Given EPISD’s Money Woes, What’s The Situation At Other Local School Districts?

ABC-7 has reported on how the El Paso Independent School District is dealing with potential job cuts thanks to budget issues. So how are some of the other local districts faring?

Socorro ISD Superintendent Dr. Xavier De La Torre said his district is actually in decent financial shape given the uncertainty in the Texas Legislature and looming state budget cuts.

De La Torre said he learned how to contend with state finance crunches during his previous job, Assistant Superintendent for the Elk Grove Unified School District in California.

“My last four years in California,” he told ABC-7, “I became aware of those indicators that might suggest that the state is having financial problems.”

So when De La Torre arrived at SISD in 2009, he immediately streamlined the staffing at central office. That saved $2 million.

He also moved campus staff around to save another $3 million.

“So we’re $5 million ahead of the game,” De La Torre told ABC-7.

The superintendent said SISD is not expecting any job cuts at this point.

But should the district find itself with its financial back against the wall, the De La Torre said the Socorro Board of Trustees could dip into reserve funds or even adjust the tax rate.

De La Torre called any tax talk a last resort.

“It’s something the board of trustees has taken a great deal of pride in not having to do in the past,” he said. “We are very sensitive to the economy; we know that our community is having to pay more for a gallon of gas this year than it paid last year. So it’s not something the board of trustees or I want to do.”

A spokeswoman for the Ysleta Independent School District told ABC-7, thanks in part to a district hiring freeze, YISD doesn’t anticipate job cuts either.

No job cuts in the Clint school district, according to a spokeswoman.

Anthony ISD says job vacancies will be filled from within the district.

Tornillo Superintendent Paul Vranish told ABC-7 his administration is planning for the worst, though. Vranish anticipates anywhere from 30 to 40 potential job cuts. The Tornillo workforce is made up of 184 employees. Vranish said he hopes the school board will tap into the district’s local rainy day funds to bring the estimated number of cuts to 15-20.

A representative from the San Elizario School District told ABC-7 the district will reveal any anticipated cuts at the end of May, depending on what happens in the state legislature.