Riviera ISD’s District Site-Based Decision Making committee would like community input into the direction for the future of the school district.

The DSBDM committee is made up of administrators, teachers, parents and community members.

In order to develop a strategic plan for the district’s future, more community input is desired. A two phase approach has been adopted.

In June an online survey was created as a way of giving a voice to as many parents and community members as possible.

The preliminary results of the survey indicate there is a need for better communication between the school and the community.

For example, Riviera ISD offers a Health Science Technology program. This program has been in place for two years and has given students the opportunity to become Certified Nurse Assistants (CNAs) prior to graduation. The survey revealed that the community was uninformed about this program as well as the mock hospital room located within the high school, which is used for the classroom instruction for Health Science Technology.

A new addition to Riviera ISD will be a mock pharmacy to prepare students for the pharmacy tech certification. Coming this fall, a phlebotomy class will be added and in the spring an EMT certification will be added as well.

In addition to realizing the need to get the word out about Riviera’s Health Science Technology program, it was also discovered that many people completing the survey did not know Riviera ISD has students earning Microsoft Office certificates, state floral certificates, and food handlers certificates.

This fall our vet tech assistance program will be fully implemented as well. Riviera continues to add certificate programs to ensure students are workforce ready as well as give them a jump start on degrees in nursing or even professional medical degrees or veterinarian degrees.

Besides getting students ready to enter the workforce, Riviera schools has increased the rigor of the Advanced Placement (AP) program.

The Pre AP and AP programs now require a summer project.

These projects are meant to challenge students and help them learn how to manage their time as well as encourage them to “think outside of the box” as they work through their projects independently.

The goal to strengthen the AP program is to increase the success rate of the AP exams and help students earn college credit while still in high school.

In addition to college credit through the AP program, students at Riviera are offered the opportunity to take college classes at Coastal Bend College their junior and senior year.

Riviera ISD pays for the tuition and book expense for these classes, ensuring all students have equal access to a college education.

The online survey was the first part of garnering community and parent input.

The results provided invaluable information that will help the committee determine what the community would like for their public school.

The next step in the process is to offer a forum for two way communication, which will come in the form of focus groups.

The focus groups will be facilitated by board members and will cover the areas of: finance, long term facility planning, college and workforce readiness, communication, and safety.

These focus groups will create standing committees which will allow Riviera board members and staff to work together with the community for the future of Riviera schools.

This Focus Group meeting will be held from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 17 in the Margery Malin Library.

ƒƒ Riviera parents, community members, and business people

with an interest in the future of the Riviera schools can particpate by signing up for the Focus group by Aug. 13 by contacting Kathy Alvarez at 296-3607 Ext. 1322 or by email at: kalvarez@ rivieraisd.esc2.net.

Each focus group will be limited to 10 community members and/or parents.

Limits are being placed on the size of the group to ensure everyone has an opportunity for input.

Those not directly participating in the focus groups will still be able to attend a meeting as an audience member.