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Teachers and EPISD officers urge board for pay, training and equipment after rise in assaults
Summary
At the Nov. 18 El Paso ISD board meeting teachers and school police described rising campus assaults, gaps in training and equipment failures, and asked trustees to consider a one-time winter stipend, better behavior-training, and competitive pay for officers to improve safety and retention.
Teachers, nurses and EPISD police used the board's public forum on Nov. 18 to press trustees for immediate steps to improve campus safety and staff morale, citing assaults, inconsistent reporting and what officers called inadequate pay and equipment.
"Morale is low," said Adrian Cifuentes, an Andrews High School teacher who recounted rising living costs and urged a one-time winter stipend for employees earning under $100,000. Cifuentes said a modest stipend would be both financial relief and an affirmation of the district—s workforce.
Norma Delaros, president of the El Paso Teachers Association, summarized a staff survey showing many educators have not received training for students with high behavioral needs and that more than half reported they had been assaulted, some multiple times. "The ball is in your court," Delaros told trustees, urging faster administrative response, behavior-intervention training such as CPI, and clearer accountability for students and families.
Several speakers described specific injuries. Speech pathologist Sherry Bridal said she was assaulted at work and required recent surgeries, listing dozens of stitches and criticizing a committee-based response as insufficient.
School police officers described operational constraints. "EPISD has 72 schools and over a dozen vacant properties," Officer Javier Moreno said, adding that roughly 20 officers are available on an average day—leaving large coverage gaps. Moreno also reported recurring radio failures inside buildings and urged the board for reliable radios, competitive compensation and an independent evaluation of the department.
Officer Jason Hart, a school resource officer, noted that under a current MOU El Paso Police Department officers working off duty on campus are paid $60 an hour and do not perform the same duties as EPISD officers. Hart asked trustees to consider redirecting a portion of that investment to make EPISD pay competitive so full-time school officers can be hired and retained.
Trustees did not take immediate districtwide compensation action during the meeting but heard multiple requests for a winter stipend and for concrete safety investments. Board members acknowledged the reports and asked administration to include staffing and training proposals in upcoming budget and operational reports.
The board's consent and agenda votes later in the meeting focused on routine contracts, the Ed Foundation update and the school improvement plan approvals; trustees did not adopt a specific stipend or pay change at this meeting.
