Weslaco ISD trustees approve $1,000 one‑time stipend for full‑time employees

WESLACO, Texas — The Weslaco Independent School District board voted to approve a one‑time $1,000 stipend for all full‑time district employees to be paid in fall 2026.

Deborah Rodriguez, who presented the district's interim, unaudited financials, told trustees the payout would cost about $2.5 million and would be covered from the district's fund balance. "We are not broke. We do have money," Rodriguez said, presenting a projected fund balance figure of roughly $66,400,000 in preliminary numbers.

Board members debated timing and funding mechanics. One trustee asked whether the payout could be distributed as a flat $1,000 after taxes so employees receive the full amount. Rodriguez and other administrators said payroll and tax withholding logistics are being reviewed and that a budget amendment would be brought next month to cover the payment.

Trustee Sustaita expressed caution about timing and tracking ADA (average daily attendance) and said she wanted final numbers in front of the board before approving additional operating costs. "I don't want to give money out that we don't have yet and be blamed for, oh, well, the money's gone," she said.

Administrators said the district's preliminary fiscal picture includes about $9.3 million in unspent/encumbered savings that contributes to the fund‑balance projections; preliminary trial balances are expected by mid‑August or early September and the final audit report in November.

The motion to approve the stipend passed with a majority of trustees; Trustee Sustaita abstained, citing a desire to review final numbers before additional payouts.

The board directed staff to bring a budget amendment to the next meeting to formalize the payout and continued discussions about whether to structure the payment so employees receive a flat $1,000 after taxes. The board also discussed a potential second stipend later in the year tied to final ADA and revenue results.