McAllen ISD board adopts math textbooks, hears calls for healthier school food and support for detained mariachi family
McAllen News, McAllen TX News, McAllen ISD, school board, public comments
Arnoldo Mata
McAllen, TX - The McAllen ISD Board of Trustees approved new math instructional materials for kindergarten through 12th grade and heard public comments on the detention of three McAllen ISD mariachi students and their parents during yesterday’s meeting. The Board also addressed routine matters.
Public comments
Five speakers addressed the board during public comment, with several focusing on student health and nutrition while one speaker addressed the board on the case of MISD students detained and later released by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Enrique Flores spoke in support of three McAllen ISD mariachi students and their parents who he said had been detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Flores urged the board to “issue an official statement condemning the detention of these children and their parents” and to adopt policy and training “to ensure that all McAllen ISD students, parents, community members, faculty and staff, are welcomed and protected to the fullest extent of the law.” The Board did not issue the requested statement during the meeting.
Moises Sarabia Jr., collective impact director for Unidos Contra Diabetes of the Rio Grande Valley, urged the district to reduce access to sugary drinks and described health concerns he said are affecting children in the region.
“One of the things I wanted to bring into light was basically acanthosis nigricans, skin markings in our children,” Sarabia said. “Maybe we can make some changes and advocate for removal of sugared beverages in the schools, including some of the fundraising activities.”
Chelsea Gossett, who identified herself as a registered dental hygienist and parent of three McAllen ISD students, said she wanted healthier food options for students. “Our mouth is our gateway to our body,” Gossett said. “We just encourage to help us work with y’all on bringing healthier foods back into the early years of our kids’ education.”
Christine Veli, a parent of a second grader at Gonzalez Elementary, also called for changes to school food choices. “We are concerned that our children are not receiving optimal choices, and we are asking that you take a careful look at sugar volume specifically in processed foods,” Veli said. “What we are feeding our children directly impacts academic achievement.”
Parent Herschel Patel returned to the board to continue raising concerns about added sugars in school meals. “Why are we spending time defending and marketing big food products instead of using that same energy to improve the menu?” Patel said. “My hope is that we can continue this progress and begin setting a timeline and path to entirely phase out dangerous and unnecessary added sugars.”
Gifted and talented recognition
Trustees approved a proclamation recognizing April 6-10 as Gifted and Talented Awareness Week in McAllen ISD. The proclamation said the district seeks “to provide intellectual and academic opportunities for gifted and talented students to maximize their potential through collaboration, innovation, and problem solving, while supporting their unique social emotional needs.”
The board recognized students, principals and advanced academics staff during the presentation. The proclamation stated that “delivering an equitable education for all our children includes identifying all students who would benefit from gifted programs and services.”
Math textbook adoption
The board approved new math instructional materials for the 2026-27 school year after a review process that included district committees, teacher-led committees, publisher presentations and campus voting. Administrators recommended Savas for K-8, Algebra I, Algebra II and Geometry, and McGraw Hill for Precalculus.
Elementary math content staff said Savas stood out because it was fully aligned with state standards and offered strong assessment tools, digital resources and parent support. “What the teachers, there’s a lot of things that the teachers and we like about it,” one coordinator said. “They also have a lot of hands-on manipulatives, and then they also have a virtual manipulative.”
Trustees asked how the curriculum would support struggling learners and parents. Staff said the materials include “a differentiation library” with resources for intervention, enrichment and emergent bilingual students, while also integrating with the district’s i-Ready assessment platform.
Calendar report
Administrators also presented an informational report on the approved 2026-27 school calendar and how a three-week Christmas break would affect employees working 217 days or more. Human resources staff said more than 600 employees would see a much shorter summer break if they took the full three weeks off in December.
District staff told the board they plan to have those employees return after two weeks so they can preserve a longer summer break. “What we’d rather have is to have two weeks off and then come back on the third week,” Chief Human Resources Officer Noe Canales said.
Contract correction and budget amendment
The board approved a correction to the contract term for Request for Proposal 2026-1006 for the district’s fully insured dental plan. Administrators said the ending date had been entered incorrectly and needed to be changed from Dec. 31, 2029, to Dec. 31, 2028.
Trustees also approved the February 2026 budget amendment for the 2025-26 fiscal year. Deputy Superintendent for Business and Operations Lorena Garcia described the amendment as “a wash with the expenditures,” and Superintendent Rene Gutierrez said the change involved about $125,628.
Facilities report and consent agenda
The board received an informational report on an interlocal agreement tied to a Community Development Block Grant project at Brown Middle School. Executive Director for Facilities and Maintenance and Operations Ruben Trevino said the district had received the award letter and approval to begin the work.
Trevino said the grant represents phase two of a project and will add parking tied to the campus track area for community use after school hours. “We will be beginning the process,” Trevino said, adding that the work should likely be completed “by the end of the summer.”
Trustees also approved the consent agenda and later approved minutes from the special and regular board meetings held Feb. 24.
Executive session and final action
The board entered closed session at 6:12 p.m. to discuss agenda items listed for executive session and returned to open session at 6:33 p.m. Trustees then approved human resources recommendations for the 2025-26 school year.
The board announced upcoming meetings on March 11, March 24, April 7 and April 14 before adjourning at 6:34 p.m.