EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) – Parents and advocates from the Bowie High School feeder pattern say decades of educational neglect by El Paso Independent School District (EPISD) has and continues to negatively impact their children.
“You have an overburdened school that really does not have the capacity, nor the time, nor the personnel, nor the resources to adequately protect the children,” said Hilda Villegas, a parent and former student in South-Central El Paso.
Villegas is also a lead organizer with Familias Unidas por la Educación, a parent-led education advocacy group in South-Central El Paso that held a public forum at the Chamizal Community Center on Wednesday, July 30.
The forum was held to discuss an array of issues that parents and advocates said highlight a history of neglect by EPISD.
Dozens of parents attended the forum, and speakers included parents, students, and professional educators.
Familias Unidas said that the Bowie feeder pattern in Barrio Chamizal has the highest concentration of students at-risk of graduating, who are high needs and are English language learners in EPISD.
However, they said that their schools have not had adequate teachers, staff, or programs so students can overcome those challenges.
“Our schools deserve the investment because it has to do with a child’s well-being. When you don’t provide the adequate resources, children get hurt,” Villegas said.
Villegas said that these students have also suffered historically from linguistic racism and neglect. Additionally, she said that all these issues combined create stress for barrio students that affects their physical, mental, and emotional health.
“I can tell you from experience that things haven’t really changed much in terms of the treatment of the children. The prejudice attitudes that have been formulated not just in the campuses, but throughout the city of El Paso. Where are local leaders that advocate for higher education and for opportunities for the Hispanic population and minorities?” Villegas said.
Familias Unidas presented a list of demands from EPISD leadership that included the following:
- Ensure barrio schools are ready on first-day-of-school (FY 2025-2026) with adequate teachers, counselors, staff and programs.
- Establish an independent equity advisory committee.
- Distribute funding and resources equitably across the district.
- Address the environmental and health impacts to barrio schools.
- Re-open Beall Elementary School by August 2026 to alleviate overcrowding.
EPISD Trustees Leah Hanany and Jack Loveridge were also present at the forum to hear from parents. Hanany expressed their support through the following statement:
“Vice President Loveridge and I are aware of the efforts of parents in Barrio Chamizal to form a parent committee. We fully support and encourage their efforts to address the historical disinvestment of barrio schools and call on others in the community to recognize the disparities of underserved community schools and their neighborhoods. This Board will take concrete steps to support their advocacy, from funding to programming, by reversing the legacy of systemic neglect through our role in providing oversight of El Paso ISD.”
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