South San Antonio ISD board denies two level‑3 grievance appeals, upholding prior rulings
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Summary
At a Feb. 2 special meeting, the South San Antonio Independent School District Board of Trustees voted 4‑0 to deny level‑3 grievance appeals from Jessica Cifuentes and Valerie Rios, upholding earlier level‑2 decisions; trustees offered supportive remarks to the grievants after the votes.
The South San Antonio Independent School District Board of Trustees on Feb. 2 voted to deny two level‑3 grievance appeals, upholding prior level‑2 decisions for both cases.
At about 6:12 p.m., the board returned from closed session and an unnamed trustee moved to deny the grievance filed by Jessica Cifuentes, to deny the remedies she requested and to uphold the level‑2 decision; another trustee seconded. Miss Martinez conducted a roll call vote; Trustees Carla Gomez Sanchez, Darryl Balderrama, Jesus Rendon III and Dr. Kelly Murguia voted "Yes," and the motion carried, recorded as 4‑0.
After the vote, an unnamed trustee addressed Cifuentes directly, thanking her for the documentation she presented and offering the board's support. "We really appreciate the thoroughness of all the evidence that you compiled and for showing up tonight... we have full faith in you in your position as a science teacher and know that the district will support you," the trustee said.
Later in the meeting, after another closed session, the board considered a separate level‑3 grievance appeal filed by Valerie Rios. An unnamed trustee moved to deny Rios's grievance and uphold the level‑2 decision; the motion was seconded and, following a roll call by Miss Martinez, again recorded 'Yes' from Trustees Gomez Sanchez, Balderrama, Rendon III and Dr. Murguia. The motion carried.
Board leaders began the meeting by reading rules on meeting conduct and citing legal context, including board operating procedure references and penal code 42.05; remote participants were asked to remain muted until recognized. The agenda included no consent items, and the board moved between open and closed sessions to consider the grievances.
The meeting concluded after a motion and second to adjourn; the presiding officer closed the session following an affirmative response.
The board did not specify remedies or provide additional details about the underlying incidents that prompted the grievances in the public record during this meeting. The minutes will reflect the motions, the vote tallies, and the board's decision to uphold the level‑2 outcomes for both appeals.