Superintendent: Weslaco ISD enrollment down 281; administration plans staffing reductions to close gap

Superintendent Dr. Richard Ria presented an eight-slide update on district enrollment, staffing and capital projects at the Weslaco ISD Board meeting on April 20.

Ria said end-of-fifth-six-weeks enrollment stood at 15,960 students compared with 16,241 at the same point last year, a decline of 281. He reported districtwide ADA (average daily attendance) percentages in the 90s at most campuses and said the district budgeted ADA conservatively. Based on current projections, the district anticipates 19 fewer teacher positions and 10 fewer administrators for the 2026-27 school year as a result of attrition and hiring pauses; administration estimated those reductions would yield roughly $1.4 million in savings from teacher positions plus additional savings from administrative vacancies.

Ria also described an elementary rezoning affecting Margo, Ivara and Raul Gonzalez campuses (administration said the rezoning transfers roughly 101 students from Margo and increases Raul Gonzalez by ~143), and he summarized upcoming bond projects including roofing, HVAC, fine-arts expansions and vestibule and fire-alarm work. The superintendent said appraisals and an RFP/broker search would follow for capital and property actions discussed later in the meeting.

Trustees asked clarifying questions about registration rates (administration reported roughly 68'70% pre-registration at one point), whether reduced cohorts reflect lower birth rates or students leaving the district, and how staffing reductions would be implemented without overloading classrooms. Ria and staff said final staffing decisions would be based on final registration counts and certification needs and that state attendance waivers and class-size rules would be honored.

Provenance: superintendent presentation and Q&A began at SEG 452 and continued through SEG 1039.

Speakers cited in this article are those who identified themselves on the record: Superintendent Dr. Richard Ria and trustees who spoke during Q&A (Miss Jaclyn Susita, Mr. Benjamin Castillo, Mr. Maros Santos).