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The Donna ISD Board of Trustee has been named the Texas Outstanding School Board of the Year by the Texas Association of School Administrators (TASA) marking another award for the district.
Donna ISD was chosen from among five finalists interviewed by a committee of Texas school administrators.
The committee stated in a press release that they were impressed by how the school board came together to earn their communities trust and their ability to maximize opportunities that make the greatest impact on student outcomes.
This is the first time the school board received the award or been chosen as a finalist.
The Donna ISD school board includes board President Fernando Castillo, Vice President Jose Reyna, Secretary Ida Garcia and board members Eloy Avila, Jose Valdez, Maricela Valdez, Eva Castillo Watts.
“I’m really proud of our board and their leadership and how we work as a team of eight,” DISD Superintendent Angela Dominguez said. “It was a lot of work to go through that process and being recognized at this level is just tremendous for our community. It says a lot about the integrity and the focus of our board really being about doing what’s best for kids in Donna ISD.”
In May, Donna ISD’s M. Rivas Primary Academy won the H-E-B Excellence in Education Early Childhood Award.
The academy focuses on students from Pre-K through second grade through traditional classroom instruction and multiple hands-on activities.
The school board was also named a top five finalist for the H-E-B Excellence in Education Awards program for Outstanding School Board.
Board member Valdez said the award validates the school board’s efforts focused on student outcomes.
“We understand our role very well, and we also understand what is the role of the superintendent,” she said. “I think because of that, it’s allowed us to make a huge difference and a huge impact in our scores and specifically our early childhood.”
Asked what keeps the school board working well together, Valdez said, “We’ve got a shared vision. We have a common purpose. We’re all working towards one journey, and that’s student outcomes.”
Not always agreeing on everything, Dominguez said what the team of eight does agree on is student outcomes.
“That takes hard work at all levels and staying focused on that lets us stay focused on the goals that we have for our district instead of deviating from what we know is the best interest of kids,” she said.
Going forward, Dominguez said the community can expect ongoing consistency and transparency.
“We are getting deep into our bond projects and really honing in on what we’re doing to continue to grow our students academically and socially, and so they’re going to see consistent focus and outcomes,” she said.
Editor’s note: This story was updated to correct Watts’ first name.
