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Votes at a glance: Mercedes ISD board passes bond parameters, instructional purchases and multiple authorizations
Summary
At its meeting the Mercedes ISD Board approved a parameters order for bond refunding, authorized RFPs for SHARS billing and gate installations, approved Region 1 early childhood partnership membership, confirmed instructional-material purchases, the 2025-26 calendar, and other items; one bond motion failed to gain unanimous support (6-1).
The Mercedes Independent School District Board of Trustees took multiple formal actions during its meeting. The list below summarizes each item, how the board voted and next steps. Each motion and tally reflects the official roll-call language recorded at the meeting.
Votes at a glance
1) Parameters order authorizing issuance, sale and delivery of unlimited-tax refunding bonds (A.1) - Motion: Authorize superintendent and advisers to pursue refunding within parameters, authorize a pricing officer to approve terms. - Moved: Trustee Hernandez; Second: Trustee Rodriguez. - Vote: Approved 6-1 (one trustee identified in the record as Mister Hall voted no). - Next step: Staff and advisers to monitor market and return with transaction details if executed.
2) Authorize administration to solicit RFP for SHARS billing services, and notice to current vendor (A.2) - Motion: Authorize superintendent to solicit RFPs for SHARS billing services and, if appropriate, notify current vendor per contract terms. - Moved: Trustee Rodriguez; Second: Trustee Hernandez. - Vote: Unanimous. - Next step: District will review proposals and return with recommendation.
3) Approve Region 1 Early Childhood Partnership Consortium membership (Curriculum A.b1) - Motion: Approve consortium membership to enable partnerships between district and local child-care providers under state funding for pre-K expansion. - Moved: Trustee Hernandez; Second: Trustee Hinojosa. - Vote: Unanimous. - Next step: Region 1 to assist with outreach, MOU development and follow-up support.
4) Approve High-Quality Instructional Materials (Bluebonnet/Eureka) for 2025-26 (Curriculum A.2) - Motion: Approve purchase of Bluebonnet print materials to secure state HQIM allocations and the additional $20 per student bonus for print purchases. - Moved: Trustee Hernandez; Second: Trustee Noosa. - Vote: Unanimous. - Next step: Staff will use available HQIM funds (including a cited $333,000 balance) and state per-student allocations to complete purchases.
5) Approve 2025-26 district instructional calendar (A.3) - Motion: Approve Calendar A as recommended by staff and vote of employee stakeholders. - Moved: Trustee Rodriguez; Second: Trustee Hernandez. - Vote: Unanimous. - Next step: District to plan professional development, PLCs and summer training tied to the calendar.
6) Approve MOU with Region 1, UT-RGV and Texas Strategic Staffing for paid teacher residency (A.4) - Motion: Approve MOU enabling a paid teacher residency program; district estimated resident stipend at $12,000 per resident. - Moved: Trustee Hernandez; Second: Trustee Noosa. - Vote: Unanimous. - Next step: Program to host seven residents at elementary campuses with UTRGV technical assistance and site coordination.
7) Authorize solicitation of RFPs for installation of automated gate operators at Travis Elementary, Ruben Inojosa and the Agriculture complex (Facilities A.2) - Motion: Authorize administration to solicit proposals for gate-operator installation; board asked staff to provide the underlying vendor estimates used to justify the RFP. - Moved: Trustee Veliz; Second: Trustee Nohosa. - Vote: Unanimous (board requested the four estimates used in the cover sheet be supplied to trustees). - Next step: RFP issued; staff to return with bids and recommendation.
8) Approve consulting agreement for Lone Star governance training (Governance D.1) - Motion: Authorize superintendent to execute a consulting agreement with O'Hanlon, Demerath & Castillo for Lone Star governance training as a TEA-approved provider. - Moved: Trustee Rodriguez; Second: Trustee Hernandez. - Vote: Unanimous. - Next step: Training sessions scheduled per contract dates.
9) Consent items and donations - The board approved the consent agenda (with several items pulled for discussion). Donations were accepted from the KC Mercedes Columbus Club ($500), Magic Valley Retired School Personnel ($500) and Mercedes Lions Club ($792) for campus supports.
Items requiring follow-up or more detail - Several trustees requested additional documentation or follow-up reports: the financial adviser agreed to present final bond transaction numbers after closing; staff will provide the four gate-contractor estimates; curriculum staff will return with post-test analysis and fidelity reports after interventions.
