Latest news with #BrownsvilleISD
Yahoo
10-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Brownsville ISD event stresses locally grown, cooked from scratch meals
Apr. 9—The Food and Nutrition Services department at Brownsville ISD showcased its scratch cooking initiative on Tuesday during an annual food show at which locally sourced menu items received good reviews from students at a select group of schools. BISD has been cooking more school meals from scratch ever since receiving a grant from the Colorado-based Chef Ann Foundation in 2023. The FNS Food Show is an annual event usually held at the Brownsville Event Center at which vendors showcase non-locally sourced menu options that generally are not cooked from scratch. This year, BISD held the event at the smaller CAB Cafeteria at 708 Palm Blvd. Shakera Raygoza, of Terra Preta Farms in Edinburg and Isiah Chavez of the BISD FNS department, were serving chicken pozole as students passed by in a serving line that went from farm to farm. "A lot of them are really interested," Raygoza said. "We present it in a way that they know. They go, 'oh pozole. This is what my grandma makes. And then you incorporate some fresh cabbage that's organically grown from our farm and they're very open to trying the vegetables in something that they already eat." OBST Family Farm in Alamo served watermelon slices. The Hour Farm in Weslaco and Rio Fresh Inc. in San Juan also were represented. Jackie Cruz, the director of Food and Nutrition Services, said the department decided to feature local growers who contribute to the scratch cooking initiative, rather than the manufacturers of ready-to-heat products usually featured at the show. She said because of the Chef Ann grant BISD is transitioning to more fresh-cooked items and sourcing food from local growers. After students passed through the serving line, they headed across the street to the BISD Wellness Gym, where various physical fitness activities were being offered. Superintendent Jesus H. Chavez said activities on both sides of the street were intended to promote healthy living and lifestyles. Featured Local Savings
Yahoo
08-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
$19.5 million allotted for Brownsville ISD teacher incentives
Feb. 7—Brownsville ISD announced receiving a new round of Teacher Incentive Allotments through the Texas Education Agency that bring the district's total to more than $19.5 million annually for the next five years. The designations include 738 new designations and 232 higher designations, bringing the district's total number of TIA-designated teachers to 1,475, BISD said in a news release The Teacher Incentive Allotment was established by the Texas Legislature as part of House Bill 3 to provide funding for school districts that reward and retain their top-performing teachers. TIA designations include three levels — Recognized, Exemplary and Master — with qualifying teachers earning between $3,000 and $32,000 annually for the next five years. This milestone highlights a significant transformation for Brownsville ISD. Starting in 2019 with an inaugural group of 41 teachers in two schools, the program has expanded to include teachers across all campuses. Brownsville ISD continues to lead the area with an all-inclusive designation process that allows all teachers an equal opportunity to earn a designation, regardless of grade level or teaching assignment. This sets Brownsville ISD apart from other Teacher Incentive Allotment districts across the state, BISD said in the release. Under the district's spending plan, all teachers working at campuses with TIA-designated colleagues will receive a share of the allotment. These new designations ensure that all teachers in Brownsville ISD benefit. This collaborative model celebrates the district-wide effort to achieve excellence. Chief Human Resources Officer Linda Gallegos, leader of the TIA initiative, acknowledged the efforts of both teachers and campus administrators. "Our campus administrators have shown incredible diligence in conducting effective evaluations and refining the Student Learning Objective (SLO) process. Their ongoing commitment to continuous improvement ensures that our educators receive the recognition they deserve. We also acknowledge the incredible work our teachers do on a daily basis to provide high-quality instruction to ensure student success," she said. Featured Local Savings
