Puig's legacy will be but a memory...Resigns just after 6 months on the job! Why is the questions most people are asking.

Dr. Marc Puig, the superintendent of schools in San Benito resigned Friday, six months after he began with the district.
Puig issued a statement Friday night and said the decision to step down was "very difficult" to announce.
"I am stepping down as superintendent of San Benito CISD effective Friday, August 14," he said in an email to Action 4 News.
Puig was appointed as San Benito Consolidated Independent School District’s superintendent late last year.
"After long and prayerful consideration, I know that this is the best decision for me and my family," Puig said in the statement. "In my short time leading our district we have made some extraordinary achievements."
Puig began his job in San Benito on Jan. 5, and was formerly a superintendent in Van Horn, Texas, Action 4 News previously reported.
The resignation comes about two months after Puig proposed non-renewal of contracts for some employees due to a financial crisis.
The educator told the Valley Morning Star the district is projected to have a surplus of $11.5 million in the fund balance for the upcoming school year.
"In my short time leading our district we have made some extraordinary achievements," Puig said.

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The San Benito school board of trustees released a statement Friday:
"The San Benito CISD received a letter of resignation from Superintendent of Schools Dr. Marc A. Puig today. The Board of Trustees would like to thank Dr. Puig for his efforts and contributions that he has brought forth to the district. We want to thank Dr. Puig for his professionalism and his genuine concern for our district. Although we deeply regret his decision to resign, we respect his decision to do so. We want to wish him the very best.
Anna Cruz, San Benito CISD Board President & Trustees"

San Benito CISD among school districts that TEA is taking back milllions!

 

 

 

 

               

AUSTIN — The Texas Education Agency is taking back millions from school districts because of a glitch in its system and an interpretation of state law that an organization specializing in school finance said should not apply.
State Rep. Jose “JM” Lozano, R-Kingsville, said he came across the situation when the Orange Grove Independent School District faced a $1.8 million reduction from the TEA. Its 2014-2015 budget is about $17 million, meaning the reduction would be about 10 percent of its total budget, federal fund and state funds included.
According to the TEA, the agency overpaid certain state funds.
“This overpayment occurred because your district reduced its interest and sinking fund tax effort following the district’s successful tax rate ratification in September 2009,” a letter from Lisa Dawn-Fisher, the associate commissioner for school finance, states. “Unfortunately, the Texas Education Agency failed to detect the overpayments to your district and other districts that had insufficient tax Our failure to detect the problem earlier was caused a lack integration between multiple systems used to record and calculate those payments previous years. We have completed upgrades our payment system that have now resolved that problem so that cannot occur again.”
Lozano offered legislation that would have cleared interpretation of school finance law so the districts wouldn’t have to pay.
“I think of this little girl … when I toured the school whose family I know because I grew up in that county,” Lozano said at a committee hearing. “I think about one of our agencies asking that little girl to send them money because of their mistake. I can’t believe that.”
The legislation, House Bill 2607, was entered late and got a committee hearing, but it carried a price tag, also called a fiscal note, of $81.4 million the first year and then $18.4 million after that.
“The fiscal note killed it dead,” said Wayne Pierce, the executive director of the Equity Center, a nonprofit that analyzes school finance in Austin.
Pierce said the calculations the agency used aren’t rational, because certain funds that the state was counting against the school districts weren’t actually generated by the districts, and the law requires actual generation.
Lynn Burton, the superintendent of Orange Grove ISD, said “it appears that TEA has chosen to interpret … in a way that retroactively penalizes.”
“There are things in the budget (like facility improvements) we would like to do that we’re not going to be able to do,” Burton said.
Other docked school districts include San Benito CISD, Luling ISD, Brownsville ISD, La Joya ISD and Wolfe City ISD.
Pierce said the options for districts include waiting two years for the next legislative session, asking for the Texas Attorney General for a ruling on what the statute means, having Education Commissioner Michael Williams step in, or possible file a lawsuit.
Burton said his school district has an agreement with the agency in place to essentially pay back the money.
“Nobody wants to do that,” Pierce said about the suit. “We would rather work it out with reasonable people.”

Age discrimination lawsuit to be heard Tuesday afte long time Police Chief Ricardo Rodriquez was fired and replaced by the Nic Garza.

 

Asettlement has not been reached between the Rio Hondo School District and former ISD Police Chief Ricardo Rodriguez.  The Rio Hondo ISD Board of Trustees are set to meet on Tuesday, July 14 to discuss and to consider the lawsuit filed against the School District for discrimination.

The lawsuit was filed to  redress the deprivation of rights secured to Mr. Rodriguez by Section 7(b), 29 U.S.C. §626(b), of the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, as amended, 29 U.S.C. §626 et seq. (ADEA), which incorporates by reference Section 16(b), 29 U.S.C. §216(b), of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, as amended, 29U.S.C. §201 et seq.

This case is further brought to redress the deprivation, under color of state law, ordinance, regulation, and custom or usage, or rights, privileges, and immunities secured to Mr. Rodriquez under First Amendment to the United States, Constitution via 42 U.S.C. §1983. Grievant alleges that Mr. Garcia and the Rio Hondo ISD discriminated against him with respect to compensation, terms, conditions, or privileges of employment on the basis of protected rights.

Mr. Rodriguez further alleges that he is a victim of Disparate Treatment by the Rio Hondo School District and Mr. Garcia. That as a member of a protected group, grievant alleges that he has been denied the same employment promotions, and opportunities that have been made available to other employees.  29 C.F.R. 1607.11

As you may recall, back in 2013, Superintendent Ismael Garcia was hired as the Superintendent. As soon as he came in, directors were fired, reassigned, resigned, or were ask to re-apply for the job. ISD Police Chief Ricardo Rodriquez has served Police Chief for close to 2 decades, even as the current ISD Police Chief, Nic Garza, was in high school.

Ricardo Rodriquez alleges that Mr. Garcia ultimately pushed him of as chief, even though he was the most qualified and experienced.

Nic Garza, is the son of Carlos Garza, former Ag Teacher/and candidate for school board who has been dating Veronica Puente since she was a principal at the high school.

Rio Hond. ISD School Board Members and Superintendt Ismael Garcia continue to deny all Sexual Abuse allegaions made by former student against former Asst. band director. In the mean time, questions continue to be raised as to why Puente is still employed the Rio Hondo ISD.

Rio Hondo School Board officials will meet this Tuesday to discuss and consider a federal lawsuit filed by a formal student, Robyn Lynn Ruiz.   In her Complaint, Ruiz alleges that the school district failed to protect her from the advances of her band teacher, David Noyola, when he allegedly “pursued, lured, preyed upon and began to sexually violate” her during a pre-high school band camp. The RHISD filed a response on April 9 summarily denying all of the allegations made by Ruiz.

Ruiz’s lawsuit is based on the following factual claims:

·         That the inappropriate relationship between her and Noyola started while she was in 8th grade and continued during band camp in the summer of 2006.

·         That he began holding her hands while giving her rides to band camp.

·         That he once answered the door in his boxer shorts when she showed up for a ride to camp and allegedly tried to kiss and grope her.

·         That on a separate occasion, he allegedly attempted to have sex with her, but she left. He persuaded her to return later that evening, and then assaulted her.

·         That the sexual assaults continued through Ruiz’s sophomore year at Rio Hondo High School.

The Complaint asserts that the victim’s mother told then RHHS principal Veronica Puente about the possibility of an inappropriate relationship between her daughter and Noyola in September 2006, but that the principal merely passed the information on to the school’s band director, who took no action.

Others have questioned why the Puente has not been charge for failing to report child abuse and neglect and why she continues to serve children of this community even though she’s in the center of this lawsuit that may ultimately cause the tax payers millions, not to mention they failed to protect the children of the school district.

The reason may be that Veronica Puente which is  now the current Human Resource Director, and step mother to current Rio Hondo ISD Police Chief, which hiring is now in the center of another law suit that will be discussed at tonight’s school board meeting.

Even as rumors of an inappropriate relationship were circulating, Noyola transferred in 2009 to the Miller Jordan Middle School in San Benito, just 8.2 miles away from RHHS, where he took over as band director. He was arrested on charges of sexual assault on a child in August 2014 when the victim finally came forward.

Ruiz alleges in her Complaint that that Noyola admitted that the relationship occurred in text messages and recorded conversations obtained from her iPhone. Police also believe that they have evidence that Noyola continued to contact the girl following his transfer, telling her not to tell anyone about the assaults and threatening to commit suicide if she did.

Following his arrest, bail was set at $150,000, and he was indicted by a Cameron County jury on three counts of sexual assault of a child.

Ruiz argues that the Rio Hondo Independent School District violated her rights under the Fourteenth Amendment:

a. By using excessive force in sexually assaulting ROBYN LYNN RUIZ, and by acting with deliberate indifference to the needs of ROBYN LYNN RUIZ, which violated her Eighth Amendment protections against cruel and unusual punishments; and

b. By failing to intervene, where such intervention would have prevented the sexual assault of ROBYN LYNN RUIZ.

The Complaint presents a lengthy list of specific acts or omissions that Ruiz claims contributed to her injuries. The list offers a good review for districts that would like to avoid dealing with similar lawsuits in the future:

a. Failing to train and supervise its teachers and/or principals adequately concerning their interaction with students;

b. Failing to train school officials regarding the proper manner in which to investigate complaints concerning teachers;

c. Failing to train and supervise its teachers and/or principals and/or school officials regarding the proper manner for reporting suspected child abuse and/or improper relationships between a district employee and a student;

d. Failing to adequately supervise the individuals Noyola, Puente, and Garza;

e. Failing to discipline adequately the individual Noyola for his unlawful use of force and sexual assaults/misconduct;

f. Responding with deliberate indifference to substantial, credible evidence of teacher/principal misconduct arising to the level of crime;

g. Responding with deliberate indifference to substantial, credible evidence of teacher/principal misconduct arising to the level of crime and failing to follow the procedures prescribed by law to deal with such misconduct; and

h. Failing to establish adequate procedures for reviewing teacher/principal performance, in general, and complaints involving allegations of sexual assault/misconduct by teachers in particular.

I continue to believe that these types of lawsuits will only grow more common, and schools need to make ongoing, rigorous professional development on these issues a regular part of their school year.

 

Rio Hondo bounces back with 27-13 win over Raymondville

FREDDY GONZALEZ | Staff Writer

RAYMONDVILLE — Rio Hondo kept their district title hopes alive with a convincing 27-13 victory over District 16-4A DI rivals Raymondville on Friday night at Burnett Stadium.

“I thought we played great,” said Rio Hondo head coach Rocky James. “Last week we played really well but we just didn’t get the points. Tonight we played the same way and we got the points in and we played a very strong defensive game. The defense was phenomenal all night long.”

The Bobcats played another great game behind a solid defensive performance that forced three turnovers in the game and kept giving their offense short fields to work with.

Offensively, quarterback Eli Pitones led the way for the Bobcats. The senior passed for 80 yards, rushed for another 52 and had a 60-yard punt return.

“He played tremendous, this was probably his best game of the year,” said James of Pitones. “Hats off to him. He works hard every day. At practice he works hard throwing the ball and he does whatever we need from him.”

Running back Marco Garate had a tough time getting started against a great defensive effort from the Bearkats, but the speedy senior still managed to rush for 86 yards and two touchdowns.

“Rio Hondo is good team it’s very obvious,” said Raymondville coach Frank Cantu. “Defensively they did a heck of a job, hats off to coach James and his staff.

“They came out with some new things and it took us a little while to adjust, but we feel that once we adjusted, we felt there was nothing they could get us with, I was that confident.”

Raymondville struggled for most of the night after going down 13-7 and when the team did respond turnovers kept the offense from gaining any momentum.

“Offensive we couldn’t get going, and a lot of that’s attributed to what coach James and to what he’s done, not just us, but to other teams,” said Cantu. “We love the challenge and that’s the only way we’re going to get better is to play teams like this.

“I just can’t say enough about our team and I’m really proud about the way they played.”

Rio Hondo falls short vs. Orange Grove

 

 

 

 

Oct 25, 2014 12:20 AM

MARK MOLINA | Staff Writer

RIO HONDO — After battling to hand the Port Isabel Tarpons their first loss of the year, the Rio Hondo Bobcats couldn’t overcome enough hurdles to claim the top seat in the District 16-4A DII standings.

Ultimately it was turnovers and a big second-half kickoff return which plagued the Rio Hondo Bobcats, helping the Orange Grove Bulldogs to a 21-18 win Friday night at Bobcat Stadium.

The Bobcats threw three interceptions on the night, including two in the first half, and had a lapse in kickoff coverage, allowing Orange Grove’s Ricky Martinez to return the kick to the house.

That was the ensuing kickoff after Rio Hondo took a 10-7 lead on a 10 yard pass from Eli Pitones to Derek Salazar in the early part of the third quarter.

Rio Hondo trailed by as much as 11 in the end, but pulled within a field goal of tying on Marco Garate run and an Eli Pitones two-point run.

However, miscues were too much for Bobcat head coach Rocky James and company to pull the game out.

“That kickoff return was really the difference in the game. We had just went up on them and then they turn around and run one back on us; that was the difference in the score,” James said after the game. “We played sound defense all night, but we just didn’t score enough. We turned the ball over and we just didn’t get it done on the offensive side. We fought back, but we just ran out of time.”

Now, the Bobcats (6-2, 2-1) will face Raymondville and hope that the Bulldogs (7-1, 3-0) will trip up next week against Port Isabel so that they can have a shot at the district crown.

While the Bobcats have been the talk of the district defensively, the Bulldogs defense made the plays Friday and hopes that the district is on notice.

“Everybody talks about (Rio Hondo’s) defense down here and we’re way up there, so nobody talks about ours,” Orange Grove head coach Jerry Bomar said. “We’re really good on defense too, but our kids had to play tough the whole second half. We could’ve put the game away in the first half, but (Rio Hondo) is a tough team who kept fighting. Our kids have to win tough games like these; I’m real proud of them.”

The Miscues were everywhere for the Bobcats Friday.

After Orange Grove quarterback Hondo Harris threw an interception in the end zone, Bobcat receiver Salazar dropped an easy pass from Pitones in the end zone on the next drive, making the Bobcats settle for a Danny Cucul 25-yard field goal.

On the ensuing drive Orange Grove’s Martinez ran in a 5 yard run to make it 7-3 late in the first.

On Rio Hondo’s third drive of the game, Bobcat back up quarterback Arturo Castillo was picked in the end zone.

The 7-3 score held as both defenses struggled to end the first half.

In the second half Orange Grove had just four drives, but Martinez’s kickoff return and his 20 yard catch for a touchdown from Harris was enough to put the game out of reach.