[{"_1":2,"_124":-5,"_125":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100,112],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",5977871,"mediaKeyId","5792926-e684e6db018a2839879c6b5fb0372264","parentId",5792926,"title","EPISD launches 'Right Here, Right Now' attendance campaign and advisory process","audioSeconds",1167,"startMs",7560000,"endMs",8727000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5792926-e684e6db018a2839879c6b5fb0372264&start=7560&end=8727","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5792926-e684e6db018a2839879c6b5fb0372264/thumbnail_7560000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/5977871/Texas/EPISD-launches-Right-Here-Right-Now-attendance-campaign-and-advisory-process","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/5977871-5c2938569ff181f8992369c1fc670179/orig.mp4?Expires=1770870253&Signature=TRpN1TpasCNmeQTbd0UZAo3HR6RIkFnnagALvA5TkbBPbyMp1p5E0qKJVziVW7XT6NUmERCZikBtu~SFGjKRgYmvOGCptG17CdZN8jbZKbU4ZywFzH-FkxZCutPtzig-0nXJAZHzsPGY6SmHj~0TvrOW5yuj5g9PnKeezf5og~jU6P8mG~VHj~RuTUE-zueZxUQG4HH~LI07jbTt1M8ug708LVz-DQVf~nG~2~s3triE5jnPhJrIZQqMmfzCdlN8Dp93TuTogDQen75QiJFYv~9Db4N3O2e~et~CFI7ybiYescW3qnn7BVfOGMxnZhLKoz-S1rxcYMNs1sFV5JQ5Bw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","El Paso ISD","date","2025-09-19T20:08:17Z","article","At the Sept. 16 board meeting, communications and student services staff presented a multi‑department campaign to improve student attendance, previewed a public rollout and said an advisory committee will recommend whether to continue district of innovation provisions tied to attendance efforts.

Liza Rodriguez, chief communications officer, said the campaign—branded “Right Here, Right Now”—was built from research and principal and student input and aims to change the post‑pandemic attendance mindset by reaching students on the platforms they use and by creating incentives and recognition at the classroom, campus and district levels. Rodriguez said the campaign will include paid social media, community partnerships and a series of local events; she noted Fridays historically show lower attendance and that students who miss 10 days can suffer grade drops.

Tevan Zaire, communications director, said the district will post weekly transparency updates on campaign performance and that tactical elements include attendance “battles” between high schools (with prizes for principals) and targeted outreach through partners and the education foundation. Student and parent services staff said the district will use Everyday Labs and Apogee to send parent nudges and notifications, provide resource referrals and produce campus‑level attendance data for administrators.

Maribel Macias, chief organizational transformation and innovation officer, described a working committee of 11 departments that has reviewed data and will convene a broader advisory committee in October including parents, counselors and campus leaders. Macias said the advisory group will produce a comprehensive recommendation for the board in November, with a possible board action on district of innovation provisions in January. The district noted a 1 percent increase in average daily attendance is worth about $3.2 million to the district.

Trustees discussed the need for earlier parent communication on routing and attendance, asked for deeper analysis of chronic absenteeism drivers at campus level and requested periodic updates once the campaign is live. Staff asked trustees to help promote the campaign and the foundation’s Oct. 16 giving day tied to attendance supports.

No board vote occurred; staff said the campaign rollout begins immediately with a phased reveal and that follow‑up reports and the advisory committee recommendations will return to the board in November and January.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Board of Trustee Meeting September 16 ,2025 (UPDATED)","oneSentenceSummary","District communications and student services staff described a data‑driven attendance campaign and an advisory process that will produce recommendations on the district of innovation by November and possible board action in January.","taxTitle","EL PASO ISD, School Districts, Texas","taxId",13542,"location","Texas","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},5977875,"EPISD reports early gains in early‑grade literacy and math, mixed results in high‑school readiness",353,3723000,4076000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5792926-e684e6db018a2839879c6b5fb0372264&start=3723&end=4076","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5792926-e684e6db018a2839879c6b5fb0372264/thumbnail_3723000.jpg","/articles/5977875/Texas/EPISD-reports-early-gains-in-earlygrade-literacy-and-math-mixed-results-in-highschool-readiness","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/5977875-b20749b5fec5aeedde966eab3fe88614/orig.mp4?Expires=1770870253&Signature=D4tucHI4rqYJ3LglC9UucnC2eImlkULIzONvqredlpcaaCLCT2LBLbBce1j8Y9IXxH7xpwqXkMIkWwL3FuU1BHgRC3bErgABFku22P9EgwyusV6jnyi4WAiuqrLv20QFXGYXiI3VXntJsSQEKi5WYzaQjt3b0OQKwqzgM7DjP8nRbhEhkwpDOhc2kgcgHE2RRqq6ebjHOVnMbLD80R4byUM-D6~dIRuNZdH7Vt8L8~eiNDAXFxQC6bM54B3W1OfhxKTKhqScpHCmd4x79ClBtkxXAkcRbWfbeLI7p3WSBPJJQxsG7UtsD7wgf46ZNXkZ-Dn7GO4N8nWSe62DFpyPbQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","At the Sept. 16 board meeting, district academic leaders presented the first annual progress report on House Bill 3 goals adopted in September 2024, covering early childhood literacy and mathematics and college, career and military readiness (CCMR).

Christine Ferret, executive director of strategic planning and design, told trustees the district exceeded its third‑grade reading target with a 4 percent increase and that the district is on track for long‑term goals in both early literacy and math. “The first piece was, our goal in third grade reading. Our target, we exceeded our target,” Ferret said. She reported gains in kindergarten and third grade and said several elementary campuses are already above national percentile averages for literacy growth.

On math, Ferret said the district exceeded the 2025 target for third‑grade math with a 7 percent gain and reported strong NWA MAP growth at kindergarten and third grade. Assistant Superintendent Guy Rosales presented beginning‑of‑year NWA MAP results showing year‑over‑year gains in early grades: Rosales said district K–8 MAP results were already at or above last year’s beginning‑of‑year performance in multiple grades and highlighted particular gains in third grade and eighth grade math growth.

The CCMR section showed mixed outcomes. Ferret said the district recorded a 2 percent increase in the percent meeting CCMR criteria overall and noted gains in industry‑based certifications, but she also said college‑readiness indicators (ACT/SAT/TSIA) lagged and “regress[ed], so we are below target in the '24–'25.” Board members pressed for explanations of the SAT/TSIA dip; staff said expansion of participation had been the first priority in recent years and that the district is now embedding practice for TSIA (freshman level) and SAT (junior level) into classroom instruction rather than relying on pull‑out boot camps.

Trustees asked about special education results. Staff said some progress was seen for emergent bilingual students while special education performance would require targeted interventions and co‑teaching strategies to move students into less restrictive settings. Staff reminded trustees that the CCMR metric is reported one year delayed and reflects the prior graduating class.

No board action was taken; the presentation was a staff report. District staff said campus‑level data are available on a public dashboard and described continuing supports including principal data reflections, trend walks and accelerated in‑year interventions.

The House Bill 3 monitoring report will remain a standing item for board oversight and follow‑up.","District staff told the board Sept. 16 that the first annual report under House Bill 3 goals shows increases in early‑grade literacy and math growth, strong gains in some NWA MAP growth measures, but declines or shortfalls on some college‑readiness measures for high school.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},5977880,"School‑based officers urge board for pay raise and better equipment",274,1499000,1773000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5792926-e684e6db018a2839879c6b5fb0372264&start=1499&end=1773","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5792926-e684e6db018a2839879c6b5fb0372264/thumbnail_1499000.jpg","/articles/5977880/Texas/Schoolbased-officers-urge-board-for-pay-raise-and-better-equipment","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/5977880-2a8beb2afa6548f409de70ef675aeade/orig.mp4?Expires=1770870253&Signature=LD~dKFF0kxosLztldZc0pr3MjNamphKmNC-8yvK3Z1NSGrgyasuZzMaD9Kk~5lD7BJNKKTA9DNy8-XBbgPfv~kPaBYtBZZbHFnzpEHAleEvf1U18d5DCFhI4s89esxqPMp3PtEwNPZywKNNzWkzyRxqhwiBMpCMHBuyUl9H6vG2X9i8uDF43TQGmjVGFs85k5D-xtIXie5xGro0cs54szbAgaXm4FX~T81ATs-~gZaTUbrma-TD8j80QcuTUjArXDDLanfC8rRjvZ6dnWuZjZd6toRs-bHa06o2DJUAr51dkXJo-Sw9GROGvZREnMYTbhMa-P~8-jrqHpLuPN68Ekw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","At the Sept. 16 public forum, Officer Javier Moreno and a school‑based law enforcement officer identified in the transcript as Rafaela Alarcon addressed trustees to ask for independent pay increases and improved equipment for officers assigned to EPISD campuses.

Officer Javier Moreno described the role officers play on campus and told the board that officer pay “does not come close to matching the level of risk, skill, or dedication required.” He urged the board to consider an independent pay raise for school‑based law enforcement officers, saying a pay increase would help retain experienced officers: “A pay raise for our officers is not just an expense. It’s a commitment to the people that protect our children every single day,” Moreno said.

Rafaela Alarcon, identified in public comment as a school‑based law enforcement officer, described specific equipment and resource shortfalls. She said school officers routinely earn far less than nearby municipal or county officers: “school resource officers from the El Paso Police Department and other agencies are being paid $60 an hour … Meanwhile, even with overtime, SBLEs earn less than $33 an hour,” she said. Alarcon also told trustees officers were not provided tasers, that radios are unreliable and that officers are required to buy much of their own equipment, including belts, handcuffs and practice ammunition. She said the district provided used rifle vests “the integrity of which cannot be guaranteed.”

Both officers said low pay and poor equipment have contributed to turnover, with officers leaving for neighboring districts. They asked the board to consider wage increases and investments in training and reliable equipment to protect students and staff. Trustees received the comments; no formal action was taken at the meeting.

The statements were made during public forum and do not represent an administrative proposal before the board, but they prompted trustee requests to study comparative pay and equipment needs and to return with options for retaining sworn officers assigned to campuses.","Two school‑based law enforcement officers testified that SBLE pay is much lower than outside agencies and that officers lack tasers, reliable radios and adequate equipment, leading to recruitment and retention problems.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},5977884,"CTE teachers tell board delayed materials, reassignments under HB 773 are disrupting classes",837,1305000,2142000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5792926-e684e6db018a2839879c6b5fb0372264&start=1305&end=2142","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5792926-e684e6db018a2839879c6b5fb0372264/thumbnail_1305000.jpg","/articles/5977884/Texas/CTE-teachers-tell-board-delayed-materials-reassignments-under-HB-773-are-disrupting-classes","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/5977884-ba2fea9af19eedc69217ee6094a7b323/orig.mp4?Expires=1770870253&Signature=fEk0cYXiTJLuJ-bM0hR~B65ZLB9VhEQxL3IGe2ZvXf9e2NNHyh4jesi03NS4C-LIhQWoKAGr6l~ae4da~0At72yZHHjvAOxiIQQPU7jdlWc8Zm848S15LfS-rI~FQu3sRWJww69W69JAV0GXbT2XY7Uft3aRBEGINu-0odHdLCy74Pp0BrKUWgQXV206dg2wNUzBAv8PlO8CnvZ6DTmXAw0K8VzTzeJtqAzhaQiiiIrDnGdjZCp55thsOJEu-rya3N2GiVWLcCMpetKo1yAemyn8LpYj8-VwQZIzvk85sSeKuCBKXCXm05BiI~HTOQUQYNDkFbGyPPr00-K-EFIqAQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","At the Sept. 16 El Paso Independent School District meeting, multiple CTE (career and technical education) instructors used the public forum to tell trustees persistent technology outages, missing instructional materials and recent course reassignments are undermining program continuity and student certification preparation.

Ruben Cordero, an automotive instructor at the Center for Career and Technology Education, said leadership reassigned his class in response to House Bill 773 and directed him to “teach principles of transportation systems, which focuses on CDL requirements, warehouse logistics, handling, practices for goods and material.” He said that change does not align with the automotive certification and that his program is without instructional materials: “we are now in week 6 with no instructional material or ebooks … and may not receive them until November,” Cordero said in public comment. He told the board instructors were not consulted on the reassignment and that the class scheduling changes disrupted a long‑standing arrangement that supported skills progression.

Two CTE teachers described widespread technology problems that they said are harming instruction across multiple campuses. Michelle Boracek, an engineering teacher at Franklin High School, said she had to set up 30 computers herself because of IT understaffing and that “I have submitted 20, exactly 20, Zendesk tickets over the past 6 weeks” to resolve persistent software and connectivity issues. Boracek said students were sometimes limited to 30‑day trial versions of critical software and that a 3D printer would not connect because machines were not configured.

Lisa Alvarado, a CTE teacher at CCTE, told trustees the IT transition from student‑managed systems to the district IT department began in November 2024 and has not gone smoothly: “Almost a year of advanced notice should have been enough time … 7 weeks in instruction is still being impacted.” She said district IT staff described many teacher requests as “conveniences, not necessities” and criticized a perceived lack of campus visits and direct engagement by the CTE director despite prior promises from trustees to review classroom conditions.

Teachers described classroom scheduling changes that moved juniors and seniors into the same time blocks on some days and removed specialized software used for auditing and competitions. Cordero asked that instructors be consulted on course assignments, that instructional materials be delivered promptly and that scheduling practices maximize student learning.

Board members acknowledged the concerns and trustees and administrators said some follow‑up occurred: trustees personally visited campuses in some cases and an associate superintendent and a team came to inspect reported issues. Trustee comments indicated the board expected staff to resolve the short‑term tech problems and to work with CTE leadership on course alignment; no formal motion or policy change was made during the meeting.

The public comments were presented during the board’s public forum section; they did not result in immediate board votes but prompted commitments from central office staff to investigate classroom IT setups, delivery schedules for curriculum materials and the scheduling practices that instructors said affect hands‑on skill development.","CTE teachers and instructors told the board Sept. 16 that course reassignments tied to House Bill 773 and persistent IT shortages have left students without curriculum and equipment, putting certification and hands‑on learning at risk.",{"_33":113,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":114,"_41":115,"_43":116,"_45":117,"_47":118,"_49":119,"_51":120,"_53":121,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":122,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":123,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},5977889,"EPISD board hears transportation report after start‑of‑school delays",871,5580000,6451000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5792926-e684e6db018a2839879c6b5fb0372264&start=5580&end=6451","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5792926-e684e6db018a2839879c6b5fb0372264/thumbnail_5580000.jpg","/articles/5977889/Texas/EPISD-board-hears-transportation-report-after-startofschool-delays","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/5977889-d935e9cf4198176ff95f7937a76e1e2f/orig.mp4?Expires=1770870253&Signature=AKkG1DKSXVPYBd~WvfoEqrw3GqnPdh-9zPKUXDfDs-Wl7V13UjvpChsjS0PiAPoXCBRRN0ZwHHWNMwUz21I~8My4ZqWuIhPJ4LokNXUd8snjSwL3rTZ-MxsuNqHvAqVezBgv0cb0L1aASzpueTTZ-vUCrJifcemAm0qRLAwIBwLYmiJlC~lIp3PXUNc4pVZvIBnyL1j7Bm~zdJGKcUYbS1Ja7Xh3L1FPm8mRJLPRA0mlc1WWQDE0ZHv8Vr0~XjWWNN35DMyK6FBkgmnw8rjjI5ERKnUCSaPHoZT-Oia3k8pEu6SFZ5vgiq8JqFUT0jrjjedRY~K9djbnw-68W9VLmQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","At the Sept. 16 El Paso Independent School District Board of Trustees meeting, Director of Transportation Cathy Cisneros and Executive Director of Operations Support Services David Ayala briefed trustees on a series of route delays and parent complaints that followed the start of the 2025–26 school year and described steps the district is taking to stabilize service. The discussion focused on staffing, route consolidation, communication, and technology to improve bus tracking and parent notice.

District transportation officials said the district adjusted and consolidated routes after some buses ran with low ridership and others experienced delays. “The projected 25–26 school year regular routes were 76 and SPED was 75,” said Cathy Cisneros, Director of Transportation. “The actual routes as of September 8, we had 75 regular routes and 73 SPED routes.” She added that the department reviews routes in the fifth to sixth week to remove stops with zero ridership and consolidate where appropriate.

The report described staffing and vacancy details that trustees said concerned them. Cisneros said the department currently lists 160 full‑time driver positions and 76 full‑time monitors, and “we have 18 vacancies for drivers and 28 vacancies for monitors.” She said supervisors and auto‑shop staff all hold commercial driver licenses so they can fill in when absences occur. Ayala said the department is interviewing weekly to fill openings.

Board members pressed district staff on causes and remedies. Trustees asked about the decision to consolidate long‑standing routes and whether the district had adequately communicated likely changes to families. Cisneros said some routes had not been updated in 15 years and that consolidations were intended to address inefficiencies; she also acknowledged heavier traffic and first‑week congestion complicated the rollout. Officials said they will work with campus administrators to improve pickup and drop‑off procedures and deploy supervisors to campuses when needed.

On technology and parent communication, Cisneros told the board the district plans to install Zonar hardware to track student scans on and off buses and to implement Transfinder with a parent app for real‑time route updates and notifications. “When the students … get on the bus, they scan; they scan when they get off,” Cisneros said of the Zonar plan. She said Transfinder will allow parents who opt in to receive up‑to‑date notifications about their child’s bus.

The report also described other steps to improve reliability: driver dry runs on new routes before service, revised employee schedules that guarantee six hours per day for drivers, ongoing recruitment and training (including helping monitors obtain CDLs), and a planned operational review with TASBO (Texas Association of School Business Officials) to identify efficiency improvements.

Trustees and staff discussed Fort Bliss gate delays affecting buses that serve Austin High School and other campuses. Cisneros said a previously removed stop was reinstated after complaints from families on post and that the district will seek to coordinate with Fort Bliss leadership on gate‑access timing. Trustee comments also raised the idea of recruiting from military transition assistance programs; officials welcomed the contact and said they would pursue the channel.

No formal board action was taken. Trustees asked for follow‑up reports as consolidations and new technology roll out and suggested a status update in the spring.

The board meeting transcript shows the transportation presentation and the subsequent trustee Q&A took place during the reports section of the Sept. 16 agenda.","District transportation officials told the school board Sept. 16 they consolidated routes, are filling driver and monitor vacancies, and will roll out GPS tracking and a parent app after service disruptions during the first weeks of school.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

EPISD launches 'Right Here, Right Now' attendance campaign and advisory process

EPISD reports early gains in early‑grade literacy and math, mixed results in high‑school readiness

School‑based officers urge board for pay raise and better equipment

CTE teachers tell board delayed materials, reassignments under HB 773 are disrupting classes

EPISD board hears transportation report after start‑of‑school delays