During a special called meeting on May 17, the Stafford MSD Board of Trustees voted 4-2 to shrink the districtâs staff by terminating Early Childhood Center assistant principal Ciji Lange and Chief Innovations Officer Marva Rasberry.Â
Board President Christopher Caldwell made the motion to not renew the contracts of Lange and Rasberry, which was supported by Manuel Hinojosa, Greg Holsapple and Ash Hamirani. Alicia Lacy-Castille and Jacquelyn Jean-Baptiste voted against the motion. Â
The newest SMSD board member, Dawn Reichling, abstained from the vote.Â
Lange and Rasberry could not be reached for comment.Â
According to a news release from SMSD spokesperson Gracie Martinez, the district has experienced a decrease in enrollment of 300 students since the 2019-20 school year and the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Martinez said the contracts for Lange and Rasberry are set to expire at the end of the current school year in June.
How will Stafford balance its budget and attract new businesses to bolster its economy and revitalize key retail spaces? How will Stafford Municipal School District work to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic and fill in educational gaps for students who have fallen behind?Â
Candidates for SMSDâs Board of Trustees and Stafford City Council addressed those topics and more during a debate hosted by the Fort Bend Chamber of Commerce last Thursday at the Stafford Civic Center.
The candidates for SMSD Board of Trustees Position 1 seat are Darren Keith Blakemore, Clint Mendonca, Edward E. Rector, Dawn Reichling, and Suzette Thompson. Blakemore did not participate in the forum.Â
Stafford political candidates take stage in forum fortbendstar.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from fortbendstar.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.