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Community members weigh in during open forum of Uvalde CISD special school board meeting

Aug. 8 Special School Board Meeting will start at 6 p.m.

Uvalde CISD board meeting (Copyright 2022 by KSAT - All rights reserved.)

UVALDE, Texas – The Uvalde CISD held a special School Board meeting on Monday night to allow members of the community to comment or ask questions about the upcoming school year.

Superintendent Hal Harrell gave an update at the start of the meeting, and then community members were permitted to give comments or ask questions.

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During the open forum portion of last month’s school board meeting, family members of some of the Robb Elementary School shooting victims got up and walked out of the auditorium after a woman stood up to defend the school district’s actions. Some of those family members say there has been a lack of accountability and safety changes.

Monday’s meeting was the first since former Robb Elementary School principal Mandy Gutierrez accepted a new position with Uvalde CISD. She will serve as the assistant director of special education.

Last month, she was placed on administrative leave with pay but was cleared to come back to work after three days.

Uvalde CISD Police Chief Pete Arredondo is still on unpaid administrative leave after having his termination hearing postponed twice.

The 2022-2023 school year will begin on Sept. 6.

Last month, the district outlined the following plan for realigning the schools:

  • The Uvalde Elementary (the Benson Complex) campus will serve students in third and fourth grade under the direction of the teachers and support staff from Robb Elementary.
  • Flores Elementary will serve students in the fifth and sixth grades. The teachers, support staff, and administrators at Flores Elementary will remain in place.
  • Crossroads Academy will be relocated to 537 E. Oppenheimer Street. This facility will meet the Academy’s unique needs for a flexible school day with a focus on individualized learning plans.
  • New Hope Daycare will be located in the north building at the Benson Educational Complex.

The district’s website says there will also be a virtual learning option for students in grade K-12 this year.

The website also lists projects that are underway to improve the safety of campuses:

  • Installing new 8-foot, non-scalable perimeter fencing at the elementary and junior high school campuses; logistics for perimeter fencing at the high school campus are currently underway
  • Installing additional security cameras across the district
  • Upgrading doors and door locks
  • Providing additional training to all staff on the Raptor system
  • Enhancing annual rapid response training for all staff
  • Ongoing safety audit conducted by the Texas School Safety Center (TxSSC)
  • Reviewing and revising standing policies and procedures
  • Additional training for all staff on updated policies and procedures
  • Additional training for the district police force
  • Opportunities to update or upgrade communication systems, including police radios and cellular connectivity

You can read more about the status of those projects online and find other resources for district parents.

The next regular school board meeting is scheduled for Aug. 28.

Get the latest Uvalde news on KSAT.


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