EPISD Trustees Vote to Keep 2 Schools Open; Not Eliminate Jobs

The El Paso Independent School District Board of Trustees have voted not to shutter two schools in an attempt to save money.

During Tuesday night’s meeting, Trustees voted 4 to 3 to keep Zavala and Schuster Elementary schools open. EPISD officials say the closures could have saved the district as much as $2.5million.

The trustees then moved to the next controversial issue, a proposed budget cut which could lead to the elimination of hundreds of jobs. After listening to a handful of academic coaches talk about the importance of their jobs and why they shouldn’t be eliminated, the board of trustees decided to withdraw the item from the agenda.

If the job cuts were approved, officials said the savings could have topped $13 million in salaries. It was not immediately clear what the school district would do now to try and save money.