Ysleta ISD: Which schools are half-empty?

Half of the 12 school districts in west Texas,or Region 19, are losing students. That includes Fort Hancock, Dell City, Sierra Blanca, Fabens, El Paso. But none are losing as many students as Ysleta.

“I’d be very concerned because his school is a good school and I’m very satisfied with him being there,” saidEastwood Heights Elementary mother Janel Leslie.

Leslie has a third grader that attends Eastwood Heights, one of YISD’s fuller elementary schools. It’s at 86 percent capacity. But just four miles below I-10 is Cadwallader Elementary, operating at only 33 percent capacity.

Cadwallader is one of seven elementary schools out of the district’s 22, that were found to be half-empty by the Templeton Demographics study. Researchers suggested, consolidation may be an option worth considering.

“I think it would be premature to arrive at that kind of recommendation,” Dr. Xavier De La Torre said at Monday’s special meeting.

The study shows that out of all the high schools, Riverside High has the least amount of students, operating at only 46 percent of their capacity.

And Hillcrest near Bel Air is the only middle school less than half full.

“I didn’t know it was quite that bad,” Leslie said.

“I think it would actually be a little better just because the teachers would be able to give more attention, or spend more time, or give more attention to the students that are in the school,” said mother of three Eastwood Knolls studentsYvonne Martinez.

Martinez isn’t discouraged by the news of YISD’s losing students.

“I think their school is actually overcrowded,” Martinez said.

De La Torre admits that’s expensive.

“There are some schools that are far below their capacity and that would require significant resources to re-modernize or even rebuild in some cases,”De La Torre said.

And that’s the other issue. Not only does YISD need to deal with empty schools, but with aging schools.

“Their building is old and I think they need to update it,” Martinez said.

In a separate study, 70 percent of the district’s facilities are at or near the end of the useful life, and will lead to more than $200 million repairs over the next five years.

Although the , both Leslie and Martinez said approving a $155 million bond is the district best option.

“I would say yes,” Martinez said.

“It would be a good bond, it’s necessary, in order to keep the schools up and running and giving the best up to date facilities for the kids,” Leslie said.

The study found the district will not continue to lose students, but should stabilize after about five years.