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Weslaco ISD staff outline conservative budget changes and $13M adjustment needed to align projections
Summary
District finance staff told trustees conservative FY2025–26 projections and lag claims require an April budget amendment; a net adjustment of roughly $13 million was flagged and staff outlined options including salary savings from attrition, bond reimbursements and program reductions.
District finance staff presented preliminary fiscal status and options in a follow‑up budget workshop after the benefits presentations, telling trustees the district must reconcile conservative revenue estimates with year‑to‑date spending.
Staff said FY2025 actual revenues were roughly $182 million and conservative projections for FY2026 sit near $180 million. Current projected year‑end expenses — including payroll, utilities, contracts and other non‑discretionary items — stand near $194 million. District staff estimated the amendment needed to align conservative projections would be on the order of $13 million (a combination of revenue updates, expense reductions and reimbursements) and asked trustees to consider a mix of measures rather than one single fix.
Key numbers discussed included a projected payroll outturn of about $161 million (not including TRS on‑behalf amounts). Staff said anticipated retirements and attrition are already expected to yield about $2.5 million in salary savings that have been modeled for next year. On capital accounts, staff said approximately $19 million of previously paid projects may qualify for bond‑proceeds reimbursement and that about $6.5 million in project savings have been identified on completed Proposition A projects; bond counsel and financial advisers are involved in compliance and arbitrage review.
Trustees and staff also reviewed enrollment and ADA assumptions used for state funding projections. Staff said fall snapshot scenarios produced an ADA range; the template used a refined ADA near 13,989, while board members noted current early registration counts are higher (staff reported about 60% pre‑registration in the first wave and some elementary schools nearing full registration). Staff and trustees agreed to budget conservatively but continue enrollment outreach.
Staff committed to bringing an April amendment to the board that adjusts templates to conservative revenue and expense assumptions and to providing more granular salary and staffing breakout information at the next workshop. No tax increase was proposed.
Trustees urged faster distribution of detailed salary impact sheets and earlier scheduling of any decisions tied to contract renewals, saying June would be late for many procurement and staffing choices.
