Uvalde trustees hear heated discussion over pre-K eligibility, students urge reinstatement of college adviser

UVALDE, Texas — The Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District board of trustees spent major meeting time debating how to fund and register prekindergarten students after administrators disclosed the district had not been collecting required state enrollment/eligibility documentation for years, a gap that officials said has cost the district money.

The discussion, which included public comments by high school students urging the board not to dismiss Uvalde High School college adviser Michelle Torres, focused on whether the district should (1) institute a sliding-scale tuition for families whose children do not meet state pre-K eligibility criteria or (2) continue universal, open enrollment while improving data collection to recoup state allotments.

Why it matters: District leaders said accurate PEIMS and eligibility data could bring millions in state funding the district has missed. Parents, students and teachers said making pre-K contingent on tuition or perceived qualification risks reducing enrollment, losing staff positions and sending a signal that may push families toward private or out-of-district options.

Superintendent Colas told the board the district discovered it has not been coding pre-K…