LOCAL MEDIA RECOGNIZED — Pictured from left are KISD School Board President Larry E. Garza, KISD Chief Academic Officer Jennifer Kent, Media Honor Roll recipients Gloria Bigger-Cantu, Benito ‘Benny’ Guerra, and John Garza, KISD Superintendent Emilio Castro. Not pictured is Kingsville Record Editor Bob Odom. (Photo by Juan Diego Vazquez-Cruz) Gloria Bigger-Cantu and Bob Odom of the Kingsville Record and Bishop News and Benny Guerra and John Garza of KING Channel 69 TV station were named to the Media Honor Roll, a program sponsored by the Texas Association of School Boards (TASB), by Kingsville Impendent School District recently.

The Media Honor Roll recognizes media representatives statewide who deserve recognition for fair and balanced reporting of news about public schools. Media representatives from more than 450 Texas newspapers and radio and television stations were honored by their local school districts.

Criteria for the district selection included the media representative’s efforts to get to know the superintendent, board president, and the district’s mission and goals; report school news in a fair, accurate, and balanced manner; give a high profile to positive news about schools; visit the schools; and maintain a policy of no surprises by sharing information with school officials.

“Districts across Texas appreciate these reporters for their balanced and accurate approach to sharing both the challenges facing our schools and the successes achieved by local teachers, students, and school boards. Their work aids local communities in focusing on the goal of providing the best public schools we can for every child,” said Sarah Winkler, TASB president.

In most cases, local school boards passed a formal resolution and presented a personalized certificate to their nominated news media.

TASB is a nonprofit organization established in 1949 to serve local Texas school districts.

School board members are the largest group of publicly elected officials in the state. The districts they represent serve more than 4.7 million public school students.