PRESIDIO — At last Wednesday’s meeting, the Presidio ISD School Board got much-needed facilities updates and brainstormed projects to make the district’s campuses more secure. To cap everything off, they decided to formally name the district’s volleyball field after local legend and school booster Daniel G. DeAnda — a dedication that’s been two years in the works.
The facilities updates came on the heels of a busy season of deliberating the district’s priorities for improvements and sending potential projects out for bids. Ruben Armendariz gave a presentation on a number of projects up for consideration, including new security lights at the high school and fencing for the middle school.
First up, Armendariz recommended upgrading security lights at the high school. He pointed out that the cost of LED lights had gone down, putting the district in a good position to replace existing lighting and add more where needed. “We’d like to get it done before graduation, if possible,” he said.
School board members agreed that lighting was important, especially because the high school campus is a hub for activity long after school is finished. Providing ample light for students leaving sporting events and club meet-ups to get to their vehicles safety was a major concern. “Lighting — for me — is a priority,” said Superintendent Ray Vasquez.
Armendariz also briefly discussed a longer-term project: shifting away from traditional landscaping at the high school campus and toward xeriscaping — in other words, planting native species to cut costs and make the campus easier to care for. The issue was brought to Armendariz’s attention by Ramon Rodriguez and Angelica Aguilar of the Presidio High chapter of the National Honors Society.
Beyond satisfying the students’ concerns, the switch made practical sense to the facilities crew. “There was a time where we tried to keep the grass really green, but it became a safety hazard,” said Armendariz — referring to wet sidewalks and pools of water that would gather after daily waterings.
The board also discussed pursuing grants to cover the costs of installing new fencing around the middle school, situated on the edge of town. “It’s wide open,” said Armendariz.
The concern about fencing came a few months after a series of “safety audits” carried out by the Texas School Safety Center, in which staff posing as intruders attempted to enter school buildings at random. Presidio ISD performed well in this year’s district audit, but school security has been top of mind for school officials over the past few years. “Our priority is always the kids,” said Vasquez.
Ending the meeting on a lighter note, the board discussed finishing a piece of business left unfinished since 2020: officially naming the district’s softball field after Daniel G. DeAnda, former board member and supporter of Presidio youth sports.
DeAnda was a graduate of Presidio High School in 1960 and was a champion for Presidio kids for the majority of his adult life. He was a school board member for 12 years and was instrumental in starting the Presidio Little League program — most notably, leading the scrappy small-town team to the state championship in 1983.
For years, the school board had wanted to name the field after DeAnda, but the pandemic threw a wrench in the plans. DeAnda passed away in February 2020, and widespread lockdowns due to COVID-19 began shortly thereafter.
Wednesday’s meetings put the field’s new moniker on the books. “We just never made it official to carry the name,” said Vasquez.