“One Ysleta” PAC raises about $30K in two months to promote YISD bond effort

The Ysleta Independent School District can only tell you information about its upcoming bond election. It can’t tell you how to vote. But the One Ysleta political action committee can.

“One Bond, One Future” is the slogan of One Ysleta, which is working to get YISD’s $430.5 million bond passed.

“We’re making phone calls, we have a volunteer base of quite a few people, we’re walking the streets, knocking on doors, talking to parents and talking to grandparents, telling them the importance of the bond and trying to get their vote,” said the PAC’s Chairman Patrick Brown.

In just two months the group has raised $30,000. A quick look at donors on its campaign finance reports and you see the Kids First El Paso PAC is helping out. Kids First also helped El Paso ISD during its recent penny swap election, and a number of EPISD and YISD school board trustee campaigns.

Inside Kids First is businessmen Richard Casto, Paul Foster and Woody Hunt, all contributing $1,000 or more. There’s also a number of construction, engineering and architect companies. So what do they have to gain from YISD’s bond passing?

“We didn’t go out seeking these people. A lot of them came to us because they see the value in education they just want to be a part of something big,” Brown said. “And they know this is something that is really going to change the face of the Ysleta district and the community of El Paso.”

Despite the bond leading to millions of dollars in construction and renovation, donors say they contribute for the good of the community. It’s an answer ABC-7 has heard before regarding EPISD.

“I think it’s purely altruism on their part,” said former EPISD board President Dee Margo this past May. “I do not sense any form of quid pro quo, or economic gain, or the potential of economic gain. The potential for the economic gain is for the entire community.”

“It’s not about any personal gain,” Brown said. “We got to move this thing forward for the kids.”

Brown says the $30,000 One Ysleta raised goes toward signs, flyers and materials needed to get their message out. The election is Tuesday.