EL PASO, TEXAS (KFOX14\/CBS4) \u2014 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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s 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,\u201d Lusk said. \u201cSo while difficult, the board did vote to declare financial exigency.\u201d<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Jordan Salas reports on EPISD staff await answers as parents react to approved cuts (Credit: KFOX14)<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
RECOMMENDED: El Paso ISD declares financial exigency, paving way for contract and program terminations<\/a><\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Lusk said trustees had to decide how deep the cuts would go, including how many teachers would be affected. <\/p>\n \u201cI think when the board voted, they really had the decision to determine how many teachers would be impacted by it,\u201d Lusk said. \u201cWhile difficult for them to have any teachers impacted. They voted to have 54 of the teachers impacted, instead of the possible 92.\u201d<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n \u201cI can\u2019t say that our students won\u2019t be impacted in some form or manner because they will be. Right now at this point, looking at what happened last night, I don\u2019t believe that the impact will be as bad as it could have been,\u201d De La Rosa said.<\/p>\n Some parents said they understand the district must address its deficit, but argued teachers should be the last area targeted for cuts.<\/p>\n \u201cI think the teachers should be the last thing that they cut… it starts at the top with the leadership,\u201d one parent said.<\/p>\n Another parent said, \u201cI 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\u2019s for economic purposes, I think it\u2019s the wrong plan.\u201d<\/p>\n