Parents and advocates press EPISD on special-education safety; board approves interlocal, safety plan and emergency operations updates

El Paso — Parents and advocates urged the El Paso Independent School District on Oct. 21 to take steps aimed at preventing further injuries and deaths of students with disabilities, and the board approved both a long‑standing interlocal agreement for court‑mandated alternative education and new campus safety measures.

At the start of the public forum, Elizabeth Crooks, an Army spouse and parent of a nonverbal teen with severe autism, said recent incidents — including the death of Joseph Caraballo — have eroded public trust and called for immediate changes. "Transparency, accountability and justice are simply non negotiable," Crooks said, and she proposed four steps including a community town hall, a district special‑education advisory committee, collaboration with ABA therapy and autism organizations, and installation of cameras in special‑education classrooms.

Advocates echoed those requests. Elizabeth Bass, with Arc of El Paso, described repeated safety failures and urged the board to ensure every staff member has training in…