STISD superintendent responds to statements about district

Victim advocates Roman Sanchez and Patricia Lerma receive a proclamation recognizing the month of February 2023 as “Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month” during the Edinburg City Council meeting held Feb. 20 in the City Hall Council Chambers. Also shown are (from left) Councilmember David White, Mayor Ramiro Garza Jr., Councilmember Jason De Leon, Mayor Pro-tem Johnny Garcia, City Manager Myra L. Ayala and Councilmember Dan Diaz. RAMIRO CASTRO JR./THE RIDER PHOTOS

The South Texas Independent School District superintendent is pushing against legislative change for removal of the district’s taxing authority to continue providing its education opportunities.

During the Feb. 20 Edinburg City Council meeting, STISD Superintendent Marco Antonio Lara provided a presentation to counter “misperceptions” about the district.

“We really appreciate a few moments … this evening just to share a little bit of the story of South Texas ISD and, hopefully, clear some misperceptions that are happening in our communities,” Lara said.

At the last council meeting on Feb. 7, Edinburg Consolidated Independent School District Superintendent Mario Salinas talked about STISD and taxing concerns. Salinas said that STISD is an “elite” district and that, compared to other districts, it did not serve as many economically disadvantaged students.

In a Feb. 20 interview with The Rider, Lara said nobody should use the word “elite” when talking about education.

“We’re a school of opportunity,” he said. “So, if we offer a program … that’s going to benefit any student, we welcome any stream [of students].”

The STISD tax base is less than a nickel per $100 valuation. The tax is used for the district’s operations throughout Hidalgo, Cameron and Willacy counties and helps maintain, renovate and construct facilities.

“It’s really not duplication [of taxes],” Lara said. “We do not get the [interest and sinking] taxes, which is collected by the district from the residents to help pay for the bond indebtedness. So we don’t get an extra tax to pay for facilities. The [other] districts do. The [other] districts get state funding to help them through [Instructional Facilities Allotment] and [Existing Debt Allotment].”

Lara said eliminating STISD’s taxing authority would cause the district to lose 45% of its funding. He also said the district employs 675 people and serves 4,300 students.

_{Conjunto and Tejano musician Resendo Beltran (blue shirt) accepts recognition for his contributions to music during the Edinburg City Council Meeting Feb. 20 in the City Hall Council Chambers. Beltran also announced his retirement from music on his 70th birthday. Also shown is his wife, Herminia Beltran, and other members of his family.}

“Trying to eliminate our tax base would certainly devastate the district,” Lara said. “But what’s the point to it? Nobody’s going to get that four cents. If it goes away, it doesn’t come back to any other district.”

School districts obtain two types of property tax revenues, maintenance and operations tax, used for anything, including salaries and interest and sinking. When districts construct buildings through bonds, interest and sinking comes into play. Lara said since STISD does not obtain this, the district has to resort to saving money or finding a way to finance.

In a Feb. 15 interview with The Rider, Amanda Odom, STISD administrator for Public Relations & Marketing, said because of the way the district and its taxing authority is set up, it does not include those additional revenue sources.

In other business, the Edinburg City Council rejected a resolution of support and commitment of development funding to the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs for the Affordable Housing 2023 Competitive 9% Housing Tax Credits for the proposed Sprague Villas, a multi-family development consisting of 80 units to provide affordable rental housing to low-income families.

The apartments would have been located on Sprague Road near McColl Road. The project would have cost $24,500,000 and, if supported, the City of Edinburg would contribute $1,500 in permit fee waivers.

Several Edinburg residents expressed their opinion on the proposed development. Jessica Porras said she was representing 100 residents and that they were not opposed to the apartments but the amount of traffic that a new development would create.

“The city planning should have considered how many apartments that are available to that area and maybe try to restructure something better,” Porras said.

The apartments would have included a playground, dog park, barbecue and picnic areas for residents, according to the agenda packet. The property would also have a pool, deck and a splash pad along the 3,600-square-foot clubhouse common area.

The community center would have included a fitness center, business technology center with computers and Wi-Fi internet access, library, card or gaming rooms and a community room.

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