EPISD Community Urges Texas Lawmakers To Keep Budget Cuts Out Of Classrooms
As Texas lawmakers struggle to bridge the state’s projected $27 billion deficit, the El Paso Independent School District community is urging the legislature to keep budget cuts out of their classrooms.
A meeting was held Wednesday evening at Franklin High School regarding some of the possible cuts. Parents, teachers and students were handed bumper stickers and pre-written letters addressed to Texas lawmakers asking the elected officials to refrain from making any more cuts to public education.
Franklin High School senior Ian Baker organized the event. “I am where I am today because of the opportunities that have been presented to me and I don’t want to see those opportunities be taken away from other students,” said Baker.
EPISD Board of Trustees President Patty Hughes said the district is already bracing for a 5% budget cut, but that lawmakers have said the cuts could reach up to 14%.
She said no definite cuts will be made until the legislature approves the final budget sometime early this summer.
Parents and teachers are already speculating about what the expected cuts may look like. An e-mail circulating around the Franklin High School PTSA criticizes some suggestions recently brought to the Board of Trustees. Those suggestions include switching varsity game schedules from Friday nights to Saturdays and holding graduation ceremonies at the school gym instead of the Don Haskins Center.
Hughes said most of EPISD’s budget goes toward personnel and that they’ll try to keep cuts contained off-campus, through district-wide reductions or cutbacks in central office staff.
Another meeting will be held at Franklin on March 26th to discuss EPISD’s budget issues. The meeting will be town hall-style and include a panel of district and state officials from El Paso.
