EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) – Students, teachers and community members gathered to celebrate Zavala Elementary School’s 100th anniversary on Friday, May 9, but for many it was an event filled with mixed emotions.
The celebration featured music, laughter and memories, as many participated in a parade to commemorate the milestone.
“I did grow up in this school, starting from kindergarten. Then, I graduated here from sixth grade,” said Laura Pena, a fourth-grade teacher at Zavala. “My dad was a custodian. My parents, we’ve lived here for almost 20 years. So I am very excited, very blessed to be part of this community.”
However, the celebration was bittersweet. Zavala is one of eight elementary schools that the El Paso Independent School District (EPISD) voted to close due to budget shortfalls and declining enrollment.
“Today, we celebrate a hundred years of learning, of togetherness. And this is not the end. We are going to keep going. And these children are going to succeed wherever they go,” said Alma Brockhoff, former principal at Zavala.
The El Paso ISD voted in November 2024 to close eight elementary campuses to help offset a projected $24 million budget deficit and respond to the ongoing enrollment decline.
Zavala is part of phase one of the closures. It’s one of six schools that will close in the 2025-26 school year, while two others are scheduled to shut their doors the following year. Students and staff of these closing campuses will be reassigned to nearby schools.
“It’s going to just continue that work. It’s sad it’s closing but we’re going to like, the principal said, it’s just bringing that enthusiasm into the next school year,” said Jorge Lopez, a first-grade teacher at Zavala.
It remains unclear what will happen to Zavala’s campus once the school closes.
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