PSJA President: Our MOU with the City of Pharr is already paying big dividends

WESLACO, Texas - Cynthia A. Gutierrez, president of Pharr-San Juan-Alamo, says students are leaving nearing school districts to join PSJA because of blazing fast internet speeds.PSJA has 5G thanks to an agreement with the City of Pharr. It is currently being offered for free to Pharr students. Before long, Gutierrez hopes, the service will be available to students from San Juan and Alamo also.“We're using it as a recruiting tool because a lot of people are calling and leaving other districts, neighboring districts, the independent ones that I will not name,” Gutierrez said.“They're coming to our district and signing up. So at the end of May, we had 1,500 students sign up to either come back or leave other districts for our district.”Gutierrez gave the Rio Grande Guardian International News Service an exclusive interview at a recent Texas Broadband Development Office/Connect Texas stakeholders meeting. The meeting was held at the offices of the Lower Rio Grande Valley Development Council in Weslaco.Asked what the parents of Pharr students think about the new blazing fast broadband service, Gutierrez said:“The parents were very excited because, one, PJSA is an underserved, economically disadvantaged. They're excited because they're not having to pay for it. Second, they're excited that the district is taking the initiative to provide it. I think at the end of the day it is one of the best selling points for this, that our school district cares for our students enough to do the research and to start this partnership and work with the City of Pharr.”Go to www.riograndeguardian.com to read the latest border news stories and watch the latest news videos.