Canutillo ISD invites parents to give feedback on district’s next steps

Canutillo Independent School District parents were invited to hear a status report on the district’s schools Wednesday evening. It’s reaching out to parents for feedback that will shape the district’s future.

“We’re estimating our student population will remain constant at 6,000 for the next five years,” said CISD spokesperson Shane Griffith.

But after commissioning the Jacobs Engineering Group and Dejong Richter to study both its population and facilities this summer, CISD is learning its six elementary schools and two middle schools are running half-empty, while Canutillo High is over capacity.

“I would like to see us not get to the point where the El Paso school district has gotten to, where they’re having to close down schools,” said parent Cynthia Lopez.

Although the district has committed $70 million to keep its campuses in good condition, it wants parents to tell them what their next steps should be, especially since new housing developments bring the promise of more students.

“Maybe we expand, maybe we add portables, maybe open up another campus,” Griffith said. “But that’s the purpose of the community dialogue. To solicit the needs and desires and make the community part of that decision-making process.”

The full Facilities Master Plan can be found here. The next Community Dialogue meeting is Feb. 25.