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El Paso ISD board votes 5-2 to keep Lamar Elementary open for 2025–26
Summary
After public testimony and debate over academic ratings, facility costs and district finances, the Board of Trustees voted to keep Lamar Elementary open for the 2025–26 school year. The measure passed 5–2 after several trustees cited Lamar’s academic performance and community support.
The El Paso Independent School District Board of Trustees voted 5–2 on May 20 to keep Lamar Elementary School open for the 2025–26 school year, reversing a prior closure decision and drawing both praise and concern from community members and trustees.
Supporters said Lamar is a high-performing school with strong community ties. Hundreds of parents and staff spoke during public forum; Marina Lehi Garreta, a former Lamar student, told the board the school “was my second home” and thanked trustees who opposed the original closure for giving families “hope.” Norma Dela Rosa, president of the El Paso Teachers Association, told the board Lamar had been a model campus under the district’s own metrics.
Board President Hanani and trustees moved the item onto the agenda for reconsideration. Trustee (Dr.) Leverage made the motion to keep Lamar open; another trustee seconded. After discussion and a roll-call vote, trustees Sutton, Osterlund, Dr. Leverage, Cuellar and Hanani voted yes; Trustees Beals and Call voted no. The motion carried, 5–2.
Why it mattered: Lamar had been included in a district consolidation plan presented in November 2024 as part of the district’s “destination district” redesign. Administration materials showed facility “cost to correct” estimates that ranged from roughly $7.7 million to more than $12 million, and district staff told the board reopening would increase recurring operating costs. Trustees who voted no said the district faces a projected multi‑million dollar deficit next year and warned the vote could deepen that shortfall; trustees supporting reopening cited Lamar’s past A rating, national recognition, and the campus’ high scores on district measures of whole‑child support and belonging.
What trustees asked and what administration said: Trustees asked for detailed academic, enrollment and fiscal projections. District staff told the board the most recent published accountability rating for Lamar is an A (2021) but that preliminary internal calculations for the 2023–24 year indicated a C rating; final TEA ratings for the most recent year were still pending. Administrators said roughly 206 students were enrolled at Lamar at the time of the November decision; preliminary follow‑up contact with families suggested about 88 households had indicated they would return if the campus reopens, with a longer‑term projected enrollment around 180 students. Facility work estimates provided to the board ranged from roughly $7.7 million to about $12.5 million depending on the scope of repairs.
Board members also discussed staffing. District HR reported 29 teachers were assigned to Lamar at the time of closure; administrators said many of those teachers had accepted positions at other campuses, and that some district‑level and staffing placements had already been made to accommodate students displaced by the earlier closures.
What happens next: The board’s motion keeps Lamar open for 2025–26; it does not by itself establish a multi‑year guarantee. Trustees said they expect the district to work with the community on operational details, enrollment confirmation and short‑term fiscal monitoring. Trustees who opposed the motion said they remain concerned about the district’s structural deficit — projected in board workshops at roughly $31 million for the coming year — and warned trustees that reopening campuses will require funding choices elsewhere.
The vote came after nearly two hours of public testimony and trustee discussion. The board did not vote on reopening any of the other seven elementary campuses included in the original consolidation plan during this meeting.
“We cannot fix the problem of low academic achievement by closing the schools that are delivering,” Board President Hanani said in debate before the vote, citing Lamar’s district and national recognitions. Trustees who opposed reopening emphasized the district’s projected budget shortfall and urged caution before taking on new recurring costs.
The board directed administration to provide next steps on enrollment confirmation, staffing implications, and a clearer itemized cost estimate for reopening and renovating the building so trustees can monitor financial impact going into the 2025–26 school year.
