Ysleta ISD superintendent speaks about education needs before state legislature

The superintendent for one of El Paso’s large school districts spoke to state lawmakers about the importance of increasing funding for education.

Ysleta Independent School District superintendent Dr. Xavier De La Torre, who also serves as chair-elect of the Texas Urban Council of Superintendents, testified on Feb. 12 before a state education committee in Austin about benefits of increasing state funding that supports early childhood education and English language learners.

Dr. De La Torre spoke to the House Public Education Committee of the Texas Legislature about recommendations by a commission tasked with analyzing education funding in Texas, according to a news release from the Ysleta ISD.

In December, the School Finance Commission approved dozens of recommendations that include increasing school funding by more than $1 billion to help improve student performance.

In the news release, YISD officials said that De La Torre testified about the need to direct more resources to early education, as well as to English-language learning students who also face challenging economic circumstances at home.

Ysleta ISD credits its focus on funding those areas for the “positive academic results” of its students on annual state tests and exams.