EL PASO, TEXAS (KFOX14/CBS4) — As students in the El Paso Independent School District head into summer break, families and employees are facing new uncertainty after trustees declared a financial exigency and approved a reduction-in-force plan aimed at closing a major budget gap.

Trustees approved a plan Thursday night that includes cutting more than 200 positions districtwide, including 54 teacher positions. Superintendent Dr. Brian Lusk called the move difficult but necessary.

“It’s very difficult. First of all, the decisions that had to be made were required. We had to take action to get us in a better financial position,” Lusk said. “So while difficult, the board did vote to declare financial exigency.”

The financial exigency declaration gives EPISD more legal flexibility to make staffing cuts tied to its financial emergency, including moving forward with a reduction in force.

Jordan Salas reports on EPISD staff await answers as parents react to approved cuts (Credit: KFOX14)

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The vote comes as EPISD faces a projected $52.8 million shortfall this school year and a roughly $42 million deficit for next school year. District leaders said the plan approved Thursday brings that projected deficit down to about $4.3 million.

Lusk said trustees had to decide how deep the cuts would go, including how many teachers would be affected.

“I think when the board voted, they really had the decision to determine how many teachers would be impacted by it,” Lusk said. “While difficult for them to have any teachers impacted. They voted to have 54 of the teachers impacted, instead of the possible 92.”

EPISD said student-teacher ratios will not increase under the approved plan. Still, Norma De La Rosa, president of the El Paso Teachers Association, said students could feel effects.

“I can’t say that our students won’t be impacted in some form or manner because they will be. Right now at this point, looking at what happened last night, I don’t believe that the impact will be as bad as it could have been,” De La Rosa said.

Some parents said they understand the district must address its deficit, but argued teachers should be the last area targeted for cuts.

“I think the teachers should be the last thing that they cut… it starts at the top with the leadership,” one parent said.

Another parent said, “I think, again, the only losers here essentially are going to be the students, the kids, the future of the borderland. So cutting 54 teachers, even if it’s for economic purposes, I think it’s the wrong plan.”

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The final budget plan is also expected to include other cost-saving measures, including eliminating the district’s health savings account contribution for employees, taking it from $1,000 to zero. De La Rosa said the change will be felt by some employees.

“I’m sure some people will feel it financially. It will have a financial impact on their pocketbooks,” she said.

The district said it is working to get out of financial exigency as early as October. Lusk said reaching that goal will depend on disciplined spending.

“I think it is realistic. We’ve got to work hard to make sure that we stay with a balanced budget. We’ve got to make sure that we stay within our means of expenditures. And we will not be adding positions to the budget. So we’ve got to be very fiscally responsible, and if we do that, we can get there,” Lusk said.

EPISD is now moving into the process of deciding which employees are affected. The district’s reduction-in-force policy says employees in affected job areas are reviewed using five factors: qualifications, performance, extra duties, professional background and seniority. Impacted employees are expected to be notified within the next two weeks.

De La Rosa said she wants the process followed fairly.

“I want equity, and I want it to be done fairly, and I want it to be done strictly using the policy… no deviations from the policy,” she said.

De La Rosa said the teachers association has sent information to members about steps they can take if they are notified they are part of the reduction in force.

The district’s final budget adoption is set for June 16.

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