The Ysleta Independent School District Board of Trustees voted unanimously Wednesday to approve Superintendent Xavier De La Torre\u2019s annual evaluation after a closed-door session.<\/p>\n
Though the board did not release the evaluation, trustees in open session commended De La Torre, who has led the district since 2014.\u00a0<\/p>\n
In recent years, he has had to navigate the district through declining enrollment and budgetary shortfalls that have left the district\u2019s future in the balance.<\/p>\n
De La Torre declined consideration of a salary increase or contract extension, choosing to postpone any pay raises until the district improves its budget and can give staff substantial raises, district officials said in a statement.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe success of our schools is due in great part to the exceptional faculty, staff, and administrators who work hard every day to serve our families\u2014and given the sensitive financial state of the district, I always want to ensure our employees are taken care of first,\u201d De La Torre said in a statement.<\/p>\n
YISD Board President Charlie Bustillos in a statement commended De La Torre for his leadership and for \u201chis awareness of the difficult economic realities our district and community are facing. We\u2019re grateful for the exceptional job he\u2019s done in supporting students and staff, and his steady guidance in transforming the district into one of the top 14% in the state.\u201d<\/p>\n
In the last two years, YISD has denied El Paso Matters\u2019 request for De La Torre\u2019s evaluation, with the state attorney general last year ruling that teacher and administrator evaluations are confidential and not subject to disclosure. Texas law requires school boards to give superintendents at least one evaluation a year.<\/p>\n
His evaluation is based on goals adopted by the board in 2020, which included increasing student academic performance, hiring the best staff and maintaining the district\u2019s facilities.<\/p>\n
De La Torre \u2013 who oversees the third-largest school district in El Paso with 32,600 students, over 5,000 employees and a $420.2 million budget \u2013 makes over $451,000 a year. He\u2019s among one of the highest earning superintendents in the state, with the average salary being at over $171,600, according to the Texas Education Agency.<\/p>\n
Unlike most superintendents who qualify for a raise and can negotiate their salary during their annual evaluation, De La Torre gets a pay increase any time the school board approves raises for administrators, according to his contract.<\/p>\n
He last received a 2% raise in 2023 when the board approved a 3.65% pay hike for teachers, nurses and librarians, 4% for paraprofessionals and 2% for administrators.<\/p>\n
In 2025, YISD teachers got raises based on their years of experience and support staff, including custodians, food service workers, bus drivers and security guards, got a 1.5% raise. Administrative staff, including De La Torre, did not get a raise that year.<\/p>\n
The board voted last year to remove several benefits<\/a> from De La Torre\u2019s contract that cost about $100,000 a year as the district made a series of budget cuts amid financial concerns.<\/p>\n The district did not give raises in 2024.<\/p>\n New superintendents, new salaries<\/p>\n While YISD will continue to run under the helm of a longstanding superintendent, many nearby districts, including the El Paso, Socorro and Canutillo school districts, have new permanent leaders.<\/p>\n The Canutillo ISD hired Josue Borrego as the district\u2019s new leader earlier this month after former Superintendent Pedro Galaviz retired in April 2025.<\/p>\n Borrego was hired under a three-year contract<\/a> with a $195,000 a year salary.<\/p>\n Galaviz made over $207,000 a year before announcing his retirement.<\/p>\n Before taking the job at Canutillo ISD, Borrego worked for the Houston Independent School District, making a salary of $191,900 a year, records obtained by El Paso Matters through an open records request show.<\/p>\n Records show Borrego was hired in August 2023 at Houston ISD as the executive director of feeder \u2013 a high-level administrator who oversees schools and staff in a designated feeder pattern \u2013 starting at a $170,000 a year salary. In August 2025, he transitioned to the role of senior executive director of schools, going from an annual salary of $202,000 to $191,900 a year.<\/p>\n Houston ISD had conducted a districtwide salary adjustment in 2025, leading to pay reductions for several top-level positions, Borrego told El Paso Matters in a statement.<\/p>\n Separately, in the fall of 2025, Borrego said he was invited to join the Houston ISD\u2019s newly created Office of Strategic Initiatives and given a new title.<\/p>\n Houston ISD\u2019s compensation plan shows that the pay for a senior executive director position ranges from $190,000 to $235,000 a year depending on their years of experience.<\/p>\n The El Paso Independent School District hired Brian Lusk<\/a> as its new superintendent in mid-December with a $360,000 salary, under a four-year contract.<\/p>\n