HARLINGEN — Two incumbents are up for re-election to the Harlingen school board, and they each have a challenger.
Dr. Bobby Muniz is running for re-election to Place 4, and he is being challenged by Adrian Garcia. For Place 6, incumbent Belinda Reininger is being challenged by Israel Aguilar.
Muniz, 47, has served on the school board since 2014. He has a doctorate degree in pharmacy and spent a year training to become a master trustee. He said he would like to continue the ongoing work in the district begun several years ago with the Strategic Plan.
“We’ve done amazing things with that and we want to continue that trend,” said the father of four children.
He referred specifically to the specialty academies such as the World Languages Academy at Vernon Middle School, the Lee Means Fine Arts Academy and the Performing Arts Conservatory. Other achievements for which he gave special mention are the International Baccalaureate Programs at Sam Houston and Austin elementary schools.
“That’s exciting,” he said. “We’ve got chess programs, we’ve got robotics, we’ve got all sorts of certification programs going on in the trades.”
Contender Adrian Garcia, 19, would like to bring a fresh perspective to the district.
“I was in the classrooms just two years ago,” said Garcia, a 2020 graduate of Harlingen School of Health Professions.
“I was raised in a family that prioritized education,” he continued. “My mom’s a teacher at Dr. Abraham P. Cano Freshman Academy. All of that really opened my eyes to how education is the biggest key opener that will open every door to students.”
He said he would like to focus on teacher and student retainment as well as campus safety. He feels that his recent presence in the classroom, plus his work experience as a realtor, would serve the board well.
“The majority of our board, really just because of their age, hasn’t been in a classroom in a really long time,” he said. “They do a great job but it’s really hard to see from a teacher’s or student’s point of view. I’m still in contact with teachers and friends who are in the school system.”
Belinda Reininger is seeking another term on Place 6 to keep focusing on important initiatives such as safety and early childhood literacy
“The board and the district have made tremendous strides in the past several years, such as specialty academies, reducing our taxes, creating new programs and innovating because of the pandemic,” she said. “There’s a lot to be proud of.”
Reininger is the regional dean of the University of Texas – Houston School of Public Health. As such she’s been especially concerned about keeping students and teachers safe during the pandemic.
“In my role as a public health professional, I feel I can continue to contribute to make sure that we’re maintaining the necessary health and safety measures to keep our kids in school and our teachers and staff safe,” she said.
Her contender, Israel Aguilar, would like to be an advocate for students, teachers and the community.
“As an educator already, I bring a wealth of knowledge through research and my own experiences as a classroom teacher and a school leader,” said Aguilar, a professor of education administration at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.
He has also taught at the Brownsville and Austin school districts.
“I think that during these critical times during the pandemic we need an educator on the board who can bring awareness about how teaching and learning could look, and what are some of the implications for social and emotional learning during this time.”
