Mercedes ISD reports falling enrollment and staff counts; HR recommends rightsizing, cross-training

Mercedes Independent School District trustees heard March 18 that student enrollment and employee head count have fallen since 2019, and human resources laid out options to “rightsize” staffing and limit future hiring.

The human resources director, Miss Flores, told the Board of Trustees the district recorded “a total of 716 employees based on the count that we did March.” She said the district began the year budgeting for 724 employees and that attrition is expected to reduce head count further: “My last count was 697 going into next year.”

The presentation tied the staffing numbers to enrollment. Miss Flores said the district’s fall snapshot showed 4,208 students and a teacher count that yields a student‑teacher ratio of about 13.5 to 1, compared with the district’s earlier ratio of about 13.9 to 1. “If we follow that same trend, we will be 75 students down in enrollment next year,” she said. The presentation noted a net enrollment loss of 733 students since 2019–20.

Why it matters: state school funding and many staffing allocations are driven by average daily attendance and enrollment. The HR presentation warned the district remains above state and peer benchmarks for total employees and support staff in particular and recommended aligning staffing with projected student counts.

Details and proposals

Miss Flores and district leadership discussed three categories of options: adjusting staff‑to‑student ratios; cross‑training or combining roles and using part‑time positions; and expanding grant‑seeking and alternative funding. “One being rightsizing our staff to student ratios … using methods such as cross training and part time positions or combined roles,” Miss Flores said.

The district also flagged the role of federally funded positions in the totals: the presentation counted 87 full‑time employees paid from federal or competitive grants, with roughly $3.9 million in base salary paid for those roles. Garza, the district chief financial officer, and others noted that grant‑funded positions can create a mismatch between head count and locally funded obligations because those roles may end when grant funding expires.

Board and staff discussion emphasized minimizing classroom disruption. Dr. Clinton (district leader) told trustees that while some support and administrative roles may change, the district “does not project very many changes” among certified teachers assigned to their core subjects and grades. Trustees raised employee well‑being; one trustee pressed whether staff moved to new duties would be consulted about the change. Miss Flores said the district would notify and involve employees early in the process and look to fill vacancies internally when possible.

Clarifying details

- Head count: 716 employees (March snapshot); budgeted at 724 at start of year; district reports internal count of 697 projected going into next year. - Enrollment: 4,208 students (most recent fall snapshot); net decline of about 733 students since 2019–20. - Teacher counts cited: roughly 306 teachers (March snapshot) vs. peer benchmark of about 279. - Federally/competitively funded employees: 87 FTEs paid from federal/competitive grants (~$3.9 million in base salary).

What’s next: The HR director said staff moves already underway reduce head count and that the district will prioritize internal placements when possible. Trustees and staff said they will discuss specific position decisions in future workshops and that the district will use town halls and follow‑up meetings to explain changes to employees and families.

Ending: Presenters characterized this workshop as an early, preliminary view of staffing and said the board will receive updated data in future budget workshops as attrition, grant timelines and legislative changes become clearer.