New Super Old Board

I’ve always debated within myself if I should keep writing these blogs. Every now and again I will run into someone who will convince me otherwise. So here I am once again.

For anyone new to these blogs I will refresh everyone’s memory. I started attending KISD board meetings a long time ago. I’ve attended about 95% of them in person when it is open to the public. KISD’s agenda wasn’t specific at all. KISD did not televise or film the meetings. KISD does not post minutes on their website. After I went to a few meetings I was appalled. Not only was it difficult to find out what was going on in these meetings until you sit there from 5-9pm, but watching the board members in action was a lot of the time jaw-dropping. The behavior, the comments and people that were afraid to say anything... Ms. Elida Bera just started her job as a superintendent and was hosting meet and greets through Communities In Schools. She was beat up and berated, interrupted and insulted. I’ve never seen anything like it. I’ve attended school board meetings, city and county commission meetings, etc and to say the least, it was weird. Problem was, it was and concerned children; our kids.

I started blogging about what I saw and heard since they didn’t provide minutes. I was an outsider’s point-of-view. I did not know one person on the board and I barely knew any staff or community members at the time. A few blogs later I was formally warned by someone in the community that I “should stop” and they warned me it wasn’t going to be good for me if I kept blogging. At the time I was ignorant. All I was doing was repeating what occurred at the board meetings and my initial thoughts. I didn’t make anything up or exaggerate in any way. For people in the community to be angry with me for stating the facts shouldn’t be mad at me. They should be checking their board member friends.

Every day before I leave in my car I check to see if my tires have been slashed. I have had all night conversations with the family about how blogging and running for a seat on the board could heavily impact their lives. One time I left a basketball game at HM King and one of the board members besties quickly followed my family out to the parking lot even though they were way in the back when we left the front doors to the gym. They quickly walked to my minor child’s car where I was getting in the passenger seat and starred at her license plate as they wrote down the numbers and the make and model of the car. Real stalkerish. I have had people tell me that they think they saw me at their house when it wasn’t really my car in their driveway. I change up what I drive just to keep them on their tippy toes. My husband’s job was threatened by their “friends.” This was before I put my name in for a seat. Here I am still saying it like it is. No one should have to go through this. Some board members get their friends to do their dirty work, while other members like Prado, just do the dirty work themselves. Painfully obvious. Enough is enough.

Now we have a new Superintendent. The same person Nicky went around town saying they were going to hire. I am just ecstatic we now have some real leadership. I want to and I hope everyone stays positive and encouraging while she begins to take on this massive feat of fixing and improving the district. I hope later she can connect more with the community and bridge a gap between the district and the parents, students and community members. I have heard a lot about KISD’s honeymoon period. I have been told it lasts on average of 2-4 months, so right after elections. Only time will tell. I really don’t wish on her what they did to the other supers. Even though they were friends before this, board members have been known to turn their backs in a heart beat on people they highly supported in the past. That has to stop. Nicky did have a grievance filled on him by someone other than me. I will open records request more information on that this week. The way he treats people that aren’t his friends is cringe worthy. I already heard about his late night, yelling and cursing phone calls to the public.

Onto updates. As most of you know I have a lot of grievances I filled against the district. Ranging from Abuse of Power to Freedom of Speech. It has been nearly a year since the first grievance was filed. Lucky for others they didn’t have to wait as long as me and they will be heard tomorrow at 3pm. I will fill you in after the meeting is over on as much as I am legally allowed to fill you in on.

A long time ago (March 4th) I asked for Open Records on how many grievances have been filled on board members in the last few years and I also asked for a copy of any grievances filled against Nicky Prado. I finally got them last week. Took several months. I hope Dr. Cissy Perez helped in getting them back in a timely manner and finally hearing these grievances prior to elections. I know the tally of the grievances are not correct. You can probably add 2 grievances on Brandon Greenwood, add 1 for Cory Garza Jr. and add 2 more for Corando Garza Sr. They seriously don’t know how many grievances have been filled and on which board members. I will put in an open records request for the grievances I did not file.

I am pretty sure I will present all my grievances and they will fall on deaf ears. I will be highly surprised if otherwise. Board members need to hold other board members accountable for their actions. Nicky Prado needs to be censured by the board at least. Either way it should never take this long to hear a grievance at a Level 3. It should be heard by at least the 1st if not the 2nd regular board meeting.

Remember a few months ago during a board meeting Nicky Prado and Coufal asking for more time to do a superintendent search while they ask the public for their opinion on what type of person the district should hire? They posted it on the district website that stated, “Kingsville ISD Superintendent Profile Survey.” Some board members wanted to hear from the community. Riiiight. They wanted to buy some time. They had zero intentions of caring what the community thought. They never did discuss what the community wanted in a superintendent. What a waste of time.

They can act all day long as if they care what you think. They don’t. I asked for a copy of the results of the survey and this is what I got in return. Nothing. A big nothing burger. They could do a better job at pretending.

I don’t believe for a second that just because we have a new superintendent that certain board members are going to change their ways. Remember, it is a team thing for them, a homegrown team thing (meaning their family and closest friends, not everyone who grew up here). For them and their homegrown it is #Teamprado #TeamGarza instead of a #letsdorightbyourkidsandcommunity.

??????? Vote a better board member(s)!