Oct. 28, 2025 BoardBits

Board and Administration recognize most recent district and campus rankings, honor principals for Principals' Month

A group of people in formal attire holding award certificates in front of a backdrop with corporate logos.

Principals stand in front of photo backdrop with board president and superintendent while being recognized at board meeting

Health Professions' Grupo Mestenos performs for the Board

Health Professions' conjunto group Grupo Mestenos performed for the Board and members of the public during the Oct. 28 meeting.

A young man in a blue shirt is passionately singing into a microphone, surrounded by a group of people in similar attire during a board meeting performance

Board members and administrators watch while a group of young musicians perform during a board meeting.

A group of young people, dressed in blue uniforms, are playing musical instruments together during a board meeting

STISD Veteran Spotlight: Michael Bowman, Rising Scholars Academy

Current STISD teacher and veteran in military uniform stands at a podium and leads the audience in the pledges of allegiance during the board meeting — *Michael Bowman, Math teacher at STISD Rising Scholars Academy, leads the audience in the pledges of allegiance during the Oct. 28 board meeting.*

At the October regular Board meeting, STISD continued its practice of honoring the district's Veterans at the monthly board meetings by inviting them to lead the pledges of allegiance. At this meeting we recognized Rising Scholars Academy Math teacher Michael Bowman.

Mr. Bowman is a Purple Heart Recipient, who served in the Marine Corps for six years. He deployed to Afghanistan with 1/23 Charlie Company, where he was wounded in action after an IED struck his vehicle. After his years of service in the military, he continued his education and graduated from Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi.

Thank you for your service, Mr. Bowman!

STISD Superintendent announces his retirement effective Dec. 31

During the Oct. 28 board meeting, the STISD Board of Directors acknowledged the upcoming retirement of Superintendent Dr. Marco Antonio Lara, Jr., effective Dec. 31, 2025.

STISD Board president Henry LeVrier recognized Dr. Lara for his leadership and accomplishments in his seven years of service with the district and extended a thank you on behalf of the Board and district community.

Additional information about the process to fill the position of superintendent will be shared in the coming weeks.

Other Board actions

Niranda Flores, STISD Executive Director for Academic Excellence, reported to the STISD Board of Directors on the Bilingual ESL Program Evaluation for 2024-2025.
The Board of Directors approved the appointment of members to the district's Educational Improvement Council (EIC) for the 2025-2026 school year.
The Board reviewed and acted on the substantial completion of the Edinburg Athletic Fields Projects.
The Board approved the request for a new professional and non-professional position and the announcement of vacancy for the following: Professional: Director of Payroll and Employee Benefits | Non-Professional: Employee Benefits Specialist
The Board approved the district's 2025-2026 Emergency Operations Plan.
The Board president reported on the status of Continuing Education of Board members, publicly announcing whether each Board member has met the training requirements set forth by the State Board of Education (SBOE).

Share with Friends & Family: STISD's Fall 2025 Campus Showcases to be held Nov. 8 and 15

Join us on the following Saturdays in November for Fall Campus Showcases:

Saturday, Nov. 8: Fall Campus Showcase at Rising Scholars Academy (San Benito)
Saturday, Nov. 15: Fall Campus Showcases at Medical Professions (Olmito), Preparatory Academy (Edinburg) and World Scholars (Edinburg)

Campus Showcases will include tours, family-fun activities and more.

If you can't make these events, or you don't see your campus of interest listed, click here to request an individual tour!

The image features a poster for a %22Fall Showcase%22 event hosted by the Rising Scholars Academy, a school in South Texas. The background is filled with vibrant orange and yellow autumn leaves, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere.

The image is an advertisement for a %22Fall Showcase%22 event organized by Medical Professions, featuring campus tours, vendors, and class exhibits. The foreground includes various pumpkins and fall leaves, while the background provides details about the event's date, time, location, and contact information.

Flyer with fall themed background. Join STISD Preparatory Academy for its Fall Campus Showcase on Saturday, Nov. 15.

The image features a white sign with the text %22JOIN US FOR OUR FALL SHOWCASE%22 against a blurred background of autumn leaves and foliage. This flyer is advertising World Scholars' campus showcase to be held Nov. 15.

STISD Health + Wellness

Visit the STISD Health & Wellness page for additional resources

STISD Social Emotional Learning and Mental Health Newsletter: November 2025

From Ideas to Innovation - Health Professions + Science Academy students win big in Aggies Invent Jr. Competition

It was awesome to see Health Professions & Science Academy come together to compete at the Aggies Invent Jr. Competition and take home 1st and 3rd place out of 10 teams!

This invitation-only event brought together 48 students from across Texas, grouped into teams to tackle real-world engineering challenges. Students collaborated to form teams, brainstorm solutions, design, build, test and finally pitch their ideas to a panel of judges.

Well done, teams, and congrats:
🥇1st Place: Victoria Aguilar (Science Academy), Hector Galvan (Science Academy) and Elizabeth Lavado (Health Professions)

🥉3rd Place: Jose Reyna (Science Academy) and Amanda Castillo (Health Professions)

A group of young people, some wearing Texas A&M University apparel, posing with a large robot mascot in front of a Texas A&M-themed backdrop.

STISD Students Showcase Innovation Through NASA HUNCH Program

A group of young women are gathered around a display board with NASA-related content, engaged in discussion and examination of the materials presented.

Late last month, STISD hosted the NASA HUNCH Program Preliminary Design Review at the Central Office Teaching & Learning Center.

Through the NASA HUNCH program, our students are creating prototypes that have the potential to be used in space. During the preliminary design review, they presented their initial concepts to a panel of NASA engineers. Using the valuable feedback they received, students will continue refining their designs as they work toward advancing to the next stage of this remarkable opportunity.

Teams participated from Medical Professions (Olmito) and Science Academy (Mercedes).

Click here for photos from the event

Calling All Industry Leaders: Inspire the Future with STISD CTE!

The image is a promotional flyer for South Texas ISD, encouraging industry leaders to become educational partners. It features various images of students engaged in hands-on, collaborative activities.

Our South Texas ISD Career & Technical Education (CTE) department is looking for educational partners eager to inspire and guide the next generation of professionals. Whether it's through internships, classroom presentations, guest speaking, or facility tours, your expertise makes a difference!

With over 20 programs of study - including Culinary Arts, Law Enforcement, Welding, Legal Studies, Health Science, and more - there’s a place for every industry to get involved.

Let’s work together to inspire, educate, and empower our future workforce!

Click here to connect

Join us on Nov. 6: Family Literacy Parent Meeting - "AI & STISD: Empowering Parents for the Digital Age"

Join us for our Family Literacy Parent Meeting on Thursday, Nov. 6, and learn about "AI & STISD: Empowering Parents for the Digital Age."

Whether you're tech-savvy or tech-shy, your presence matters. Let’s learn together and support our kids in this digital world. For more information, contact your campus social worker at 956-565-2454.

Fall Family Literacy Parent Meeting flyer in Spanish - Join us on Nov. 6 at 5:30 pm to learn about AI & STISD: Empowering Parents for the Digital Age

Join Us: STISD Parent Connection Symposium on Wed., Nov. 12

Join us for our upcoming STISD Parent Connection meeting on Wednesday, November 12, 2025, from 5:30–6:30 p.m. This event offers parents an opportunity to connect, learn, and gain valuable information from Workforce Solutions and Texas RioGrande Legal Aid (TRLA).

Please see the below flyer for full details and share with other parents who may be interested. Scan the QR code or click here to register.

Attend in person or virtually — whichever works best for you. We look forward to seeing you there!