By Pat Trevino | June 30, 2026

Cuero Online News has received reports that as many as twenty‑three Cuero ISD employees were dismissed this past week. Staff members say they were told the reductions were tied to budget cuts and declining enrollment. However, the district has not yet confirmed the number of eliminated positions or the departments affected.

Employees also report that the district‑run daycare has been closed under the direction of the interim superintendent. The daycare, which opened in the 1990s, was originally created so teenage mothers could remain in school while having a safe place for their infants during the day. According to staff familiar with its operation, the daycare later expanded to also serve children of Cuero ISD employees. At this time, employees say they have not been told whether the closure is temporary due to the summer break or permanent.

Concerns have also been raised about the shutdown of the special‑needs CTE room, a facility known informally as the Center for Exceptional Children. The building, once an old athletics locker room, was renovated at a cost of several million dollars to create a sensory environment, therapy space, and everyday‑living skills area for severely disabled students. According to employees, the room was used frequently by French and Hunt Elementary students, with Junior High students attending several times a week. It is unclear how many high school students were served. Staff members say they have not been told how the district plans to continue meeting state and federal requirements for special‑needs instruction and support now that the facility is closed.

In addition to these closures, employees say the district’s Student Services department has also been shut down. The program, created under former superintendent Dr. Dyer, provided clothing, shoes, coats, toiletries, backpacks, school supplies, and weekend food bags for students in need. Staff members say Student Services also helped students who arrived at school out of dress code, with ripped or wet clothing, or who had accidents and lacked a change of clothes. Instead of sending those students to ISS or requiring them to remain in soiled clothing, Student Services would deliver clean clothes so the student could return to class without missing instructional time. Employees say the loss of this department leaves vulnerable students without a critical safety net.

According to staff members, the district explained that layoffs were based strictly on hire dates, meaning the most recently hired employees were the first to be terminated. Staff say evaluations, job performance, and position‑specific expertise were not considered. Employees were also told that several positions were being reassigned and that they could either accept the new placement or decline it; however, declining a reassigned role would result in release from employment. Any open positions would then be posted publicly.

Cuero Online News has requested official information from Cuero ISD regarding the number of positions eliminated, the departments affected, the status of the district daycare, the reason for closing the special‑needs CTE room, and how the district plans to meet legal requirements for special‑need students following these changes.  Despite multiple attempts to seek clarification, the district has provided no information regarding the reported layoffs or the shutdown of student support services.

This is an ongoing story, and Cuero Online News will continue seeking clarification from the school district and will keep the community updated as new information emerges.