HAPPY HOLIDAYS, BEARKAT NATION!
Happy Holidays, Bearkat Nation!
As we celebrate the holidays and head into a new year, it’s time to reflect on all we’ve achieved this half of the school year.
To start, Raymondville ISD managed to start school as safely as possible and keep it virus-free. To date, not a single confirmed case of COVID-19 originated from any of the campuses. We did this by being proactive. We enforced safety protocols, regularly sanitized the school and invested in the needlepoint bipolar ionization air purification system. In fact, our safety measures exceeded those of the Texas Education Agency and Centers for Disease Control.
We also took immediate action when we discovered cases of COVID-19. Anyone who tested positive was immediately sent home to quarantine and all those who came in contact with the infected persons were promptly notified so they could be tested. Our custodians then deep-cleaned all areas of possible contamination. In all incidents, we were completely transparent and reported all cases to our community and health authorities.
Secondly, Raymondville ISD managed to deliver a strong education to our on-campus and off-campus students. Our teachers worked harder than ever to design their curriculum and instructional methods to effectively teach our students in person and online. We have decided to view the pandemic as an opportunity for the district to develop hybrid learning and advance our differentiated instruction.
Our mission to graduate college and career-ready students has not changed, and neither have our high student expectations. If our families continue to partner and communicate with teachers, our students will continue to succeed academically and personally.
Finally, Raymondville ISD continues to be a fiscally responsible and financially stable district. An independent auditor, Cascos & Associates, LLC, gave the district an outstanding review in November, and the district earned the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting.
This year the district invested more funds in laptops and Wi-Fi devices to make remote learning accessible to all our students. We also invested more in the school meals program so more family members could receive nutritious meals during these challenging times. We even invested in the air ionizer technology as well as other PPE items to keep our entire community safer. We accomplished all this for our students while keeping a balanced budget.
The fall semester at Raymondville ISD was strong, but the spring semester is going to be stronger. We will push ahead and continue to keep our schools safer, perfect our educational strategies and maximize our resources to benefit the students and the entire Raymondville community. It’s very simple. Strong students means a strong community.
Enjoy the holidays and stay safe so we can see all our students, staff and parents in the new year.
Respectfully,
Stetson Roane
Superintendent
