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District outlines ESSA entitlement and state compensatory funding priorities for 2025–26
Summary
District staff presented the ESSA entitlement plan (Title I–IV) and the state compensatory education evaluation for 2023–24, describing needs assessments, targeted allocations by campus and proposed expansions in parent engagement, interventionists and college‑readiness supports.
El Paso ISD staff presented the district’s proposed Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) entitlements allocations and the 2023–24 state compensatory education (SCE) evaluation at the May 20 board meeting, outlining how Title I–IV funds and state compensatory dollars would be budgeted for 2025–26.
Presentation highlights: staff described a multi‑part needs assessment using quantitative and qualitative data, input from the district’s DEIC planning committee and stakeholder meetings. The federal entitlements overview covered Title I campus allocations (approximately $24 million total for Title I services), Title II supports for recruitment/retention and professional learning, Title III supports for emergent bilingual students, and Title IV well‑rounded/healthy students/technology initiatives. The packet offered campus‑level breakdowns showing per‑student allocations and how those dollars map to strategies such as math and reading interventionists, parent engagement liaisons and supplemental teachers at high‑need campuses.
State compensatory evaluation: staff summarized the SCE evaluation (fiscal year 2023–24), emphasizing a 61% district‑level at‑risk student identification and the goal to reduce achievement gaps. The team reported mixed results: some decreases in gaps (graduation/completion), increases in math gaps in certain grades, and variable reading results by grade band. Staff described proposed reallocations for 2025–26 that prioritize supplemental staffing at campuses with the highest concentrations of emergent bilingual and at‑risk students, expanded family literacy and social worker supports, and continued investment in attendance teams and academic coaches.
Board discussion: trustees asked for clarifications on campus‑level per‑student allocations and how merged or co‑located campus codes affected budget lines. Staff explained some positions serve multiple campuses and are coded under a primary campus. Trustees asked for better linkage of inputs to outcomes and requested a clearer return‑on‑investment framework for assessing whether allocations improve achievement; staff acknowledged the request and said a more structured ROI and progress monitoring plan is in development.
Action: The presentation was a public meeting and informational; staff will incorporate public and DEIC feedback before finalizing and submitting the entitlements application to TEA.
Why it matters: Federal and state entitlement funds are one of the primary levers the district uses to target instructional supports, tutoring, family engagement, and intervention staff to campuses with the greatest need. The board asked staff to provide clearer outcome metrics and a monitoring cadence to tie spending to student results.
