Two compete for Mission CISD Place 6 trustee
Two Missionites with deep roots in the community go head-to-head for a seat on the Mission CISD school board — Anthony Longoria and Victor O’Caña.
Longtime trustee Petra Ramirez decided against running for a fourth term, leaving space for a newcomer to take over Place 6 for the first time since 2014.
ANTHONY LONGORIA
Anthony Longoria
The realtor and brokerage owner is an active member of the community. He serves on the board for Communities in Schools (CIS) of Hidalgo County, he is vice president of Leadership Mission and is a former member of the Go Mission Foundation and Leadership McAllen.
With CIS of Hidalgo County, Longoria helps underserved kids across 22 campuses, focusing on keeping them in school and graduating. Through the Leadership Mission organization, he has worked on beautification initiatives throughout the city.
Longoria’s term with Leadership Mission comes to a close at the end of May, and he wants to use his extra time to turn his attention to the school district.
Although he doesn’t have any children attending MCISD, it doesn’t deter him from wanting to be of service to his community.
“Right now, I’m already serving 22 different campuses and nearly 4,000 kids and I don’t have a child at any of those campuses either. But when I really say that I care and that I want to make a difference, I step up and do it,” he said. “I ask people, don’t judge me on my promises, judge me on my resume, judge me on the work that I’ve already done.”
In addition to his nonprofit work, Longoria has experience managing multi-million dollar companies, which he believes would be beneficial when dealing with the district’s budget.
“We have to be conscious of how money is spent and, at the same time, provide as much opportunity for as many people as possible,” the Place 6 candidate said. “So when dealing large amounts of money like that, I think you better have experience in that if you plan on being on the school board.”
Longoria was a military kid who traveled a lot while growing up. So, even though he didn’t get to stay in Mission full-time, it was always home.
His grandpa was the owner of the now-closed MCM Sporting Goods. He has memories of getting his haircut at Justo’s Barber Shop when he was 3 years old. He recalled the summer nights at his grandparents’ house and hearing the train pass through the nearby tracks in the middle of the night.
After Longoria graduated from college, he decided Mission was where he wanted to be, and he’s proud to be part of the community.
“I chose to be here because I love this city and it’s where I’ve always wanted to stay,” he said. “I would never deface my name, my family’s name in this community for a dollar. I think we need to make sure that we don’t have any black eyes in our school district and our leaders are true leaders with the right intentions.”
VICTOR O’CAñA
Victor O’Caña
O’Caña is a business owner who wants to take on the responsibility of being the voice of the people.
The Place 6 candidate said he’s heard from friends and family in the district that they need an independent representative looking out for them, and he’s ready to step into that role. And with two daughters at Waitz Elementary, O’Caña has a vested interest in the school district’s success.
“I’m basically a vessel for hearing the concerns and everything from the schools because a lot of times, teachers or anybody feel that their worries or their concerns fall on deaf ears. And that’s not what I want to be,” O’Caña said. “I want to be an individual that hears them and can bring it to life.”
The Missionite is also a parent volunteer at Waitz. Throughout the year, the group works to help their campus students and families in need. Whether they’re providing food during the holidays or seasonal clothes for the kids, the Waitz community tries to take care of one another — a spirit that O’Caña wants to bring to the school board.
If elected, the Place 6 candidate hopes to mend his community’s disconnect with the trustees by having open lines of communication and being available for those who need a listening ear.
“I want to make more of a connection with the community so they can feel that they’re not alone, and we’re actually hearing them, we’re actually hearing their concerns and not just brushing them aside,” he said. “You gotta be comfortable being uncomfortable. If they’re visibly upset, you can’t run away from them. You have to hear them out and let them speak their mind and let them talk to you.”
He continued.
“I want people to know that I’m one of them,” O’Caña said. “I’m hearing everything, and I’m trying to make a difference, and I want to make a difference. And if they’re willing to trust me with their vote, I will do everything in my power to make a difference for them because I know where they’re coming from.”
Mission CISD Place 1, Place 6 and Place 7 are up for election. Early voting begins April 20 and runs until April 28. Polling locations will close April 21 and April 26. Election Day is May 2.
