A rural Rio Grande Valley school has continuously performed below the state average on the reading portion of the State Assessment of Academic Readiness. One of the concerns expressed amongst teachers and staff is the student’s lack of desire to read for pleasure or for academic purposes. This study examines the attitudes of students and staff in towards reading by focusing on the school’s reading culture. A mixed methods approach consisting of interviews, participant observation, a focus group, and a survey was employed in this study. The study found that the teachers and students maintained two polarizing perceptions of their reading culture. Based on these findings the following recommendations were made: create a literature-centered curriculum, increase and vary the selection of school library books, and align teachers’ perception with the students’ perception to create a unified reading culture.

Report examining the brackish groundwater in the Gulf Coast Aquifer with the goal of desalinating the water for public use.

Interview with Rogelio Nuñez, executive director of legal defense and advocacy organization Proyecto Libertad from Harlingen, Texas. In the interview, Nuñez discusses his early life and education, Chicano activism, and Proyecto Libertad.

"The report reviews the management and performance of the Santa Maria Independent School District's (SMISD) education, financial, and operational functions."