ABC-7 Xtra Sunday – The Local School District Budget Crunch

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- Deepening budget shortfalls are affecting some of the biggest school districts in El Paso - and more cuts to staffing are on the table.

The El Paso Independent School District faces a nearly $53 million shortfall as auditors dig deeper into the district's books. The Board of Trustees is set to consider cutting hundreds of jobs at their next meeting in anticipation of a final audit report.

And Ysleta ISD is dealing with almost $17 million in lost revenue after state funding and taxing changes.

Socorro ISD was in a similar situation just a few years ago, and is looking to exit state conservatorship after making hard changes since.

Administrators and boards of trustees have difficult decisions to make now ahead of the legal requirements to pass budgets for next year by the end of June.

So how did we get here - and what has to happen to keep districts out of crisis?

This Sunday on ABC-7 Xtra, join host Andrew J. Polk as he speaks with EPISD Superintendent Brian Lusk, Board Vice President Jack Loveridge, and President of the El Paso chapter of the American Federation of Teachers Ross Moore about what leaders knew when, and what happens next.

Tune in Sunday night at 10:35 PM, right after ABC-7 at 10.