El Paso ISD board declares financial exigency and approves reduction-in-force plan after heated debate

The El Paso Independent School District Board of Trustees voted June 4 to declare a financial exigency for fiscal year 2025–26 and to extend that declaration into 2026–27, and approved a reduction-in-force plan that district leaders say is necessary to balance the budget.

Interim Chief Financial Officer Mr. Bates told the board the district’s year‑end shortfall was first presented at $52.7 million and had improved to $47.9 million as of June 4, and he outlined three budget options for 2026–27 that trade different mixes of personnel reductions, property sales and other savings. “That shortfall at the end of this year looked like $52.7 million,” Bates said during his presentation.

The board moved quickly after several hours of public comment from teachers, diagnosticians and community partners who urged alternatives or greater transparency. Cara Cvantes, president of El Paso AFT, told trustees that “while a reduction in force is a painful and drastic measure, at this point, it’s a necessary step to stabilize our budget” but urged that cuts follow policy DFA and be handled with dignity. Several special‑education staff and diagnosticians warned that staffing reductions could jeopardize legal obligations under IDEA and leave vulnerable students underserved.

Trustees discussed the tradeoffs in depth: Mr. Bates described an option that would adopt an approximately $1.4 million deficit if the board declared financial exigency and implemented a package of cuts and revenue measures, while a no‑exigency option would leave a larger adopted shortfall. Trustees pressed for detailed payroll math and clarified that the district would carry a pool of certified teachers as a substitute pool rather than paying long‑term sub budgets, an approach Bates said would preserve employment while lowering substitute outlays.

After debate, Trustee Leverage moved to declare financial exigency and extend it; the motion passed on a 5–1 vote. Trustees then voted 5–1 to adopt the board’s posted staffing designation under “option three,” a smaller reduction than the more aggressive option that had been presented. The board also approved, unanimously, procedures for timely hearings for employees affected by the reductions.

Board members acknowledged the human toll of the decision. Trustee Quay, who seconded motions earlier in the evening, said the difference between the board options included dozens of teachers and families, and urged the board to select the option that minimized harm. Several trustees also asked for ongoing monthly reporting so the board can revisit assumptions and avoid further surprises.

The board asked staff to ensure affected employees are offered timely hearings under board policies DFFA and DFBB, and to begin carrying out the next steps in the personnel and budget calendar. Trustees also directed staff to continue searching for additional savings and revenue — including the conservative counting of pending property sales and grant reclassifications — and to present bi‑monthly financial templates to the board.

What’s next: the personnel actions identified by the board are subject to the district’s reduction‑in‑force procedures and employee hearings; trustees said they would receive bimonthly financial updates and that the district will present the adopted budget by the required public‑notice deadlines.

Votes and motions: the motion to declare financial exigency passed 5–1; the motion adopting the staffing designations for option three passed 5–1; the motion approving the hearing procedures for affected employees passed unanimously (6–0).