School board discusses swimming pool, new building at high school

By Gaige Davila
editor@portisabelsouthpadre.com 

This past year, many changes came to Point Isabel ISD, namely how to keep schools open and students safe amidst a viral pandemic. But more welcomed changes are being discussed by school administration and the school board. 

During a building committee meeting, PI-ISD school board members entertained having a swimming facility and a separate building for Port Isabel High School’s career and technical education (CTE) programs. Also pressing for the board was analyzing the structural integrity of the school district’s buildings altogether, in light of a recent condominium building’s collapse in Miami, Florida, where, as of this article’s writing, 46 people have been found dead, with more deaths expected. 

Bertha Zamora, PI-ISD School Board member Place 1, wanted the campuses’ foundation to be a priority for the committee. 

“Humidity exists here as it does in Miami, and our buildings are old,” Zamora said during the meeting. “It’s time we really look at that.” 

Theresa Capistran, PI-ISD’s superintendent, said the district wants to bring a structural engineer to evaluate the campuses’ foundation.   

As PI-ISD continues increasing its technical school programs, the school board discussed a separate campus and or building to house the classrooms and equipment for them. 

“There’s definitely a need for a CTE building,” Capistran said, mentioning that some campuses in the Rio Grande Valley have a separate campus building for their programs. “Our kids really need to be working and learning in an environment that is so similar to when they’re going to college, or when they’re going into the labor market.”

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