Pharr‑San Juan‑Alamo ISD board approves self‑insurance fund; reviews policy updates and investment report

The Pharr‑San Juan‑Alamo Independent School District board of trustees on May 12 adopted a resolution to create a property casualty self‑insurance fund and reviewed recommended legal updates to local policies while receiving its quarterly investment report.

Board members approved the self‑insurance resolution after hearing district finance staff outline a rapidly rising commercial insurance market. Assistant Superintendent for Finance Miss Gonzales said the district paid about $1,000,000 for property insurance in 2018, that premiums rose to $6,900,000 in 2024 and were about $6,100,000 in 2025. "We are recommending that the district go self funded for property insurance because the red line is our recovery," Miss Gonzales said, describing years when the district paid premiums but received no recovery and long delays when claims were reimbursed.

The board recorded a motion to create the fund; the motion was made by Mr. Rodriguez and seconded by Miss Quintanilla, and the board approved the resolution by voice vote. Trustees and staff said the district will place reserve funds in a dedicated account and use those reserves for major repairs after board approval. "It's gonna be exclusively. It'll be in a reserve, and it'll be sectioned off where we cannot use it," Miss Gonzales said, adding that administration cannot access the reserve without board approval. Trustees were told the board can later decide to resume purchasing commercial insurance if conditions change.

Separately, Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources Doctor Garza presented proposed updates to local policies compiled from TASB legal updates. Garza said nine local policies were affected and that the packet provided to trustees showed proposed deletions in red and additions in blue. The changes cited in the presentation included policy codes and topics referenced in the meeting packet: CIA (fiscal management), CDA (other revenues and investment), CFC (accounting/audits), CY (intellectual property), DH (employee standards of conduct), EHB and EHBB (curriculum/special programs, including gifted and talented and dyslexia alignment), FFG (reporting child abuse and neglect) and GKA (community relations and conduct on school premises). Garza summarized that some revisions align district policy with updates to the Texas Education Code, the dyslexia handbook and the State Board of Education's updates to gifted and talented rules.

Trustees asked clarifying questions during the presentation. A board member asked when the changes would become official; Garza and staff said if the board approves the updates, TASB will publish finalized language and the local policy will show the board's approval date. Several trustees also asked whether an anonymous reporting system exists for reporting misconduct; Garza said the district maintains a reporting mechanism and that anonymous submissions were possible. The board indicated it would take action on the policy updates after the scheduled executive session.

The board received a quarterly investment report from David McEwen of The Meter Group, the district's investment advisor. McEwen reported that for the quarter ending Feb. 28 the district's portfolio totaled just over $145,100,000 with a weighted average yield near 3.87% and that about 1% of the portfolio was held in cash. He reported investment income for the period of roughly $1,400,000 and projected FY investment earnings in the $5.0 million to $5.5 million range if current conditions persist. McEwen told trustees that, given expectations for future Federal Reserve rate cuts, the firm recommends identifying district funds not needed in the next 12–36 months and placing portions into 2– to 3‑year maturities to lock in higher yields.

The board approved several formal actions during the open session. Under the consent agenda trustees approved listed consent items by voice vote. Later, trustees approved Human Resources recommendations to issue one‑year contracts for professional personnel; a motion to approve this item was seconded by Miss Baron and carried by voice vote. Legal counsel advised no action on specific legal items b, c and d, which the board left unchanged, and recommended approval of a litigation matter discussed in executive session under item 11a; the board approved the counsel's recommendation (motion seconded by Miss Castillo). The investment report was informational and required no board action.

The board adjourned after completing the agenda.

Notes on scope and limitations: the article summarizes topics discussed and actions taken during the May 12 board meeting of Pharr‑San Juan‑Alamo ISD. It does not report student recognition details included elsewhere in the meeting because those items were ceremonial recognitions rather than governance decisions. Where the transcript did not name a mover or recorded individual votes, the article reports the outcome as stated in open session (voice vote or "all in favor"), and records named movers/seconders only when they were announced on the record.