Texas Border Business
Last night, at Las Americas Library in Mercedes, Texas, former Mayor of Mission, Norberto ‘Beto’ Salinas was sworn in as a Board Member for the South Texas ISD Board of Trustees.
“I appreciate the confidence of Richard Cortez, Hidalgo County Judge for appointing me to the position. I will utilize my 50 years of governmental and community affairs experience to best serve the students and taxpayers. I believe that education is the key for success and our youth deserve to have the best opportunities and tools to achieve their dreams,” Beto Salinas said.
At last night’s meeting, Norberto Salinas proposed to the board and staff their consideration of providing free lunch to all students. “I feel that if we are spending money on big buildings and facilities, this should be a priority,” he said.
ABOUT NORBERTO SALINAS
• In 1980 Beto Salinas was elected Hidalgo County Commissioner – Precinct 3 where he served for 12 years.
• In 1983 he was appointed by Governor Mark White to his Indigent Health Care Advisory Task Force.
• In 1991, Texas Governor Ann Richards appointed him to the Texas Funeral Commission and was later reappointed by Governor George W. Bush.
• In 1998, he was elected Mayor of the City of Mission where he served for 20 years.
• In 2001, Texas Governor Rick Perry appointed him to the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs.
Norberto Salinas has served since 1998 as the Vice Chair of the Anzalduas Bridge Board, was the previous Chairman of the Lower Rio Grande Valley Development Council Board of Directors, and has served as Chairman and Secretary of the Texas Department of Transportation MPO Policy Committee.
He has served as a Director of the Texas Tech Prep Board of Directors; Hidalgo Chapter of the American Red Cross; President of the Texas Ambulance Association; Board of Director of the Mission Chamber of Commerce; Leadership Member of the Boy Scouts of America; and as President of the Amigos del Valle Board of Directors.
Beto Salinas has always supported the youth and the elderly and has received numerous awards from the following organizations, Appreciation awards from the Hidalgo County Juvenile Court; Sullivan City Headstart Program; Children, and Families & Elderly of the Abram-Perezville Community, in 2008 he received the Distinguished Service Award from the Mission Boys and Girls Club and in 2009 was awarded the Mr. Amigo Award from Amigos del Valle.
Mr. Salinas community involvement has been extensive he was honored by being named Man of the Year for the City of Mission in 1987 and Mr. Mission for outstanding service to the community in 2006 he was inducted into the Rio Grande Valley Walk of Fame in 2007 and received the Citizen of the Year award from the Rotary Club of Mission in 2008.
ABOUT STISD
Niche just released its 2023 Best Schools K-12 School & District Rankings, and for the ninth year in a row, South Texas Independent School District (STISD) and its campuses ranked among the best in the state and nation.
With an A+ overall grade, STISD ranked 2nd in Texas (out of 1,018 school districts ranked) and 38th in the nation (out of 10,751 districts ranked) in the Best School Districts rankings. For the second year in a row, the district also earned the top spots in the state in the Best Places to Teach in Texas and the Districts with the Best Teachers in Texas. STISD also ranked 6th out of 11,687 districts ranked in the Districts with the Best Teachers in America.
All six STISD campuses eligible for the ranking were ranked among the best in the state and nation in the 2023 Niche K-12 Schools lists, which grade and rank schools and districts based upon criteria ranging from academics to culture and teachers.
South Texas ISD serves 4,300 students and is a state and nationally recognized public school district offering tuition-free college- and career-preparation to students in grades 6-12 from Cameron, Hidalgo and Willacy Counties.
The open-enrollment, all-magnet district is comprised of seven secondary campuses within the Rio Grande Valley of Texas, including four high schools – South Texas ISD Health Professions in Mercedes, South Texas ISD Medical Professions in Olmito, South Texas ISD Science Academy in Mercedes, and South Texas ISD World Scholars in Edinburg; two middle schools – South Texas ISD Preparatory Academy in Edinburg and South Texas ISD Rising Scholars Academy in San Benito; and one virtual campus, South Texas ISD Virtual Academy, now in its second year, through which students in grades 6-10 (and eventually grades 6-12) can learn 100 percent from home.
For additional information, call 1-800-21STUDY or visit www.stisd.net.
