La Joya ISD board honors students across academics, arts and athletics; district reports $5.273 million in scholarship offers

La Joya Independent School District trustees on Tuesday night devoted most of their meeting to recognizing student achievements across academics, fine arts and athletics and announced that La Joya High School’s class of 2026 had been offered $5,273,000 in scholarships.

The meeting opened with roll call and the pledge, then moved into a long series of presentations in which district staff and coaches called students forward by name for awards and regional or state advancement. Secretary Selso Gomez introduced a list of scholarship recipients from La Joya High School and the district announced the senior class had been offered a total of $5,273,000 in scholarship awards. The board applauded the students and their families.

Superintendent Dr. Marcy Sorenson, who meets monthly with the superintendent’s student advisory committee, praised the group for bringing student voice into district decisions. “It is actually one of the absolute joys of my job to be able to once a month meet with this group of young people,” she said, describing how students’ feedback has influenced hiring, budget priorities and the district’s portrait of a principal.

The agenda grouped many recognitions by program. Irma Suniga, executive director for bilingual and migrant education, recognized participants and winners in a UTRGV Spanish-language spelling competition. The district’s math and science staff recognized 12 students who advanced to the State Science and Engineering Fair at Texas A&M. Pablo Deleon, director of career and technical education, honored students who competed in SkillsUSA, HOSA and other CTE events.

Fine arts staff presented a long list of UIL sweepstakes winners, mariachi and ensemble awards, and marching/percussion honors; music directors and principals joined students onstage. UIL academic qualifiers and regional/state academic competitors from multiple campuses also received certificates and applause.

Athletics recognitions accounted for many of the calls to the stage: executive director of athletics Jose Pñena and coaches named district champions and regional qualifiers in track and field, soccer, baseball, basketball, powerlifting, golf and swimming, and noted Special Olympics participants who represented the district at state.

During the baseball recognitions the board paused to honor Coach Garcia, who the meeting identified as retiring after decades with the district. Coach Garcia addressed the room, saying in part, “All I can say is thank you,” and thanking the district for the opportunity to coach for 35 years and 18 years as a head baseball coach.

The meeting closed with a brief calendar review — the next regular board meeting was noted for June 3 — and a motion to adjourn. A board member moved to adjourn at 8:49 p.m.; another seconded, and the president declared the meeting adjourned.

Reporting note: the meeting’s recognitions named dozens of student winners, coaches and sponsors across multiple campuses and programs. Where presenters or speakers used acronyms or campus shorthand, the article uses the district’s formal name, La Joya Independent School District, and corrects inconsistent spellings that appeared in the transcript of the meeting.