ECISD Trustees confront insurance crisis, HVAC backlogs, enrollment losses

Editor’s Note: The Jan. 27, 2026 meeting of the ECISD School Board covered a large number of topics with many details. We have opted to write multiple stories about the meeting in order to provide as much detail and information as possible to our readers. This is the second story on that meeting. You can see the first story here.

Arnoldo Mata

Edinburg TX – Edinburg CISD trustees confronted sobering financial and operational realities Tuesday night as administrators detailed escalating employee health insurance costs, unfinished HVAC projects tied to federal deadlines, and a districtwide enrollment decline of more than 900 students.

Insurance costs driven by small number of high-cost cases

Insurance Manager Dustin Garza told trustees that health and pharmacy costs have reached unsustainable levels, largely driven by a small percentage of employees and dependents with severe illnesses.

“It’s not every employee that’s driving this plan up,” Garza said. “It’s a very small percentage of our members.”

Garza revealed that fewer than 2% of insured members now account for nearly half of all plan expenditures.

“You have 169 people utilizing almost 50% of a $56 million medical plan,” he said. “That is significant.”

Garza identified cancer as the fastest-growing cost driver.

“That condition category has risen 100% in two years,” he said. “The treatment plans are very expensive, and they keep coming out with new therapies.”

Trustees acknowledged the human toll but warned the current plan may not be financially sustainable. “When you give $5 and you spend $10, you’re going to have a problem,” Garza said.

Board members repeatedly emphasized the need for faster action. “We just have to move faster,” Torres said. “We have a rich plan, but we cannot sustain it.”

Trustee Carmen Gonzalez stressed the need for better communication with employees. “Our users need to know what is happening,” Gonzalez said. “This is their money.”

Trustees acknowledged the human toll of serious illness but warned the current “Cadillac” plan may be financially unsustainable without changes.

The board discussed possible options to address the issue, including:

• Reestablishing an insurance committee.
• Exploring district-based health clinics.
• Reviewing pharmacy benefit managers and formularies.
• Educating employees on urgent care vs. emergency room usage.
• Improving communication so staff understand why plan changes may be necessary.

Several trustees emphasized that staff education must happen before cost-shifting decisions are made.

HVAC projects racing federal deadlines

Facilities Director Jose Villarreal updated trustees on HVAC projects funded through federal ESSER dollars, warning that unfinished work must be completed by Feb. 28 to avoid losing reimbursement.

“One thing we cannot afford is to miss that deadline,” Gonzalez said. “We don’t have money waiting somewhere else.”

Vela said 14 campuses received ESSER HVAC upgrades, with most substantially complete.

“The only thing pending right now is test and balance and commissioning,” Vela said.

However, the district also identified 10 additional campuses—mostly elementary schools—that need HVAC replacements costing an estimated $11.7 million, with no current funding source.

“The plan is there,” Vela said. “The money is not.”

Enrollment down more than 900 students

Administrators reported district enrollment at 32,536 students as of Jan. 23, 2026, a decline of 910 students compared to last year. However, the district’s enrollment had increased by 137 students from the report at the previous board meeting.

“We’ve seen an increase in homeschooling,” said Freddy Martinez, who delivered the enrollment report. “We’ve also seen students enrolling out of state and in charter or private schools.”

In his presentation, Martinez provided the following details:

• Elementary: down 483
• Middle school: down 125
• High school: down 302

As far as specific causes for the decline, Martinez pointed to:

• Homeschooling growth,
• Out-of-state moves,
• Enrollment in charters and private schools,
• International relocations.

Trustees discussed exploring virtual or homeschool-support programs to recapture students.

“Why reinvent the wheel?” Torres said. “Other districts are doing this quite well.”