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Laredo ISD to reduce consultant reliance; push to expand dean roles as ESSER-funded programs wind down
Summary
District leaders and trustees discussed consultant renewals, the role of instructional deans and how the district will shift support from external consultants to in-district deans as ESSER funding declines.
At the Aug. 7 Business & Support Committee meeting, staff outlined a planned reduction in consultant spending and described a strategic shift to strengthen the district’s deans and campus-based instructional specialists.
Mister Garcia and other curriculum leaders described the deans’ responsibilities—curriculum review, lesson modeling, and acting as content specialists who mentor and coach teachers across multiple campuses. Garcia said a single dean may currently support 60–80 teachers and that the district needs more deans to maintain intensive, campus-level coaching. “We need more deans, actually, to be honest with you, but that’s what we have,” he said.
Consultants’ role and reduction plans: District staff said consultants historically filled gaps during ESSER-funded expansions and that several consultant contracts are being renewed only to allow on-demand purchase orders if the need arises. Garcia said the district reduced consultant funding from about $100,000 to $70,000 and is aiming to stay under $56,000, relying more on deans to be “trainer of trainers.” He explained that consultants provide up-to-date best practices and region-specific strategies but that the district is intentionally minimizing those costs as federal ESSER funding tapers.
Why it matters: The move affects how instructional support is delivered across campuses. Trustees asked whether consultants directly observe individual teachers; staff clarified that consultants mostly provide training and that deans and campus administrators provide ongoing classroom coaching and evaluation. Trustees also asked about the balance between consultants, deans and campus instructional specialists; staff said the consultant model includes both district-level training and select campus follow-up, while deans provide daily, in-person supports.
Funding and oversight: Staff noted consultant and dean activities are funded from combined sources, often a mix of general operating and federal funds. The procurement agenda reflects a renewal of consultant pools with purchase orders to be issued only as needed.
Ending: The committee advanced a procurement recommendation for consultant renewals with the caveat that purchase orders are issued only when necessary and that the district will continue to increase the deans’ role in instructional improvement.
