Divided leadership at Mercedes ISD faces challenges with facilities, finances
By the sound of it, students will be moving into facilities that seem blatantly inadequate and perhaps unsafe. What is clear is that over a year’s worth of turmoil at Mercedes ISD has come to a head. A WANDERING CAMPUSThe root of district leadership’s most recent controversy stems from where to put the Mercedes Early College Academy, or MECA. However, housing MECA students with Mercedes High students proved to be less than universally popular. Others supported the move: MECA students could take advantage of the district’s Career and Technical Education programs more readily because of it.
myrgv.comMercedes ISD Board approves to split schools at cost of $1.2M
In a split vote, the Mercedes school board opted Tuesday to move students from the Mercedes Early College Academy campus to its early education facilities next school year at a cost of at least $1.2 million, although many specifics have yet to be finalized.
myrgv.comEarly College campus’ relocation still a sore spot in Mercedes
The Mercedes ISD community is continuing to struggle with the future of its Mercedes Early College Academy, or MECA, after the school district moved students and staff from the institution from a separate facility onto the Mercedes High School campus last semester.
myrgv.comVoices of Houston: Meet Alice Valdez, a local musician providing art programming for underserved communities
HOUSTON – For some students in Houston, music, art, dance or theater programming may not always be available in school. Born in El Paso, Texas, Alice Valdez began her music career in elementary school. “My mother decided that all of us were going to play instruments," recalled Valdez, founder of MECA. All they had was maybe visual art and general music," said Valdez. For more than four decades, MECA has provided artistic programming, educational resources and services to underserved students and adults.