Superintendent Xavier De La Torre isn\u2019t ruling out future layoffs at the Ysleta Independent School District if student enrollment continues declining \u2013 and is pinning hopes on stabilizing the district\u2019s finances on a tax ratification election in November.<\/p>\n
De La Torre said a potential reduction in force in spring 2027 would depend on how many students and employees the district loses after the current school year and whether voters approve a tax proposition that he said could generate more revenue while lowering most homeowners\u2019 district property taxes.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe will do everything we possibly can to prevent (layoffs) from happening. But unlike the two or three previous years, I am not going to guarantee that that isn\u2019t a likely solution,\u201d De La Torre told El Paso Matters about the possibility of a reduction in force in 2027.<\/p>\n
YISD expects to see an enrollment decline of 1,500 students next year compared with this year, which could cause the district to lose up to $15 million in state funding. The district is already expecting to end the school year with a $22 million budget deficit and a $10 million deficit in the 2026-27 school year.<\/p>\n
To boost revenue, De La Torre is going to ask the YISD school board to call for a voter-approval tax ratification election, or VATRE, that would shift property tax revenue from debt repayment to operations and generate up to $6 million a year. The district has until Aug. 17 to call for a tax ratification election to make it on the November ballot.<\/p>\n
De La Torre said the VATRE could lower some homeowners\u2019 property taxes if approved, but did not say by how much. Texas law requires the ballots to say that school tax ratifications represent a tax increase because districts would essentially collect more operating tax revenue even if it reduces or has no effect on a district\u2019s tax rate.<\/p>\n
The plan would swap some of the property tax rate from repaying long-term debt to funding daily operations. Often called a \u201cpenny swap,\u201d the maneuver could result in more state funding for school district operations.<\/p>\n
The Socorro Independent School District last year held a VATRE election, which was narrowly rejected by voters<\/a>. That was even though school property taxes were expected to decrease due to the state\u2019s increased homestead exemptions approved by voters statewide. Since that attempt failed, SISD leaders have said they plan to call for another VATRE election this November.<\/p>\n
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Jeff Cynor, incoming president of the Ysleta Teachers\u2019 Association, was pleased that the $550 stipend was passed but still believes faculty and staff in the Ysleta district deserve more, June 12, 2024. (Corrie Boudreaux\/El Paso Matters)<\/p>\n