EL PASO, TEXAS (KFOX14/CBS4) — From boarded-up cafeteria windows to aging restrooms missing basic supplies, staff at Bowie High School say years of wear and tear are becoming harder to ignore as El Paso ISD considers whether to ask voters to approve a future bond to tackle hundreds of millions of dollars in facility needs.
Bowie High School Assistant Principal Mark Teran said the campus is deeply personal to him.
“Bowie means location where all the memories are made. It’s a home away from home,” Teran said.
He added, “I was student here, left here in ’85.”
But as he walks the same halls, Teran said the effects of time are visible across the campus.
“We have several broken windows…” he said.
Broken window of Bowie high school cafeteria. (Credit: KFOX14/CBS4)
Some cafeteria windows have been boarded up for months, and other windows are cracked near the gym doors.
Teran also pointed to security gaps at some entrances.
“We don’t have cameras that that could capture everything…” he said.
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Other concerns include landscaping and campus infrastructure, including “a lot of dead trees,” and restrooms with broken tiles and missing ceiling panels.
One restroom does not have a soap dispenser.
Broken ceiling tile in student restroom. (Credit: KFOX14/CBS4)
“Restrooms, you know not up to It’s not good for all the kids that come here…those are safety hazards for our kids. They see it. Parents see it,” Teran said.
District facilities condition data rates Bowie High School’s overall condition as “fair.”
Bowie High’s condition rating on EPISD’s Facilities Condition Index. (Credit: EPISD)
The same data shows the campus is only about half full, with 859 students attending a school built to accommodate nearly 1,600.
Those issues are part of a broader districtwide conversation as EPISD explores the possibility of a bond election.
EPISD Deputy Superintendent and Interim Chief Financial Officer David Bates said a citizens steering committee is helping shape what could be included.
“We have a Bond Citizens Steering Committee, and they tell us what their priorities are,” Bates said.
Bates tells KFOX14/CBS4 the district’s deferred maintenance needs alone total about $543 million.
Cracked glass door of Bowie high school gym. (Credit: KFOX14/CBS4)
Even with significant needs, Bates said the district cannot address everything at once.
“Let’s say 100% of everything. It can’t be done,” he said. “So that’s why you have to prioritize it.”
KFOX14/CBS4 asked what the district would do if no bond passes, Bates said, “We would still chip away with our general operating budget.”
It’s important to note, EPISD has been exploring the possibility of a bond since March.
However a couple months later in May, district leaders revealed a current $52.8 million budget deficit for the school district.
RELATED: El Paso ISD faces $52 million budget shortfall; layoffs, financial emergency possible
District officials have stressed that a bond cannot be used to address operating shortfalls, as the school board weighs possible layoffs and a potential financial emergency declaration at special board meetings this week.
“This will be the main plan to balance the budget. to look at both our staff both centrally and at the campus level, at every single employee and right-size based on the number of students that we have,” Bates said.
The citizens bond committee is scheduled to meet again on June 11th, when members are expected to vote on their recommended priorities for a potential bond.
Those recommendations will then be sent to the EPISD school board, which will review the plan in August and decide whether to place a bond proposal before voters for the November general election.
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