Eagle Pass students and parents hold Public Rally in support of former Eagle Pass High School Principal Vale Moreno at San Juan Plaza

By: Ricardo E. Calderon, Eagle Pass Business Journal, Inc., Copyright 2016

Over 300 Eagle Pass students and parents held a public rally in support of former Eagle Pass High School Principal Vale Moreno at historic San Juan Plaza on Sunday, January 24, 2016, honoring Moreno for the many positive contributions he made at Eagle Pass High School during his tenure as Principal including recognition as one of the top 100 public high schools in the United States by U.S. News & World Report.

The public rally was organized by students and parents who had not had the opportunity to personally express their gratitude and support to Principal Vale Moreno during the tumultuous past four weeks which resulted in Eagle Pass Independent School District Superintendent Gilberto Gonzalez reassigning Moreno from Eagle Pass High School to Ray Darr Elementary and the EPISD Board of Trustees hiring a new principal at Eagle Pass High School, John Cox.

Students from both Eagle Pass High School and C. C. Winn High School participated and expressed their gratitude and support to Moreno for positively affecting their education and lives.  Originally, Moreno was not scheduled to attend the rally but students demanded and requested to see him to personally thank him for all of his positive contributions to them and the community.  Vale Moreno acceded to the students request and arrived at the public rally with his lovely wife, Karla T. Moreno, and together proceeded to personally  thank each and every student and parent present at the rally in an emotional and passionate walk through the plaza.

Eagle Pass native and higher education leader, Dr. Claudia Rodriguez-Wright  served as Mistress of Ceremony of the public rally at San Juan Plaza.  Dr. Rodriguez-Wright welcomed everyone present and thanked Principal Vale Moreno for his extraordinary contributions at Eagle Pass High School during his tenure.

Several students also spoke thanking Moreno for helping them and making a positive difference in their education and lives while at Eagle Pass High School.  The students presented a giant post card to Moreno with their personal signatures acknowledging Eagle Pass High School’s accomplishments during his tenure as Principal.

Local public officials also thanked Moreno for his important contributions to Eagle Pass High School and wished him the best in his new school, Ray Darr Elementary, including Maverick County Judge David R. Saucedo, Eagle Pass Mayor Ramsey English Cantu, and EPISD Trustee Ignacio Saucedo.

Ray Darr Elementary faculty and staff were also present at the public rally to welcome Moreno to their elementary school.

Vale Moreno thanked everyone present at the public rally and for their love and support demonstrated towards him and his family during the past month.  Moreno stated he enjoyed working at Eagle Pass High School and now looks forward to working at Ray Darr Elementary.  He noted he has already begun meeting with Ray Darr Elementary administration, faculty, and staff to develop their grade level planning.  Moreno noted that as Principal he did not condone students violating the student code, but that he was deeply impressed by the students commitment, love, and support towards him and his family.  He thanked them for their support.  He noted that the students’ actions “speaks volumes.”

Moreno stated that when he began his journey as an educator 24 years ago, he never imagined becoming a Principal.  He noted that he looked forward to and enjoyed going to work every day at Eagle Pass High School during the past 16 years and now at Ray Darr Elementary.  He said Eagle Pass students are “incredible and amazing and steal your hearts.”  He noted Eagle Pass High School has earned national recognition during recent years unseen by surrounding area high schools as well as other Laredo high schools within the district.  Moreno stated that “Words cannot express my gratitude for the students and parents support.”

Karla T. Moreno also spoke and thanked everyone in the community for their love, prayers, and support.  She noted that when she and her husband saw videos of the students march they were surprised at the love and support demonstrated towards them.  She noted students were passionate and following their “heart strings.”  She thanked the students, parents, and community for their love, peace, joy, and support.

Following the speeches, Vale and Karla T. Moreno and family mingled with the audience to personally thank them for their passion, love, and support.  Students and parents also personally expressed their gratitude and support to Vale and Karla T. Moreno and their family.  The public rally was a very moving and emotional public event previously unseen in Eagle Pass.