By Freddy Klayel-Avalos
As a former El Paso Independent School District trustee, I understand the emotional impact school closures have on communities. But we have to be honest: advocating to keep half-empty schools open without addressing financial reality is irresponsible—and unsustainable.
I once fought to keep campuses open in my own district. I now realize that doing so without real enrollment growth or funding only hurts students and teachers long-term. We’re not just paying for buildings — we’re paying for utilities, maintenance, security, transportation, and insurance for facilities that aren’t serving enough students to justify the cost.
Meanwhile, schools could be consolidated—without displacing teachers—to offer students more robust classrooms, more support, and better learning environments.
This isn’t about race or class.
Closures didn’t start in poor neighborhoods. They started in the West Side, where I served. The real issue is population shift. According to El Paso Matters, El Paso’s population has stayed flat since 2012. As the city expands at the fringes, enrollment at inner-city campuses drops.
If we want to save schools, we need to rebuild housing density in El Paso’s historic core, not shame the board for facing economic facts. That means pressuring city leaders, housing authorities, and developers—not school boards.
It’s easy to protest. It’s harder to face the numbers. And right now, some activists are giving communities false hope, ignoring the same financial pressure causing other districts to lay off teachers just to keep lights on.
Taxpayers deserve outcomes, not nostalgia. Students deserve funded classrooms, not empty buildings and broken promises.
We need trustees and community leaders who are fiscally responsible, especially in times like these. Not performative. Not afraid. Not driven by headlines or optics.
I didn’t come to this position overnight. I once stood where some of these advocates stand now. But leadership means evolving—not ignoring hard truths.
We don’t honor our kids by preserving the past. We honor them by protecting their future.
Freddy Klayel-Avalos served on the El Paso Independent School District Board of Trustees from 2019 to 2022.
The post Opinion: Why school closures are a hard but necessary step appeared first on El Paso Matters.
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