More than 400 El Paso Independent School District jobs, including teachers and central office staff, may be cut as the Board of Trustees will vote Tuesday whether to declare financial exigency and implement a massive savings plan that includes layoffs.
EPISD Superintendent Brian Lusk is recommending the board make the declaration and approve a plan to reduce its staffing levels by 410 positions, which could also include retirements, resignations and vacant job openings, according to the agenda posted Thursday to the district’s website.
This includes 250 campus level positions and 160 central office positions, which will save the district $17 million and $11 million a year, respectively, according to information provided as part of the agenda for Tuesday’s meeting.
EPISD currently has over 4,700 employees and 3,500 teachers, according to Texas Education Agency staffing reports. Eliminating 410 jobs would be a 9% workforce reduction.
If approved, it would be the deepest job cuts ever enacted by an El Paso school district that will impact the vast majority of its campuses.
EPISD officials said in a statement that they are currently reviewing the staffing and budget recommendations reflected in the agenda materials.
“As noted in the agenda backup, the district anticipates a reduction of 400+ positions overall; however, not every reduction will result in an immediate reduction in force of current employees.
“Some reductions will come from eliminating or not filling vacant positions, while other actions may include reassigning staff into roles where there is a continued need and where the district can best support students.
“Throughout this process, El Paso ISD’s priority is to protect classroom instruction and limit impacts to students,” district officials said in a statement.
A public school consultant on May 19 recommended the district declare financial exigency as it faces a $52.8 million budget shortfall this fiscal year after discovering significant systemic issues in tracking its finances. EPISD estimated that without significant cuts, it would face a $42 million deficit next school year.
Employees affected by the layoffs can request a hearing with the board and superintendent to make a case for their job.
Lusk is also recommending the district reduce the contribution it makes toward its employees’ health savings accounts from $1,000 to $500, saving the district $1.3 million; reviewing employee stipends for potential reductions; reducing the central office travel budget; and reviewing coding and data collection to ensure it sends accurate information to the state.
El Paso Federation of Teachers President Ross Moore said he expects the board to approve Lusk’s plan.
“EPISD is in dire financial straits. Yes, it is necessary,” Moore said.
The district can also consider salary reductions, furloughs and other unspecified methods of cutting staffing costs, according to the presentation posted on the agenda. It is not clear based on the agenda documents if Lusk will make these recommendations.
If the board approves Lusk’s plan, EPISD will have 20 days to notify the Texas Education Agency. It will be the 19th district in the state to declare financial exigency over the past 10 years.
LEARN MORE: What financial exigency means for EPISD: layoffs, budget cuts, broken contracts
In the proposed financial exigency declaration, the district states that its savings per student has decreased by more than 20% in the past two years. That’s one of the developments that allows a school district to declare financial exigency under state law.
Exigency is similar to a bankruptcy filing, in that it gives local governments the power to break contracts, including employment agreements.
The declaration will expire at the end of the 2026-27 school year.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
The post EPISD to consider financial exigency declaration, more than 400 job cuts at Tuesday school board meeting appeared first on El Paso Matters.
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