EL PASO, TEXAS (KFOX14/CBS4) — The El Paso Independent School District held the first meeting of its new communications advisory group on Thursday as it looks for more direct input from families, students and the community amid the district’s financial struggles.
The district said the group is made up of EPISD employees, parents and community members, with officials stating the purpose is to provide feedback to help the district strengthen its communication efforts with the people it serves.
“We’re always looking for ways to improve our communication. This group gives us another way to hear directly from our community, our parents, from our students,” said Liza Rodriguez, EPISD’s chief communications officer. “We want to inform them, we want them to feel heard, we want them to know that we’re listening, and that we take their feedback, and that we want to do better.”
The communications advisory group held its first meeting on Thursday as the group and district officials spoke about what they hope to accomplish through these meetings.
The district said it is still accepting members for the advisory group and that meetings will be held every month for the rest of the school year.
The group’s first meeting comes as the district continues to face a budget crisis after a $53 million deficit was reported for the current school year.
As KFOX14/CBS4 previously reported, the board voted to declare financial exigency on June 4 due to the deficit.
Additionally, for the 2026-27 school year, EPISD faced a projected $37 million deficit, largely due to payroll costs.
Last month, the board adopted a budget that reduced that shortfall to about $4.3 million.
Meanwhile, the formation of the advisory group also comes as the EPISD Board of Trustees is also asking families, staff, students and community members to weigh in on the district’s future during a series of Information Nights that will include updates on district priorities and a possible bond proposal.
The district said the meetings will focus on “the future of the district and the opportunities ahead for El Paso ISD,” including information about a potential bond that could address facility improvements, enhance learning environments and support long-term needs of students and schools. Attendees will also be able to meet with their elected trustee, ask questions and provide feedback.
Information Nights are scheduled for Tuesday, Aug. 4 and Wednesday, Aug. 5.
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