El Paso ISD considers second medical magnet program at Franklin High
A new proposal from the El Paso Independent School District modernization plan is to create a second medical magnet program at Franklin High. This would be in addition to Silva Health Magnet at Jefferson High.
ABC-7 asked EPISD Superintendent Juan Cabrera if the district, with its dwindling student population, can support both.
Eric Trujillo, said his mom made him apply to Silva Health Magnet.
The classrooms created especially for students expecting to enter the medical field. He left a nursing assistant, others were just a semester away from being a certified LVN.
“That’s pretty good considering you only need another two years and you can be a registered nurse,” Trujillo said.
Trujillo was lucky to be accepted.
“We want to serve the community which is the main purpose for any of the schools, that is, if there’s a waiting list, that we’re able to provide those students with what they want within the district,” said Jefferson-Silva Principal Fred Rojas.
Silva has space for about 800 students. Every year they take in 200 more. But EPISD administrators believe there’s appetite enough for another medical magnet program within Franklin High on the west side. This would be in addition to Socorro ISD’s Health Professions Academy at Socorro High and Ysleta ISD’s at Bel Air.
“One of the largest sectors of our economy here in El Paso is our medical community,” Cabrera said. “It doesn’t look like there’s any shortage of medical jobs in this county. And I think we could easily support another medical magnet.”
Yet with a shrinking student population and a magnet program largely made up of kids from the west side, there’s concern EPISD would be taking away from its blue-ribbon school’s student body.
“Even if both those schools are many 10 percent to 20 percent smaller than we anticipate, that’s still 400 to 500 kids you’re serving in that area with a specialty school, that will prepare their way to quickly get into the medical field,” Cabrera said.
Such as Trujillo, now a doctor of physical therapy at Spine and Rehab Specialists.
The medical magnet proposal is apart of the road map administration is planning to carry the district through the next five to seven years. But ultimately, it will be the elected board of trustees that will make the final decision. They resume office in May.
