to assign an investigator to the issue of Internet child abuse. The state pledged to reimburse the county for the computer equipment needed. Commissioners asked for further information on payment of an architect in regard to redoing the parking lot of the courthouse annex completed in 2020. Lynch explained that the architect was needed to make the county’s case that the parking lot be redone. Sittre said he was opposed to any effort by the contractor to cover the parking lot project from contingency funds. “They screwed up our parking lot and they want to take it out of our money to fix it – no,” he said. The commissioners voted to authorize advertising for a public hearing on reducing the speed limit for CR 640 in precinct 3. Meanwhile, Precinct 1 Commissioner Timothy Neuman said he wants the cost of advertising about applications to replat to be borne by the property owners in the future. “My precinct has paid nearly $3,000 to advertise for this,” he said. The commissioners’ tabled action on Neuman’s proposal until further legal research can be conducted.
Mr. Justin Meyer, of Jourdanton, and Ms. Summer Woodson, of Natalia, are happy to announce they are engaged. This past Sunday, January 15th, Meyer pulled off the romantic flyover proposal of Summer’s dreams, with the help of his bride-to-be’s little sister Abigayle of course. Ms. Woodson thought she was going on a lunch date before her little sister left for college, so with help from both families and their friends, they ran with it! After getting her all dolled up for the lunch date, Justin (who is a helicopter pilot) told Summer that they needed to do an aerial check on animals at the ranch. At this point, she still had no idea what’s going on and no clue that her family and friends were waiting and holding the letters with the big question standing in the field. As the couple flew over the trees, she asked why her dad’s truck was in that field…? As she looked closer she sees the big question on signs of friends and family members holding the posters spelling out: WILL YOU MARRY ME? They land and he went down on one knee with a ring, asking will you marry me? She said yes! Summer Woodson, the bride-to-be, is a 2015 graduate of Natalia, Tx and 2019 graduate of Texas A&M International (TAMIU). She is the daughter of Dana and Willa Woodson of Natalia, TX and works for Natalia ISD. Justin Meyer, fiancé, is a 2015 graduate of Jourdanton High School and graduated from flight school in 2017. He works as a helicopter pilot for the family-owned company Flying J Services out of Jourdanton, TX. The groom-to-be is the son Joe and Monica Meyer of Jourdanton, Tx. Congratulations to the happy couple….And let the wedding plans begin!
Ag valuation to remain at 10 acres minimum, possible transition to 20 acres in future
By Anton Riecher A recommendation by the Medina County Appraisal District’s agricultural appraisal advisory board to increase the minimum acreage to obtain an agricultural valuation from 10 to 20 acres has been rejected by Chief Appraiser Johnette Dixon for the time being. Dixon’s decision followed MCAD’s bi-monthly board of directors meeting Jan. 10 in Hondo. “After consideration of some of the points the Board of Directors brought up last night the minimum acreage for the agricultural valuation will remain at 10 acres with possible transition to 20 acres in the future,” Dixon said. An agricultural valuation is not a tax exemption but a special valuation that allows property to be appraised based on the land’s capacity to produce agricultural products. For value purposes, if approved, the agricultural valuation supersedes the established market value of the property. Dixon said the advisory board’s recommendation was based on concern about overgrazing. “Basically, it is more of the brush properties that cannot support the animals and everything is being overgrazed,” Dixon told the MCAD board. “It’s not a pretty green hay field.” District board vice chairman Jody Jacobs said there are no pretty green hay fields anywhere “unless they are running water on it.” “What if someone can afford the feed necessary to run the animals they have on that,” he said. “Do we have the power to tell them they can’t do that or what?” Dixon said she had conferred with MCAD’s attorney and that authority to increase the suggested minimum acreage lay solely within her discretion. Also, awarding agricultural valuation remains at the discretion of the MCAD staff with the suggested acreage serving. “People don’t get ag just because they applied for it,” Dixon said. “We go out and make sure they are using it to the degree that it needs to be used and then we grant it. If not, we’ll deny it.” Rather than a firm policy, district board chairman Tim Hardt said the suggested minimum acreage is simply a guideline. There is no minimum acreage specified in the Texas Tax Code which requires only that the land “be used to the degree of intensity for the area.” Agricultural appraisal advisory boards have been required by state law since 1989 to help improve communications between the farming and ranching communities and the appraisal district. The board advises the chief appraiser on major issues dealing with agricultural appraisal, such as net to land and degree of intensity standards. However, the advisory board has no decision making authority or responsibility. Jacobs said he was unaware that the advisory board’s even existed. “I couldn’t tell you who is on there,” Jacobs said. “I’m willing to bet there is a large number of our community in the same boat as me.” The recommendation put forward would be certain to create real estate development problems, he said. Hardt said that the recommendation to increase acreage recommendation came as a surprise to district directors. “Knowing my board, if this were a board decision I think we would have had discussion, talked to people and looked at the ramifications,” he said. The recommendation “was not made by or necessarily condoned by this board,” Hardt said. Deputy Chief Appraiser Randall Taylor said that increasing the minimum acreage requirement had is being pushed statewide by water providers. Many of the appraisal districts such as Bandera County have already increased the suggested minimum. Board member Clay Bell countered that he’d “rather be last” to take such a step. Hardt said he has served on the district board for 10 years. The 10-acre suggested minimum had been in place at least several decades before his arrival. However, an increase may still come in the future. “I don’t have a problem with the concept,” Hardt said. “I have a problem with the sudden change and the public not knowing.” In other action, the board discussed possible acquisition of property from the city of Hondo as the site for a new appraisal district headquarters building. Dixon reported that the city is open to the sale of two acres formerly used as a Little League field off Castro Street across from the Coor’s distributorship. The city also indicated that two acres near the intersection of Avenue Y and Austin Avenue near the training center was available, she said. “I don’t know if we need two acres,” Dixon said. “It would just be enough if we had future expansion.” The district is considering the construction of a 5,000-square-foot metal building constructed with the possibility further expansion if needed. MCAD currently operates from 3,500-square-feet of rented office space described as crowded. On a motion by Clay Bell, seconded by Cindy Segovia, the board voted to approve the 2022 profit and loss budget. The district ended the year with $158,207 in excess funds which the board carried over into its new budget with $28,207 going into equipment and $130,000 going into its building fund. The board rejected Dixon’s proposal to pay for more than $35,000 in computer equipment from the excess, preferring that the money come from the 2023 budget. The $35,000 involved the purchase, installation and maintenance of six new computers plus a $20,000 server needed to replace out-of-date equipment. Board secretary Mamie Navarro was absent from the meeting. The next meeting of the Appraisal District is scheduled for March 14. Ag Advisory Board members are: Hilton Stinson, Scott Saathoff, Jacob Schweers, Russell Roberson, and Vince Gilliam.
Appraisal District Board of Directors are: Tim Hardt, Jody Jacobs, Mamie Navarro, Cindy Segovia, Clay Bell and Melissa Lutz
Thomas Ventimiglia, a member of the Natalia High School Band will perform with the Texas All-State ATSSB band in San Antonio, Saturday, February 11, 2023, at the Henry B. González Convention Center as part of the 2023 Texas Music Educators Association Clinic/Convention.
Thomas was chosen for this prestigious honor through a competitive process held this year across the state at District, Region, and Area levels. Thomas is a (private) student of Clarisa De la Garza and plays at school under the direction of Sergio Mendez who is a member of the Texas Music Educators Association, a 14,000+ member organization headquartered in Austin. This is his second time to perform as a member of an ATSSB All-State organization. Thomas is the child of Mr. & Mrs. Thomas Ventimiglia. He won 2nd chair Clarinet at Area which qualified him to State.
High school students selected to perform in the All-State concerts have competed through auditions to qualify at the state level. All-State is the highest honor a Texas music student can receive. 1,875 students are selected through a process that began with over 70,000 students from around the state vying for this honor to perform in one of 18 ensembles.
Texas Music Educators Association sponsors the Texas All-State competition. Individual musicians perform selected music for a panel of judges who rank each instrument or voice part. From this ranking, a select group of musicians advances from their Region to compete against musicians from other areas. The highest-ranking musicians judged at the ATSSB Area competitions qualify to perform in a ATSSB All-State music group. These All-State students participate in four days of rehearsals directed by nationally recognized conductors during the TMEA Clinic/Convention. Their performances for thousands of attendees bring this extraordinary event to a close. For the All-State concert and conductor information, go to the Performances section of www.tmea.org/convention
8 from Mustang Band compete at Area, one advances to All-State
Area students were selected to perform in the TSSB All State Band during their performance at Alice High School last weekend January 7 during the Area Competition.
Competing and their placing are as follows:
Thomas Ventimiglia – 2nd Chair Clarinet State Qualifier
Kate Robinson – 2nd Chair Bass Clarinet
Ricardo Olivares – 5th Chair Trumpet
Austyn Rodriguez – 18th Chair Trumpet
Skylyn Kutzer – 17th Chair
Anthony Guevara – 8th Chair Trombone
Anthony Garza – 5th Chair Euphonium
Abraham Mendez – 3rd Chair Tuba
Sergio Mendez got sick and was not able to audition.
The All-State performance will be held as part of the annual TMEA Clinic/Convention, February 8–11, 2023. Over 30,000 people from Texas and around the world are expected to attend over 290 workshops, 100 performances, and visit over 1,200 exhibit booths at the nation’s largest music educator’s convention. For more information go to www.tmea.org/convention
6 Lytle Band members compete at Area
Results are as follows from the Lytle High School Band auditions at Area last weekend in Alice according to LISD Band Director Joshua Chesshir.
Cambri Davila – 9th chair Flute
Citlali Ferreira – 10th chair Flute
Melanie Perez – 17th chair Clarinet
Jose Gomez – 2nd chair Contra Clarinet
Elijah Martinez – 9th chair Alto Sax
Stefan Grigsby – 4th chair French Horn
8 from Devine Band audition at All-Area
We had Jordan Erxleben, Abner Flores, Juan Hernandez – all clarinets; Isaiah Cardenas – alto sax; Alvin Mann – trumpet; Josh Mills, Maudie Cortez – trombone; and Carlo Rivera – Tuba
“Unfortunately I don’t have any students who advanced to the 4A All-State Symphonic Band this year. We had (8) Area Band members who auditioned, and this time around we did not have anyone who ranked high enough to earn a chair to advance,” said Jeff Miller, DISD Director of Bands.
“We have had several young, very talented students show great potential and I’m confident there will be some that will advance in the future.”
“The Devine Band has been fortunate to have had several students within the 4A All-State Band in the past and we are very proud of our students who participated in the process this year earning chairs in the All-Region and All-Area levels!” said Miller.
A $72,875 bid to repair damage at Devine Middle School from a water leak was approved by a unanimous vote during the Dec. 12 meeting of the district school board.
In late August staff discovered a leak in science classroom 101 and 103 coming from the “casework,” i.e., cabinets, drawers or bookcases, a report presented to the board states.
“It was determined after shutting down the supply valves that there was a leak on the pressure drain side,” the report states. “A temporary reroute of HVAC condensate lines was performed and the custodial staff has to empty the condensate water from a trash can twice daily.”
Of the three requests made for bids, AB Construction was the only company to submit a proposal for the repair work planned during the holiday break.
A motion by Carl Brown to approve the bid was seconded by Henry Moreno.
In other action, the board approved payment of $50,458 to the architectural firm KNRG for developing plans and specifications to repair or replace school district roof damage due to hail. KNRG also provided construction administration for the project.
The invoice submitted by KNRG was approved by Darren VanFossen, director of operations for the district custodial staff. The motion by Henry Moreno, seconded by Keri James, was approved by a 7-0 vote of the board.
In another unanimous vote, the board voted to approve the National Incident Management System (NIMS) for use in the district’s planning and response to emergencies. NIMS provides a shared vocabulary, systems and processes to unify various agencies involved.
NIMS “guides all levels of government, nongovernmental organizations and the private sector to work together to prevent, protect against, mitigate, respond to and recover from incidents,” the Federal Emergency Management Agency states.
Texas has adopted NIMS for its planning and response to emergencies and it asks that schools formally adopt it for the same purpose, a report to the board by assistant superintendent Daryl W. Wendel states. The Devine ISD formally adopted an emergency operations plan in keeping with NIMS in August.
The motion by Davis was seconded by Brown.
Under its consent agenda, the board turned to the Medina County Health Department to fill three open seats for community members on the district’s Student Health Advisory Committee.
Rhonda Brast, Iris Hernandez and Virginia Gonzales, all employed by the health department, were appointed to the committee. Janette Vosquez, also belonging to the health department, was named to the committee as a school representative.
The committee assists the district in “ensuring that local community values and health issues are reflected in the district’s health education instruction,” a letter to the board from Dawn Schneider, director of student services, states.
Devine ISD SHAC by-laws call for members to serve a two-year term. However, the committee has had “trouble with getting members to attend the meetings,” Schneider reports.
Other school representatives appointed include Greg Jackson with food services, Jodi Dzierzanowski, principal of the disciplinary alternative education program; behavior teacher Kara Navarro and high school teacher Patricia Taitanio.
Also included in the consent agenda was approval of a donation for $2,500 to the Devine ISD Arabian softball team by Storm Oilfield Service for the purchase of uniforms. Also approved was a donation of $1,500 by Brown Chevrolet to support Devine High School’s tennis program and $1,164 from the Devine Athletic Booster Club for netting at the Warhorse baseball field.
The board also approved a donation of $4,000 from the Devine Education Foundation to pay registration fees for the Devine ISD robotics team to compete in the annual FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) robotics competition in the spring.
On a motion by Brown, seconded by Chris Davis, the consent agenda was approved 7-0.
The hiring of Evan Eads as the new high school assistant principal was also unanimously approved by the board. Eads presently serves as head coach for the Warhorse basketball team. Also approved on recommendation of Superintendent Todd Grandjean was the hiring of Lee Crisp as a “differentiated monitoring and support” teacher.
Both personnel actions were approved on a motion by Brown, seconded by Moreno.
Board members voted to revise the administrative professional pay plan for 2022-2023 to move the librarian position from pay grade two to pay grade three as per the salary review conducted by the Texas Association of School Boards. The change increases the pay for that position.
The board approved renewing its annual retainer of $1,000 to the law firm of Walsh, Gallegos, Trevino, Kyle & Robinson, specialists in public education.
“The District has used this firm for the past several years and has been very pleased with their services,” a letter submitted to the board by district director of finance Shannon Ramirez states.
The retainer covers telephone consultation on day-to-day general and special education matters and reduced rates for legal work and other services. It also includes web-based products such as providing codes of conduct governing students and extracurricular activities.
December 3, a local intermediate school teacher was thrilled to have the opportunity to be part of Ballet San Antonio’s performance of The Nutcracker this past December. Hannah Eli was nominated as a community hero to play in the production.
“San Antonio Ballet did a nomination process where you can nominate any hero to be Mother Ginger for one performance,” Eli said. “I have done showcases, talent shows, etc, but nothing as big as this.”
Hannah Eli performing the role of Mother Ginger on the Tobin Center Stage in The Nutcraker on December 3.
Despite performing the role of Mother Ginger on the Tobin Center Stage, Eli’s greatest excitement and humbleness comes to face her nomination.
“I don’t consider myself a hero to be honest. I am just a special education teacher, a wife, a daughter, a sister, and a friend. I also happen to stutter and have survived a lot,” Eli said. “When I get up and speak to people, I do have the hopes of someone hearing what I say and learning from it.”
Hannah is very grateful to those who nominated her for the role.
“I only know I had several people nominate me, I wish I knew who nominated me so I can thank them, Eli said. “This is a once in a lifetime opportunity and I am lucky enough to be chosen.”
The hiring of Evan Eads as the new high school assistant principal was unanimously approved by the board.
By Anton Riecher
A $72,875 bid to repair damage at Devine Middle School from a water leak was approved by a unanimous vote during the Dec. 12 meeting of the district school board.
In late August staff discovered a leak in science classroom 101 and 103 coming from the “casework,” i.e., cabinets, drawers or bookcases, a report presented to the board states.
“It was determined after shutting down the supply valves that there was a leak on the pressure drain side,” the report states. “A temporary reroute of HVAC condensate lines was performed and the custodial staff has to empty the condensate water from a trash can twice daily.”
Of the three requests made for bids, AB Construction was the only company to submit a proposal for the repair work planned during the holiday break.
A motion by Carl Brown to approve the bid was seconded by Henry Moreno.
In other action, the board approved payment of $50,458 to the architectural firm KNRG for developing plans and specifications to repair or replace school district roof damage due to hail. KNRG also provided construction administration for the project.
The invoice submitted by KNRG was approved by Darren VanFossen, director of operations for the district custodial staff. The motion by Henry Moreno, seconded by Keri James, was approved by a 7-0 vote of the board.
In another unanimous vote, the board voted to approve the National Incident Management System (NIMS) for use in the district’s planning and response to emergencies. NIMS provides a shared vocabulary, systems and processes to unify various agencies involved.
NIMS “guides all levels of government, nongovernmental organizations and the private sector to work together to prevent, protect against, mitigate, respond to and recover from incidents,” the Federal Emergency Management Agency states.
Texas has adopted NIMS for its planning and response to emergencies and it asks that schools formally adopt it for the same purpose, a report to the board by assistant superintendent Daryl W. Wendel states. The Devine ISD formally adopted an emergency operations plan in keeping with NIMS in August.
The motion by Davis was seconded by Brown.
Under its consent agenda, the board turned to the Medina County Health Department to fill three open seats for community members on the district’s Student Health Advisory Committee.
Rhonda Brast, Iris Hernandez and Virginia Gonzales, all employed by the health department, were appointed to the committee. Janette Vosquez, also belonging to the health department, was named to the committee as a school representative.
The committee assists the district in “ensuring that local community values and health issues are reflected in the district’s health education instruction,” a letter to the board from Dawn Schneider, director of student services, states.
Devine ISD SHAC by-laws call for members to serve a two-year term.
Other school representatives appointed include Greg Jackson with food services, Jodi Dzierzanowski, principal of the disciplinary alternative education program; teachers Kara Navarro and Patricia Taitanio.
Also included in the consent agenda was approval of a donation for $2,500 to the Devine ISD Arabian softball team by Storm Oilfield Service for the purchase of uniforms. Also approved was a donation of $1,500 by Brown Chevrolet to support Devine High School’s tennis program and $1,164 from the Devine Athletic Booster Club for netting at the Warhorse baseball field.
The board also approved a donation of $4,000 from the Devine Education Foundation to pay registration fees for the Devine ISD robotics team to compete in the annual FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) robotics competition in the spring.
On a motion by Brown, seconded by Chris Davis, the consent agenda was approved 7-0.
The hiring of Evan Eads as the new high school assistant principal was also unanimously approved by the board. Eads presently serves as head coach for the Warhorse basketball team. Also approved on recommendation of Superintendent Todd Grandjean was the hiring of Lee Crisp as a “differentiated monitoring and support” teacher.
Both personnel actions were approved on a motion by Brown, seconded by Moreno.
Board members voted to revise the administrative professional pay plan for 2022-2023 to move the librarian position from pay grade two to pay grade three as per the salary review conducted by the Texas Association of School Boards. The change increases the pay for that position.
The board approved renewing its annual retainer of $1,000 to the law firm of Walsh, Gallegos, Trevino, Kyle & Robinson, specialists in public education.
“The District has used this firm for the past several years and has been very pleased with their services,” a letter submitted to the board by district director of finance Shannon Ramirez states.
The retainer covers telephone consultation on day-to-day general and special education matters and reduced rates for legal work and other services. It also includes web-based products such as providing codes of conduct governing students and extracurricular activities.
