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Superintendent details funding gap, insurance increases and district response to swatting and attendance concerns
Summary
Superintendent Dr. Hernandez outlined funding shortfalls tied to the unchanged basic allotment, rising insurance and utility costs, local funding gaps for police and special education, and described the district’s response to swatting incidents and attendance outreach.
Superintendent Dr. Hernandez told the Edgewood ISD Board that the district faces budget pressure from an unchanged state basic allotment, rising insurance and utility costs, and unfunded mandates. He described specific funding gaps and the district’s steps on attendance and safety.
Dr. Hernandez said the state basic allotment remains $6,160 per student, a figure he said has not changed since 2019. He described a local $2.5 million funding gap related to police officers and noted a statewide shortfall of roughly $2 billion for special education funding, remarks he presented as part of the district’s budget planning ahead of a proposed budget adoption in June.
The superintendent showed a district insurance example: annual coverage that cost roughly $650,000 in 2021 had risen to about $1,120,000 in 2025, accompanied by higher deductibles and reduced coverage. He cited inflationary pressures, higher fuel costs, and increased compensation as contributors to the budget strain.
On safety, Dr. Hernandez described the district’s handling of recent “swatting” and online threats. He said the district works with local law enforcement, that juvenile discipline can include DAEP placements or referrals to the juvenile justice alternative education program (JJEP), and that when suspects are minors the district pursues filing with law enforcement or, when required, against parents. “We will prosecute you to the full extent of the law,” Dr. Hernandez said, referring to individuals who make false threats that endanger students.
Dr. Hernandez also described attendance outreach, including lunches with students to stress that attendance drives state funding. He said the district will hold budget town halls and solicited staff and community input via a QR code on slides. He closed by noting summer-program planning and that the district is exploring nonprofit partnerships to expand summer offerings.
