Board President: Majority of EPISD schools at 50-70 percent capacity

Projections show El Paso Independent School District is slated to lose about $26.6 million dollars over the next five years and nearly $60 million during a 10-year period.

Estimates show enrollment will continue to decline by about 4,000 students by 2022, district officials said.

“We are hurting on a financial perspective because we have declining enrollment, because of an aging population and urban sprawl,” El Paso ISD Board President Trent Hatch said.

In an attempt to regain financial stability, the district is considering closing several schools.

“This is not only about considering closing schools,” EPISD Board President Trent Hatch said. “We are also taking steps to look at what programs do not bring value to our school district.”

Hatch told ABC-7 that trustees will be meeting with staff and looking at all the viable options before a decision is voted on, which is scheduled for June 21.

“We are on a path, a trajectory, if we do not look at something in regards to facilities, it could be more devastating,” Hatch said.

In 2015, Jacobs Engineering Firm released the “State of School Facilities Report,” which considered schools with capacity scores under 85 percent as underutilized.

“Anything below 85 percent we are not maximizing out good facilities,” Hatch said.

Of the 91 schools in EPISD, 78 would be considered “underutilized.”

This school year, MacArthur Elementary had the lowest capacity percentage, which sat at 40 percent. The school’s capacity is listed at 986 students, but in the first six weeks only 391 students enrolled.

A majority of the EPISD schools have a capacity sitting around 50 to 70 percent.

“If they are underutilized that is not fiscally responsible and it’s not the right thing to do in my opinion,” Hatch said. “I don’t believe that spending money on buildings that are at half-capacity is responsible to the tax payers.”

Eight of the schools are overpopulated: Cielo Vista Elementary, Polk Elementary, Tom Lea Elementary, Coronado High School, El Paso High School, Silva Health Magnet and Transmountain Early College High School.

ABC-7 asked Hatch if the district decided to close schools, would they considered closing the schools with the lowest capacity. He said more factors will be taken into consideration. “There is no easy way to say we will close all of these school,” Hatch said.

Hatch told ABC-7 that there is not a specific number of schools that will be closed, if they chose to go that direction. “I think that we have to close as many, in my opinion, in our district where it makes sense to right size for our future.”

Each campus closure would save the district more than $1 million a year, Hatch said.

“If the board considers to close the schools there will be disruption with campuses and where to move those students, but again we are not looking to take a child out of school and put them on the corner and say good luck,” Hatch said.

Hatch said losing jobs is not an option. “There is enough attrition within EPISD that we can manage individuals not losing jobs.”

The board is scheduled to vote on a decision June 21. Hatch told ABC-7 the board will have additional conversations with the community as what decisions were made and how they were made post vote.