Eastwood High: 30 percent of students from outside the neighborhood

Both the El Paso and Ysleta ISD’s have adopted open enrollment policies in order to address their shrinking student populations. But in the case of Ysleta’s Eastwood High, open enrollment is attracting too many students.

The school is over-crowded and over-capacity. It has 2,326 students and 30 percent aren’t even from the neighborhood. Eastwood High’s reputation travels up and down both both sides of I-10. It’s popularity captures the attention of the athletic, ambitious and adept social butterflies.

The campus can fit 2,266 students, but has 60 more students, come through its doors everyday. But 30 percent of those students, or just under 700, don’t bring their parents’ tax dollars with them. State money follows these kids, but the local tax contribution doesn’t.This means even though a Westside family sends their child to Eastwood, that family’s tax dollars stay on the Westside.

When asked about the funding disparity, and whether that puts a higher tax burden on Eastwood’s taxpayers, the district said in a statement, “The state matches each tax dollar at approximately a 3:1 ratio per YISD student, meaning for every tax dollar contributed, the state matches it with $3.”

YISD is proud of the popularity of its school, making no effort to curtail its inclining enrollment. It’s even asking taxpayers to shell out $94 million to help pay for three stories, just to make sure there is space enough for everyone who wants a seat.

Out of seven high schools, Eastwood is the only one that’s over capacity, the other six not even hitting 75 percent.