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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Proud community members are gathering in Austin on |
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February 12, 2019, to celebrate South Texas Independent School |
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District Day at the State Capitol; and |
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WHEREAS, Originally known as the Rio Grande Rehabilitation |
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District, the South Texas Independent School District was |
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established in 1964 to create further educational opportunities for |
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area youths with disabilities; in 1983, legislators broadened the |
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district's purpose to allow it to operate vocational magnet |
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schools, and as a result, STISD opened South Texas High School for |
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Health Professions in 1984 and The Science Academy of South Texas |
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five years later; the district established The Teacher Academy of |
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South Texas in 1993, subsequently renaming the school South Texas |
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Business, Education & Technology Academy to reflect an expanded |
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focus; over the following years, the magnet program continued to |
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grow with the addition of South Texas Academy for Medical |
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Professions, South Texas Preparatory Academy, and Rising Scholars |
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Academy of South Texas; and |
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WHEREAS, Currently encompassing six college-preparatory |
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magnet schools in Edinburg, Mercedes, Olmito, and San Benito, STISD |
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is the only all-magnet district in the state; it serves more than |
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4,100 junior high and high school students and maintains an open |
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enrollment policy that attracts interested and hardworking pupils |
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from 28 school districts in Cameron, Hidalgo, and Willacy Counties; |
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in addition, it continues to provide educational and occupational |
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training for students with special needs through its career and |
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technology half-day program; and |
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WHEREAS, The district attained a high level of success under |
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the leadership of Dr. Marla M. Guerra, who recently retired from |
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her position as superintendent after 17 years; in 2018, the |
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inaugural year of letter ratings, the Texas Education Agency |
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awarded the district an "A" rating, and for the fifth year in a row, |
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STISD received the postsecondary readiness distinction |
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designation, the only one available to districts; furthermore, all |
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campuses in the district received a "met standard" rating, with |
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three of the campuses earning all distinctions for which they were |
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eligible; and |
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WHEREAS, The district's new superintendent, Dr. Marco |
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Antonio Lara Jr., is committed to working alongside a staff of |
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accomplished teachers, administrators, and support personnel to |
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ensure the success of young people in the tri-county area and to |
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make a positive difference in the life of each student; and |
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WHEREAS, The faculty and staff of South Texas ISD continue to |
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look for new ways to help students achieve, lead, and contribute to |
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a changing world; to that end, the district has adopted a new |
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strategic plan, which includes the following call to action: "Each |
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student thrives in real world challenges as a visionary in a global |
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society"; and |
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WHEREAS, For more than half a century, the South Texas |
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Independent School District has dedicated itself to offering |
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students the best educational opportunities possible, and in so |
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doing, it has equipped several generations of Texans with the |
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knowledge and skills necessary to build a brighter future; now, |
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therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 86th Texas |
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Legislature hereby recognize February 12, 2019, as South Texas |
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Independent School District Day at the State Capitol and extend to |
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all those in attendance sincere best wishes for an enjoyable visit |
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to Austin. |