By ALBERT VILLEGAS
Special to the NEWS
The San Benito Consolidated Independent School District (SBCISD) Board of Trustees unanimously approved a class size exemption for this school year that affects students at several elementary schools.
The decision was made based on SBCISD’s Superintendent of Schools Fred Perez’s recommendation during the October 15 regular school board meeting. The item was part of a consent agenda that trustees had reviewed weeks leading up to the meeting.
Trustees were informed by SBCISD staff that the district is dedicated to maintaining a student-teacher ratio of 22 to 1 from kindergarten through fourth grade classrooms. However, SBCISD reports that several factors have created challenges in meeting this requirement in accordance with Texas Education Code 25.112.
“Granting this waiver will allow us to balance the realities of enrollment and staffing with our commitment to student learning,” a memo to trustees explained.
The schools affected and the classroom sizes are as follows:
• Rangerville Elementary School, 17558 Landrum Park – one kindergarten class (26), one second grade class (24);
• La Paloma Elementary School, 35076 Padilla Street – two fourth grade classes (25 and 24);
• La Encantada Elementary School, 35001 FM 1577 – two kindergarten classes (23 and 24), one third grade class (23);
• Dr. C.M. Cash Elementary School, 400 Ponciana – two fourth grade classes (both 23 each);
• Ed Downs Fine Arts Academy, 1302 North Dowling – one kindergarten class (23).
Trustees were also provided a weekly enrollment report on the same consent agenda item by SBCISD staff dated Sept. 26, 2025 that shows there are 4,234 students of elementary school-age at SBCISD.
The largest group in terms of numbers is fifth graders, with 633 students, followed by fourth graders (606) and second graders (568).
School enrollment rates in order of size are as follows:
Cash (579 students), La Encantada (497 students), La Paloma (466 students), Dr. Raul Garza, Jr. STEAM Academy (443 students), Fred Booth Global Leadership Academy (438 students), Downs (435 students), Sullivan Environmental Science Academy (381 students), Angela G. Leal Elementary School (307), Judge Oscar De la Fuente Elementary School (289 students), Frank Roberts Elementary School (221 students), and Rangerville (178 students).
Besides Perez, among the other SBCISD administrators to receive details on this matter were SBCISD Director of Elementary Education Diane Atkinson, Executive Director of Administrative Services Erika Echartea, and Assistant Superintendent of Academics Dilia Cornett.