SMCISD board approves creation of youth services position

The San Marcos Consolidated ISD Board of Trustees approved a youth services position during its Monday meeting. 

The position is a collaboration between the school district, the City of San Marcos, Hays County and Texas State University. The position arises out of the city’s youth master plan.

“The purpose of this position is to try to implement the youth master plan that was adopted in 2013,” said Drew Wells, City of San Marcos director of parks and recreation. “The four entities (the city, the school district, the county and Texas State) have gotten together and see a need and a desire to create a position that will be focused on implementing the different components and aspects of our master plan.” 

The Youth Master Plan “leverages the ideas, resources and commitments of a community to improve conditions and outcomes for children and youth. The youth master plan brings together leaders from all sectors — including government, business, education, nonprofits, neighborhoods and families — to work together to ensure that all young people thrive and reach adulthood ready for college, work and life.”

The youth coordinator position will be contracted through Community Action — a not-for-profit organization in San Marcos that has been operating since 1965. Wells said the city will contract the position and a memorandum of agreement would be created between the four entities involved, which would establish how the position would be funded and what actions Community Action would enact. Wells added that Community Action would be responsible for filling the position and they would be an employee of theirs. 

Trustee Anne Halsey said the first two initiatives the youth coordinator would be responsible for is a community wide mentorship program and to bring forward a community wide mental health initiative for youth. 

“I know that we have started in the high school with Gear Up — a mentorship program — but it’s trying to do that more expansively throughout the community so it goes beyond the Gear Up cohort,” Halsey said. 

“Again, we have a lot of resources within the district,” Halsey said of creating a mental health initiative. “But tying those into something that is more broad based across the community and more encompassing of businesses and parents and first responders and sort of bring everybody together to ensure that we are doing all that we can to provide for the positive mental health of our kids.” 

The board approved a motion to approve the Youth Service Position not to exceed $20,000 per year for 2 years by a 6-1 vote. 

In other business, the board approved the ranking of offerors that submitted proposals for the SMCISD De Zavala Elementary renovations and additions project and delegation of authority to the Superintendent or his designee to negotiate a contract with the top-ranked offeror for consideration and action by the board of trustees at the January board meeting. 

Following executive session, the trustees approved a motion to direct the superintendent to come up with a plan to dispose of surplus metal and move forward with the plan if it is a financial benefit to the school district. The board denied a request to rescind a submitted and accepted resignation by Carolyn Rocha. 

The next school board meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, Jan. 21 at 6 p.m. at San Marcos High School — 2601 Rattler Rd. — inside the Criminal Justice Classroom.