The district numbers
As of July 29, 2026, the Comptroller's demographic report counted 407 funded students living in Edinburg CISD and 312 in McAllen ISD. Sharyland ISD (160), Pharr-San Juan-Alamo ISD (155) and Weslaco ISD (153) followed, then Mission CISD (75), Donna ISD (73), La Joya ISD (72), Hidalgo ISD (57) and Rio Grande City Grulla ISD (50) in Starr County.
Small numbers, big districts
PSJA ISD and La Joya ISD are among the largest districts in the Valley, yet their residents held far fewer accounts than Edinburg's. Distance to a participating school is part of the reason: most of the K-12 private seats are clustered in McAllen and Edinburg.
Who got funded
Statewide, 68,000 of the 85,344 funded students came from households under 200% of the federal poverty level, the tier that was served right after children with disabilities. That priority order shaped who was funded across Region 1, too.
Which schools take the account
Every Catholic school in our two counties, the larger Christian PK-12 campuses in McAllen, Edinburg and Alamo, and dozens of pre-K centers were in the state finder on our check date. A few small schools that appear in the federal survey were not.
The amounts
$10,474 at a participating school, $16,889 for a McAllen ISD student with a mainstream IEP, $2,000 for homeschool. Schools are paid in three installments: July 1, October 1 and February 1.
Before the next window
Sign up for state notices, keep your most recent tax return handy for the income tiers, make sure the address on file matches your district, and apply to schools on their normal calendar. An award doesn't hold a seat by itself.
Funded students and IEP amounts by Hidalgo and Starr County district
| Home district | TEFA-funded students (Jul 29, 2026) | IEP: speech only (00) | IEP: mainstream (40) | IEP: resource / self-contained (41-44) | IEP: residential facility (81-89) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Edinburg CISD | 407 | $11,372 | $16,673 | $15,611 | $25,298 |
| McAllen ISD | 312 | $11,404 | $16,889 | $15,790 | $25,815 |
| Sharyland ISD | 160 | $11,431 | $17,074 | $15,943 | $26,257 |
| Pharr-San Juan-Alamo ISD | 155 | $11,425 | $17,035 | $15,911 | $26,163 |
| Weslaco ISD | 153 | $11,392 | $16,806 | $15,721 | $25,615 |
| Mission CISD | 75 | $11,445 | $17,176 | $16,028 | $26,501 |
| Donna ISD | 73 | $11,389 | $16,786 | $15,705 | $25,568 |
| La Joya ISD | 72 | $11,395 | $16,826 | $15,738 | $25,665 |
| Hidalgo ISD | 57 | $11,499 | $17,413 | $16,442 | $27,485 |
| Rio Grande City Grulla ISD | 50 | $11,401 | $16,873 | $15,776 | $25,775 |
Totals are the $10,474 base plus the district add-on from the Comptroller's 2026-27 Special Education Funding Table, capped at $30,000. Funded counts come from the TEFA Annual Demographic Report (data as of July 29, 2026); districts with fewer than 30 participants aren't listed in that report. All McAllen-area districts →
Next step
Take the funding check. It takes about two minutes, and an advisor will call back with each source your family can use and the dates that go with them.