EL PASO, Texas (KTEP) - Despite objections from educators, parents and students packed into a meeting on Wednesday night, the Socorro Independent School District school board approved a proposal to cut 300 staff positions.
The school board voted 3 to 2 with trustees Paul Guerra and Marivel Macias voting against the proposal. Trustees Pablo Barrera and Ricardo Castellano were absent. A motion to postpone the decision was voted down with Guerra and Macias supporting the idea.
The cuts will impact staff in SISD’s Central Office, Career and Technical Education, Elementary Fine Arts and in Pre-K and Kindergarten level programs under a redesign effort. In addition to cuts, district officials say an estimated reduction in 1,700 student enrollment will lead to $7 million less in state funding.
To save money, the school board also approved increasing elementary class sizes from 22 to 24 students per teacher and 24 to 26 students for secondary staffing at middle schools.
"As difficult as the decision is, it's necessary," Interim superintendent James Vasquez said.
Vasquez said the proposal is part of an effort to reduce the district’s operating budget by $38 million dollars. With 47,000 students, the district is the second largest in the county.
He said the district has already reduced the district's workforce by eight percent. And, even after reductions in staff and programs, Vasquez said the district will still have an estimated $8 million deficit during the next school year.
And, without the changes, Vasquez advised the school district could be at risk for the equivalent of bankruptcy during the 2025 and 2026 school year.
"The act of doing this is incredibly difficulty," he said. "We would be insolvent, which means we would need to declare financial exigency, which is equivalent to bankruptcy in the corporate world. As difficult as it is to take this action, we cannot let this happen to our district."
Last year, the Texas Education Agency appointed two officials to oversee governance and help develop a “corrective action plan” following the "improper" graduation of over 200 students and unauthorized stipends worth over $280,000.
In a follow-up press conference, district officials revealed they may also borrow between $25 and $30 million later this year to pay for the district's operations.
Vasquez said the school board may also propose a tax rate requiring voter approval for next year's budget to meet expenses and the projected $8 million dollar deficit.
He replaced superintendent Nate Carmen after an external audit alleged he awarded contracts to a developer he once worked with before working at SISD.
And, trustees Barrera and Castellano were arrested last year. Barrera faces charges of improper influence, coercion of a public servant/voter, obstruction or retaliation, and official oppression.
Castellano was charged with obstruction or retaliation on two counts. He has a jury trial scheduled on July 4th.
Last year, the state appointed conservators took over management of the district, which faced a $33 million dollar deficit. Several Texas school districts facing financial hardship have called on the state to help. Some of the largest school districts in the state including Houston ISD and Dallas ISD have reported deficits of $250 million and $186 million.
