WESLACO ISD projects $13M year‑end deficit; trustees press for transparency on prior budgets and staffing
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Summary
At a March 30 budget workshop district staff reported a projected $13 million deficit for 2025–26, citing lower TEA allotments and enrollment declines; trustees questioned past revenue assumptions, rolled‑over salary costs and requested detailed backup, amendments and options for 2026–27.
WESLACO ISD district staff told trustees at a March 30 workshop that updated allotment and enrollment figures now point to a projected $13 million deficit for fiscal year 2025–26 and that the district must amend the adopted budget before year end.
Didi Rodriguez, who led the budget presentation, said the district originally adopted a general fund budget with about $196 million in revenues and matching expenses but that TEA’s revised summary of finance and current PEIMS data show revenues nearer $180 million and projected expenditures of roughly $193 million, producing a year‑end deficit of about $13 million. "We're looking at a 193,000,000 in expenditures projected out by the end of the year, giving us a projected deficit of 13,000,000 at the end of the year," Rodriguez said.
Board members asked how the gap emerged. Trustees and consultants pointed to two main drivers in the workshop discussion: (1) updated state allotments and a reweighted census block/tier system that reduced projected state comp funding, and (2) personnel and salary items that trustees say were not fully reflected in earlier presentations. One trustee said the district had given stipends and raises after telling the board the budget had no negatives; "We said we had no negatives. We had no issues... and then we gave millions of stipends away to staff," the trustee said, and asked administration to produce documentation showing how salaries and other recurring costs were calculated in the adopted budget.
Enrollment and ADA: Administrators reported a drop of about 319 students year‑over‑year and said the district would amend average daily attendance (ADA) assumptions downward (presenter cited a conservative ADA planning number of 14,280) for the coming fiscal year when the TEA data are finalized. Staff warned that ADA and the TEA allotment updates can materially change available revenue and that the district will present budget amendments at the April board meeting once TEA numbers are finalized.
Link to insurance: budget staff distinguished the February/March insurance presentations from the general fund deficit by saying the previously discussed insurance worst‑case of $5–7 million is not included in the $13 million projection; current health‑claim trends were described by staff as nearer a $4.1 million increase based on the latest projections, but staff said 5–7 million would be a worst‑case scenario.
Options and next steps: Trustees requested multiple follow‑up items: (1) the original backup templates and the committee slide decks used to develop the adopted budget, (2) a clearer monthly fund balance and health‑insurance report for trustees to monitor expenditures in real time, and (3) a set of graded options showing the fiscal impact of potential actions (from the least to most severe) to close gaps in 2026–27. Administration offered a schedule of additional workshops (tentatively April 13 and further sessions before May) and said it will present budget amendments in April based on finalized TEA data.
No formal budget votes were taken at the workshop, which is informational only; the board must adopt its 2026–27 budget by June 30, 2026.
