YISD parents and students are angry about possibly relocating to another campus

EL PASO, Texas -- Students at the Young Women's Leadership Academy might be forced to move to Rio Bravo Middle School at the start of the next academic year.

The Yselta Independent School District initially said in a notice to parents that they couldn't install refrigerated air at YWLA due to supply chain issues and that's why they were shifting campuses come 2022-23.

However at a meeting Tuesday evening Superintendent Dr. Xavier De La Torre said it was because the roof at YWLA is too old to support refrigerated air.

He also said moving campuses wasn't set in stone and the meeting was instead intended to understand what parents, students and staff thought - all of whom pressed the superintendent during the meeting.

"We want to stay here because this is our school," student leaders said before the entire room erupted in cheers.

In just a day, students gathered 204 signatures out of a total of 360 - that echoed their sentiments.

De La Torre says keeping students at YWLA is an option but it would mean they'd have to endure the heat.

"There is not a dime today and there will not be a dime 10 years from now to install 16 million dollars of refrigerated air," De La Torre said.

That's why De La Torre is suggesting the school move to Rio Bravo - according to him money has already been allocated from two previous bonds to install refrigerated air there.

De La Torre says he will take students and staff to Rio Bravo to assess the school, he will then take their feedback to the board and they will make a decision.

"It's certainly not going to be a vote," De La Torre said.

"Me personally I just feel that they have already made up their mind," Lori Rodriguez a parent at YWLA said.