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Venus ISD board renews Mentors Care contract after student testimony
Summary
After a data-driven presentation and emotional testimony from a sophomore, the Venus ISD board approved a one-year Mentors Care contract for 2026–27 (presented at $49,999) to continue mentoring 60 students and community referrals.
The Venus Independent School District Board of Trustees voted on May 18 to approve the district’s 2026–27 contract with Mentors Care following a presentation on the program’s local results and a student testimony.
Michelle Bagot, area manager for Mentors Care, told trustees the program served about 60 students on the Venus campus and logged roughly 1,100 mentoring hours in the fall snapshot she presented. Bagot said the program tracks indicators such as poor grades, behavioral incidents, and adverse childhood experiences; examples she gave included 26 students reporting anxiety and 36 students lacking family support. She also said Mentors Care referred students 83 times to community resources including therapy, food pantries and housing assistance.
Student Lilith Tet, who identified herself as a sophomore and a two-year participant in Mentors Care, described personal improvements in mental health and school performance. “Before Mentors Care, my life was sad and unenjoyable…I struggled with grades, depression, and self-harm,” Lilith said. “My mentor taught me that I am capable of anything if I just try.”
Following the presentation and testimony, the board approved the Mentors Care contract for 2026–27; the amount presented in the meeting was stated as $49,999. Trustee Randall moved to approve the contract and Amber seconded; the motion carried.
District staff and Mentors Care leaders emphasized the program’s role in weekly mentoring, crisis response from the coordinator (47 student office visits noted), and the pathway data the organization uses to identify students who are at risk of not graduating. Trustees expressed appreciation for the program’s apparent impact and voted to continue the relationship for the coming year.
The board’s action authorizes the district to proceed under the contract for 2026–27; the presentation materials were described as preliminary and final statistics will be submitted later in the summer.
