What seemed like a good idea at first quickly fell apart after YISD decided going to school the day after the Super Bowl was the right move.
It all started earlier this year, when district leaders openly acknowledged what many El Paso parents and teachers already know: the Monday after the Super Bowl is one of the lowest-attendance school days of the year.
El Paso Schools Knew Attendance Would Be Low
Before the final calendar was approved, YISD trustees reviewed a proposal to cancel classes the day after the Super Bowl, Easter, and Halloween- all days tied to consistently poor attendance.
Trustee Chris Hernandez, who led the proposal, pointed to data from 2025 showing hundreds of additional student absences and more than 200 teacher call-outs the Monday after the Super Bowl.
Depending on the estimates used, the district lost between $27,000 and $44,000 in student attendance funding that day, plus roughly $23,000 to cover substitute teachers.
Even YISD Admitted Instruction Suffers
Hernandez also didn’t shy away from saying what many already believe- that instruction that day is “mostly a wash.”
With substitute teachers filling classrooms, half-empty seats, and students running on little sleep, meaningful learning is tough to pull off. For many, it’s more about showing up than actually getting much done. Which I can attest to; I remember dragging it on the Monday after the game.
So Why Is Class Still On?
Despite support, the proposal faced pushback over concerns about making up the instructional day later in the year. While Hernandez argued there were flexible options within the calendar, the board ultimately approved Calendar B, keeping classes in session.
El Paso schools will remain open the day after the Super Bowl- even though attendance is historically low, instruction is limited, and the district loses money doing it.
Whether that Monday actually feels productive is another story entirely!
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