Beall parents protest possible closure; EPISD responds

Beall Elementary School parents shouted in the street Wednesday after school. Meanwhile, the El Paso Independent School District is reminding parents no possible closures or consolidations have been decided.

Emotions ran high for the group of nearly 50 parents and students during the protest on the 300 block of South Piedras Street.

ABC-7 got a response from EPISD that says it’s not too late for people of the community to have their voice heard.

“It should be saved,” Sergio Carrillo said. “There’s a lot of people around here that live close to school and don’t have cars and walk down here. Supposedly they’re saying there’s not enough students here. I think it’s good. There’s nothing wrong with not having too many students.” Carrillo signed a petition the Beall School Parents Committee put together to ask the district not to close the school.

Beall Elementary was included on a list of schools that could be closed or consolidated after a Jacobs Group study was conducted. That put many south central residents up in arms. They are now trying to save their neighborhood school.

The peaceful protest had more students than parents in the front of the school before EPISD police came and made people get off campus. Protesters then marched around the school.

EPISD’s facilities plan says Beall was constructed in 1962. It’s costing the district $1.4 million now to maintain. In 2019, it’s projected to cost $2.4 million. The elementary school has a capacity of 725 students. Enrollment currently sits at just under 500.

There have been five community meetings to discuss the findings of the Jacobs Group study.

EPISD is expected to lose 5,000 students over the next five years, meaning a projected loss of $30 million. An EPISD spokeswoman sent ABC-7 a written statement that said the school board is committed to making site visits and vetting other options before voting on any closures or consolidations.