Group Proposes Splitting EPISD Into 2 Districts
EL PASO, Tx. – Just days before voters in the El Paso Independent School District are being asked to go to the polls to approve a quarter-billion dollar bond issue, a group proposes splitting the district three ways.
ABC-7hasofthe plan to carve up the El Paso ISD, and foundon-line petitions are being circulated. The petitionsask El Paso County Commissioners to call a special election to let voters decide the fateof dozens ofEPISD schools.
The petition contends thatschools in West El Paso and Northeast El Pasoshould be in one of two all-new districts. Under the proposal,EPISD would shrink dramatically, and include only downtown, central El Paso and the Southside.
A new Westside district would stretch from near UTEP to Canutillo. A new Northeast district would stretch from north of Fred Wilson all the way to the New Mexico state line.
The group’s websitealleges the El Paso district mismanaged funds, but doesn’t get into any specifics.According to the one of the sites, this move would create three districts all with about 20,000; about of third of EPISD’s student population.
Dan Haggerty, whorepresents neighborhoods included in both of these proposed districts tells ABC-7, “I can’t see how this is going to fly…but there are the people I represent and when those people I request something, I’ll certainly listen, I’ll keep an open mind…but I think somebody’s just got their butt in a knot about something… I think this might blow over.”
EPISD officials though say they think this is about a whole lot more than that. EPISD SpokesmanLuis Villalobos tells ABC-7, “This issue never came before us until we announced that there was a bond issue — obviously, this is an issue that would need to have a lot of community discussion.”
EPISD announced its plans for a new bond issue on February 27th. The I-Team found out that the website has been up since March 1st.
ABC-7 has been trying to get in touch with the movement’s organizers, who apparently have been operating under an assumed name.
