School Board - School Board

Board of Trustees

Primary Function:

School Board Members are guardians of the public trust and, through the policies they make, are ultimately responsible for the success or failure of local public education. The Board serves as the advocate for educational excellence for the community's youth and puts those interests first. The policies school boards make dictate the standards and philosophy by which schools are run and the criteria used to judge whether they are being run well.

This responsibility often entails difficult choices, self-sacrifice, and exposure to public criticism. However, it also brings a great deal of personal satisfaction in sharing with parents, staff, and students their academic successes. This critical responsibility and the closeness of trustees to the voters make the local school board the purest example of democracy our society presents.

Roles and Key Responsibilities:

Ensure creation of a vision and goals for district and evaluate district success.
Adopt policies that guide district actions
Hire a Superintendent to serve as administrator of the district and evaluate the Superintendent's success.
Approve an annual budget consistent with the district vision.
Communicate the district's vision and success to the community.

Board Goals

Board Meetings

	Olga Vega-Carter Board President Mrs. Vega-Carter was appointed and later elected to serve on the Board of Trustees in July 16, 2009. She is a licensed Real Estate agent with RE/MAX 1st Choice of South Padre Island. She has spent most of her life in the area and has extensive knowledge and familiarity of the community and the Laguna Madre area. Olga earned her real estate license while working full time. She is married to Michael Carter and together they are raising their three young children. Conflicts of Disclosure

	Rene Valdez Board Vice-President Rene Valdez was appointed and later elected to the board on September 2009. He attended the University of Texas at San Antonio. He currently is an Operations Manager at the Sheraton Hotel at South Padre Island. He is married to Maribel Zapata Valdez, a Port Isabel native, and together they are raising their three young children. Conflicts of Disclosure

	Joseph M. Furcron Board Secretary Mr. Furcron has been on the board since May of 1995. He earned a B.S. Degree in Business Administration from East Carolina University. He is the owner of Furcron Realtors and Property Management at South Padre Island. He is married to Lilla Furcron and have one son. Conflicts of Disclosure

	Cecilia Castillo Board Assistant Secretary Mrs. Castillo has been on the board since May of 2006. She earned a BS degree in Elementary Education from Pan American University and a Masters degree in Education Bilingual - Bicultural from Texas A&I University. She was a professional employee of the PIISD for 29 years serving in many capacities with her last position being that of Asst. Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction. Mrs. Castillo retired in 2004. She continues to serve as Educational Consultant for several school districts. She is married to Joe Castillo and has 3 grown children and 3 grandchildren. Conflicts of Disclosure

	Merced Cantu III Board Member Mr. Cantu was appointed and later elected to the Board of Trustees on December 12, 2005. He has been an educator for over 25 years. He was a certified vocational teacher at Port Isabel High School for 13 years. He is currently an instructor at UTB-TSC. He holds a degree in Master Certified Technician from ASC. He is married to Rosa Cantu and has 3 children. Conflicts of Disclosure

	Jennifer Pinkerton Board Member Mrs. Jennifer Pinkerton was elected to serve on the Board of Trustees in May 10, 2008. She earned a BS Degree in Psychology from St. Mary's University in San Antonio, Texas. She worked as an insurance adjuster for State Farm Insurance. She is married to Bryan Pinkerton and together they are raising 4 children. Conflicts of Disclosure

	Bertha L. Zamora Board Member Bertha L. Zamora was elected to the board on May 2012. She was born and raised in Hebbronville, Texas. She acquired a Bachelor's Degree in Elementary Education and a minor in Spanish, and began teaching in Point Isabel ISD. While teaching, she continued her education and obtained her Master's Degree in Counseling and Mid-Management Certification from Pan American University in Brownsville and her Superintendent's Certification from UTB. Mrs. Zamora served PIISD for 21 years in many capacities from teacher to high school principal. She also served Los Fresnos CISD for 11 years as a principal before retiring and working as an educational consultant. Conflicts of Disclosure

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