EL PASO, TEXAS (KFOX14/CBS4) — The Socorro Independent School District (SISD) is considering offering a $2,500 incentive to 50 employees who voluntarily resign.
The school board is set to make a decision on this proposal during their meeting on Wednesday evening.
The incentive would be available to probationary, non-certified, and term-contracted employees, including those already planning to resign or retire at the end of the school year.
The voluntary separation would take effect at the end of the 2025-2026 contract year, with employees required to submit their notice by April of next year.
Jordan Salas reports on Socorro ISD considers $2,500 incentive for voluntary employee resignations (Credit: KFOX14)
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This proposal follows SISD’s announcement of cutting 43 positions to address a $38 million budget deficit back in May.
The district’s financial strain was further exacerbated when voters rejected Proposition A in November, which would have allowed SISD to raise its maintenance and operations tax rate for additional funding.
After the proposition failed, Superintendent James Vasquez acknowledged the need for difficult decisions, stating, “There are going to be some ramifications because of this. We will have to make some tough decisions.”
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Parents have expressed concerns about the potential impact on classrooms if staff numbers decrease.
Adrian Trejo, a parent, remarked, “If there’s not enough teachers then the education goes down.”
Another parent, Juan Antonio, added, “It will be impacted in the wrong way, in the negative way because what’s next then? Are there going to be less teachers teaching more students?”
SISD and the Socorro Education Association have yet to comment on the proposed incentive and its potential effects on staffing.
The board’s meeting on Wednesday will address this issue, and updates will follow as decisions are made.
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