McAllen, McAllen ISD, Board of Trustees, Teen Dating Violence, Self-Funded Health Plan, Tax Collections
Staff Report
McAllen TX - The McAllen Independent School District Board of Trustees met Sept. 8, hearing student presentations on teen dating violence and suicide awareness, approving changes to the district’s self-funded health plan, and receiving a report on annual tax collections.
Public Comments
Four students, representing the organization Young Hearts Matter, addressed the board on the connection between teen dating violence and suicide awareness among teenagers.
One student said the conversation around suicide prevention often overlooks contributing factors such as relationship violence. “Teen dating violence needs to be a part of this conversation in McAllen ISD,” the student said, “because the more students that understand what unhealthy relationships look like and how they can affect their mental health, they are able to recognize when someone they know or themselves might need help.”
Another student, a senior at IB at Lamar Academy, cited data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention linking teen dating violence to higher rates of depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts. “In 2023, 40% of U.S. high school students reported persistent feelings of sadness and or hopelessness, and one in five seriously considered attempting suicide,” the student said. “Abuse can add another layer to that burden.”
A third student cited CDC data indicating roughly one in three teens experience some form of dating abuse, including emotional, physical or digital abuse, before graduating high school.
A fourth student urged the district to increase awareness and access to resources. “Suicide prevention must begin before a crisis,” the student said. “By increasing awareness and making support easier to find, McAllen ISD can help students feel seen, supported, and safe.”
Board President Lucia Regalado thanked the students for their initiative, noting that several board members had previewed a related curriculum developed at IB.
Annual Tax Collections Report
A representative from the finance office presented the district’s annual tax collection report for the period of July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026. The report showed total collections of $85,380,448, including $83,650,581 in base tax collections, $1,230,463 in penalties and interest, and $449,428 in attorney fees.
The presenter said the district’s current tax levy has declined in recent years, from $97 million to $94 million to $89 million and now to $87 million, attributing the decline largely to increased homestead exemption applications. Current-year collections were $81.55 million compared to $86.21 million the previous year, a difference of about $4.7 million. The collection rate was 96.18% for the year, compared to 96.69% the previous year.
In response to a question from a board member, the presenter confirmed that lost local revenue from homestead exemptions is generally offset by the state through the school finance system on the maintenance and operations side, though not on the interest and sinking side.
Self-Funded Health Plan Review
Karina Perez, director of employee benefits and risk management, presented a review of the district’s self-funded health plan performance for fiscal year 2025-26. Perez said the district experienced a $2.6 million shortfall for the year after accounting for available fund transfers, driven largely by higher-than-expected medical claims, including $818,000 in emergency room claims and more than $3 million across 16 high-cost claims.
Perez said the district plans to change its emergency room coverage policy so that non-emergent ER visits will no longer be covered, while true emergencies will remain fully covered. Perez said some employees have been using emergency rooms for non-emergent care, such as flu shots or minor issues, in part because certain facilities have waived co-pays for those visits.
Perez also presented a proposal to convert the district’s basic health plan into an HMO structure, requiring employees to select a primary care physician and obtain referrals for specialists, while offering a PPO buy-up plan option with broader network access at an additional cost. Perez said rates for the basic plan would not change under the conversion.
A representative from Valley Risk Consulting said an analysis conducted by United Healthcare found that its HMO networks are largely comparable to the district’s current provider network, with the exception of the Mayo Clinic, which would not be included in the HMO network.
A board member raised concerns about a 35% administrative fee charged by United Healthcare on out-of-network emergency room claims, noting the carrier paid approximately $300,000 in allowed claims but charged the district roughly $900,000 in fees, compared to a $770,000 fee charged by the district’s previous carrier, Blue Cross Blue Shield, on $12.7 million in claims over a comparable period. “I think that is egregious,” the board member said, adding that Valley Risk Consulting should have prevented that fee structure from being included in the district’s contract. Perez confirmed that United Healthcare will no longer charge the fee beginning in August going forward for the remainder of the plan year.
Policy Updates
The board approved, on second reading, an update to board policy CH (Local), increasing the purchasing authority threshold for single purchases from $50,000 to $100,000, and clarifying language regarding change orders and procurement review requirements.
The board also approved, on second reading, an update to board policy DGBA (Local), covering employee complaints and grievances, clarifying timelines for document submission ahead of Level Three hearings and requiring that hearings be recorded and retained in accordance with the district’s records management program.
Central Kitchen Upgrades
The board approved, in three separate motions, the ranking and selection of a general contractor for central kitchen upgrades under competitive sealed proposal No. 2027-1015; authorization for administration to begin contract negotiations with the highest-ranked contractor, with authority to proceed to subsequent contractors if negotiations are unsuccessful; and authorization for the superintendent to execute a contract in accordance with state law once negotiations are completed.
Bond Project Management Services Tabled
The board discussed a request for qualifications for bond project management services, for which eight firms submitted qualification statements. Administration had planned to ask the board to approve preliminary rankings before conducting board interviews, worth 150 of 1,000 total possible points. Board members questioned the need to approve preliminary rankings before interviews were conducted, and ultimately agreed to interview all eight firms rather than narrowing the list. Members also discussed extending the proposed interview format from 15 minutes of presentation and 10 minutes of questions to 15 minutes and 20 minutes, respectively. The board voted to table the item, with plans to schedule firm interviews before the end of the month.
Consent Agenda and Other Action Items
The board approved its consent agenda, along with the 2026-2027 list of certified Texas Teacher Evaluation and Support System appraisers and meeting minutes from the Aug. 25 regular meeting.
Closed Session
Following closed session, the board approved human resources recommendations for the 2026-2027 school year, and approved the appointment of Amy Nunez as director of college/career/counseling and Dr. Maria Acosta as executive director of special education services for the 2026-2027 school year. The board took no action regarding the superintendent’s summative evaluation. No items were reported regarding school safety and security or pending litigation.
Scheduled Meetings
The board scheduled a special board meeting for Sept. 22 at 4:30 p.m., a regular meeting for Sept. 22 at 5:30 p.m., and a special board meeting for Sept. 23 at 5:30 p.m., all in the Dr. J.A. Gonzalez Chapa Boardroom of the Administration Building.
Source - McAllen Independent School District Board of Trustees Regular Meeting, Sept. 8, 2026