CONGRESSMAN RUBÉN HINOJOSA ANNOUNCES FEDERAL GRANT FOR MORE THAN $700,000 AWARDED TO THE MCALLEN INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT

(Funds will be used for Physical Education and Health Instructional Services)

Congressman Rubén Hinojosa (D-TX-15) announced a federal grant of $715,495.00 was awarded to the McAllen Independent School District by the United States Department of Education. The funding will be used for physical education and health instructional services over a 3 year period.

"So many students will benefit from this program that is focused on keeping our children physically active and nutritionally aware," said U.S. Rep. Hinojosa. "I congratulate the educators involved in this program for working to receive this award but more importantly for concentrating their efforts on keeping our students up to Texas State standards when it comes to their health and wellbeing."

Mario Reyna, Coordinator for Health/ Physical Education and After School Enrichment Program at McAllen I.S.D. says the first phase for this new program will involve hiring new employees, staff development, creating monitoring system to gather District data. The City of  McAllen offered a letter of support for the program that will benefit thousands of students each year.

The McAllen I.S.D. along with Texas VALLEY (Valuing Activity with Lifestyle Lessons to Encourage Youth) will enable a series of much-needed changes within the K-12 physical education program. This partnership will focus on providing the means to turn around the less effective programs already in place in an effort to create a new obesity prevention model.

The grant funding is specifically meant to accomplish several things;

1. Dramatically increase the percentage of K-12 students meeting the Texas State standards.

2. Implement a more focused physical activity, nutrition, and health program.

3. Implement a data system to track and monitor student success and attainment.

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