The bond passed in 2017 by SISD voters allowed the district to bring in $448.5 million for the improvement of various facilities. The most notable of these is the reconstruction of Socorro High School. Other honorable mentions include the construction of a new Student Activities Center (SAC) and the construction of several so-called multi-purpose rooms at certain elementary schools meant to serve as auxiliary gyms and general assembly space at said campuses. While these and other improvements will undoubtedly benefit our students, it seems unfair to have all SISD taxpayers foot the bill for these projects when not all campuses will reap the benefits. As it was passed, there are campuses set to receive nothing from the bond. If SISD propses similar bonds in the future, a better approach would be to finalize a bond that benefits all campuses or proposing a penny swap.
The SISD non-discrimination statement presently reads:
"Socorro Independent School District does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, sex, national origin, age, disability, military status, genetic information, or any other basis prohibited by law in its employment practices or education services, activities, and programs, including career and technical education (vocational programs)."
Notably, protection from discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation is absent from the statement. While it does include discrimination based on "other basis prohibited by law", there is no law in place at the local, state, or federal level barring discrimination based on sexual orientation. The SISD non-discrimination statement should be amemended not only to include protection from discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, but the term "gender" should be changed to "gender identity".
Civic engagement is the lifeblood of our democracy. We must therefor encourage the next generation of voters to participate in the process. One if the best ways this can be achieved is by offering a broader variety of civics classes to students. The voices of tomorrow should know how to interact with their elected officials at all levels of government. While some core subject courses already touch on these issues, these can be further addressed in elective courses to produce more well-rounded students. Another way to increase civic engagement is to host a greater number of voter registration drives at high school campuses and with greater frequency.