McAllen ISD for the 21st time in 22 years has achieved the state’s highest mark by the Texas Education Agency’s School Financial Integrity Rating System of Texas, or FIRST.
FIRST is a financial accountability system developed by the Texas Education Agency assigning one of four ratings to Texas school districts from A for “Superior Achievement” to F for “Substandard Achievement”.
The accountability system is in its 22nd year and some of FIRST’s goals are to strengthen fiscal accountability, improve performance in the management of the district finances and facilitate effective and efficient use of resources.
The Superior Achievement rating is based on the annual financial report by the district from the 2022-23 school year.
This is the district’s third straight year with a Superior Achievement rating thanks to a perfect score. McAllen ISD has produced 17 perfect scores in the past 22 years.
“The hard work of our Business Operations Division has paid off,” McAllen ISD Superintendent René Gutiérrez said in a news release. “They have performed with fidelity while operating at a high level of transparency with excellent fiscal management. We manage the public’s tax dollars and take that responsibility very seriously. The entire McAllen ISD team’s dedication toward our goals has benefited our students, staff and schools.”
The FIRST ratings are based on 21 different financial indicators such as operating expenditures for instruction, cash on hand and fund balance.
McAllen ISD has also won several awards in recent years for its fiscal management:
>> The Certificate of Achievement in Excellence in Financial Reporting by Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada for the 14th consecutive fiscal year.
>> The Meritorious Budget Award from the Association of School Business Officials International for the 2023-24 budget year for excellence in budget presentation. This is the ninth straight year McAllen ISD has been recognized for its comprehensive budget presentation.
>> The Award for Merit for Purchasing Operations from the Texas Association of School Business Officials. The award recognizes Texas school districts that are committed to following professional standards in the acquisition of goods and services. The district has received the award six times including the last three consecutive years.
A former member of the Alabama National Guard on Thursday pleaded guilty to human smuggling.
Derrick Terelle Sankey, who was initially arrested while wearing his military uniform and driving a Border Patrol vehicle with around two pounds of cocaine on Sept. 13, 2021, will be sentenced on a yet to be determined date, court records show.
In July, federal prosecutors secured a superseding indictment against Sankey accusing him of human smuggling from March 21, 2021, to Sept. 13, 2021.
Court records show he reached a plea agreement, which hasn’t been filed into online court records as of early Thursday afternoon.
U.S. Homeland Security Investigations began looking into Sankey on Sept. 8, 2021 after information they received led them to believe he was involved in drug distribution, according to a criminal complaint.
Agents set up a sting operation and met with Sankey at a Whataburger in the city of Hidalgo.
When he arrived, Sankey asked the undercover agent for the package he agreed to pick up and was arrested, according to the complaint.
During an interview, Sankey admitted that he intended to pick up the cocaine and take it to the DoubleTree hotel in McAllen.
“Sankey admitted that he believed the person he received the package from had brought the package from Mexico into the United States. Sankey admitted that he was to be paid $1,000 for his efforts,” the complaint stated.
He was permitted to remain on bond pending his sentencing.
Immigration is one of the top issues for voters going into the 2024 elections. From city councils to the presidency, every politician has platitudes about immigrants and immigration. Yet, as a pastor of 23 years who has served in South Texas and now pastors a church along the border, I realize much of the extreme rhetoric around the border is overblown.
When we first moved to McAllen, our friends questioned whether we would be safe in our new city. All they had seen on TV about the southern border was immigrants climbing fences unbidden and unhindered. Their made-for-TV imaginations about the border had them envisioning a McAllen overrun with gang violence and crime. However, I feel safer here than many other places I have visited in the U.S.
Life on the border requires holding nuance. We must move beyond divisive rhetoric and fearmongering about the border. It’s devastating whenever any American is a victim of crime, and perpetrators should face justice. But it’s a misconception that immigrants disproportionately commit crime. In fact, an extensive study from the Cato Institute conducted in Texas found that immigrants, whether lawfully present or not, commit crimes at lower rates than native-born citizens.
The media portrayal of what’s happening at the border doesn’t align with our community’s experience of immigrants. Many have dedicated themselves to service, faith and generosity, contributing to their local church and beyond. Despite diverse paths to this country, they share aspirations of an American dream marked by opportunity, safety and a brighter future for their families.
In one of my early pastoral assignments, I had the privilege of meeting Roland, a hardworking undocumented individual striving to provide for his family. He worked during the day while also enrolling in GED classes at our local community college. Thanks to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. Roland was able to secure a position at an alarm security company, where he has since advanced to middle management.
While Roland’s story is inspiring, it highlights the complexities of our current immigration system. Many individuals who share Roland’s work ethic and desire to contribute to society face ongoing uncertainties. Despite the abundance of job opportunities, as evidenced by numerous help-wanted signs at local businesses, our immigration laws have not been substantially updated to address these challenges. This situation leaves many in a difficult position, unable to fully participate in the workforce or society at large.
Evangelicals like me want Congress to act in ways that both ensure secure borders and treat migrants with compassion. In fact, 91% of evangelical Christians surveyed by Lifeway Research earlier this year say they’d like immigration policies that respect the God-given dignity of each person.
We should not hold an entire community responsible for the evil actions of someone who happens to share their nationality or mode of entry to the country. And in cases where some have overstayed their visa or crossed our border unlawfully, many have demonstrated over the years they have been in our country that their intention is to live peacefully and not commit more serious offenses. In these cases, our country should allow them to pay a fine and get right with the law.
While immigration may be a challenging political issue, for evangelicals it is an easy biblical issue. We are called to love our immigrant neighbors as we love ourselves and to see them as God sees them — as fellow image bearers.
Ismael Flores is pastor of Rio Valley Nazarene Church in McAllen.
It’s official: Ramon Segovia’s name is now on the November ballot after the Texas Supreme Court declined to wade into the morass that has been the election challenge he launched more than two months ago.
Segovia’s attorney, Gilberto Hinojosa, confirmed the news to The Monitor on Wednesday.
With no Republican challengers in the race for the Hidalgo County Precinct 3, Place 1 justice of the peace seat, Segovia is assured of taking the bench at the western county courtroom next January.
With a single sentence, the state’s highest court cemented Segovia’s coming election victory.
“Today the Supreme Court of Texas denied the Request for Emergency Relief, as supplemented, and denied the petition for writ of mandamus in the above-referenced case,” reads the notice the high court issued on Monday.
That one sentence effectively quelled the last hope that Segovia’s political opponent, Sonia Treviño, had for hanging onto the office she’s held since January 2021.
After long weeks of litigation, the outcome left Treviño’s lead attorney disappointed, but resigned.
“It’s essentially over,” Rick Salinas, of Mission, said via phone Tuesday.
“The wrong man won. I mean, I hope you can quote me on that — the wrong person won,” Salinas added.
THE CONTEST
Treviño initially emerged victorious by just 31 votes during the May 28 Democratic Primary runoff against Segovia.
But less than a month later, Segovia challenged the election results, claiming that Treviño and her campaign had cheated to win.
Thus began what would become a grueling three-week trial marred by accusations of professional misconduct lobbed against not only Salinas, but the judge presiding over the case, Jose Manuel Bañales — all while dozens of voters testified about how they had received assistance at the polls.
Their testimony slowly proved the crux of Segovia’s allegations — that the Treviño campaign had illegally provided assistance to voters who neither needed nor qualified for assistance under the Texas Election Code.
In some cases, the testimony revealed far more sinister facts — including at least three instances where intellectually disabled people were coerced to vote, including one young man who was threatened by one of Trevino’s court clerks.
Nor was that the only instance where someone with close ties to Treviño assisted voters.
Treviño’s own adult children, Michael and Jacqueline Howell, assisted 55 voters, according to a 100-page findings of fact statement Bañales issued after overturning the election.
Another Treviño campaign worker, Angelica Garza, assisted 72 voters.
Since the beginning of the election contest, Salinas — the attorney who led Treviño’s defense — has claimed that Segovia engaged in similar efforts to assist voters, but just hadn’t done it on a scale enough to win.
But when it came time to try to prove that assertion, Salinas was unable to because the judge disqualified nearly all of the 170 witnesses he had subpoenaed to testify.
Further, Hinojosa roundly denied that Segovia had engaged in any tactics to illegally assist voters.
“They (Treviño’s attorneys) were never able to offer any evidence on that. And I don’t believe that that’s true,” Hinojosa said.
“Look, you either put that evidence on, or you shut up. And they never put it on, so I think he needs to shut up,” Hinojosa said, referring to Salinas.
Bañales disqualified more than 80 ballots in the justice of the peace race. Of those, he further determined that 78 had been cast for Treviño, and three for Segovia, leaving Segovia ahead by 44 votes.
Treviño’s attorneys immediately appealed Bañales’ ruling to overturn the election.
However, last week, the 13th Court of Appeals declined to even entertain the appeal, citing the vanishingly short timeframe in which to weigh the evidence and render a decision before statutory deadlines to place a name on the November ballot.
In a last ditch effort, Treviño’s attorneys filed urgent entreaties for a hearing — either before the appeals court, or before the state supreme court.
On Monday, both of the higher courts refused to hear anything further on the matter and summarily denied Treviño’s raft of motions.
‘NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THIS’
The decision — like many made during the course of the contest — left Salinas stunned.
“It’s very odd. I don’t know what to tell you. It’s unheard of. The whole process, in my friendly opinion, was somewhat perverted,” Salinas said.
“I’ve never seen anything like this happen in 31 years (of practicing law). Never have.”
But what was surprising for Hinojosa was how pervasive the culture of voter assistance had been at the west county polling places — a practice Hinojosa, a career politician, said he’d never seen in four politically active decades.
Moreover, Salinas was just grasping at straws by alleging that Segovia had participated in a “what’s good for the goose is good for the gander” practice of similarly assisting voters.
“I think Mr. Salinas is just a sore loser. He got beat, and he got beat bad, and he doesn’t know how to react to that,” Hinojosa said.
Salinas, though, accused Hinojosa of bullying voters on the stand — a tactic he felt was uncouth for Hinojosa as the chair of the Texas Democratic Party, especially in an election contest between fellow Democrats.
“It played right into the hands of conservative politics,” Salinas said.
But it wasn’t his blunt questions or the subsequent ballot disqualifications that disenfranchised western Hidalgo County voters, Hinojosa said. Instead, it was the corruption that occurred at the polls.
“This kind of fraudulent conduct not only raises questions as to how elections are run and affects a democracy, but it also discourages people from running,” Hinojosa said.
He further scoffed at the criticisms that Salinas, whom he called a Republican, made regarding the intra-party legal spat.
“Whether you’re the (party) chair, or whether you’re a candidate… if you care about your party, you want to make sure that people are not abused when they go vote,” Hinojosa said.
The longtime attorney accused Salinas of having a “very warped way of looking at elections” for attempting to normalize the practice of assisting large numbers of voters.
“Anybody who cares for their community — and this man wants to be the mayor of Mission — if they’re not seeing this as fundamentally wrong to our democracy, then maybe this person should not be trying to seek office in this community,” Hinojosa said, alluding to Salinas’ own campaign aspirations.
WEB OF POLITICS
The trial left such a bad taste in Salinas’ mouth that he vowed to never litigate another election contest again.
But when asked if the trial, including the professional misconduct allegations lobbed against him, had similarly dissuaded him from seeking public office himself, Salinas gave a resounding no.
“No. F- – – no! I’m running against her, no matter what,” Salinas said, referring to Mission Mayor Norie Gonzalez Garza, whom he plans to challenge in 2026.
“The only thing is that I’m not going to engage in the same behavior that they do in order to win.”
Salinas has long alleged that the mayor is somehow connected to Segovia’s campaign and his election challenge.
As proof of the nebulous allegation, Salinas points to how Carina Garza de Luna, the mayor’s daughter, served on Segovia’s legal team.
Again, Hinojosa scoffed, noting that Garza de Luna once also served alongside Salinas during an election contest involving his late father, former Mission Mayor Norberto “Beto” Salinas, and Armando O’Caña.
Regardless of the two attorneys’ personal opinions of the other, both say their clients are ready to keep fighting.
Salinas referred to Treviño as a “true champion,” — a woman with grit and determination built from a career as a coach.
“Sonia was the right person for the job, and she’ll be the right person for the job again,” Salinas said, hinting at a future campaign.
Meanwhile, Segovia is looking forward to taking the bench in January.
“He’s happy. He’s ready to start doing his job,” Hinojosa said.
Editor’s note: This story was updated to attribute the claim that Salinas is a Republican to Hinojosa.
SAN BENITO — Amid a legal battle, the city’s first resaca-side commercial development is “substantially complete,” the company behind the project says.
The $10 million Resaca Village development featuring six tenants with a seventh on the way has created more than 100 jobs, aside from construction work, VARCO, its Brownsville-based real estate developer, said in a news release.
Now, tenants include Tropical Smoothie, Cold Stone Creamery, Montalvo Dentist Aesthetics, Calacas Tacos & Beer and La Hacienda Mexican Restaurant, along with a Texas Regional Bank branch, while La Mesa Del Mar is planning its opening, expecting to create 15 jobs, the release said.
“VARCO will continue to welcome and celebrate new tenants coming to Resaca Village,” company officials said in their news release.
Meanwhile, VARCO and the city of San Benito remain locked in a legal battle over the Resaca Village plaza along Business 77.
”Even with this dubious and inexplicable opposition from the administration, VARCO has continued to prioritize this investment, and VARCO leadership is proud to say that the project is substantially complete,” company officials said. “The residents of San Benito deserve a project like Resaca Village that will truly impact the city’s quality of life, and VARCO is proud to be leading in that effort.”
In April, VARCO filed a lawsuit against the city, claiming San Benito’s Economic Development Corporation breached the parties’ contracts surrounding the development of Resaca Village, failing to “honor its obligations” under an agreement extending its construction timeline while claiming its amendments “void” because city commissioners had not approved them.
”In April, VARCO Real Estate San Benito LLC. was terminated by the San Benito Economic Development Corporation and the city of San Benito for its continued failure to comply with a written performance agreement,” city officials said in a news release.
“The written performance agreement stated that the construction and operation of the mixed-use plaza would create primary jobs, promote and develop existing, new or expanded business and promote economic development, job growth and employment opportunities,” city officials stated.
City officials argue the company’s “continued failures over the years … have resulted in significant financial losses to the entire city. The lawsuit indicates that VARCO failed to pay base rent, failed to include the San Benito EDC on the insurance policy and failed to provide the amount of insurance under the contract,” city officials said.
In the lawsuit, city officials claim VARCO “was deceptive and misleading, was negligent and failed to vacate the premises,” adding damages have amounted to more than $1.8 million.
In May, Cameron County Justice of the Peace Chuy Garcia denied the city’s request to evict VARCO from the Resaca Village project site.
“The implausible and wrongheaded attempt to evict VARCO was swiftly denied in a court of law,” the company stated in its news release.
In response to some of the city’s claims, VARCO states “Resaca Village has provided the city with proof of insurance where the city is named, financial statements and owes no taxes or rent to San Benito.”
Now, claims of stolen water are igniting the battle.
Earlier this month, city officials accused VARCO’s OrigoWorks of stealing water at the Resaca Village project site.
Days later, Justice of the Peace David Garza dismissed the citation against OrigoWorks because the city had issued it to the wrong party, Paul Serafy, an attorney representing VARCO, said.
But the city continues its fight.
“The water theft case pending in criminal court may result in punishment to those responsible for stealing public water, and additional damages to the city of San Benito,” officials said in their news release.
In response, Serafy said the city’s claim stemmed from a subcontractor’s mistaken hookup to the wrong water supply, while the company’s offering to reimburse the city for water used.
“Once VARCO became aware of the claims, they immediately inquired about them with the site superintendent, who reported that the subcontractor used the back-flow only once. It had previously not been used,” the news release states. “VARCO will remedy this one-time occurrence.”
“It is disappointing that San Benito’s leadership prioritizes politics over community progress,” company officials said in the news release. “VARCO hopes that the city of San Benito and San Benito Economic Development Corporation will do their job of providing support for those willing to make significant investments in the community. An economic development organization’s sole purpose is to promote growth and development.”
The McAllen Police Department doesn’t expect any more arrests in the case of the McAllen Nikki Rowe football player who died after falling on his head at a pool party where alcohol was served to minors, according to the department’s Public Information Officer John Saenz.
When asked, Saenz stated they don’t anticipate any more arrests besides the ones they announced. He added that they are in talks with the Hidalgo County District Attorney’s Office regarding upgrading charges.
Several witnesses told police that they found out about the party through a digital flyer on social media which had four Instagram accounts as hosts. One of those accounts belonged to Castillo.
According to a probable cause affidavit, Castillo’s mother was contacted by police in order to obtain a statement from him, but his mother said he wouldn’t provide one.
On Aug. 21, a forensic phone extraction provided police with a conversation indicating a host sent Castillo to meet another person to collect money for the party, the affidavit said.
Castillo was arrested a couple days later and released the same day, according to jail records.
Emma Sofia De La Cruz provided a recorded statement at the police station where she admitted to collecting money for at least one entrance fee to the party, according to her probable cause affidavit.
She was also arrested days later and released that same day similar to the other suspects, who have no prior charges, jail records show.
Commentary: Immigrants are assets
Immigration is one of the top issues for voters going into the 2024 elections. From city councils to the presidency, every politician has platitudes about immigrants and immigration. Yet, as a pastor of 23 years who has served in South Texas and now pastors a church along the border, I realize much of the extreme rhetoric around the border is overblown.
When we first moved to McAllen, our friends questioned whether we would be safe in our new city. All they had seen on TV about the southern border was immigrants climbing fences unbidden and unhindered. Their made-for-TV imaginations about the border had them envisioning a McAllen overrun with gang violence and crime. However, I feel safer here than many other places I have visited in the U.S.
Life on the border requires holding nuance. We must move beyond divisive rhetoric and fearmongering about the border. It’s devastating whenever any American is a victim of crime, and perpetrators should face justice. But it’s a misconception that immigrants disproportionately commit crime. In fact, an extensive study from the Cato Institute conducted in Texas found that immigrants, whether lawfully present or not, commit crimes at lower rates than native-born citizens.
The media portrayal of what’s happening at the border doesn’t align with our community’s experience of immigrants. Many have dedicated themselves to service, faith and generosity, contributing to their local church and beyond. Despite diverse paths to this country, they share aspirations of an American dream marked by opportunity, safety and a brighter future for their families.
In one of my early pastoral assignments, I had the privilege of meeting Roland, a hardworking undocumented individual striving to provide for his family. He worked during the day while also enrolling in GED classes at our local community college. Thanks to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. Roland was able to secure a position at an alarm security company, where he has since advanced to middle management.
While Roland’s story is inspiring, it highlights the complexities of our current immigration system. Many individuals who share Roland’s work ethic and desire to contribute to society face ongoing uncertainties. Despite the abundance of job opportunities, as evidenced by numerous help-wanted signs at local businesses, our immigration laws have not been substantially updated to address these challenges. This situation leaves many in a difficult position, unable to fully participate in the workforce or society at large.
Evangelicals like me want Congress to act in ways that both ensure secure borders and treat migrants with compassion. In fact, 91% of evangelical Christians surveyed by Lifeway Research earlier this year say they’d like immigration policies that respect the God-given dignity of each person.
We should not hold an entire community responsible for the evil actions of someone who happens to share their nationality or mode of entry to the country. And in cases where some have overstayed their visa or crossed our border unlawfully, many have demonstrated over the years they have been in our country that their intention is to live peacefully and not commit more serious offenses. In these cases, our country should allow them to pay a fine and get right with the law.
While immigration may be a challenging political issue, for evangelicals it is an easy biblical issue. We are called to love our immigrant neighbors as we love ourselves and to see them as God sees them — as fellow image bearers.
Ismael Flores is pastor of Rio Valley Nazarene Church in McAllen.