EL PASO, TEXAS (KFOX14/CBS4) — School districts across El Paso County are facing tough questions as enrollment declines while the number of campuses remains largely the same, leaving thousands of empty seats and prompting conversations about consolidation, facility use, and possible boundary changes.
An open records request for enrollment and capacity data for the region’s three largest districts — El Paso ISD, Ysleta ISD and Socorro ISD — shows each has more space than students.
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El Paso ISD operates 69 campuses, with 45,679 students and space for 77,668.
El Paso ISD data on campuses, student enrollment, and capacity. (Credit: KFOX14/CBS4)
Superintendent Dr. Brian Lusk said the district is examining its options.
“We’ve had some closures in the past, right?…And we also know that there are some schools that have lower enrollment. But ultimately that’s something we’re looking at,” Lusk said.
Lusk said decisions about how the district uses its buildings will come through a long-range facilities plan through a citizen’s bond steering committee.
“That master plan really is going to be sort of the roadmap for us of how we utilize our schools, utilize vacant facilities or partner with entities to help provide opportunities across this community,” he said.
Asked whether El Paso ISD has considered redrawing attendance boundaries to balance enrollment, Lusk said, “That’s not been a conversation. That’s not something we’ve considered.”
In Ysleta ISD, changes have already been made.
The district has 39 campuses, excluding specialty campuses.
Including specialty campuses, the total is 49.
Without specialty campuses, Ysleta ISD has 27,529 students enrolled with capacity for over 42,000.
Ysleta ISD data on campuses, student enrollment, and capacity. (Credit: KFOX14/CBS4)
“We’ve gone from having over 60 campuses, 60 schools. Today we have 49 schools. And so we’ve really reduced that excess capacity,” Superintendent Dr. Xavier De La Torre said.
De La Torre said more reductions could be discussed soon.
“I can tell you that in the immediate future, we’re going to have to have a conversation about a couple of schools,” he said.
De La Torre also pointed to geography as a long-term factor in the district’s enrollment trends.
“The Ysleta Independent School District has always had declining enrollment because we are geographically landlocked. To the north of us is Fort Bliss. To the south is Ciudad Juarez. To the west is El Paso. And then if you get to George Dieter, over everything east of George Dieter is the Socorro Independent School District,” he said.
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Socorro ISD operates 52 campuses, with 45,765 students enrolled and capacity for 60,646.
Socorro ISD data on campuses, student enrollment, and capacity. (Credit: KFOX14/CBS4)
Superintendent James Vasquez said closures are not imminent, but could be considered in the future depending on costs and other factors.
“If the time comes where we do have to close, where this doesn’t make sense to continue investing millions at this school, that’s when we would be looking at consolidations, but like I say, that’s for another. that’s not anytime soon,” Vasquez said.
Vasquez said the district is also evaluating its buildings through a facilities study.
“We’re doing a facilities study as well, and that’ll tell us, you know, in what condition those schools are in,” he said.
While El Paso ISD has not considered redistricting, Vasquez said Socorro ISD may look at boundary adjustments later on.
“So what we are looking at doing, hopefully in the future, is possibly boundary changes just to balance [enrollment] out a little bit better,” he said.
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