EPISD enrollment gap narrows, but district could still face millions in lost funding

EL PASO, TEXAS (KFOX14/CBS4) — El Paso Independent School District enrollment is moving closer to projections after starting the school year hundreds of students below expectations, but district leaders say the remaining gap could still have a multimillion-dollar impact.

EPISD projected enrollment of about 44,744 students for the school year.

The district initially came at 792 students below that projection in August. The gap has since narrowed to about 487 students, according to figures discussed as part of the district’s monthly financial accountability update.

“It’s always concerning when you’re under projections,” EPISD board vice president Dr. Jack Loveridge said.

Loveridge said he understands attendance so far is strong and believes the administration is adjusting its spending as enrollment figures become clearer.

He expects the district could consider amending its budget once enrollment stabilizes later this fall.

Julia Spencer reports on EPISD enrollment gap narrows, but district could still face millions in lost funding (Credit: KFOX14)

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The financial stakes could be significant.

Loveridge estimated a gap of roughly 500 students could represent several million dollars in state funding, potentially in the low $4 million range, although the exact impact depends on attendance and other factors used to determine state funding.

“We as a school district receive our funds from the state of Texas on the basis of both enrollment and average daily attendance. And so how those numbers work out really do affect the funds that a school district has available,” he said.

“On the 15th we’ll get a clearer number of where we’re at and after Labor Day weekend hopefully we’ll get some more back,” Deputy Superintendent David Bates said during the presentation of the snapshot template during the district’s financial board meeting.

Loveridge said the district’s snapshot timeline is important because enrollment typically stabilizes later in the fall.

“The snapshot is October. So October is basically where the numbers start to settle down and you have a good sense of which students, how many students you’re going to have until the end of the semester,” he said.

The issue carries additional weight following EPISD’s financial problems last school year.

Loveridge said trustees were receiving enrollment updates at the time, but argued the financial consequences of those enrollment changes were not adequately explained.

“The enrollment number itself was known. It was how it translates into a budget outcome that should have been discussed more fully,” Loveridge said.

He said the district now needs to make sure every trustee receives the same information and that financial reports explain what the numbers mean rather than simply presenting raw data.

“We need to make sure that every board member has the same information,” Loveridge said. “And that information is not just presented as a sort of data dump, but it’s interpreted and put into context.”

The district’s focus on earlier warning signs comes after last school year, when El Paso ISD lost out on millions after losing 850 students during the first semester for the 2025-26 school year.

The district also declared financial exigency in June and faced a projected $47 million deficit that was later reduced to $4.3 million.

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Loveridge called the new reporting process a step in the right direction but said he wants future reports to provide more context, including comparisons with previous years, statewide averages and other school districts in the region.

“It’s one thing to take a bunch of numbers and give them to the public without any context or any interpretation,” Loveridge said.

He said the district appears to be moving toward a more stable financial position, but emphasized that continued transparency will be important as EPISD navigates enrollment changes, health insurance costs and other financial pressures throughout the school year.

“It’s night and day though. Previous administrations at EPISD, they’ve been very resistant or reluctant to release too much information at once. And so that that, to me, shows that we’re moving in the right direction,” he said.

KFOX14/CBS4 also reached out to Board President Leah Hanany who addressed the this month’s financial report below:

The financial presentation was consistent with our budget assumptions and remains within expected variance. Enrollment currently remains within our normal forecasting range, particularly given the time of year and the continued regional decline in the school-age population. The district has also already identified sufficient savings to offset the projected deficit, so at this point the financial picture is tracking better than anticipated.

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