YISD students are back in school; So are a few familiar faces

El Paso, Texas -- Retired teachers are going back into the workforce.

YISD Superintendent Xavier De La Torre says the district, under normal circumstances, has a much larger pool of teachers at the start of the new school year.

This year, he says that's not the case.

He attributes the smaller group of potential teachers to a smaller group of students graduating from college and universities.

Teachers have more employers to choose from, with eleven school districts in the Borderland.
This makes it a competitive labor force that all districts must compete to hire.

However, there is one pool YISD is picking from, and they may be familiar faces.

"Luckily, we work closely with our retired teachers association. And some of the retired teachers, because of inflation, are returning to go to work and get some additional income," said De La Torre.

De La Torre adds it may be some time before colleges and universities get back to where they were before the pandemic, and the pool of teachers entering the workforce is larger.

The tragic shooting in Uvalde puts school security front and center in many school districts.

The superintendent says the district has been following all security procedures the district has had in place for years.

But even more, emphasis will be placed on ensuring everything is locked down.

He says parents should expect perimeter fencing around all schools, with only one entry point.

The YISD Superintendent says administrators studied the Robb Elementary report once it was released.

He says parents will no longer see classroom doors open or unlocked.

"They should expect is that when any children are in the classroom, that that door is locked as well. So for all intents and purposes, we are in what I'd like to call an abbreviated, or a modified lockdown, at all times," De La Torre said.

De La Torre adds the school district is looking at enhancing police services and are already in talks with the El Paso Police department to do just that.

It used to be students would have to wait until they reached five years old to attend school.

But parents see they can enroll their students at a much younger age.

For the first time in YISD history, the district will accept students as young as three.

It's a new spin on YISD's pre-kinder program.

We've all heard young children are sponges and can absorb information at a very young age.

Well, those little sponges will grace the hallways of pre-kinder district hallways.

"We believe that the sooner we can get a child into a formal setting, a formal education setting, the more likely they are to thrive in school. We've got a full-day universal pre-k for four-year-olds," said De La Torre.

De La Torre adds reading, writing and arithmetic camps for educators who teach pre-k through third grade were successful.

As a result, the superintendent is expecting to see high literacy rates throughout the district.

YISD teachers starting this school year will earn more this year.

In fact, starting pay year is substantially better than starting pay for teachers working in the school district in 2014.

Starting pay for teachers will be $58,000 a year.

There's been a big push to increase teacher salaries throughout the Borderland.

De La Torre pointed out that school districts across the Borderland have vacancies.

So now, districts are dangling the carrot to try to recruit the best, brightest and most motivated teachers to teach your children.

And add to that, the district wants to help employees with their health insurance.

"Starting salary in 2014 was $ 44,800. Starting salary today is $58,200 hundred dollars. For an increase of about $14,300. Over that period of time, we have insulated our employees from any insurance increases by covering it on the district's end," said De La Torre.

De La Torre says it is important that teachers feel safe and supported to do the job they need to do and mold our city's future leaders.