The Fort Stockton Independent School District will hold their regular school board meeting on Thursday, June 30 starting at 6 p.m. at the district’s administrative building. The School Resource Officer Program for the 2022-2023 school year is one of the 12 action items on the agenda. At a special school board meeting on June 8, the school board discussed at length the number of school resource officers the district should employ.

On May 10, Fort Stockton ISD received a letter from Fort Stockton City Attorney Puja Boinpally requesting an amendment to the School Resource Officer Agreement with the school district.

The letter stated the police department “has been unable to fill vacant positions and have requested to absorb two of the officers into their unit.”

The request, which was approved by the school board at their regular meeting on May 23, moved the number of school resource officers down from three to one for the time being.

The day after the Fort Stockton ISD school meeting on May 23 the Robb Elementary School shooting occurred in Uvalde.

The tragedy led to a discussion at the district’s board meeting on June 8. Fort Stockton Police Chief Robert Lujan spoke at the meeting and explained that his department had received more applications to fill open positions, which enabled the FSPD to give the school five resource officers.

“We can fill all those positions (SRO’s). We have enough applicants right now that we can do that,” Lujan said at the school board meeting on May 23.

Lujan reaffirmed his statement at the city council’s regular meeting on June 27.

“We have been flexible with the school and attended every meeting. I have recommended to the school that we increase to five SROs. We moved our SROs, we have vacancies in patrol, we moved two of those (SRO’s back over to fill those slots). We can move forward and reinstate those back to the school if they do need them.”

The police chief said at the city council meeting this week that if the school decides to increase the number of SRO’s, the police department will likely recruit from the academy at Midland College/WRTTC in Fort Stockton.

“I plan to recruit two from the academy here in Fort Stockton. I have communicated this with Matt Tarpley and he is aware that we are needing personnel. Presently, they have seven students at the police academy here.”

The cost to employ school resource officers is approximately $65,000 per officer per year as reported in the school district’s agenda packet for their June 30 regular meeting.

The expense will be one of many factors the school board takes into consideration when making a decision at Thursday’s meeting.

Guardian plan up for approval

A Guardian Plan Stage 1 Proposal will be up for vote at Thursday’s school board meeting according to the June 30 agenda packet. An approval would allow the school board to authorize specific district employees to possess certain firearms in schools, at board meetings, and at school-sponsored events on district property to the extent allowed by state law.

Each authorized employee shall be approved by the action of the board. The superintendent shall issue written authorization to each approved employee.

Participation in the safety program would be strictly voluntary and shall not be a requirement of any employee.

Only a district employee who maintains a current license to carry a handgun in accordance with state law would be eligible for authorization to possess a firearm.

If approved, the district will provide specialized training in crisis intervention and management of hostage situations to district employees that are authorized and approved to possess a firearm on school property.

FSISD employments, resignations announced

The following were employments and resignations noted in the June 30 school board meeting packet:

Professional Employments

Viviana Carrera – Intermediate Teacher, Science

Grace Ceniceros – Intermediate Teacher, English Language Arts and Reading

Alejandra Cordero – High School Teacher, Math

Otis Chunn – High School Teacher, English Language Arts and Reading/Coach

Cale Danielson – Middle School Teacher, PE/Coach

Staci Ely – Middle School Teacher, English Language Arts and Reading

Martha Franks – Intermediate Teacher, Math

Adriana Galindo – High School Teacher, English Language Arts and Reading

Brenda Gallegos – Intermediate Teacher, Social Studies

Amanda Gonzales – Apache Teacher, Kindergarten

Nelda Leyva – Apache Teacher, First Grade

Adriel Medina – Middle Schol Teacher, Science

Richard Morris – High School Teacher, Science

Crystal Payne – Alamo Campus Curriculum Director

Jason Payne – High School Teacher, PE/Coach

Patricia Reyna – Alamo Campus Nurse

Brenda Rodriguez – Intermediate Teacher, Math

Michael Welch – Intermediate Teacher, Math

Other Employments

Terry Cash – Bus Driver

Rita Rodriguez – Apache Paraprofessional

Betty Warnock – Part-time Bus Aide

Resignations

Chrisitan Betancourt – High School Teacher, ELA

Jeremy Boatright – High School Teacher. Industrial Arts

Laura Calleros – High School Teacher, Spanish

Annie Casas – Middle School Teacher, Special Education

Lizette Cereceres – Alamo Teacher, Third Grade

Sherman Chew – High School Teacher, Social Studies

Dimas Contreras – Bus Driver

Brandi Crawford – Apache Teacher, First Grade

Andrew Fellows – Middle School Teacher, PE/Coach

Megan Fellows – Alamo Teacher, Second Grade

Hunter Grice – Middle School Teacher, Social Studies/Coach

Miguel Heredia – Mechanic Assistant

Hector Herrera – High School Teacher, Special Education

Darlene Keating – Intermediate Teacher, Special Education

Alva Morales – Middle School Teacher, English Language Arts and Reading

Karla Perea – Intermediate Teacher, English Language Arts and Reading

Emilia Pallanez – High School Teacher, Special Education

Tony Pallanez – High School Teacher, PE/Coach

Mike Peters – Athletic Director

Priscilla Peters – Secretary of Curriculum/PEIMS, Butz

Daniel Rojo – High School Teacher, Social Studies/Coach

Lauren Rubio – Middle School Teacher, English Language Arts and Reading

John Sampson – High School Teacher, Social Studies

Edith Tercero – Custodian, Alamo

Mary Villarreal – Middle School Teacher, Science

Luis Villasana – Middle School Teacher, Social Studies