Outgoing McAllen school board trustees recognized

McALLEN — Three former McAllen school board presidents and a sitting one added their photos to the wall of the Dr. Ricardo Chapa Board Room on Monday, symbolically ending terms of service that, between the men, numbered 43 years.

It was a ceremony with no shortage of jokes and quite a bit of emotion.

A couple of the men were visibly choked up before their photos were added to the ranks of other former board presidents on the wall at the back of the room.

Danny Vela served a whopping 16 years on the board and Conrado “Ito” Alvarado 11, while Tony Forina and Marco Suarez served eight years apiece.

The men Monday thanked their families, the community and the people who make up McAllen ISD. The district thanked them back.

“On behalf of the McAllen ISD family, I want to express my appreciation for the leadership and guidance from our four departing Trustees,” Superintendent J.A. Gonzalez wrote in a statement. “We are a high-performing district that produces a world-class education for students and it could not have happened without dedication and vision from our Board.”

Forina, the outgoing board president, expressed his gratitude at the meeting.

“Thank you,” he said. “Thank you to Dr. Gonzalez, Dr. Ponce before him. The administration. Very appreciative of all of you, and your hard work and efforts for McAllen ISD. I appreciate the folks that elected me twice into office, and we’ll continue to serve. Thank you so much.”

Alvarado joked about his service starting when his wife, a teacher, registered him to run for PTO president without him knowing. He wound up winning, and that involvement ultimately translated into service on the board.

Alvarado said he’s stepping away for his family.

“But I will say this, McAllen ISD will continue to be a big part of my family,” he said. “My wife is still gonna be here, doing what she does, and all the other countless teachers. Because that’s what is the beauty of the school district, is what they do. And they work hard every night, they work without praise, they go the extra mile for our kids. I see it all the time — stressful, and they do it for the love of the kids. So I know we’re in good hands. I know we’re in great hands.”

Suarez said that his board service also began at a PTO meeting. Those, he joked, are best to avoid if you don’t want to wind up adding your picture to the wall of board presidents.

“It’s been an amazing journey for me and my family,” he said. “My family grew knowing all these individuals, from the bus drivers to the custodians to the cafeteria workers to the teachers. It’s been an awesome experience to meet so many new people.”

In a particularly poignant gesture, Suarez had his son, Marco Jr., hung his photo on the wall in his stead.

The cost of public service, Suarez said, is the sacrifice of time with family.

“I knew this was gonna happen to me. I’m an emotional kind of guy,” he said, tearing up a bit. “But I will tell you that I have no regrets, and one thing that I taught my son is that we have an obligation to serve our community. And because of that, after we take our photo, I would like my son to have the honor of placing my plaque up there. And as I look at all those previous board members up there, there’s not a father and son combo. So in a couple of years, son, you could be sitting up here too.”

Vela, perhaps equally emotional, noted that he’d spent a quarter of his life serving on the board. He put pen to paper to put that service into perspective.

It equated to seeing more than 20,000 high school graduates walk the stage, Vela said, some 128 hours worth of graduation ceremonies. On the business side, he reckoned it measured up to 1,728 hours of board meetings, overseeing $3.84 billion in budgets, and service with four superintendents and about two dozen trustees.

“Each of which brings a diverse background and perspective,” he said. “Solutions to challenges were always looked at in a different light, shaped by the wisdom developed through each of their life experiences. We always knew where we wanted to go, but at times we didn’t know which route to take. Compromise and discussion were key to a successful board.”

Vela said stepping away will leave a void in his life, noting that through his terms his perspective changed from seeing board service as restricted to the schools in McAllen to service for the community as a whole.

“Throughout the years, I had the realization that the students and staff are part of this community,” he said. “My decision making shifted, as I equated the good of the community to the good of everyone. It’s called community service, and I have come to realize that the more we serve our fellow man in appropriate ways, the more substance we add to ourselves.”

The district will once again recognize outgoing trustees Wednesday evening at a meeting at McAllen High before the new board is reorganized.

That new board will be the district’s first majority board of women.

Those trustees will have the benefit of an academically robust district with a fair share of awards and plaudits, though they’ll face an increasingly challenging financial outlook tied to enrollment and a few unresolved issues that proved contentious for sitting trustees.

Vela left that new board with a charge and some advice.

“I urge each and every one of you to learn every aspect of this school district. It is a business and it runs by the numbers and its people,” he said. “Find your niche, pursue it and completely understand it. Collaborate, discuss, cooperate and enhance relationships built with fellow trustees. You will accomplish more and go farther if you truly work as a team of eight. Remember, McAllen ISD is held to the highest standards of integrity, honesty and leadership.”