Category: School News

GO TROY GO!

By Kayleen Holder
and Jerel Beaty

Devine will celebrate homecoming this Friday and Saturday, and nobody has more school spirit than Devine High School Custodian Troy Tuttle! Tuttle has worked for Devine Independent School District for more than 23 years and counting!
We wanted to honor Troy during Nataional Custodians Week, and we did a short interview about why he loves working at Devine ISD so much.
“I like working to get a pay check, watching the football games, and helping other people,” Tuttle said.
His colleagues and students are always happy to see Troy’s smiling face come around the corner.
“Troy is a joy to have around because he always comes in with something on his mind…and he’s going to share it with you!” Athletic Director Jim Sessions stated, “He’s always enthusiastic and happy about it as well. He loves to joke around and he really cares how the kids did in their sporting events!
Of course, Troy will do anything you ask of him as well! He’s a great help around campus and in the office. I’m blessed to work with him, but I’m even more blessed to call him my friend!!”
Head Football Coach Paul Gomez added, “Troy is awesome around the team. On Thursdays when we watch film at the school Troy always comes in and gives them a peptalk! He always tells the boys to win and play hard!”
Coach Sessions also shared one of his favorite stories about Troy and how great he is.
“Well one great story with Troy and I was back when I was coaching softball 20 years ago…Troy always helped us set up the field and batting cages for practice…So one day, Coach Navarro could not get the key to open a lock on the building that had the pitching machine in. After a short time of Coach Navarro trying, and not being successful, and of course Troy and I giving him some grief, I said I would open it….Well I tried and tried to open the lock and couldn’t get it to work either. At that time, Troy stepped up, looked at the lock, walked off and came back and sprayed the lock with some WD-40 (where he got it, I have no idea), and Troy opened the lock right up! And, of course, he kept joking with us for the rest of the season about the day he opened the lock when we couldn’t!”

New DHS Principal voices concerns about number of failing students

Gonzalez said he attributed part of failure rate to a stricter enforcement of grading policy at the high school level. For example, the policy requires that assignments be submitted promptly on the due date or the grade is reduced. Of 584 students, he stated an estimated 36% are failing at least one class.

By Anton Riecher
The Devine ISD school board voted Monday to approve the district’s annual financial audit report showing total expenditures of $22.1 million for the current year.

Continue reading “New DHS Principal voices concerns about number of failing students”

Teachers rally to help Ricky get a new hip, local custodian touched by community’s kindness

Ricardo “Ricky” Campa is a Devine native, and graduated from DHS with the class of 1987.

By Kayleen Holder
Editor
Ricky Campa is a custodian at Devine Intermediate School, and friends are hosting a fundraiser to help Campa get a hip replacement. Juan Ricardo “Ricky” Campa is a Devine native and graduated from DHS with the class of 1987. Anyone who would like to help out can donate online or by mail.
“Every day, Ricky arrives at work to sweep and mop the floors, clean the toilets, wipe down tables and take out the trash for the students and staff. When the custodian staff is shorthanded, not only does he tend to his own responsibilities, but he also helps fill in for the ones who are missing,” Mrs. Farrah Schueling said, a teacher at Devine Middle School who met Ricky while he filled in for another custodian at the Intermediate last year.
“Despite the daunting workload, Ricky tends to it with a smile on his face and a positive attitude. Aside from his limp, you would never know that Ricky is in pain. For 3 ½ years, Ricky has been burdened with pain in his hip. Doctors have said that Ricky will need a full hip replacement surgery to relieve his pain,” Mrs. Schueling said.
“Ricky is a humble faith-filled man who would never ask for financial help from anyone. Please donate to show your love and support for Ricky,” she adds. “Your donation will help pay for his surgery and any expenses that occur while he recovers.”
In response to the fundraiser, Campa was very touched.
“I was so surprised when they told me about what Mrs. Schueling was doing. Nobody has ever done anything like that for me. I want to thank her and everyone involved. My right hip has been bone on bone for a long time, but I just keep on going. I have worked all my life, for years as a carpenter and now as a custodian. The thought of a fundraiser never crossed my mind,” Mr. Campa said.
“There are still a lot of caring people out there, and it’s a blessing from God that somebody would go out of their way to help me,” Mr. Campa said.
You can donate using the go fund me that can be found on Mrs. Farrah Schueling’s facebook page, or you can mail a donation to Mr. Juan Ricardo “Ricky” Campa at 207 Crouch in Devine, TX 78016.

Education Foundation awards new teachers gift card

Devine Education Foundation awarded all DISD new teachers a $50 gift card to Walmart to help them with expenses of setting up a classroom.
“Certainly, we want to all DISD staff to know how much we appreciate them, and what they do for the students of this community. Our mission is to support teachers and students,” Mrs. Brenda Gardner, DEF executive director, said.
She added that the expense of setting up a new classroom is huge. All teachers spend lots of their own money, and the foundation just wanted help in a small way.
Foundation members Heather Miller and Kristi Summerlin went to each campus Thursday, August 18 to provide snacks for staff members. They also had a drawing on each campus for a DEF t-shirt and hat.
“This is just something we could do to celebrate each campus staff, and to do something a little special for them,” Miller said.
Applications for teaching grants have been sent to all staff members. After review and selection, those will be awarded in late October or early November.
The foundation also has an Amazon Smile account. Amazon will pay DEF a percentage of each purchase made through DEF’s Amazon Smile page. That URL is https://smile.amazon.com/ch/87-2366535.
“If you are an Amazon shopper, and lots of people are, and will use this site as your entry to Amazon, the foundation will receive that percentage from the company. We will certainly put it to good use helping kids and teachers,” Gardner said.

SA Memorial, Parent’s Night on tap Friday night at Warhorse Stadium

by Jerel Beaty
Friday night is a huge night at Warhorse Stadium as not only does Devine take on San Antonio Memorial to kick off the 2022 season, but the parent’s of players will also be recognized prior to the ballgame as a small token of appreciation for all they have done throughout the course of their son’s high school football career.
“I’m excited for our first game Friday and with it being parent’s night it makes it more special for our kids. Memorial will be a good test for us and we are excited for the challenge,” Head Coach Paul Gomez stated about getting the new season underway at 7:30pm right here in Devine.
In 2021, Devine smashed Memorial 44-23 after racing out to a 28-7 halftime lead. Warhorse running backs Gabriel Esquibel and Ethan Santos each had two rushing touchdowns in the first half of that game
Memorial was a senior-laden club last year as most of their individual statistical leaders were lost to graduation, including their top passer, rusher, and receiver. They finished at 4-6 overall including 3-5 in District 13-5A DI. A lot of unknowns await the Horses this season as Memorial’s roster has changed quite dramatically since last season.
After Devine, Memorial takes on Central Catholic, Pearsall, Antonian, and Floresville prior to district play.
Memorial has been a 5A program for quite some time, but dropped down to 4A this year where they face District 14-4A DI teams in Fredericksburg, Boerne, Somerset, Uvalde, and San Antonio Kennedy. Although now a lower classification, that district schedule prior to Kennedy is a treacherous one for the Minutemen.

Devine to host first home football game Friday, Natalia and Lytle on the road

Ethan Santos runs the ball up the middle and down the right side.

The Devine Warhorses will host their first football game at home this Friday, August 26, kickoff is 7:00 pm against SA Memorial in a non-district game. JV does not have a game on the schedule for this week.
Natalia Mustangs will travel to Jourdanton to take on the Indians; kickoff is 7:00 p.m. in a non-district game. The JV will host Jourdanton on Thursday at 5:30 at home in Natalia.
The Lytle Pirates will travel to Jefferson; kickoff is 7:30 p.m. in a non-district game. The JV will play at Jefferson on Thursday at 5:0 0 p.m.

HS principal discusses offering 6 career education courses in future, Devine ISD adopts tax rate

By Anton Riechcer

The Devine ISD school board voted unanimously Monday at adopt a 2022 tax rate of $1.0946 per $100 of property value to support a general fund budget of $20.3 million.

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Local schools meet the grade, earn “B”s in accountability ratings

The Texas Education Agency (TEA) today released 2022 A–F accountability ratings for districts and campuses, the first to be issued since 2019. All three of our local school districts received a B, with Devine ISD scoring 81, Lytle ISD-86, and Natalia ISD-88.

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