ECISD Reports Decline in Enrollment; Board Discusses Class Sizes and Staffing Challenges
Arnoldo Mata
EDINBURG TX, Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025 — Edinburg Consolidated Independent School District’s total enrollment has dropped by 580 students compared to the same time last year, according to the district’s Day 117 Enrollment Comparison Report presented at last night’s board meeting.
Freddy Martinez, director of PEIMS and pupil accounting, reported that as of Friday, Feb. 21, 2025, the district’s total enrollment stood at 33,414 students, down from the previous year’s figures. Elementary schools accounted for a decrease of 298 students, bringing their total to 16,818, while secondary schools reported 16,596 students, a drop of 282. Martinez attributed much of the decline to fewer students in the district’s pre-K3 and pre-K4 programs, which together accounted for 233 fewer students.
Additionally, midyear graduations and student withdrawals contributed to the decline. Martinez noted that 92 students have graduated so far this school year, and 14 have withdrawn since the last board meeting — many returning to their home countries, including Mexico and Italy. Others left for out-of-state relocations.
While there was a slight increase in the district’s migrant student population—now at 3.71%—officials said they are continuing outreach efforts to boost those numbers closer to the 5% target discussed in previous meetings.
Board members raised concerns over the uneven enrollment declines at individual campuses. Escandon reported a loss of 54 students, Gorena Elementary 62, Kennedy Elementary 35, Lee Elementary 40, Ramirez Elementary 56, and Zavala Elementary 42. Martinez explained that pre-K enrollment criteria changes and student withdrawals accounted for much of the decrease.
Martinez added that some students had returned to Mexico and one student went back to Italy. Since the last board meeting, 14 students have left the district. “We’re doing everything we can,” Martinez explained, “to let parents know their students are welcomed here.”
Board member Dominga Vela pointed out that Edinburg North High School reported a loss of 118 students.
“Some of those students could have graduated through our Vision Program,” Martinez said. “I wouldn’t say the majority of those. And we also have midterm grads. Yeah. January 7th, I believe we graduated a handful of students from all four campuses, all high schools.
So, there’s a lot of factors that play into that. They’re also impacted by students that go back to their home country, or they enroll out of state. We have some students that we don’t know what happened to them. We make home visits. There’s nobody at home. So, part of the important policy that’s in place is a local policy that says that, If the student whereabouts are unknown and multiple attempts to make contact with the family are unsuccessful, those students eventually get withdrawn from the system.”
Vela also asked about the impact of recent changes implemented by the new presidential administration. “Is someone keeping track of the numbers of our students that are leaving because the parents were deported back or have left? Is someone keeping up to date on those numbers and how many of our students have left because of this new immigration law that has been implemented?”
Superintendent Dr. Mario Salinas responded to the question. ‘We don’t know the immigration status of any student enrolled in the district, nor do we ask for it.”
“So, we would not be able to have that number. No. All right,” Vela commented.
Board President David Torres said, “I know that Edinburgh is real good in working with our parents when they want to transfer from one school to another.” However, he pointed out that some campuses may be at capacity as parents request transfers from one campus to another. He requested that staff add that data to the next report.
Class sizes, particularly at elementary campuses, also emerged as a pressing concern. Board members voiced worries about overcrowded classrooms, especially in disadvantaged schools, where some pre-K and elementary classes have up to 25 students. Trustees urged district leadership to find solutions to reduce student-to-teacher ratios, emphasizing the importance of manageable class sizes in improving academic performance.
Superintendent Dr. Salinas acknowledged the challenges in hiring qualified teachers, particularly those with bilingual certifications. While the district is prioritizing certified candidates, Salinas noted that some non-certified teachers are being hired with the expectation they will pursue bilingual certification within a year.
To address long-term staffing needs, board members called for an action plan to cap class sizes and develop a stronger pipeline of high-quality teachers across all grade levels. Martinez agreed to include transfer data and bilingual student counts by campus in future reports to help the board better understand enrollment trends and support needs.