EPISD declares financial exigency amid financial struggles
UPDATE (June 5, 2026) -- Along with declaring financial exigency and cutting positions, EPISD said it will get rid of its substitute teacher pool.
EPISD said 89 teachers will stay on payroll and work as substitutes.
Board members said 40 contracted and 54 teacher positions will be cut.
Trustee Call said he voted against the plans because he wasn't confident in the financial numbers presented at the meeting.
Meanwhile, Superintendent Brian Lusk said the action was needed to get the district's finances organized for the next school year.
"Ultimately, we have a job to do," Lusk said. "We have a job of serving our students, serving them well and ultimately, we have to balance the budget."
Board President Leah Hanany agreed the decision was necessary, but extremely difficult.
The meeting lasted more than four hours.
UPDATE (10:04 p.m.) -- The board also approved to reduce some areas of employment due to financial exigency.
They would cut about 228 positions and lay off 54 teachers.
The deficit would then lie at $4.3 million, according to the district.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
UPDATE (9:36 p.m.) -- EPISD's board approved to declare financial exigency with a 5-1 vote.
Trustee Daniel E. Call voted against the declaration.
Trustees Valerie Ganelon Beals was absent.
Now, the board is discussing whether to cut 228 positions. Forty of them are contracted and 54 of them are teacher positions.
UPDATE (6:38 p.m.) -- The board is out of executive session.
UPDATE (5:57 p.m.) -- EPISD's board went into executive session after hearing public comments.
EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- The El Paso Independent School District Board of Trustees will discuss and vote on cutting more than 400 jobs and declare financial exigency at its meeting Thursday.
A financial exigency declaration means a school district's financial resources aren't enough to supports its instructional programs, according to the Texas Education Agency. It's similar to bankruptcy for educational institutions.
The district faces a $53 million budget deficit. Cutting the jobs will save them $28 million, EPISD said.
Superintendent Brian Lusk put the items on the agenda and will discuss his plan to reduce personnel costs.
If the board votes in favor, it will implement a savings plan that includes the layoffs.
The meeting started at 5 p.m.
ABC-7 will have live coverage of the meeting online through this blog and on air on ABC-7 after the game and at 10.
