San Felipe-Del Rio CISD trustees to publish proposed 2026–27 budget; administration recommends two $500 stipends instead of permanent raises

SAN FELIPE‑DEL RIO CISD — At a June 8 budget workshop, San Felipe‑Del Rio Consolidated Independent School District trustees reviewed a proposed 2026–27 zero‑based budget that administration said shows an approximately $2.7 million shortfall and agreed to publish the proposal for a June 25 public hearing.

Administration presented an interactive workbook of board recommendations and said the demonstration model using a 3% general pay increase would add $2,611,324 to the current budget. Presenter Amy Childress told the board she had combined trustees’ interactive workbook selections and described personnel and operations adjustments that together produced listed savings and expense changes.

“The 3% increase in the demonstration would be an additional cost of $2,611,324,” Childress said, and she summarized targeted savings that included reducing campus library book funding from $6 to $3 per student (saving $29,538), cutting student drug testing from 550 to 250 students (saving $47,185) and other reductions totaling $174,047 in the presented scenario. Childress also said administration increased projected interest earnings from $1,000,000 to $1,250,000 and listed proposed revenue of $17,720,616.

Trustee Dr. Rios framed the core question for the board: why the district moved from a balanced budget last year to a projected deficit this year. “We gave the maximum raise we could last year,” Dr. Rios said, and he and staff pointed to declining student enrollment (reducing revenue by roughly $500,000) and higher fuel and repair costs (about $200,000–$250,000) as major causes.

Faced with that shortfall and an $8 million approximate fund balance, administration proposed not recommending a permanent general pay increase. Instead, the superintendent’s office recommended issuing two one‑time stipends of $500 to every employee — one check on Sept. 1 and another on Jan. 15 — with the district covering payroll taxes. “It wouldn’t be quite as much as the cost of a raise, but for employees it would be about the same because they wouldn't be paying taxes on it,” the presenter said.

A district staff member, identified in the workshop as Mr. Childers, explained state House Bill 2 teacher retention allotment requirements and said the district must account for mandated increases for certain teachers. “We have about 58 teachers that either got the $2,500 last year or are moving to the five‑plus step and must be made whole,” Childers said, noting that the allotment is a state mandate and that the district had received targeted funding for those raises.

Several trustees urged caution about drawing down fund balance to cover recurring costs, citing insurance uncertainties. Trustee Emilio Galindo said the board should avoid repeating staffing cuts made in 2024 that affected librarians, art and music teachers. “We don't want to go back down that road of having to reshuffle librarians, art teachers, music,” Galindo said.

On a procedural note, staff told the board the proposed budget notice would be published in the newspaper that weekend and posted on the district website by the end of the week. The board agreed by consensus to publish the zero‑based proposed budget for a public hearing and potential adoption on June 25; administration said further amendments would return to the board later if stipends or health‑insurance funding decisions require changes.

No final budget adoption vote occurred at the workshop. The meeting closed after routine business; Trustee Emilio Galindo moved to adjourn and Trustee Amy Haynes seconded. The motion carried unanimously and the workshop adjourned at 6:15 p.m.

What happens next: the district will publish the proposed budget and hold a public hearing June 25, when trustees may adopt the budget or make amendments.