FUTURE UNKNOWN: School’s fate lies with board

By ALBERT VILLEGAS
Special to the NEWS

Despite clear evidence that Rangerville Elementary School is operating at a financial loss due to declining enrollment over the past five years, heartfelt pleas from the community to keep the historic educational institution open were heard during a San Benito CISD Town Hall meeting on Wednesday.

Now, San Benito CISD’s Board of Trustees must weigh finances versus compassion over a school building whose records date back to 1930.

Unfortunately, the school building, which still uses its old-fashioned lockers for students, remains in a remote area served by SBCISD. The nearest school is 10 miles away.

Despite all this, five of seven trustees learned about Rangerville’s legacy and how generations of adults, some of them parents, some of them educators and staff members, taught and worked here.

A nearly full crowd of about 150 people filled the school cafeteria.

Rudi Fonseca worked at Rangerville from 2007 to 2019.

If trustees vote in favor of finances, she would be disappointed, a feeling shared by many others who also spoke behind the microphone, just feet from where trustees were sitting on the stage.

“You’re making a dollar-driven decision, not a heart-driven decision,” Fonseca said.

Rangerville’s closure debate gained momentum after a fire alarm evacuation notice was issued during an after-school program on Wednesday, Jan. 28, at 5:30 p.m. San Benito and Harlingen fire departments responded but faced challenges with the integrity of a decades-old building.

Regarding the future of the school, Superintendent Alfredo Perez said SBCISD’s communication to parents and students about Rangerville was not ideal. He noted regrets about how false information of the school’s closing was spread on social media and various news outlets.

Several times, Perez stated that SBCISD had no ulterior motives regarding what he called a “precious” school, which was part of the Rangerville Independent School District.

San Benito consolidated with Rangerville in 1952, taking ownership of the edifice.

Rangerville, however, is nowhere near capacity, Perez said, as it can hold a maximum of 528 students. On the first day of the 2025-26 year, Rangerville reported only 180 students. As of March 4, enrollment was reported to be 160 students.

Currently, Rangerville employs 27 staff members, including 15 teachers. The staff includes one principal, secretary, counselor, licensed vocational nurse, instructional aide, two maintenance workers, and four child nutrition program workers.

In answer to an audience question, the superintendent said there would be job security if Rangerville closes, unless someone plans to retire at the end of the current school year. He noted more than 50 SBCISD employees will retire at the end of the school year.

According to SBCISD’s Finance Department, keeping the school open would require enrolling an “additional 127 students to break even.”

Over 20 people spoke, most of them from the heart, a few suggesting SBCISD come up with ideas to have areas zoned into Rangerville.

One person spoke frankly, expressing that trustees were “six years too late” when Rangerville was at its peak with ideal enrollment. She blamed both the administration and trustees equally, saying the public meeting at Rangerville was only organized once the school is reportedly at its lowest point.

ALL IN THE NUMBERS

The statistics presented by various department administrators – which is the same data the SBCISD was required to report to the Texas Education Agency last year – were not contested by the speakers.

At the Town Hall, the information was presented in English and Spanish on two large screens before the floor was opened for comments.

Victoria Perez, SBCISD Assistant Superintendent of Finance and Operations, provided data about Rangerville over the past five years: In four months, 20 students left, with half enrolling in another school in Texas and another six outside the state.

Since the 2020-21 school year that was affected by the COVID-19 virus, opening enrollment spiked just once, that coming a year ago. Perez and other district administrators told attendees they thought Rangerville had turned the corner, but it had not.

Victoria Perez said it equals a six percent decline each year.

Decline in enrollment also means a decline in state revenue. Five years ago, Rangerville had $1.511 million in state revenues, and now it sits at a best case scenario (if every student attended school) $1.118 million, Perez said, noting it takes SBCISD $1.909 million in local funding to operate Rangerville.

“SBCISD would be supplementing from its funding balance $800,000 to maintain Rangerville Elementary School,” she said.

This sum doesn’t include grants, which are only guaranteed on a year-to-year basis.

Even worse, it is estimated that Rangerville, if it remains open by the 2030-31 school year, could drop to 131 students. The state revenue for Rangerville would be only $814,165, with SBCISD needing to fund $1.1 million to operate the school.

FOR COMPARISON’S SAKE

Some speakers discussed the city’s growth as a countermeasure, even mentioning neighboring Harlingen to the south.

Perez said it’s estimated there will be 1,200 new homes in the next 10 years, however, they are not in the Rangerville area.

Rangerville’s enrollment comparisons were made with two other schools that could be affected if it closes. They are La Paloma and Judge Oscar De la Fuente elementary schools.

Five years ago, La Paloma had 479 students; this year, 465. Five years ago, De la Fuente had 295 students; this year, 296.

SBCISD also proposed transportation changes to the current Rangerville bus routes and the other two schools they serve. These included Route 8 (Carricitos Trail/Del Valle subdivisions, 30 students), Route 25 (FM 800/Landrum Road, 44 students), Route 26 (Los Indios area, 45 students), and Route 28 (Rangerville ES area, 30 students).

Routes 8 and 26 serve areas where students live along the Rio Grande.

Dilia Cornett, who is SBCISD’s assistant superintendent of academics, said there have been longtime efforts to increase Rangerville’s enrollment, even hosting drives to attract students.

“I want the public to know we have been actively trying to increase enrollment and registration, but the problem is we don’t have enough people in the area to support those numbers we are aiming for,” Cornett said.

Perez said school closures are common, including in neighboring Harlingen and Brownsville, which reported two and three closures, respectively.

He stated Rangerville would not be demolished but instead repurposed due to its historical significance.

Whether it will host major SBCISD events, he said, is still unknown, given its distance and the fact it hasn’t been designated to close.

Trustees Rudy Corona and Orlando Lopez were absent when roll call was taken at 5:30 p.m.